Automatic transmission

[bighornram]

I'm thinking about a new rig. I'm having increased difficulty with the clutch on my Ram so thinking about a new one with auto tranny. Can anyone offer advice regarding GM/Mopar comparisons while pulling?

[DQDick]

Never had a GM truck, so can't help you there. Many of us have the automatic Dodges and love them. With mine it takes a whale of a grade for me to need the tow/haul, but it's there and it works well. You won't miss the clutch and manual transmission on down hills either. You have a switch on the shift lever and a display in the instrument display for locking gears out or adding them back in. Works like a charm in the mountains. Frankly I love this truck and even though I drove Semi's in another life, I wouldn't give up my automatic transmission towing the Monty.

[tim43]

Love my Chevy Duramax/Allison auto 3500HD. Doesn't even know the 5er is back there.

[deadeye]

GMC's and Chevy's are the same as Chyrsler products. They have the lock out to keep it from downshifting all of the time in the shifter lever. I have an older (2001) GMC and I have never had to use that button on mine. Just stick your foot in the pedal and away you go. Don't know how the Fords work, but I assume about the same. Probably a little better on fuel milage since they advertise the eco -pak now.....JB

[mlh]

This might help:
http://www.big3diesel.com/6r140-allison-68re.html
Lynwood

[racerjoe]

our f250 sd is an auto and would'nt have it any other way. they are built today to withstand just about anything you can throw at it.would not be a worry

[Montana Sky]

Having had both, the only negative thing I can say about my current 2011 Ram is I find the tranny tries to get to 6th gear as quickly as possible when empty. That sometimes causes for what I feel as lugging the motor. In rush hour traffic it does create a little more hunting for the right gear, but nothing that flipping the truck into "tap shifting" wont solve. I never found my Allison tranny in the Duramax to do this. I did have the dealership reset the shift points on my truck this past week - wondering if that will help or not. That being said, both are amazing machines and will serve you will in the future.

[Hooker]

IMHO, this is a no brainer...Allison is in 99.9% of all MHs and is in the GMC/Chevy.

[HOOK]

Allison is in school buses ,dump trucks, tractor trailers and many other heavy haulers. Frankly I bought the Chev. because of the Allison. Had it been available only in SOB, I probably would have bought it. I owned a tow truck co many years. We never towed in a failed Allison. If you could buy the looks of the Ford, the engine of the Dodge, and the Allison, you would have the perfect truck.IMHO Larry

[mlh]

Most MH have Allisons. They also come in heavy duty fork trucks but they aren't the 1000 found in pickup trucks. I cant hurt the 5R120 Ford in my truck but I could destroy a Allison found in a Chevy truck in 5 minutes. They just can't handle the power my truck puts out. If you don't believe that go over on the Chevy diesel performance sites ans ask them.
Lynwood

[ALSAN]

Well I have always been a stick shift fan and decided to go with a automatic in my 2011 Ram crew cab HO and Iam not sorry for the choice that I made, towing my toyhauler last fall thur New Mexico and Colarado it had no problems handeling the grades up or down (ya I know I said toyhauler and this is MOC but I/we have ordered a 3100RL due in late April) what a differance going from a 02 Ram manual to a 11 auto :

[fauch]

OK-well!
over the road rigs have em
charter buses and
fire trucks have em
even cog trains in the mountains have em!
auto transmissions of today are not our fathers' transmissions!
I think that all of the big three auto trannies are capable of handling the new engines' torque. and probably find the right gear far better than some of us could on some grade ascents and descents.

[junglejim]

One more point is none of the Big 3 offer manual transmissions in pick ups anymore. If you want a manual you have to go to a cab and chassis type.

[1retired06]

Ford does not even offer; superdutys in pickup configurations thru 350 only come with automatics, although there is a manual shift capability associated with those automatics on the new ones. Dont believe I have run across anyone with a late model durmax having a manual transmission. I pulled in earlier years with a Suburban stick and a Ford 150 Stick, and I like pulling with automatics better. The GM allison transmission is probably the best automatic of the three builders, and I wish Fords had them. I have never had any issues, but do take it easy on steep climbs when pulling.

[southern thunder]

No, but I love my Ram.

[DarMar]

We had a Duramax/Allison in 03, traded to the Dodge/Cummins in 07, traded back to the Duramax/Allison in 11. Like many, if we could get a Cummins/Allison combo we would have it in a heartbeat. Till then we will stick with the Allison.

[Art-n-Marge]

I must agree with fauch... it seems with the fine tuning all three automakers have done with their diesel engines to their automatic transmissions, manual transmissions are a thing of the past with our lighter duty trucks. The engine/trans combinations are so much smarter and capable that these combinations than in the past. It is being said by all the trade rags, too. Sticking with a manual transmission where even with experience shifting a manual with loads, removing the human factor with much more accurate intelligence and sensors has got to be better.

Sure this means the more complicated maintenance and repairs but with the sense of how the manual trans works and the newer and smarter technology with auto transmissions, I have not met an old manual dude complain about the new automatic transmissions, ever. But I have heard complaints when they had a new autotrans and then used the old manual and complained how dumb that was. Coupled with the fact we are older and more easily tired, using an autotranny is becoming the way to go.

Pick your Dodge or your Chevy/GMC or even the Ford, but get the autotranny to make the drive more relaxing and capable so you can spend more time enjoying the view, your passengers or using the extra brain power to watch for low hanging underpasses when you are towing. And don't forget the warranty for when things go wrong.

[Hooker]

quote:Originally posted by mlh

Most MH have Allisons. They also come in heavy duty fork trucks but they aren't the 1000 found in pickup trucks. I cant hurt the 5R120 Ford in my truck but I could destroy a Allison found in a Chevy truck in 5 minutes. They just can't handle the power my truck puts out. If you don't believe that go over on the Chevy diesel performance sites ans ask them.
Lynwood

Sorry, but your statement does not pass the common sense test. Your PSD puts out 15 less HP (350/365)and 10 ft/lbs less torque (650/660)than the D/A (also only had five speeds compared to six). You obviously do not like Allisons, which is fine, but lets be reasonable.

[mlh]

My PSD is not putting out 350 HP and 650 TK it is putting out over 580 HP and over 1000 pound feet of torque. And I do like a Allison., it is a great transmission. I'm a bigger Chevy fan than a Ford fan. Fact is the Allison while a great transmission has been surpassed, and that is why Chevy has a major upgrade coming for the Allison.
The next big thing coming is what Porsche calls a PDK it is a straight drive with 2 clutches and a torque converter. it changes gears automatically just like a auto. Ford has them in some of their small cars now.

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by mlh

My PSD is not putting out 350 HP and 650 TK it is putting out over 580 HP and over 1000 pound feet of torque. And I do like a Allison., it is a great transmission. I'm a bigger Chevy fan than a Ford fan. Fact is the Allison while a great transmission has been surpassed, and that is why Chevy has a major upgrade coming for the Allison.
The next big thing coming is what Porsche calls a PDK it is a straight drive with 2 clutches and a torque converter. it changes gears automatically just like a auto. Ford has them in some of their small cars now.

What kind of transmission do you have to handle that kind of power?