I'm not a trans guy. That's the one thing I don't get into. Other than putting in a transgo shift kit in a 700R4 a few years ago, I stay away from them.

With that sad, I leave it up to the pros. In the past two weeks speaking with trans shops, speaking with dodge ram owners, and noticing how many posts on this site are related to "my trans died" I've come to the obvious conclusion that Dodge transmissions suck.

I like my Ram.. I really do. It has a nice interior, it looks nice, rides ok, has plenty of power for a heavy truck. However the transmission is garbage. For a guy who does a lot of plowing, towing I don't know what I should do. Trade the truck in to an F250 which has a far superior transmission, but with perhaps less quality in other areas. Or throw money at the Dodge every time the transmission decides to get cranky...

-- Joe

 

What do you guys think about adjusting the bands. Before he jumps to throwing in anther trans why not step back and try the free stuff first? Thats where I would start.

anesthes as far as your dilema, dodge transmissions do seem to fail between the 80-100k mark. However, if you get it rebuilt properly and everything goes well, according to many, many people, you can easily ride the hell out of the rebuild and get at least 150k more out of it.

 

IF a dodge tranny is built right with the proper updates done to it, it will last a long time. As far as an F250 with an E40D or 4R100 trans, they shift like mush and don't last unless they are rebuilt right and shift kitted. As far as the band adjustment, I rebuilt a 46RE out of a deisel today where someone kept adjusting the front band, their was not any lineing left on the band and it had eat the direct drum up which the band grabs when it applys.

 

What area are you in?

I spoke to a guy today who said for $2095 he will rebuild my trans, new converter, drill the main shaft for better lube, all new parts and a 2 year 24k warranty for plowing/towing. Seems high, though cheaper than trading up to a ford.

My truck is a 5.9 gas, 98k miles. Trying to figure out if it's worth it. I like the truck. It has sloppy steering though, and I'm curious if that can be fixed as well and at what cost. I need to figure if the truck is worth spending $3k or so making it 'like new' or if I should use the 3k as a down payment and trade the truck for something nicer.

-- Joe

 

That price is pretty steep in my opinion. I talked to a few shops around me (just south of flint,mi) a month ago and they quoted me at like $1300. Tackling it yourself would be about $3-400 probably if you were throwing new stuff at it but you don't get the warrenty. As far as your 3k problem, I am in the same boat, I love my truck but don't know if it is worth throwing the money into to fix it all back up.

 

I'm in NC. I think we get around 1800 to do the whole job, with 2yr/24,000 warranty. But,with the economy, I think we are down from that a lttle.

 

My father told me the same thing when I bought my dodge truck "there auto trannies are junk. "blah blah is on his 3rd one"

Well I got a dodge anyway, but I got a 6-speed manual lol.

 

My 500hp supercharged Corvette has a 6-speed manual. My truck however, is automatic. Plowing, towing - need an auto for that. I've had trucks for plowing and towing with 3 and 4 speed sticks. It sucks.

-- Joe

 

Im assuming you meant 47re, since it was diesel. But anyway ive noticed that alot with the 47re. I think every 47re ive done has had that problem. The front band eats into the drum. We turn the drum down on our lathe for other shops around here, its always out of a 47re.

I think its a problem with the band, it wont hold up to the diesel trucks, i think that "triple wrap" or what ever the stock band is is junk.

And i agree that the e4od/4r100 shifts like mush stock but stick a sure cure in it and its like night and day. A customer told me he wanted aggressive shifts in his e4od, it was a big diesel lifted 4x4. So i stuck two of those little shims on each little accumulator valve, (transguy you know what im talking about) and he came back the next day and wanted me to detune it. LOL! Every time it shifted it felt like someone ran into the back of the truck! He said he wanted it aggressive! But i was more than happy to de tune it for him.

I recently built a 4l60e for a glass shop, it was a 2500 chevy van with the vortec 350, he drove it out the next day called me back and said he was in love with it. Said he would rather drive his work van than his mustang! Apparently he had the mustang trans rebuilt somewhere else and it shifts like crap, he said as soon as he gets the money he is going to bring that one down to me. LOL!

Shift quality is everything to customers, thats how people judge your work, but its tough to please everyone. I build mine pretty tough, most of the time they shift a little harder than stock, most of my customers love it, but then sometimes you get the people that want it to shift like mush, oh well cant please everyone.

 

I know what you mean, I hate having to go back and detuning a trans. I'm the same way, I make them shift a little faster and firmer. But, like you said, you can plz everyone.