Moparts

What year did dodge truck trans get better

Posted By: 6T6Cuda

What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 02:58 PM

I know they had a lot of trouble with the dodge truck trans (overdrive). I am looking to buy a truck what year did they get better - if ever?

I am mostly looking at stuff before 2000
Posted By: dennismopar73

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 03:12 PM

man i hear this stuff all the time
i didnt know they built any thing bad or worse than any
other car maker
im going to say this again,,
they will all go bad if you dont care for them,
guys will run 150.000 miles never change fluid never check fluid,
couldnt tell you where the stick is to check it,,
we change are oil every 3-5000 miles never change trans fluid ,
life of the car,,
its like we got automatical stupid here,,
then after 150000 miles we have trans trouble,, MY GOD WHAT WAS MOPAR THINKING WITH THAT TRANSMISSION!!!!
oooo well the insanity will never stop!!


we really have come a long way tho,,
we used to get rid of cars that had over
100000 miles to ,,
now we are keeping cars till 200000 or more
ive got a 95 neon 300000 on it no trans trouble,
got 02 durango 160000 on it no trouble,
got 96 caravan 200000 no prob,
99 1/2 318 120000 no prob,
94 shadow 1350000 no prob
own a 99 chevey cavalier makes me walk
all the time
Posted By: Dean_Kuzluzski

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 03:34 PM

I hear ya............

lots of folks have the "ain't broke, don't fix/touch it" mentality with the auto trans.

Little do they realize the filter will only flow so much as it clogs with clutch/band particles. And then the heat and lack of lubrication kills it.

I do mine at 100k or when it starts to show some brown tint.

Got 3 vehicles, all with over 180k+ miles.
Posted By: Russ_Davis

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 03:35 PM

Owners manual says change fluids..Change fluids. 180,000 on my 99 Dakota shifts great and still burns the tires off.
Posted By: DAYCLONA

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 03:41 PM

I had the tranny let go in my 99 1500 4wd,......changed fluids, still puked,....the 94, same thing....basic problem with both was the torgue converter broke up and loaded up the tranny with ground up crap
Posted By: dennismopar73

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 05:07 PM

i guess with a 4 wd you never pulled nothin with it ?
never got stuck?
never did nothing to warrent tranny trouble ?
there is always' something' that someone never
wants to say happen ,,happened!
anything can go bad, by the nature,
but to put the whole year ./ vehicle
in the trash is beyond realm
of reality and belief
Posted By: RV2

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 05:23 PM

I had a 98 5.9 ram, never had a problem with that truck then I purchased a 05 cummins 2500 the best truck Ive ever owned! pulls like a freight train.
Posted By: 392charger

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 06:53 PM

My 2002 Ram 1500 with 360/auto has 278k on it and never had a lick of tranny trouble. I used to hear all the time that up through '02 the dodge transmissions were junk. I beg to differ. I do have the trans flushed about every 40k though. I'm a firm believer that's what keeps it alive. Great truck!!
Posted By: express

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 07:59 PM

My 95 was rebuilt under warranty, my 01 was in for trans work too under warrenty. Just traded it off at 70,000 miles & trans was not right. You has to put it in neutral to circulate, if it had been sitting for a few days or it would not go.
Have a 07 now, we will see how it is.
Posted By: stumpy

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 08:12 PM

That is normal for Mopars. It has always taken a few seconds for the trans to go into gear from park.
Posted By: express

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 09:17 PM

I know, but this was more than a few seconds!
Posted By: feets

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 09:52 PM

Pulling hard with the lock up converters would lead to converter clutch failure. That sent debris through the system and OD would fail.

I'm not sure if the problem would go away with regular servicing or if the converter clutches were simply too weak for heavy duty use.
Posted By: generallee6901

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 10:38 PM

I had a 2001 that as soon as it hit 60,000 miles it started giving me problems.Had to replace all 4 switches on the valve body and at about 70,000 had to replace the torque converter.Only ever pulled a trailer once with it.Never used overdrive unless i was at 55 or above either.But i know other people with over 100,000 miles and no problems what so ever.
Posted By: Boosted

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 10:46 PM

For a stock truck they where all ok.. Any HP and the best one would be the 6 speed auto. Those came out what in 06?
Posted By: RV2

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 11:17 PM

My 05 has the old trans like a 727( I dont know what the new name is for it)and I pull a 24' enclosed with a B body in it and no problems.
It has 100k on it now.
Posted By: fox

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/17/11 11:47 PM

I too find it hard to believe dodge gets such a rap for these trans.
YES they can do better and lost a lot of customers because of some failures, but in the early 80 chevy had the 700r4 and a dealer showed me a factory letter that stated they believed close to 100% failed before 50,000!!!!!! Then the chevy guys make such a deal about the dodge auto when maybe 15% have issues!!!
A shift kit will double the life of any dodge auto, in my opinion.
Posted By: challengermike

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 12:10 AM

Any trans can have problems.Ive seen them go at 30,000 or last over 200,000.Doesnt matter what make or trans it is.
Posted By: Commando66

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 01:33 AM

My 95 Ram had 300K on the stock trans when I sold it. Great truck.
Posted By: BIGHOOK

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 01:50 AM

Quote:

My 2002 Ram 1500 with 360/auto has 278k on it and never had a lick of tranny trouble. I used to hear all the time that up through '02 the dodge transmissions were junk. I beg to differ. I do have the trans flushed about every 40k though. I'm a firm believer that's what keeps it alive. Great truck!!



I agree. Lack of tranny maintenance is the core result of most tranny failures. That's not to say that there could be the occasional runt in the bunch from the factory. I had the A727 Loadflite non lock-up in my 87 W150. I pushed, pulled, hauled and climbed with that one. Sold it with 213k on the original tranny (and regular fluid/filter changes) and it still shifted like new.
Posted By: Chilort

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 02:48 AM

The trans options got better? The poorly functioning overdrive on the auto and undersized NV3500 were two of he worst things Dodge did to handicap themselves with trucks. They had the look at that time for sure and a lot of folks jumped over only to be greeted with failure.

After my father's '94 and my '99 my plan was to never buy another new Dodge truck ever again.

A friend has a a Hemi R/T in the newest body style and it might make me change my mind. Of course, he got this after his 6.7L Cummins was traded out through the Lemon Laws.
Posted By: slantzilla

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 03:07 AM

My '00 Dakota R/T has almost 175,000 on it on the original drivetrain. (Even U-joints too) Only trouble I ever had with the trans was the little clip that holds the boost valve in broke and it started throwing a code. (140,000 miles) I took it to a local dealer and was told that "it needs a complete overhaul". I pulled the VB myself, took the VB out of a trans I bought off the Internet, and swapped them. Trans has worked fine ever since. I have raced the truck, hauled more crap than you can imagine, and pulled my race car trailer with it.

I still get people telling me I better not pull the trailer in OD or it will kill the trans.

I change fluid/filter every 30,000.
Posted By: 68_CONV_300

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 05:12 AM

I'm with the believers ... my 2005 3500 CTD auto with a Reading service body (truck and tools weigh 8500) has over 150,000 on the original trans ... change the fluid and adjust the bands every 50,000 and no trouble what so ever ... oh yea I regularly (twice a week ) pull a 7500 lb trailer to and from job sites ... if you service them they last longtime
Posted By: Boosted

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 06:57 PM

I would remind everyone that those who have the diesel trucks and the auto that has lasted is not bombed....

Put any real hp/tq to it and it will die quickly.
Posted By: stumpy

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 07:06 PM

That is pretty much what happens to any brand stock trans. If you don't build the trans to take increased motor power then you have only done half the job.
Posted By: feets

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 08:30 PM

Quote:

I would remind everyone that those who have the diesel trucks and the auto that has lasted is not bombed....

Put any real hp/tq to it and it will die quickly.



I deleted my muffler and tweaked the pump on my 92 Cummins when the truck had 127,000 miles. The transmission started slipping in OD at 273,000 miles. When I tore it down there was nothing wrong inside. All the friction materials were in great shape and the steels had no signs of heat. There was no debris in the pan.
The seals were bad.
Not bad for a truck that has been raced, off roaded, jumped, used for hauling, and thoroughly abused.
Posted By: 68_CONV_300

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 08:37 PM

Quote:

I would remind everyone that those who have the diesel trucks and the auto that has lasted is not bombed....

Put any real hp/tq to it and it will die quickly.



So you mean if I make 50% more HP and torque than the factory designed it for it will not last

Thanks for the input there Captain obvious
Posted By: Boosted

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 08:55 PM

Thanks Private Ryan...

What I am saying is that if you leave the older autos stock they will last..

As I said earlier the newer 6spd autos will last with the additional hp of say 150hp. The old one like you have and older will not..

So the newer trans are stronger... That is when they got better as per the question of the original poster.. I did not see him ask anyone how to maintain one...

As far as pre 2000.. I like the 47rh better than the re...
Posted By: dvw

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/18/11 10:32 PM

Quote:

Pulling hard with the lock up converters would lead to converter clutch failure. That sent debris through the system and OD would fail.

I'm not sure if the problem would go away with regular servicing or if the converter clutches were simply too weak for heavy duty use.



I agree. I've overhauled a few that check valve in the trans line near the regulator became clogged. I believe it was with debris from the torque converter clutch. This blocks the return from the cooler which doubles as the lube feed for the overdrive. No lube spells disaster.
Doug
Posted By: BEINGmeISaCRIME

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 12:04 AM

Got an 01 ram with the 46re with 120k and no troubles.

But the 98 durango with the 44re at 150k went out
Posted By: HotRodDave

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 05:46 AM

The problem with the lock up converters was not the fact it was lock up. The problem is they try to make all the shifts real smooth so customers don't notice the shifts, %99 of customers want a silky smooth shift. To get a smooth shift you engage clutches and bands more slowly, this allows them to heat up and burn then fall apart. The old fluids that chrysler used allowed the clutches to grab each other faster and burn less but shift harder. The ATF+5 is very low friction for smooth shifts and is bad in the trannys that were originally desighned for the higher friction fluid, the low friction fluid was a cheesy way to soften the shift. I worked at a dodge dealer in 01 and 02 and we replaced TONS of trannys. It was NOT an issue of service or not as 1/2 of them were not even due for their first service. They had new TSBs almost every year for all sorts of little things in those trannys, I like most people figured I was just seeing the worst in a manufacturer because I was a dealer tech, then I went to Toyota and replaced 2 a year instead of 2 a week. The newer mopar trannys are much better at dealing with the crappy new fluids unlike the a-500 and 518s that were desighned to work with the old high friction fluid. I always use Type-F when I build a tourqueflite based trans and have not had a single comeback on one (knock on wood).
Posted By: Wheeler

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 09:00 AM

Quote:

I know they had a lot of trouble with the dodge truck trans (overdrive). I am looking to buy a truck what year did they get better - if ever?

I am mostly looking at stuff before 2000



The 4 speed automatics on the 1989-2001 Ram trucks are a crapshoot. It really depends how the transmission was maintained, how the truck was driven, etc. I don't know if there was a "good year" for these transmissions. Some transmissions can last a long time and other will fail within a short period of time.

If you are concerned about transmission reliability, I would look at a 2002 & newer Ram truck with the 4.7L or 5.7 Hemi V8. The 545RFE automatic transmissions in these trucks are more reliable and tend to have a better service record than the old 4 speed automatics.

Just my
Posted By: 360view

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 02:44 PM

There is a TSB
about defective d-ring seals
being used by the factory after a supplier switch
in 46RH and 47RH automatics,
starting in late 1993
and corrected in late 1997
if I remember correctly.

I think the 46RH was basically a good design,
but the defective seals caused problems.

When the 46RE came in 1996
along with the OBD-II PCM system,
I believe the new VFS caused a lot of problems by simply failing,
and further problems by reducing the ATF fluid flows in a
'penny-wise, pound-stupid'
attempt by Chrysler to improve MPG slightly.

The SAE paper # 982674 by Chrysler
{see attachment}
does show in the graphs where they compare four different ATFs
that the Chrysler ATF+4 (9602) fluid had less friction clamping ability than the ATF+3.

I know that soon after I switched to ATF+4 in a 1995 46RH,
I was initially happy that there was less 'bump shift' when coasting to a stop as the trans downshifted into 1 st gear,
but my torque converter lockup clutch began to slip.

Attached File
Posted By: Moparnut426

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 02:53 PM

Quote:

I know they had a lot of trouble with the dodge truck trans (overdrive). I am looking to buy a truck what year did they get better - if ever?

I am mostly looking at stuff before 2000



From a dodge/GM service tech.

There never was really anything wrong with the 518 through the 48RFE. The customers just didnt want to pop them out of OD. Yes the earlie trannies had less fluid flow to the overdrive unit, but not starving it. My dads 97 Dodge 1 ton van had 285000 miles on it, he is in the floor covering business, he bought the Van with 14000 on it and when the tranny did chuck out he got it burried in a snow drift, and rocked it to sleep. So I rebuilt that tranny and the van has well over 350000 on it now and still rockin.

My 91 Dodge Cimmins has the non lock up 618 overdrive in it, and its te origional tranny at 198000 miles. It still shifting GREAT, and when I serviced it it was blood red with minimal debris in the pan. It is going to need a Kit when I get done wakeing up the Cummins, but its still fine in stock form.

I really think the whole Dodge = Crappo overdrive trannies is an overblown myth.

Kasey
Posted By: Sixpak

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/19/11 10:15 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I know they had a lot of trouble with the dodge truck trans (overdrive). I am looking to buy a truck what year did they get better - if ever?

I am mostly looking at stuff before 2000



From a dodge/GM service tech.

There never was really anything wrong with the 518 through the 48RFE. The customers just didnt want to pop them out of OD. Yes the earlie trannies had less fluid flow to the overdrive unit, but not starving it. My dads 97 Dodge 1 ton van had 285000 miles on it, he is in the floor covering business, he bought the Van with 14000 on it and when the tranny did chuck out he got it burried in a snow drift, and rocked it to sleep. So I rebuilt that tranny and the van has well over 350000 on it now and still rockin.

My 91 Dodge Cimmins has the non lock up 618 overdrive in it, and its te origional tranny at 198000 miles. It still shifting GREAT, and when I serviced it it was blood red with minimal debris in the pan. It is going to need a Kit when I get done wakeing up the Cummins, but its still fine in stock form.

I really think the whole Dodge = Crappo overdrive trannies is an overblown myth.

Kasey



My 94 Cummins used to kick itself out of O/D at 70 mph in cruise whenever it felt like it, scared the crap outta me a few times, like being slammed from behind, then the torque converter used to lock and uplock and essentially 'hunt' between 1800 and 2000 rpm while driving at 70. I unloaded it for an 01 6 speed HO stick and never looked back.
Any truck, IMO, that will see some real work, should have a stick, period...flame on...
Posted By: cudaman1969

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/20/11 01:37 AM

i'm rebuilding my 06 3500 trans now as i speak (cummins 42,00 miles) i found a few things that contributed to the clutches and band failure. the o-ring on the reaction shaft was not there which made a pressure loss for the converter, and the second gear lever is a 5.0, these were used on the hemi-sixpack cars back in the day and they have to be adjusted quite often.my fault on that.i'm not sure if the electric line pressure is working to well either. i agree that the fluid is to slick so i use ford type-f in my racing trans also. never had a problem in 35 years of racing. also my 92 diesel had 185,000 and no problems except the throttle pos. switch for overdrive kept going bad.
Posted By: 360view

Re: What year did dodge truck trans get better - 01/20/11 01:39 PM

Sonnax lists these problems:

http://www.sonnax.com/system/assets/3108/original/SC-46-47RHE.pdf?1289884064

Some (not all) of the TSB's
are online thanks to Dave Fritz:

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/group_21.htm
© 2024 Moparts Forums