Transmissions

[Dodger]

Well my truck came with an Allison automatic transmission. I would much rather have a manual tranny. Mostly because I prefer a manual, but also for the increase economy. So the question is what manual tranny goes best with a DT360? Thanks for any info,

Dodger

[geofkaye]

....LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE......somethings are not worth the hassle.....you might save .5 mpg over the auto with a stick....but it has been proven time and time again that it is the driver that makes the real difference in mpg.....and I quote the American Trucking Association white paper and also Cummins & Mack.....the Allison is worth $10grand now.....better to spend time and money on aero or even the air foils and the gizmos that are glued to the trailing edge of the box.....there is a big savings by slowing down 5 mph....it is worth 2 mpg on my chev/gmc 6500 wrecker if i run under 65 for any time....and i weigh 16,000 lbs dry.....geofkaye and the Rivercity Girls doing income tax this week......

[Dodger]

I certainly agree that it is cheaper to leave well enough alone. Also I agree the gains in MPG would be negligible. The reason I would prefer a stick to an auto is side of the road serviceability. I can rebuild a stick with the equipment I have in my truck at any given time. Manuals give signs when they are getting ready to go out, an automatic is more of a ticking time bomb. So I guess the real question would be how reliable are the Allison 500 series transmissions? My truck will not be very heavy (less than 18k pounds). When I do pull a trailer, it will be my 5k pound camper. Not really much work for this sort of equipment, but still I hate the thought of being stuck somewhere because my trusty Allison decided it was time to take a break. I have rebuilt many a manual transmission in my days, but have yet to crack the cover on an automatic. Does this seem like a legit reason, or am I just going crazy?

Dodger

[Bob86ZZ4]

I'd say if the Allison is working fine then just maintain it properly and drive the heck out of it. If it gives up then drop it out and bolt in a manual. No sense spending money on it if it works fine now. I always see breakdowns as a chance to improve things.

[geofkaye]

..more and more military trucks are auto's ...why? not because they drop dead...they suffer more misuse and have less service problems in the field....and those guys in Maryland Proving can wreck anything and really enjoy trying to "un-soldier proof" any vehicle sent for testing and approval......I've seen 5 tons that were trashed by the Maryland Proving....much more abuse than I could shell out......It was very impressing to see the testing......geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz...