so after years of mediocre vehicles my mother finally listened to me and got a good one haha. shes got a 2001 durango 4wd with the 4.7l. shes the second owner and i believe its somewhere in the 170000 mark and the replacement for the recalled ball joints was done in 05 so im just wondering what other things there are to worry about or any suggestions as to replace this or that just to be safe and some cheaper performance mods. thanks ahead of time guys.

 

Have the transmission serviced by a reputable shop. New filters, new fluid (make sure they use the right fluid!), and any necessary adjustments.

Dodge has a reputation for weak transmissions. We could debate all day long about whether they deserve that reputation or not, but they do have it. Since it's a very expensive part to replace, and you have a used, high mileage vehicle, it's well worth it to have the transmission looked over by someone knowledgeable just for peace of mind if nothing else.

Other than that, just go through all the routine maintenance items. Oil change, air filter, grease anything that needs it, etc...

 

right right i know all the stories about these transmissions lol. other than that she did just get an oil change yesterday and ill be reminding her to get all the other changes and a tune up done for sure since we dont know when the stuff was last done. transmission fluid is the same as it would be for my truck correct? as for the rest..any recommendations on parts..plugs..etc for the tune up and everything else?

 

With the 4.7L all you need is a new set of Champion Copper plugs gapped at .040, a new air filter, and oil. Engine oil is 10W-30 and transmission fluid is ATF+4 ONLY!

Next replace the brake fluid DOT-3, and rear and front diff fluids 80W-90 and Friction Modifier in the rear if it is Limited Slip, Coolant swap.

Also, clean the TB. Not many mod's out there for the 4.7L.

 

trans fluid should be atf +4, yours probably calls for +3, but that has been discontinued in favor of the +4

dodge has a rep for bad trannies on the older trucks, the 42, 44, 46, re transmissions, the 4.7 in that year came w/ a 45rfe which is actually a very well built transmission, and is basically the same as the 545 which was put behind later 4.7s and the new 5.7 hemi when it came out, that trans is most likely fine, and, as long as it wasnt abused will be fine for quite a while longer.

 

dont worry i use atf+4 in mine so ill know not to use the wrong kind lol. as for the stuff about the 45rfe..thats pretty cool and it seemed strong whenever i drove it so im not too worried. oh and sorry about the way i gotta type lol. my phone doesnt allow me to type certain things with this app.

 

lol, thats ok, its people that reference tranny problems on the 4.7 that aggravate the hell out of me bc they are clearly thinking about the older truck trannies, the 45/545 is a completely redesigned transmission which holds up much much better than the older series of transmission, its just too bad that the reputation has stuck, and most people dont know enough to check which trans is in the truck before bashing it (not saying you are in that group)(and tbh we have had at least one dodge in the driveway since 95 (was a 96 dak) and have never had a trans problem . . .)

 

I completely agree shrp. Also, it's about how you treat the transmission and how you drive. I have had 5 Dodge's in my life and not one transmission problem. I currently drive a 2000 Durango with the 46re and a 2000 Ram 3500 with the 47re. The D has a hair over 125,000 miles and the Ram has about 176,000 miles on it. The D I've had since it had 3 miles on it driving home from the dealership and has hauled at least a 6,000# trailer every day of its life and the only thing I've done to the transmission is change the filters and fluid.

The Ram is still all original and I pull a 28' fifth wheel once or twice a month and she does great. Don't beat the hell out of the transmission or engine and it will be a lot less repair bill if anything does wrong.

 

I agree, if you take care of it, she should last you a life time.