6-speed or auto?

[Blue Thunder]

What power level are you at???



At what point do I need to upgrade clutch??

 

[NVR FNSH]

My '96 had the 5 spd and my '00 has the 6 spd. If DC offered something equivalent to the Allison in the GM I'd seriously consider an automatic. The 6spd in my '00 is the most miserable shifting trans I've driven - and my '79 CJ-7 has a BW T-18... ... .



Brian

 

[Prairie Dog]

Brian, I agree the Allison is worlds ahead of the 48re but the it isn't really any stronger. Adding any real power dictates serious transmission mods just like it does with our Dodge's.

Still, Dodge is missing the boat.

Scotty

 

[CUMMINZ]

Bad choices

But if you have a manual transmission and you have an accident and you loose your entire right leg and right arm you can't drive your truck anymore. With a 48re and your wife hollerin' "Get-er-done" you can still drive. :-{}

 

[john3976]

Amen to that. I've towed heavy loads through LA and I've never used the clutch so much in my life. They need to ship some of those people off to the east coast so our lives will be a little easier out here on the west coast :-laf . I go through LA only when there is no other way to do it. Beautiful country, way too many people. I'll stay in Arizona and New Mexico.

Ship some of them out to the east coast?



We are attempting to ship a whole bunch of our east coast traffic jammers to the west coast as you typed your post.



Traffic is bad enough on the east coast without adding more.

 

[Prairie Dog]

But if you have a manual transmission and you have an accident and you loose your entire right leg and right arm you can't drive your truck anymore. With a 48re and your wife hollerin' "Get-er-done" you can still drive. :-{}

All true but loosing my left leg would make it impossible for my wife to deny me a brand new truck!

 

[litespeed]

But if you have a manual transmission and you have an accident and you loose your entire right leg and right arm you can't drive your truck anymore. With a 48re and your wife hollerin' "Get-er-done" you can still drive. :-{}

You know... ... .



I think I have seen several of these people down here!!



Mixed in with the cell phone drivers, eating drivers, puttin on make up drivers, reachin around feedin the baby drivers, dropped a cup of coffee in my lap drivers and the "where the hell are we at?" drivers... ...



It is a wonder we can "drive" at all?



AJ

 

[BimmerAgent]

I love the 6 speed for towing- but the mistake I made was to NOT purchase the UConnect for the cell phone. Sometimes it's unsafe to shift and talk at the same time. Just a thought. Bruce

 

[RDelissen]

Goerend transmission here ... happy

 

[GerryDrake]

I just got done reading the rather long thread on rear end ratios. We were in Raleigh NC in the fall of 03 when our 95 PS ate the 4th transmission 850 miles after the 3rd, so we put in the 5th one and traded it in on our '03 dually 6 spd 4. 10 WC 4x4... .

Now I realize we went from a Ford to a Dodge, '95 to '03, 3/4T to 1T, SRW to DRW, but the biggest factors were 3. 54 switched to 4. 10 and auto to 6 speed. I am so impressed with the combo we have now that I don't think I would EVER go back to an auto. I understand the new ones are a lot better, but with the 6 speed and the Jake brake, and the feel that everything from the accelerator goes to the ground rather than being absorbed as heat that ends up tearing up the transmission, manuals for towing are it for me. We searched and searched and found our truck on the lot of Triad Dodge in Winston-Salem and did the trade there. We put 1400 miles on it before we towed, and then left Raleigh and went to Henderson, where we spent a week in an RV park with lots of day tripping. That 268 mile trip from Raleigh to Henderson made me realize I had 2 or 3 times the truck that I had had with the Ford. In that whole trip, I think I only had to grab 5th one time (at speed) due to the hills in western NC. We took a few months more to get home (Seattle area) and put enough bumpers on the truck in Texas that the truck is just under 10K loaded for trailering, and the trailer is right at 13K. We never found a hill that gave us ANY problems. The most taxing were on I-5 crossing the Siskyous from California into Oregon. I think I had to take 5th twice, and once, due to poor planning, had to take 4th... . clear down to about 48 mph. With the Ford, we would have been in the far right lane, doing maybe 18 mph, watching the EGT and transmission temps pegging out, being passed by tanker trucks. You are so right about the 4. 10's if one tows anything of size. I think our 35' Jayco Designer has about the same frontal area as your rig. We like to tow at about 62 or so, depending on the road, of course, and that puts us at about 2100 rpm. Feels just right to me. When I got pulled over on highway 99 by Modesto California doing 76, he didn't think it was too funny, but was amazed at the rig. I am sure that is part of the reason he didn't get into my wallet. We slowed down a lot after that...

6 speed and 4. 10's all the way... Oo.

 

[Blue Thunder]

My decision is solidifying.....



I am just a little afraid of turning up the power with the G56.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Does anyone have any good info about the G56? Has it been used in other trucks? MDTs?

 

[nps]

Does anyone have any good info about the G56? Has it been used in other trucks? MDTs?

Read this thread - page 2. Has a link to a spec sheet of MB trucks in Europe using the G-56.

 

[RustyJC]

See my signature - for heavy towing, the 6 speed is great. I've tried it with a 47RE, and the gear splits are just too wide! However, if/when the Aisin 6-speed automatic becomes available and gets some field experience, I may just change my mind!



Rusty

 

[klenger]

See my signature - for heavy towing, the 6 speed is great. I've tried it with a 47RE, and the gear splits are just too wide! However, if/when the Aisin 6-speed automatic becomes available and gets some field experience, I may just change my mind!



Rusty

W I M P

 

[RustyJC]

W I M P

I ain't traded yet!! :-laf :-laf



Rusty

 

[klenger]

I'm disappointed that you would even consider it. You need the MDT anyway.

 

[RustyJC]

I'm waiting to see the ratings on the 4500 and 5500.



Rusty

 

[JCasper]

I have a 6 speed and love it. I don't tow too often but when I do it does an excellent job. I am planning on buying an RV in the next year or so, that was why I decided to get the 6 speed over an automatic. After reading this it looks like I made a good decision. I don't know about the G56, but with the NV5600 the Amsoil made a huge difference. Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you will be happy with any cummins you buy.



Joe

 

[GBrock]

I had an F450 6 spd, towed 13,000 lbs from TX to CA and back. Then I got converted to DC and became a Cummins addict. Problem was the truckI bought was an auto. Towing in the rather benign Texas Hill Country proved tough for that truck with a load behind her. Now I have a 6 spd Dodge Cummins. While it's sometimes a pain for daily driving, I'd have it no other way since I occassionally tow heavy.



No doubt about it: if you tow, don't go auto.