Buying new trucks..Which Trans???

[MRosinski]

How many miles a year do they drive??? In most OTR cases 180K should get you a years worth of warranty, not worth it IMO. And so far no one out there has taken the new trans over 100K that I have heard of yet so its still a new trans gamble. Parts for the new trans also may be more prone to backorder than the G56 thats in all trucks from 2500-3500C&C's.

 

[DZink24]

I read a lot of the fleet magazines that the mechanics at work leave around, the majority of companies these days are going with auto trannies because, among other things, ergonomics. The constant up shifting and downshifting, especially with city routes with a stick shift can wear on a drivers lower back, knees and shoulders. But 12,500 + dollars is a good chunk of change. I say talk it over with your drivers, they would feel appreciative that you asked for their input.

 

[DPKetchum]

From my experiance with the Jeeps using a Asian auto they will out last a manual and clutch assys 2 to 1 if not more. The only kicker to them was IF they failed so few had been gone into no one really had a clue to overhauling one. In four years I can remember ONE slipping/failing on a really worn out Cherokee.

 

[EB]

Where is everyone coming up with a $12,500 difference between the auto and standard transmission? The window sticker price on my Aisin transmission was $2295. It will be the same transmission in the 3500, 4500, and 5500 cab and chassis trucks.

My mistake, I went back and re-read the first post and saw it was for 5 trucks. That will explain the $12,500 difference, sorry about that.

 

[TJJEEPER]

$2295 X 5 trucks

 

[robert4570]

A fleet of trucks deserves more than just my biased opinion on automatics transmissions . My personal preference is a manual ,having dealt with the issues of an auto transmission I could'nt buy another slush box .



My current truck is the result of a bitter dissappointment with my former trucks auto transmission. I like feeling of going through the gears and not having to feel the transmission hunting for a gear when driving on the fringe of 45-50 mphs , where it goes to OD.



I lost my transmission one day on a narrow road with a trailer in tow , if I could've broken that transmission over the head of those who designed or decided to use it in our trucks , I would've of .



I'm still ****** off about that ... ... alright ,I feel better now.



As others have suggested do your research on fleet vehicles though I doubt there'll be much data about them.



Good luck,

My $ 0. 02

 

[AKaiser]

G56, G stands for "getriebe" which is literally "automotive transmission. " It's an MB unit produce in Brazil, IIRC. I've mistakenly said before that it stood for "gangschaltung" which is "gear shift. "

 

[DPelletier]

In the past, I've always purchased manuals for my small fleet. IMO when the choice was between the 48RE and NV5600 it was easy for me to make the decision to go manual and I've not regretted it. That having been said, I'm a little torn between the G56 and the Aisan as I'm not a fan of dual mass flywheels and the Aisan may well be superior to the old 48RE. To be fair, I've not had a problem with our one G56 but I don't think the decision is as easy as it used to be.



Dave

 

[mberry]

I personally believe that the automatics will save more money on maintenance than they will cost up front due to less wear and tear on the rest of the vehicle over it's lifetime in a fleet. If you have drivers that know how to drive a manual the way you want it driven, then that would be a viable option.

 

[DPelletier]

My friend ownes a Fire Protection company and his entire fleet is PSD autos vs. my fleet of all manuals. Without commenting on the rest of the trucks, as far as transmission's go, he's replaced 3 out of 12 trannies (in the last 2 years) and I've replaced 1 out of 10 manuals and that was a GMC diesel that the dual mass flywheel came apart on and took out the input shaft (after 200,000 mi. ) I've also done about 3 clutches in the last 10 years.



So far, I'm winning!



Dave

 

[Dieselnut59]

Overall, I prefer manual transmissions. Automatics do have their advantages, such if you have a driver who rides a clutch to smoke. There is less to go wrong in a manual and it is not computerized (will not set a check engine light). Overall, they are more fuel efficient and the exhaust brakes work better with manual transmissions. The clutch is the only issue with a manual transmission. If you have a good driver, it will never be a problem. I would get a mixed fleet. Don't get the whole fleet automatic,for sure. Manuals are tried and true. If there ends up being issues with the automatics (or even with the manuals), you don't want the issue to be with your entire fleet. Whichever setup works best, you will know when you buy your next trucks.

If in doubt, stick with the manual.

 

[AKaiser]

My friend ownes a Fire Protection company and his entire fleet is PSD autos vs. my fleet of all manuals. Without commenting on the rest of the trucks, as far as transmission's go, he's replaced 3 out of 12 trannies (in the last 2 years) and I've replaced 1 out of 10 manuals and that was a GMC diesel that the dual mass flywheel came apart on and took out the input shaft (after 200,000 mi. ) I've also done about 3 clutches in the last 10 years.



So far, I'm winning!



Dave

True, but you don't have a "Dorkshift" transmission. (Disclaimer: I did NOT come up with that term. )