driving impressions g56 v 2002 nv4500

[nukegm]

comrades!
i am close to ordering a 18 2500 w manual. i cannot find any locally to test drive. my only comparison is my old 02 2500 w manual. any opinion on how they would compare? the 02 has 250hp 555torque. i have a 60 hp "power puck" on my old truck. it drives great. its actually fun to drive. in my humble opinion the new ram would be similar to my old one, with a little more hp and torque. any opinions? thanks in advance for your time. cheers. oops. old truck is a nv5600 not 4500....

 

[Bob4x4]

I always liked the way my nv4500 shifted,not so much with the six speeds.I don’t care for how the 4th gens drive with the manual,possibly due to all the electronics involved.The 4th gens do not like the on/off transitions.I would recommend you drive one before pulling the trigger

 

[jgillott]

I had an NV4500 in my former '01 and a G56 in my current 2007. They do not drive the same. I find the G56 to be a much slower shifting, deliberate transmission. I had my NV4500 truck down the drag strip hundreds of times and I found it to be a much quicker, more positive feeling transmission.

With that said, my G56 is silky smooth now that it has some miles on it and really loosened up between 70K-100K.

I've driven several new G56 trucks recently and I agree with Bob, they don't seem the same as my 3rd gen truck. Not as smooth, likely due to the programming. Not saying that I wouldn't buy one, but I think you should drive a few before you make your final decision.

 

[nukegm]

thanks guys for your input. i appreciate it....trouble will be finding one on a lot with the manual. very hard to find in colorado for some reason. i have 7 vehicles, all manual transmissions. except my current 2500 6.4....the gear hunting and lugging is so annoying that i cut back on driving it...heck even my 1994 subaru wagon is more fun to drive than my newer truck..... :0 cheers!

 

[jgillott]

We have one dealer here in Western PA, Solomon Auto, that always has at least a dozen G56 trucks on the lot. The other dealers don't usually stock them. Interesting, Solomon has a constant turnover on those manual trans trucks. They sell fast.

 

[chrisg331]

I agree with the above. The torque management/traction control/dead pedal takes "some" of the fun out. I'm looking at getting one of the pedal commander devices to help and after warranty runs out possible some mild tuning. I'm in a RAM today because they're the only manufacturer to offer a manual transmission. No regrets. Just different.

 

[Newsa]

thanks guys for your input. i appreciate it....trouble will be finding one on a lot with the manual. very hard to find in colorado for some reason. i have 7 vehicles, all manual transmissions. except my current 2500 6.4....the gear hunting and lugging is so annoying that i cut back on driving it...heck even my 1994 subaru wagon is more fun to drive than my newer truck..... :0 cheers!

I live in Miami. I had to buy from Kernersville,NC to get a manual G56 that was close to what i wanted. The dealers in Miami were making it way to expensive to order. Even with the supposed car buying service through my credit union, it was significantly more expensive to order than to buy off the lot

 

[Newsa]

I agree with the above. The torque management/traction control/dead pedal takes "some" of the fun out. I'm looking at getting one of the pedal commander devices to help and after warranty runs out possible some mild tuning. I'm in a RAM today because they're the only manufacturer to offer a manual transmission. No regrets. Just different.

Mine has torque management. But I would not call it dead pedal.

 

[nukegm]

chrisg331 - hey comrade - the pedal commander works well on my hemi 2500. also, it does not leave any " tracks " on the computer , so you can install it in 2 minutes, and pull it off in the same without any codes...just sayin' - and thanks for your input....

 

[nukegm]

Mine has torque management. But I would not call it dead pedal.

so is there a way around the " torque management ?" perhaps a edge product or some such thing, without getting into the factory ecu? cheers comrade!

 

[Regcabguy]

Mine and a friend's came from Dave Smith.
Mine ordered,his off the lot.
There was nothing in a G-56 in southern California.

 

[Brian Criste]

Have and still own both. 96 nv4500 and a 16 G56. Both drive well. The Mechanical engine engine is much more throttle responsive (blip the pedal and the engine blips) the electronic engine's throttle response is absolutely awful limiting how smooth you can drive and how fast you can shift. I can't wait to get a tune in mine. As soon as the bump to bumper warranty is up, it's getting deleted and a tune. I understand to rail pressure spikes, it can't be as responsive as the 12 valve, but they can certainly make it better. I'm not looking for power, just a little more reliability and driveability. (emissions stuff just might get emptied out!!!) Don't get me wrong, I love the 16' but everytime I get time I get in the old 96' I say to myself, "20 years and this aspect is actually worse"! lol

 

[nukegm]

Have and still own both. 96 nv4500 and a 16 G56. Both drive well. The Mechanical engine engine is much more throttle responsive (blip the pedal and the engine blips) the electronic engine's throttle response is absolutely awful limiting how smooth you can drive and how fast you can shift. I can't wait to get a tune in mine. As soon as the bump to bumper warranty is up, it's getting deleted and a tune. I understand to rail pressure spikes, it can't be as responsive as the 12 valve, but they can certainly make it better. I'm not looking for power, just a little more reliability and driveability. (emissions stuff just might get emptied out!!!) Don't get me wrong, I love the 16' but everytime I get time I get in the old 96' I say to myself, "20 years and this aspect is actually worse"! lol

thanks for the above info. your description was very helpful.i read on summit racing a review of an edge product where a 16 2500 g56 owner said the " thing drives as it should from the factory " after adding the edge ....i also e mailed edge to see if their piggy back unit is detectable or not from the service dept at the dealer. i will pass along their response....cheers!

 

[Bob4x4]

A good tech that works on these everyday will be able to detect mods had been done..A vendor is going to do his best to sell you.Sometimes an honest customer is as hard to find as a tech

 

[nukegm]

A good tech that works on these everyday will be able to detect mods had been done..A vendor is going to do his best to sell you.Sometimes an honest customer is as hard to find as a tech

i agree sir. i have a old mustang that runs on a laptop that i calibrate to my liking. kinda wish those days were still available. if you know what i mean.....

 

[Bob4x4]

The last mustang I had was a 69 fastback,no computer lol

 

[ram2016]

GET THE STICK!!!! the only reason I bought a dodge!!!

 

[nukegm]

GET THE STICK!!!! the only reason I bought a dodge!!!

it will be here next week comrade! merry christmas. cheers

 

[chrisg331]

Congratulations brother....Pics or it didn't happen;-)

 

[Newsa]

GET THE STICK!!!! the only reason I bought a dodge!!!

Same here, but mine's a Ram.

After having the Cummins for a few years, though, I see that that is also a big plus over Ford & GM. I finally got rid of the annoying squeak in the cab of my (signature) 2013. In general, I like the fit and finish of the Chevy /GM better, because they rarely seem to develop any annoying noises over time..

But it was the manual transmission that made me go with Ram