I need to ask this because I believe I read that when our trucks shift really smooth that it can be a sign of worn gears in the tranny and we want firm shifts...


I ask because I used my buddies 96 ram 1500 5.2 4x2 yesterday and you could barely feel the tranny shift...now the truck has 152k...he has owned it since 118k...hes never done a tranny flush..owned it 3 years but his fluid does not smell burnt or is it low.

Now my dad owned this truck before him. My dad owned it since 17k....my dad put an aftermarket tranny cooler that is big on it and always kept up with transmission services...check valve has not been removed....but you cant even feel the tranny shift it just slides into fhe next gear...runs greats...it has no tach so I dont know how rpms are when it shifts...but is this something he should be concerned about?

 

By the way my dad towed his camper/trailers/boat all the time

 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it....

Mine shifts pretty smooth too, at 177K miles.... when it stops working, then I will worry about it.

 

Yep, my stock 46RE was as smooth as glass in the shifts until it gave up the ghost. My new stronger tranny gives nice firm shifts and a swift kick in the pants under WOT. So X2 if it ain't broke don't fix it. I try to avoid the fix it till it's broke mentality.

 

I was asking because he has nothing saved in case something does go...And if his tranny does go hes screwed

 

Doesn't hurt to save up for a "just in case". It cost me $2500 to have my transmission rebuilt at 98K. Again it comes down to, if it ain't broke don't fix it. It may be a gamble but unless he wants to pay to bring it to a transmission shop and have them give it a one over, that's all he can do at this point. The fluid should be replaced every 25k and get a new filter. With the pan dropped you can check the magnet and look for any shavings. Make sure you put ATF+4 transmission fluid in it.

 

Not to mention that damn near EVERY trans shop I have been to, heard about, read about..... their favorite line is "You need a rebuild"....... Doesn't matter why you brought it in... they still just wanna rebuild it.

 

Also very true. That's why I waited for mine to be 100% shot before I brought it in.

 

adjust your tv cable to firm up the shifts... problem solved...

trans heat up in that little spot between the gears, and heat is it's number one enemy.. cutting that time down makes them shift quicker/harder, which is actually a benefit to the longevity of it..

sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.. well, so long as your not slamming it super hard and break something..

 

There are other factors as well that cause Softer/Stronger shifts; like MAP readings; Air Temp Readings; TPS position.. if your hardly getting on the gas vs WOT.

One of the biggest things I found was the Governor Transducer; sometimes it wont open because of crap built up around the solenoid. Symptoms are also floating or double shifting as well.. it controls line pressure during a shift.. Open too much =higher pressure and harder shift, and so on.. not opening enough=softer shifts; or floating/double shift..