my ram 1500 was not equiped with the trailer package. i just put a class 3 hitch and trailer light plug on. what size tranny cooler do i need ? and who has a decent one for a reasonable price. and i noticed the fittings on the trans lines going in the radiator are threaded do i need a cooler equiped with these fittings ?

 

Biggest you can get, or else on with it's own integrated fan.

 

Yep, bigger is better when it comes to tranny coolers. The previous owner put a cooler on my truck. He simply cut into the return (top) line coming out of the radiador then used flexible hose to connect to the cooler. All the connections that he put in are clamped with hose clamps. You just need to get flexible hose that is rated for transmission line, since is does have some pressure. The hose clamps work well. I don't have any leaks in the system.

 

WOULD A HEAVY DUTY 30,000 GVW BE BIG ENOUGH ?

 

That's what I use. Mines rated at 32,000 GVW. I tried several other smaller coolers ranging from something like 15,000 to 22,000 GVW. They made almost no difference over the stock configuration (radiator only). This one definetly does a good job though, escpecially when I am towing in the hot summer months.

[IMG]local://upfiles/9095/29954CAC13434E88ACAD5A3EB6B9A2F0.jpg[/IMG]

 

Where did you get your tranny cooler?

 

Flex-a-lite

 

I think the one I have is a 16000# rated one. Here is a copy of a post I did a while back on how I did mine:

Here's a link to a post I did with pics of my tranny cooler install. https://dodgeforum.com/m_286895/mpag.../tm.htm#286895


Here are also detailed instructions on how I did it.

I would guess you could do it with any cooler, they all have an inlet and an outlet. You want to put the cooler in after the fluid goes through the cooler in the radiator (factory standard), so the idea is to splice it in the return line. I don't know if a Durango has the exact same setup or not - look at the pics and compare. Some factory tranny coolers are mounted in between the rad and condenser, so check that out before you buy one. Here's the instructions for a Ram. Some people sandwich the tranny cooler between the radiator and the condenser - I thought about that but to get enough room to work behind the condenser requires removing it - which requires unhooking the A.C. lines and an A.C recharge. Sorry - I'm not doing that. Attaching the cooler on the outside as I did requires removal of the two top bolts that hold the condenser on in order to get your arm behind it to attach the plastic mounting nuts. No biggie. You need a "quick disconnect tool", $6 at Auto Zone, to unhook the "hard line" at the joint. The return line is the one that attaches to the top of the radiator....see pic. There will be some drainage from the line, so have a pan and rags handy. An 11/16 wrench removes the fitting at the radiator. I used a tubing cutter to cut the line about 1/2 way down, leaving enough of the line to still catch in the holder on the radiator after being bent. Use a tubing bender to bend the ends of the line forward - be careful not to kink it. Mine started to kink even with the bender - so watch carefully as you bend. If it starts to kink, stop, a perfect 90 degree bend isn't necessary. I used a flaring tool to flare the cut ends of the line a little bit - enough to help hold the hose in place better - and filed the edges smooth so the hose would not cut through over time. Blow compressed air through the hard line pieces to clean out any metal filings. Reattach the ends to the radiator and tranny line. I ran the bottom line out through a precut place in the rubber next to the radiator, I cut a hole for the other line. Cut cooler hose to length, attach top to top, bottom to bottom with clamps provided with cooler. Don't overtighten. I left the bottom hose off and had my son start the truck up in neutral to make sure I had good fluid flow before I buttoned it up. Have a clean container to catch the fluid that comes out. You won't have to run it long to get fluid out - so this is best done with two people. You can put the fluid back in the tranny if you use a clean container. I cut two pieces of old radiator hose to use as a buffer between the cooler lines and the A.C. condenser lines and zip tied the lines loosely together. Probably didn't have to - but I didn't want them rubbing. Depending on how much fluid drained from the lines, and how much the cooler holds, you may have to add some tranny fluid, so check the level after installation. That's pretty much it. If you can find the "hard line" at a salvage yard - I would suggest getting one and doing your cutting and bending on it, that way you have an extra. If you screw up the original - you'll be needing another ride to go find one! The tools I used can be rented at Auto Zone if you don't have them. I hope this is clear enough......Good Luck!