Whoo-Whoo coming

[CUMMINZ]

 

[R.Taylor]

Sweet

 

[snadamo]

Whoa...this is pretty interesting. Strictly speaking in US, Name and reputation alone the Allison in a RAM would be very appealing.

it’s like the old saying “the perfect truck would have a Cummins engine, Allison transmission and xyz body/frame...”

I know ZF makes widely used, great transmissions, but it doesn’t have the allure of, say, Allison. But my opinion is one of a “truck enthusiast”, not an industry expert.

One thing I DID NOT hear is anything about replacing the 68rfe This looks like H.O. options only

 

[gsbrockman]

Never drank the Allison Kool Aid.....they break down like all the rest, especially if there’s extra power thrown at’em.

 

[HPSimpson]

Cummins needs more gears in there choice of transmissions in the Heavy duty trucks, Allison or ZF. More gears would be better less lost in rpm between gears.

 

[RVTRKN]

Would it be a real Allison, or licensed to build, like DM/Allison? I drove an 05 5spd Allison work truck and wasn't impressed. In fact it would detune the Duramax (before the torque management term) when getting into the throttle, kinda like dead pedal.

 

[snadamo]

The video is vague on details, but they made it seem like it’ll be a real Allison or ZF. Both 8+ speeds and only mentioned the AISIN to be replaced, not the 68rfe

 

[Skyjim]

I don't find multiple transmission choices in any way confusing, as Roman (I think?) seems to worry. As long as they are up to the task, Allison, ZF, OR Aisin are all probably capable of designing and building a next-gen transmission for Ram. As long as it's manufactured in the USA - currently the case for most of the ZF designs FCA is using, I believe - I have no dog in this fight. I was very happy with the behavior of the the 8 speed ZF in my 2016 Ecodiesel, though the unicorn blood trans fluid ZF specs is very expensive and ZF claims that some operating temperatures that made my hair stand on end are perfectly fine with their magical fairy dust synthetic fluid. My major beef was the "sealed" design with NO DIPSTICK (!), which drove me batty, and the pricey throwaway plastic pan/filter combo. If they try to introduce that into an HD truck trans, they deserve to get their heads handed to them - it would be a deal breaker for me! I would not tolerate the "good for life" trans fluid/filter claim in an HD truck.

 

[DHayden]

ZF tested their HD 8 speed in a RAM back in 2018. It was only rated for 1,000lb/ft though. Allison name recognition would bring a lot of sales. I dont care if its ZF or Allison as long as it holds up, and preferably without TQ limiting in the low gears.

 

[HVAC2]

The ZF 8 speed in our 2015 ED was impressive. Durabity is even more impressive with Vern Diesel now over 500k and counting in his airstream hot shot gig. Check him out on the ED forum. The ZF is rock solid.

Time will tell but to me the RFE is crude. No complaints, as long as It is reliable, but a ZF would fill in some gaps and add overall refinement. Shifts are split second, and no surprises.

 

[Skyjim]

The ZF 8 speed in our 2015 ED was impressive. Durabity is even more impressive with Vern Diesel now over 500k and counting in his airstream hot shot gig. Check him out on the ED forum. The ZF is rock solid.

Time will tell but to me the RFE is crude. No complaints, as long as It is reliable, but a ZF would fill in some gaps and add overall refinement. Shifts are split second, and no surprises.

Good to hear about the 500k ZF - mine has only 42k, so no real length of service life test. I remain a skeptic on lifetime trans fills, but I would feel better with lower operating temps - hopefully any HD version would have adequate heat rejection. I always worried about my engine and trans oil temperatures towing with the ED.

Not enough experience yet with my 68RFE to form a strong opinion - doesn't feel particularly crude as yet, though I can feel the differences in shift times. Haven't had any oddness or hunting/indecisiveness apparent yet, but I have not yet had the rig through a wide range of conditions. Another trip in late March/early April will be longer, over into AZ and taking some time in a variety of terrain, so I should have a more complete personal picture. Certainly my ZF ED was consistently in the meat of the torque curve, but towing on grades left me sweating temps in places like eastbound I-80 east of Laramie...

 

[Tmartin000]

Well, crap.....they (ram) needs something new BAD!

A pig uphills and a ridiculously high RPM downhills.

 

[Tmartin000]

I have used Allison in two Silverado's, and ZF in my BMW. Jeeze guys, both of them shift a ****-ton better than an Aisin.

Allison was my favorite so far.

 

[JR]

Hopefully it's something with a longer service interval. The current regiment on the Aisin is extremely short compared to every other MD manufacturer.

 

[gsbrockman]

I belong to challengertalk.com (I also own a 2018 Challenger T/A in Yellow Jacket with the A8).

One thread over there mentions the cost associated with the fluid and the transmission pan / filter combo.....not counting the exactness required in calibration of the fluid level since there’s no traditional dipstick (one must buy a dipstick, then determine the fluid temperature with a scan tool). The prices quoted at the dealership makes my AS69RC drain and fill 12 quarts) appear like a walk in the park......

As to the AS69RC service interval......I can say firsthand it worked for me when following by the book, even with partial fluid changes @Cummins12V98 on my 2014 3500.......it shifted great and performed great through 362k miles when I traded it in.

My 2018 4500 is now at 201k.......and I can say likewise for it as well.

 

[snadamo]

Supplemental info. More of the same.

https://www.tfltruck.com/2020/02/wi...ssion-in-favor-of-zf-or-allison-insider-info/

 

[TFucili]

Never drank the Allison Kool Aid.....they break down like all the rest, especially if there’s extra power thrown at’em.

Agree 100%. I had a phony Allison 1000 in my '04 Chevy, and it was garbage. I'll stick to my clunky Aisin, that only has quirks in limited circumstance, and the next reflash may finally put that to bed. I pulled my toy hauler over 700 miles today, and this thing worked great, and never got over 167 degrees.

People obviously want more gears, so I see that's inevitable. Plus, from a marketing perspective, they need to offer the HO in the 2500, whether it needs it or not.

 

[HFolb23]

New transmission rumors have been swirling since the HD refresh was announced in 2018, but the possibility of an Allison or ZF trans behind the Cummins is enough to get me to stop looking for a new truck for now.

The HDs are supposed to get touched up again with the 1500 cab in 2021(??) it’d be nice if this new transmission can join the option list then.

 

[JR]

I'd wager it will be the new ZF that's been tested in the Ram 3500 dubbed 8AP. If I remember correctly there was mention of a dipstick in an article discussing maintenance, but even if it doesn't it's really not such a big deal. Especially with a transmission temperature reading on the dash and an IR gun to check the pan temp. I do the wife's "sealed" trans service with a Motiv power Bleeder and a candy cane adapter I made out of tubing and a pipe to tube adapter to mate to the power bleeders hose.

I belong to challengertalk.com (I also own a 2018 Challenger T/A in Yellow Jacket with the A8).

One thread over there mentions the cost associated with the fluid and the transmission pan / filter combo.....not counting the exactness required in calibration of the fluid level since there’s no traditional dipstick (one must buy a dipstick, then determine the fluid temperature with a scan tool). The prices quoted at the dealership makes my AS69RC drain and fill 12 quarts) appear like a walk in the park......

.

At least in the Ram trucks the 8HP a "maintenance free" transmission. I'm not familiar with an A8. What service intervals does it call for?
The new 8AP version does have prescribed service intervals. They aren't published yet that I'm aware of but they are calling it extended service. Typically MD transmissions run at 100k miles or more on a service. Eaton makes a dual clutch automatic that calls for 10yrs/150k miles. This is vocational sector, and why I don't understand why Aisin calls for such short service intervals in a mostly consumer market.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Well, crap.....they (ram) needs something new BAD!

A pig uphills and a ridiculously high RPM downhills.

High RPM? It's right against the redline and is holding back 39k combined, more ROM's the more holding power. The truck performed exactly as it would have even if it had 8-10 speeds. Performance was exactly where it should have been with all three based on their power specs.