what year and trans is the best

[Floyd4runner]

I am selling my 99 24v. And getting a crew cab for more room. Fellow TDR members I ask year what year and trans do I want. I have to have 3/4 ton 4x4 03 to 06. I know there were some differences in these years. Just never kept up with them because they did not pertain to me at the time. Any help would be appreciated. Also looking for a truck with 100k to ease the pocket book. What kind of big expense maintenance items am I looking at between 100k and 200k. Thanks

 

[Grizzly]

The new 6 speed auto is great. The NV5600 6 speed manual offered until 05. 5 is excellent. That's what I have. Folks that have the G56 6 speed manual are also very happy with there's. The 48RE auto has been troublesome when pulling a load. If you only use it to deliver flowers to a funeral, it's okay.

 

[Floyd4runner]

thanks

Thanks. I was going to try and go with the standard. Should I get the 03-04. 5 or 04. 5-6?

 

[Motorhead]

The NV5600, when they have some miles on them, are a good trans. They are a stiff shifting gear box when new. My understanding is that the parts are getting harder to get if you need a rebuild. The good thing is I believe they have a . 72 to 1, 6th gear ratio. The early G56 has a . 79 to 1, 6th gear. If you are running stock sized tires, they are a bit low geared going down the freeway... . even with 3. 73's
Because of some good info from the TDR, I was lucky to find a Dec. '06 built, 2007, G56.
Mine has the . 74 to 1, 6th gear in it. I personally like the 325hp-600TQ engine in mine. I get good mpg's on the highway, 20 - 22 after I put a set of EMS lock out hubs on.

 

[JTucholke]

I've got the 05 NV5600 and HO engine. Pretty good mileage and lots of power. The trans shifts hard - feels like a truck transmission. I do wish there was yet another gear for interstate driving. If i keep it below 65 I can get 20 mpg according to the overhead display. I never run out of power, but I run out of gear.

 

[HBarlow]

There is no right answer to your question, only subjective opinions.

I owned an '01 with NV-5600 six speed and liked it although as several have posted, it shifted like a truck transmission.

Owners of trucks built in late '05 and later are equipped with the dual mass flywheel assembly and G-56 transmission. Owners seem to like the transmission but the dual mass flywheel assembly has a high failure rate, particularly on trucks used for lots of towing or, perhaps, for off-road use.

It has become very difficult to locate a used salvage yard NV-5600 transmission and parts are also becoming hard to find. Blumenthals in OKC and Standard Transmission in Ft. Worth, TX, both TDR advertisers, can still rebuild them.

Late '05 and '06 trucks with the G-56 transmission had very low gears that many didn't like. The gear ratios were changed either sometime in late '06 or for the '07 models. I have read that the gear ratios can be determined by looking at the casting numbers on the case. AD was the earlier version, AE the later.

You will have to decide for yourself.

 

[Floyd4runner]

sounds good

What about the fuel delivery systems should I be looking for an 04. 5 or later for reliability on parts or does it matter? I know the lift pump is on the block for the 04 where is it on an 05.

 

[HBarlow]

I think the fuel transfer pump was moved to the fuel tank for model year 2005.

If you were planning to buy an automatic transmission truck my advice would be to buy an '06 or '07 because the ECM and automatic transmission on the last two years were factory set up for use of an exhaust brake.

 

[SShafranko]

I have an 06 with the G56 and 3:73 rear end gears. I also have 142,000 miles and have owned the truck since it was new. Unloaded in my opinion it needs an overdrive unit or maybe a set of 3:42's. Pulling a descent load i don't know if you can get much better in my opinion than this set up. (I love it) I changed all fluids except engine oil every 40,000 miles, and have not had any issues with my transmission, clutch or flywheel yet. I do baby my truck except for an occassional race here and there. Bottom line i love my set up and if i had to do it again i would do the same. My trans is a bit notchy when cold but softens up very quickly after a few shifts. Good Luck

 

[rbattelle]

HBarlow is correct - there is no "right" answer to this question, only opinions.

In my opinion, I like pre-2005 trucks because they don't have the Totally Integrated Power Module wiring scheme. The traditional wiring harness is much simpler to diagnose and repair, unless you own a dealership.

Ryan

 

[SBeretz]

I am another huge fan of the G56 with 3. 73's. I have an early one with the . 79 OD and still get great MPG's as long as I keep the truck under 70. When you are pulling a heavy trailer at around 60-65 the truck is right in the sweet spot of 2K RPM's and just flat out pulls well. I have a heavy toyhauler nad have had 0 issues pulling. I have replaced a few rear U-Joints, but other than that, I have 82K miles on my truck and it is a phenominal truck. I couldn't bring myself to buy anything else right now, since my truck has given me great service and has excellent power when needed. I change the filter at 7500 miles and do a full oil change at 15K and have had no issues. The 04-07 5. 9's were last of a great breed of trucks. I have no reason to think the truck will have any really big issues getting to 250K. Scotty

 

[CoastyAV8R]

I was in the same boat as you last year. I wanted the 6 speed and 03-07 so I could get the 5. 9. The 03-04 supposedly get better mileage but I wasn't picky. The deal I got is what dictated what truck I bought but I looked for quite a while. I had an 04. 5 previously as well as an 01 and a 93 CTD and they've all been great trucks. The hard part for me was finding a truck that had relatively low miles (under 100K), hasn't had performance boxes on it and had a 6 speed at a reasonable price. Mine was owned by a lady who had pulled a 3 horse trailer and had all the servicing done at the dealer with records so it wasnt' run hard and had 70,000 miles on it but I looked for a few months.

 

[WoodChuck]

The 48RE auto has been troublesome when pulling a load. If you only use it to deliver flowers to a funeral, it's okay.

Not true at all, I love the 48RE.

 

[GaryOwen]

I knew at least two drivers with 48RE trannies with over 500k miles without any transmission problems. One was in an 04 and the other was in an 06. They were used in RV delivery, so about half the miles were loaded. They had regular maintenance only. I was quite suprised at how well they held up.

 

[Bob4x4]

Not true at all, I love the 48RE.

Agreed with stock power we do not see any premature failures,but we do see many that get towed in after pulling the performance enhancing devices :-laf

 

[WoodChuck]

Mine was holding up fine with 464 RWHP, a very heavy foot and 105k miles.

I installed the Co-pilot and it killed the front (or direct) clutch pack in short order due to shifting into third under full power with a locked converter. The only good side was it gave me a good reason to build up the transmission.

 

[WoodChuck]

This isn't a new thread but still good reading.

48RE vs Torqushift and Allison - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums