Higher pinions = safer MMM's? Or no? Someone's lying....

[RC-Monster Mike]

I guess when they keep saying that the mechanical ratio flips("changing from accel to decel changes the mechanical advantage on the motor"), it makes me wonder if they are crazy or trying to say something other than what they are writing!

Braking energy DOES change with gearing because speed changes with gearing. At a given speed, however, it takes a given amount of energy energy to stop the car in a given distance(see my examples). The gearing makes no difference at all - energy is energy, regardless of gearing. 10volts at 1 amp or 1 volt at 10 amps is the same amount of power. 100 pounds of required force to stop the mass is 100 pounds of force to stop the mass. A pound of feathers is the same weight as a pound of bricks. A single dollar bill has the same monetary value as 4 quarters. A gallon is the exact same volume as 4 quarts - all just different expressions of the same thing! How many more examples can we come up with to say the same thing!?

I agree that a lower geared setup traveling at the same speed as a higher geared setup would have to be making more motor rpms(given that other factors are the same) and would therefore create a higher back voltage, though at a lower current than the higher geared setup. The total force required to stop a given mass at a given velocity is the SAME, however. Pretty sure I have mentioned this a couple times here, though. :)