EarthRoamer installs TripleLok

[EarthRoamer]

I recently had an ATS Diesel Performance transmission and TripleLok torque converter installed in my EarthRoamer truck and the results have been nothing short of amazing.



I had about 50,000 miles on my old BD torque converter that I had purchased in early 1999. Even with a BD pressure-loc installed the lock-up clutch was slipping. This isn't meant to be a slam on BD, but the aftermarket torque converters being sold in 1999 really weren't very good. My old torque converter had poor torque multiplication, generated lots of heat, and the lock-up clutch would slip under load.



I began researching the market (and read a lot of TDR transmission threads!) to determine the best replacement torque converter and transmission for my EarthRoamer expedition truck. I think my requirements are about the same as every turbo diesel Ram owner.



I wanted:

1) Long term reliability

2) Good acceleration off the line

3) A lock-up clutch that can handle my load

4) Good engine braking



I saw a mention of ATS on a TDR thread, and even though they’re only about 30 miles from my home, I had never heard of them. With low expectations, I decided it was at least worth stopping by to have them check out my transmission.



When I met Don Ramer and Clint Cannon of ATS, I was immediately impressed with their knowledge of transmissions and torque converters. They spent most of the morning showing me their shop and explaining how their products solve the Dodge Ram Diesel automatic transmission problems. I grew up working in my dad's small repair shop, so I have a real appreciation for their passion and how Clint and Ranee have grown their business.



I spent time with Ray (their Powertrain Engineer) and he explained the engineering behind their TripleLok torque converter. I have an engineering degree, and on paper the benefits of using a clutch pack design in a torque converter are very clear and follow sound engineering principles. Looking good on paper is one thing, but I needed to feel how it works in a real truck.



Next, Don took me for a ride in his TripleLok equipped truck. All I can say is WOW! His truck accelerates quickly off the line and shifts smoothly but firmly. Lockup and engine braking is nothing short of amazing. All I can say is if you have a chance to experience a TripleLok equipped truck, do it!



OK, so this thing looks good on paper, and it feels amazing when driving; how long will it last? I asked if I could talk to a couple of ATS customers that had installed TripleLok torque converters.



Clint first introduced me to John Wind who delivers furniture throughout the mountains of Colorado with his 2000 Dodge Ram 3500. John pulls a triple axle trailer behind his truck with loads sometimes reaching 26,000 pounds. John is one of the earliest users of a TripleLok, and he has logged over 50,000 miles on his TripleLok over the past few months. John is a man of few words, but when I started asking him about his truck and ATS, his eyes lit up. He said that no matter what the load or how steep the grade, the TripleLok simply doesn't slip.



I also met Kevin Goode who frequently hauls heavy loads of pipe behind his 12-valve Ram. Kevin started out by simply saying: "I break things. " He went on to list the number of transmissions, torque converters and even turbochargers that he has broken. I'm a person who tries NOT to break things, so my conversation with Kevin was very interesting. Kevin has tried to break his TripleLok in ways that I won't mention, and he actually seemed a little disappointed in himself that he couldn't break it!



This was all the information I needed and decided the ATS TripleLok was the choice for me. You can read more about my ATS experience (complete with before and after dyno results) on the ATS web site: http://www.atsdiesel.com/customers/customers-installs-earthroamer.html



I’m happy to answer questions about my experience with ATS and their products, but I’ve seen what happens in these threads far too often. I will answer sincere questions and engage in constructive debate. I choose not to participate in mudslinging and will not respond to those types of posts.



Some people have expressed concerns that sponsorships cause people to falsely promote products. I know that my reputation is on the line each and every time I accept a sponsorship. The main thing I have to offer my readers and sponsors is honesty and integrity. I don't use junk on my truck; I can't afford to. When I'm someplace like the remote desserts of Baja I'm not thinking about getting free parts, I'm hoping that nothing will break so I can just get home safely. By using the best products on my truck that I can find, and sharing my experiences through my writing and photography, I think we all win.



Here’s my full disclosure:

Yes, I'm sponsored by ATS. I'm also sponsored by Cummins, Alcoa Wheels, Mag-Hytec and EGR Brakes. I carefully choose great companies with great products to team with on my EarthRoamer project. I only team with companies whose products I use and endorse. In the case of ATS Diesel Performance, I was shocked to find a company this good in my own backyard that I hadn’t heard of, and offered to help them with their marketing. With a product as good as TripleLok, I want people to know about it.



Bill Swails

www.EarthRoamer.com

 

[Sky]

Good to hear your happy Bill! Keep us posted.

 

[azgearpro]

can we say, it was also free:--)

 

[kiwi bird]

All I'm going to say is - nice color transmission, is there a choice ?

 

[azgearpro]

Pick the best product what a crock, of course I would endourse a product if I got it FREE! I uderstand if people endorse products they paid for, but not for free sorry earth roamer you dont inpress me. Why dont you try paying for the product like the rest of us, then your endorsement would be creditable.

Your know when people endorse a product when they paid for it with there hard earned money i may not agree with their comments but I respect them, because they spent their OWN money to purchase what they believe to be the best product for there situation.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Nothing in life is ever free... . It doesn't matter that ATS sponsored EarthRoamer. What does matter is that Bill Swails tells it like it is. If he breaks it, he will tell us. One only has to read his website, and you'll see how he has done just that in the past. This is valuable research and development that benefits us all. He doesn't slam anyone's products, just matter-of-factly reports on how well the products he uses, perform.

Bill Swails is a fine and honorable man, and doesn't deserve such harsh words asssaulting his integrity. One would do well to examine the integrity and motives of the person writing such ill-informed trash against Bill.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Kiwi Bird, to paraphrase Henry Ford, "You can have any color you want, as long as it's purple ! "

 

[StakeMan]

Originally posted by Briar Hopper

Nothing in life is ever free... . It doesn't matter that ATS sponsored EarthRoamer. What does matter is that Bill Swails tells it like it is. If he breaks it, he will tell us. One only has to read his website, and you'll see how he has done just that in the past. This is valuable research and development that benefits us all. He doesn't slam anyone's products, just matter-of-factly reports on how well the products he uses, perform.

Bill Swails is a fine and honorable man, and doesn't deserve such harsh words asssaulting his integrity. One would do well to examine the integrity and motives of the person writing such ill-informed trash against Bill.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[PRout]

Originally posted by azgearpro

Pick the best product what a crock, of course I would endourse a product if I got it FREE! I uderstand if people endorse products they paid for, but not for free sorry earth roamer you dont inpress me. Why dont you try paying for the product like the rest of us, then your endorsement would be creditable.

Your know when people endorse a product when they paid for it with there hard earned money i may not agree with their comments but I respect them, because they spent their OWN money to purchase what they believe to be the best product for there situation.

Yea, thats a pretty unfair slam.



I remember when he had the 4-wheel pop-up camper. He ended up thrashing the thing, and let us know it wasnt up to the task that he put it through. He has been very reasonable on giving us his true opinions. It doesnt matter if you agree, or disagree, he's going by what he has seen w/ his own eyes.

 

[Power Wagon]

Originally posted by azgearpro

Pick the best product what a crock, of course I would endourse a product if I got it FREE! I uderstand if people endorse products they paid for, but not for free sorry earth roamer you dont inpress me. Why dont you try paying for the product like the rest of us, then your endorsement would be creditable.

Your know when people endorse a product when they paid for it with there hard earned money i may not agree with their comments but I respect them, because they spent their OWN money to purchase what they believe to be the best product for there situation.

May I rebuke you gently here...



I really don't think you said what you meant. Would you REALLY endorse something terrible if you got it free?



Somehow, the fact that you're interested in the issue enough to post on it tells me that I don't think your words are that easily bought. I don't think Bill Swails will sell his word so cheap, either.



It's easy to say these things on impulse, but if you look at it carefully, I'm willing to give you the benefit of hte doubt and say you probably didn't mean it quite that way... It's a slam to others you don't know, and to yourself, as well. Think it over, friend.

 

[Fireman Dave]

So, let's see... if he pays for it - he's automatically qualified to comment on it. But if he's sponsored by them, he can't give an opinion? Hmm



If you read about Bill's adventures, you'll see he isn't into using products that fail just to get them for free. He want's his truck to be reliable and tough. Period. If he says it's good, that's good enough for me. If it isn't good, he will say so. He's not a blind sheep. I'm not sure we can say the same for everyone who's been involved in these transmission wars around here.



Man, there seems to be a lot of people who feel threatened somehow by anything new that might challenge their claim to having or being the best.



Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with anyone, and my engine and transmission are 100% stock. So call me a neutral observer.



OK, I'm all geared up for the flames.

 

[illflem]

With 174k on my stock AT I feel it won't be long. My research leads me to believe ATS is the way to go regardless of the price. My only question for Bill is how do I get ATS to sponsor me?

 

[JHansen]

I like carrots.



Not afraid to make that public either.



Jason

Not Sponsored by the Canadian Carrot Growers Association or Any Other Vegetable Growing Group!

 

[LSMITH]

Originally posted by azgearpro

Pick the best product what a crock, of course I would endourse a product if I got it FREE! I uderstand if people endorse products they paid for, but not for free sorry earth roamer you dont inpress me. Why dont you try paying for the product like the rest of us, then your endorsement would be creditable.

Your know when people endorse a product when they paid for it with there hard earned money i may not agree with their comments but I respect them, because they spent their OWN money to purchase what they believe to be the best product for there situation.

This is the kind of disrespect and lack of courtesy that is driving members and vendors from this site. If you cannot speak (type) well enough to effectively communicate your point without being rude please seek help. We all have opinions, but they must be expressed reasonably for the poster to have any credibility in my opinion. Posts like the one quoted have no place in these pages.

 

[danandamy]

Originally posted by Fireman Dave

..... Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with anyone... .





WHAT?! Did you lose your GP sponsorship?!



dan

 

[Sled Puller]

This ain't NASCAR.



Cummins men tell the truth, GOOD OR BAD. (the ones that don't get hammered. )



And we have to be the biggest nit pickers in the universe.



I would think the majority of TDR and the vendors would tell us what fails.

 

[BFC]

He's not a blind sheep. I'm not sure we can say the same for everyone who's been involved in these transmission wars around here.

Some members that BUY the stuff are so closed minded it ain't even funny. And that's on ALL side of the debate. Damn Gene you even got me to agree with you!



Getting free crap wouldn't help EarthRoamer in the middle of Bum Fu*k Egypt! And if it breaks out there, it ain't free no more! I don't know the man but I'm sure he wouldn't put himself in that kind of situation for a free transmission and if it turns out to be a POS, I'm pretty sure he'll tell us.



My 2 cents,



Glenn

 

[cmonroe]

I'm going to start by saying I will not slam anyone's product. There is a reason we have so much passion in these discussions. We have several products to choose from that are of excellent quality and put quite simply WORK. The passion comes from the fact that we are subdivided into regions so we have formed our groups. We are all driven with common goals in mind. However we belive so much in the products that we have bought (and with good reason) that we all feel we have purchased the best product on Earth and anyone who would do differently we feel must be crazy. I'm a three pedal guy myself. And the reasons for this are simply that untill recently I felt that there wasn't an auto out there that could hold up to the enviroment that I live in, my driving style and the raw power I require from any vehicle I own. I will however tell you that my next Dodge will have but two pedals. And the parts that will go into my Dodge will come from ATS. From this you may have quessed that I live in the mountains of Colorado. This is not the only reason I would choose ATS. Nor is the fact that I know Kevin (the person Earthroamer was talking about) and that quy could break an anvil and yet his auto holds up just fine. I would not even base my decission on the fact that I also know John that the Earthromer talked about. Or even Earthromer himself. Hi bill. I would not even take into consideration the fact that I know Clint and Don from ATS and would consider both to be friends. I have based my decision on my knowledge of friction. If anyone does not beleive there is an advantage to a Triple Disk setup, why do all motorcycles come with so many fiber and metal clutch plates? It is simple, more surface area to not only distribute the physical properties involved with power transfer but also to disipate heat over an area greater in size. If you reduce heat in any friction process you reduce wear. We can only hope that all the suppliers keep updating and improving their products the way that the ATS crew does, and I'm sure several do. One happy hotrod diesel owner.

 

[Cummins Corvette]

COOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! It looks like ATS is starting to get the respect they are so desperately trying to EARN from us. They can't buy respect from Bill, but they can EARN IT THROUGH HIM!!! They can earn it through selling products that are well designed, that hold up to the stresses only we can put on them. Will they hold up? Only time will tell, not this:

Originally posted by azgearpro

Pick the best product what a crock, of course I would endourse a product if I got it FREE! I uderstand if people endorse products they paid for, but not for free sorry earth roamer you dont inpress me. Why dont you try paying for the product like the rest of us, then your endorsement would be creditable.

Your know when people endorse a product when they paid for it with there hard earned money i may not agree with their comments but I respect them, because they spent their OWN money to purchase what they believe to be the best product for there situation.

(I’m not trying to flame you, only to point out that this statement was not thought out, like others have said. Please don’t say things like that, you will regret it later. You will loose the respect of your fellow members, most of whom are extremely good people. More than likely, you will need their help in the future, and posting like that will discourage them from helping you. )



On to bigger and brighter things. I have spoke extensively with Don and Clint on the phone, and consider their knowledge of transmissions second to none. I feel they have equals though. (You know who. ) But even more important than that, they are just good people who want not only customers, but also friends. They have always taken time out of their extremely busy days to fully answer any question I might have. I get the feeling that Don is the type who would stop and help someone with a flat tire. They are just an extremely friendly group, and deserve our respect. All I ask of any of you that doubt their desire to help us out, is that you call them. That will lay to rest any tensions or questions you have about them. I am going to get a transmission, and a plethora of other goodies from them, and I have the same faith in their products that I do in DTT’s. I honestly think that if anything ever breaks, I will be well taken care of.



Chris Oo.

 

[azgearpro]

LSMITH, no the problem with this site is that you cant give anyone your opinion. Whether you like it or not it is my opinion I have a right to give it, just like you have the right to give yours.

To Earthroamer I do apologise for such a harsh comment, By the way nice photos.