DTT or ATS??

[phoekema]

transmission upgrade choice

I've stated this before, but I think it merits saying again..... I cannot tell you which one will be the best for you and your situation, but I can unconditionally guarantee that ATS, DTT, Dave Goerend and some others will be LIGHT YEARS ahead of the stock set up. I chose ATS, but am open minded enough to realize there are other very fine options.

One of the ads on TV ends by saying "don't leave home without it". When considering your options with an automatic equiped CTD, I would say "don't start Bombing without it" ('it' being a transmission upgrade).

Only downside to any upgrade is your truck will be in much better shape than your visa card!

Good luck in your decision.

 

[JTBMC]

My ATS warranty says 3 years or 65,000 miles, however Clint may have upgraded his warranty to 3 years and unlimited miles sense I had the install back in May of 02.

TJ

 

[shaft]

Originally posted by tjlaffite

My ATS warrenty says 3 years or 65,000 miles

TJ

Wow... ... . that means I would have a 6 month warrenty... ... . :--)

 

[Pit Bull]

Good thread. I would suggest you trade for a 6 speed. Bigger better and more fun :-laf

 

[jpearson]

What kind of warranty does Dave Georend have on his transmission's? If I,m not mistaken he offers a lifetime warranty.

 

[JTBMC]

Shaft

I have 2 good friends (they are brothers- my brothers) in the same boat as you they pull cows for a living and the mileage piles up fast. Both are Dodge Cummins 3500 4X4 with EZ boxs and BHAF and 4 " straight Exhaust and gauges, both trucks are 2001's with auto and 4. 10 gears and they are on the fence trying to decide where to spend their money for the Trans upgrade based on the amount of mileage they drive in a short period of time, they like my ATS but are looking to drive DTT equiped truck before they buy.

TJ

Oh Yea, They are both tight wads that can squeeze the you know what out of the Buffalo on a Indian head nickel and drink the last cup of coffee and leave the pot EMPTY.

 

[BigUgly]

ckrajewski;

I can't tell you which transmission to go with, I can only tell you that you're doing the right thing. On a purchanse this large, the best thing to do is to get all the info you can so you don't make a mistake. Hopefully, you can decide which to go with. I do have one bit of advice, if you can, try to attend a local event and test-drive trucks with both types of autos. No matter which type you get, it'll be light years ahead of the stock one. I was lucky, when I upgraded mine, there was only one real choice when it came to great transmission goodies.

Good luck;

Josiah

 

[CATCRACKER]

i think we are all in agreement on one thing all of these transmission's are priced way to high. if someone could come up with a more reasonably priced tc that would hold ez and dd2's this would sell like hot cakes. lets face it if you could buy a tc for 550 and a upgraded vavlebody for about 200 and it would hold up to ez dd'2 average people would be satisfied with 325hp and go this route. i talked to my mechanic and he wants 2500 to completely rebuild my tanny and he claims he can have it hold ez and dd2's vs 3300 with ats equipped transmission. can he custom build a transmission to hold 325 hp and 680ftlbs not using dtt/ats or is he full of it?

 

[JConley]

Cat. . Only you can determine if his work will hold up based on his previous track record. I would look at it not from a "Can he build it" standpoint, but rather from a " How long will it last " standpoint.



Remember, the pain from having to deal with problems down the road is a lot more than the one time pain of writing a check.

 

[banshee]

can he custom build a transmission to hold 325 hp and 680ftlbs not using dtt/ats or is he full of it?

Absolutely. My dad ran a Scheid built & installed transmission with a Pro Torque converter and BD valvebody for 75,000 miles behind 400+ horsepower. In fact, on the transmission, he dynoed a high of 508 hp at the 2001 Scheid rally. Through all those miles, the abuse of street and drag racing, and a lot of trailer pulling, the converter and transmission held up fine. It was recently swapped for the ATS setup (which is performing better), but it more than served its purpose for the price spent. I *think* the pro torque converters run in the $600 price range.



John

 

[TxDieselKid]

When the time comes, James Northum in the DFW area will do my transmission with DTT parts. He is WAY to great of a guy NOT to do it, as I trust him, and have NO worries about how I will get my truck back.



Remeber that the installer is VERY important also, at least IMO.



Andrew

 

[WadePatton]

I'd much rather pay ATS or DTT $3500 for a Cummins specific (with lots of experience) setup than $1500 to a local builder who "can make it hold".



There's more to optimum performance than lack of slippage.



But I'm just a bystander in this battle.



NEW VENTURE ROCKS!!!

 

[Fireman Dave]

Originally posted by CATCRACKER

i think we are all in agreement on one thing all of these transmission's are priced way to high. if someone could come up with a more reasonably priced tc that would hold ez and dd2's this would sell like hot cakes. lets face it if you could buy a tc for 550 and a upgraded vavlebody for about 200 and it would hold up to ez dd'2 average people would be satisfied with 325hp and go this route. i talked to my mechanic and he wants 2500 to completely rebuild my tanny and he claims he can have it hold ez and dd2's vs 3300 with ats equipped transmission. can he custom build a transmission to hold 325 hp and 680ftlbs not using dtt/ats or is he full of it?

Cat: I believe Goerend Bros. tends to be less pricey than the competition. But - Dave will tell you that his set-up is most ideal up to a certain HP (maybe 350?). More than that, then you might need something else - and Dave will tell you that himself.



Now, for the record, I'm not trying to push one over the other. I'm just trying to contribute in an effort to help out. I just happen to know a little bit about Goerend since a few of my friends have his set-up, and I've been to Dave's shop. I appolgize in advance if I don't have it exactly right, but I think Goerend is worth checking into for anyone thinking of modifying their transmission. My trans. is stock, by the way - for now.



jpearson: I don't recall what Goerend's warranty is, but I believe it is quite good, if I'm not mistaken.



phoekema: Very well said.



By the way - thanks to all of you guys for not letting this one get ugly - so far. Let's keep it up!

 

[jwilliams3]

I faced the same situation when looking to upgrade Trannies,

DTT or ATS?



I decided to go ATS after seeing the insides of the Triplelok torque converter versus a stock converter, the ATS looked 1000 times tougher!



I recommend ATS all the way,

nothing but top notch service and quality.



--Justin

 

[Rammin On]

Yeah man! What Justin said! I've driven and ridden in DDT and BD equipped trucks - the ATS is far superior in shifting, lock-up and smoothness of operation.



Do your homework well grasshopper and make an informed decision.



ATS - simply the best~!

 

[CATCRACKER]

I did'not mean to highjack the post but thanks for the info i am looking into goerend. all i want is about 350hp and a dependable transmission. if i had the money i would go with the ats b/c longer warranty low line pressues and also the sheer physics of it all. high pressures equal short seal life. my lip seal collapased with stock line pressures. equation..... 350hp+$600(georend tc)=no slippage or 350hp+$1300ats or $1200dtt=no slippage i cant justify twice the price guys even though they may hold twice the hp. i am only going up to 350hp. the reason 350hp I AINT GETTIN SMOKED BY SOME GRANDPA IN A STOCK DUMPAMAX OR NAVAPOOP.

 

[pwr2tow]

In the last year to two years all the leading transmission part manufacturers have steped up to the plate and they all make parts that will hold up to more hp than parts did a few years ago.



That being said my suggestion would be to find an installer (even just a very reputable transmission person) in your erea that you can work with and are comfortable with. The reason is after the installation there is often time you will need to take it back a few times to tweak it to perform the way YOU want it to. He is the person you are going to be most dependant on after the installation.



My setup works wonderful pulling the loads in my signature and doing a little bit of drag raceing. Dave goerend makes and has good warranty.



Ron

 

[Stefan Kondolay]

There are a few things to consider regarding these tc warranties make sure you guys are comparing apples to apples.



If with a DTT TC if there is ever an issue with the clutch lining after the warranty period is up, you would not be looking at replacing the TC completely. The stator is guaranteed for life so you would never have to pay for that. All you would be looking at is a $ 250 freshen up charge and get a new one. You dont even have to wait for yours to be updated. A new one comes out to you. So what does that mean, those of you who purchased your truck and have to keep it for 10-15 years you will never have to buy another TC. The worst thing you will incur is the freshen up charge. So when you guys are doing your homework make sure you know all the relevant questions to ask.

 

[JTBMC]

Cat,

Your looking at about 4 Grand and change if you go with the complete rebuild - Stage IV, and the lock up controler.

Is it worth the money, well as my Ole Pappy would say if your gonna play you gonna have to pay the piper.



The Lock up Controler makes this trans very versitile and enjoyable to drive or pull with out worry.

As you know my own 2 younger brothers are on the fence over which trans get, ATS or DTT, I say to them and to anyone intersted in upgrading read the TDR and make the calls to the shops of your choice and choose for your self.



Helping to choose a Transmission for someone is like setting them up with a blind date. Every thing is great for 19 years and 3 kids, but let them have a divorce and its all your fault for introducing them in the first place. Go figure

TJ

 

[JR2]

I have DTT and have no complaints, I would highly reccomend them.





**Disclaimer**

I paid for every thing on my truck, with that said I am taking donations if you have extra cash.



JR2