I wanted to take it back to them, but I just needed to see what was wrong first before I go running in there. This truck is a modified truck, and there is some **** wrong with it. So I can't accurately sit here and say that's its all them, it could be **** from my dumb mods. And I suspected, the dealer is saying its my engine and not their tranny. I'm still waiting to hear what they say, but I'm just freaking out right now, because I have no idea what the hell else is wrong. I cant afford to go opening up this engine if it's a big deal. And I knwo I got raped with the pan, but I made the loan, so I just figured get it done there all at once while it was in the shop, I didn't feel like bringing it somewhere else after, I just wanted everything the truck would ever need for a transmission done in one sitting at one place. Uhh...I think Im going to go vomit, I dont dare tell my pops it's an engine thing and not the tranny thing. He already hates my stupid truck as is.

 

I think in general, if your careful with the mods you pic, modding a truck can actually make it better and last longer. But the line is easy to cross. For example, i think my truck is less capable right now with 6" lift and 35's then it was when I had just 3" lift and 33's. It was a better all around truck back then I think. I could off-road it, haul heavy loads, tow, and still had great performance. Today, it is slower, and probably more susseptable to stuff breaking. Changing my gears will help, but I often wish I had just left it at 3"/33's. But, I made that trade-off so that I could have a truck that looked the way I wanted it too.

I really feel for you man. The luck you seem to have with this truck is just unbeleivable. I bet it will be the last Dodge you own after this is all through.

 

damn joe, i feel for ya man. my dad HATES my truck too, but i think hes jealous. hopefully it wont be anything to bad.

 

Ahh I know guys, this is just so rough. And Silver, really feeling you too man. I think I want to take the lift down and put the 33s on as well. Chris, I think you can get away with your 35s because she's a big boy. Everything is bigger on that truck, so it can handle the extra stress. With a 1500, it's a lot more stress going on. If you have the money to keep after it, awesome. But me, I'm running out of options. I can't keep dishing money into saving this truck. It's getting to the point where I don't know if I should bail on this truck as much as I am attached toit. If I size down the tires and take the lift off, my transmission will last longer, suspension components won't get as beat up, it will move quicker, tow more, and it will be safer. I just feel really silly right now. I'm sick to my stomach if it's something intense. I don't know if I should replace the 35s with smooth treaded 35s, or just go full out and bring it back down so the truck will last, and can be more versatile. I just feel really dumb and retarded right now, and I have no money. The last thing I wanted to be doing was this. I told myself, yes $4,000 loan is big time, but AT LEAST she will be running perfect. I don't know what I'm going to do, and money is scarce. Sighh..

 

I also wouldn't blame yourself for modding your truck. Many times it is a do it and learn process. You have many good guys on here with a lot of first hand experience to help you. None of them would be doing these mods to their trucks if they were ruining them. As you seem to have done from what I've read, always get as much input as you can before modding anything. Learn from the experience of others, and as you already do, share your experiences with everyone as well. We all learn from each other's experiences as well as our own, both good and bad. Just think of it this way, if you had never done anything at all to your truck, but you kept reading about what others were accomplishing, you would always wonder "what if...". I know you're extremely frustrated right now, I've been there myself more than once. I have learned that things aren't always as they first appear. I try not to never panic. This usually leads to bigger problems and costing me more money. I also try to never be in a hurry to do something without first doing plenty of research and having a good feel for what I'm about to do. I also try to have a plan "B" in case of something going wrong. This philosophy doesn't assure me 100% success, but it does help me through rough times and definitelt helps to eliminate most of them. Try and hang in there. I have a feeling that if the tranny isn't the issue, it will more than likely be something simple, like the CPS I mentioned. If it is the tranny, it is under warranty and will be fixed. You will be able to pass along this experience with others in the future and it will help them with their decisions and they will be grateful to learn from yours. We've all been there.

 

Thanks Ron. I will let you guys all know what the dealer says to me as well before I pay for anything to be done. So I will continue to keep you guys updated. I just liked this truck so much, but I've had nothing but issues with it. It's driving me insane. That little stupid neon was gay as hell, but it got 35mpg and didn't have any problems. I still like this truck better, but I just wish I could get at least a damn year out of it like a normal vehicle. I'll keep you guys all posted though before I pay for anything else, thank you!!!!

 

I'm not going to go into how you got ripped off on that transmission.

Anyway didn't you say the truck was throwing a missfire code? Now I could be wrong as I'm not a mechanic anymore and never did more than basic stuff when I worked as one. Well, I just don't see how a missfire would cause the shifting noises. No way that would cause the wining noises and clunking. Thats something thats a problem with the transmission. Atleast I'd be pretty stunned if it wasn't. You may also have a engine problem but I think you have a transmission problem too.

My guess is it was throwing a missfire code or had one stored and what happend was the dealer just hooked a scanner up to it and saw that missfire code so said it was the engine. A missfire could cause a shudder when driving but I don't know that it would as bad as you make it sound like it is and I don't see how it could cause the other issues. I suspect they just saw that code and are saying you have engine problems then when they are done fixxing that you are probably going to still have transmission problems. If not I'd be amazed but then again I've been amazed a few times.

Wasn't the transmission shop supposed to fix the missfire in that deal anyway?
I'd also be a little worried about taking it to the dealer as said above. If you have someone else other than them tear into the transmission you not only will pay them a arm and a leg you may not have a warranty anymore. I know if I sold someone something like that with a warranty and they had themselves or another mechanic take it apart and put it back together and then brought it to me for a warranty claim I wouldn't fix it.


As for the missfire didn't you just have the cap, rotor, plugs, and wires changed? Better hope it isn't a cracked head which also seems common with these trucks. These things are just a darn money pit. As I said I've got about 8 grand into mine with this last round of repairs and it seems like something else just keeps breaking. I think I've got most of it new then something else breaks. I've always heard you get 5 years or 100k miles out of american vehicles and that seems to be true with these trucks as around 100k is when all my problems started.

 

Ok here goes my deep breath......sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


Before the transmission was put in, they said I had a misfire code coming up on my truck. But it was nothing substantial. I didn't even know I had one before they said anything. I just think it has to be transmission related to. Even with that old ****ty transmission, I was going 70mph on the way home. Granted it wasn't shifting, but I was able to get it up to 70mph for 150 miles on the highway. I'm not having them do any work to that transmission. I just want to see what it is before I rolling into the transmission shop raising hell. I have to cover my bases first. Do I get rid of this truck or what? I don't even know anymore. Do I get a new dodge, or like an 03 or something? I'm compeltely stumped. I can probably get this all fixed, but I cannot afford to fix anything else for at least a year.

 

Im surprized that you never got an CEL on the trans like i did , i think i mite got lucky cause mine only thrown an overdrive selnoid CEL.. (no rebuild ) .. But i wouldnt tell the trans shop that you had the truck somewhere else , matter of fact its there headache let them deal with it and fix it. If they screw up more things , it just more things they gotta replace , less money out of your pocket..let them know that the truck ran better when it came in , then it left .. get dad more involve on this ...

 

Okay sounds good. I will not let the dealership doing anything to the truck. I just want to find out "what's wrong with it" first, and then I'm dropping it with them.

On a slight side note, is a 33/12.5/17 the same size as a 285/75/17? My dad really isn't impressed with my truck either. He wants me to take the lift off and put normal sized tires on the truck. I know 285s aren't exactly normal sized tires, but they'll be basically the sized tire was that came stock with the truck (believe it was a 275). I'm just trying to find the best prices on the procomp all terrains. Can any of you find me the best deal? I want 285s. I think procomp only writes it as 33s though.

Anyways, who knows about the CEL light. That jackass who gutted my cat may have taken the cell light out because it never went off through any of the gutted cat job, or the header issues, not once. So it may be going off and we just don't know it. Pretty stressfull stuff here guys. It's just one thing after another, can get myself a damn break with this truck. I just want to enjoy my truck and be left alone. I know I'll still be happy with my truck, even if I put it back down to it's original size with 285s, should still look proportional. I'd keep the lift if I could afford it, but with how money is, I can't afford to maintain a lifted truck, I just can't.


Reid, do you have any pictures of your truck when you had the 3" lift and 285s? That's basically what I'll have if I bring it back down to the stock 2" lift. It'd really be appreciated, thank you. And I can't thank you guys all enough, I'll keep you posted what the dealer says when they call me!