isu elvi

On the 99, when a clutch goes out is it usually catastrophic or just gradually gets weaker and then nothing. The 99 I believe has been gradually getting worse, i.e. seems to slip when going through the gears and accelerating moderately, real jerky when going through town or when under rpm ( the spot where you wish your 5 speed was a 6 speed, in the 20-35 mph range, where 3 is too low, and 4 too high, more so than it used too.), doesn't lay the cloud when you romp on it and the chip is turned up like it used to (like its not hooking up 100%, almost starting to feel like a torque converter), etc. I have gradually increased horse on this truck in the 80k that I have owned it, with the adrenaline and injectors, and think its catching up with me. This is fine, and like everything else, I planned on upgrading as I go.

The main reason I ask, as my wife and I are planning a trip to WYO, and take the 99 for the long box and topper, and don't want to send a rescue mission out from Iowa to bring me back home. It still hooks up fine, very drivable, and I can still pull my trailers ( I never pull over level 5 with a trailer), its just not like it used to be. Truck as 225k, tranny was suppose to have been replace pre 150k, I assume they did the clutch, but not sure.

Any thoughts or experiences?

Junk Man

Change the clutch if it is slipping. They are not supposed to slip. Re distance: I found receipts where the PO had changed my clutch at 85K. I don't tow & have no signs at 150K.

I drove a 72 dodge gasser through CO 30 years ago with a slipping clutch, bitchy wife and no $$. We stopped in Golden & got drunk on the free tour. Got home without breaking down. God takes care of the young & reckless. Traded that truck & the wife was gone by next Jan. Good way to start the new year.

That said, I'd fix it or move the topper to the other LB. Looks like you have enough diesels to choose from.

tige hauler

a properly driven clutch can last for more than 100k mi. I had a 2000 dually with an nv4500 and put an edgecomp on er and it started to slip with in a week or 2. I got a valair 550hp single disk clutch for $475.

here is the link
http://store.lowbudgetdiesel.com/12x1perecebu.html

isu elvi

Yeah we have sort of become a Dodge family in the last 5-8 years. The two on the top are fully mine, the 3 on the bottom are dads and FIL, the jetta was mine now dads, the mercedes the baby sisters ride.

I feel pretty confident that I can make it there and back with no issues, I think I started saying the clutch is getting weak about a year and a half ago. Just curious if anyone ever had one explode or just slip to a slow death. I had a 93 chevy gas that I drove about like this and a squeaky pilot bearing to boot for about 15-20K when I was a broke college student.

Guess I will live by your "God protects the young and reckless" statement, its gotten me this far. And he had a workout so far.

SIXSLUG

Sounds like a clutch wearing out to me. When mine finally let go it just got really hard to shift. If you are on mostly highway you can slipshift it.

I blew the clutch in my 68 F-100 climbing Competition Hill in Glamis years ago and I had to drive it back to the coast in second gear. That was excruciating. It didn't really come apart as an explosion, it just smoked pretty bad and had thrown out some of the springs. Once stuff quit rattling around I decided to drive it home. A two hour trip took almost 8! Your call...

wyododge

Mine just got weak then quit. Nothin catastrophic, but I was in town when it died. I limped it to the mechanic. IT really is gonna depend on where you are going in Wyoming. Mostly flat and some small hills but if you are planning a trip to the hills I would factor that in. Also, LOTS of open space and long distances between civilization too. Can't just drop into a tranny shop.

Enjoy your trip!!! lots of rain this year so not quite so dusty and dry. Rivers and reservoirs across the state are up too.

isu elvi

Well made it all the way out and back, and except for a bad water in fuel sensor, no issues. Put a little over 2000 miles on, basically come in the NE corner of WY, and followed the border all the way around back to Cheyenne.
Beautiful country as usually, except Yellowstone was full of prius' and foreigners. Seriously thought I was in a foreign country at times, I think we were the only English Speaking campsite one night at Grant Camp Ground.

I could definitely feel some slight slipping at times, but kept the truck to stock or slightly over on the Adrenaline, and it was hard to notice. However, when I pulled back into the driveway here about 1 am, and after 12 hours of interstate at 70+mph, the tranny was starting to get hard to shift when I had to stop and turn on my gravel road. I guess I got lucky, still moves, and worked better the next morning when the truck was cold, but I think its time. I will have to get it done after things settle down.

isu elvi

Update:

Check your tranny oil often! Turns out the rear seal in the tranny was back feeding the transfer case. Drained the tranny enough to run the input bearing dry, siezed the bearing, heated the shaft, and it snapped inside the gear at the front of the shaft. Got real hot, all sorts of shades of blue, melted the cage to the bearing, all around not good. Was going down the road pulling the trailer when it happened, squeeled once, then just let loose, engine goes to idle, no go no where.

Being tore down now, will have an updated mainshaft, and a southbend in it by the end of the week.

Must not have taken very long to drain the tranny. The oil was about 5000 miles old, I checked it just before the big road trip, and it went out about 100 miles after I got home. Dumb luck it happened here and not middle of no where I guess.