I'm looking at a 1998 12v with an auto trans with 128,000 on the clock.

How durable are the auto transmissions ? I'm new to all of this...

 

All I can speak for is my 95 that has a horrible transmission. With a stock engine, the trannys still go out due to the cummins' torque. If you plan to change the cam plate or turn up your truck, you are dealing with a transmission upgrade also. The torque converters are one of the first things to go. I recommend putting the money down to upgrade the transmission before ever upgrading the truck (if you plan to). The transmissions in dodges over the 12v years has been quite poor and all my friends with cummins all have either blown out the the autos or upgraded them before tragedy struck.

 

Thanks !

 

95 had the 47RH 98 would have the 47 or 48RE. The difference is the hydraulic shift and electronic shift and maybe a few other upgrades. I have 173,000 on my stock tranny behind a stock engine and no problems. Change the fluid every 12,000 miles.

 

i have a 99 trans went at 102,000 miles ahd to rebuild. aamco transmission rebuilt. upgraded torqe converter. and clutch packs $3500

 

The 47R- is a very reliable transmission if it has been taken care of. Its the old Chrysler 727 highly respected by drag racers. The problem starts when you in cress the horse power and torque of the engine. It was never meant to hold that kind of power. It can be built to hold as much or more than the standard transmission. With proper maintenance it will last a long time. I have 200K without a problem.

Floyd

 

AMEN to That Bro

 

My auto was rebuilt before I bought it, at around 140,000 miles. Completely stock. Sure, it stinks that they won't hold up, but we are asking a lot. All three manufacturers have had issues with the transmissions not holding up to the torque. It isn't just Dodge. Accept it as a fact of owning a high torque truck, and plan accordingly. It can also give you some negotiating room with the seller. Get the truck for a good price, spend the money on a quality auto, and then forget about it. The truck will go and go and go.
I have owned all three- Dodge, Ford, and Chevy. None were perfect, and none lasted forever. It's not whether you can find the perfect truck, its if you are able to make it work.

 

276K on mine & all stock - the only problem I've ever had with it were the cooling lines leaking - it's been very dependable.

 

The 47RH and 47RE trannys are great trannys. In stock form my Cal. '95 2500 was putting out 160 H.P. When I got it, with 56,000 miles on the clock, the engine had been goosed up to a little over 250 H.P. but no changes had been made in the stock trans. I experienced the TC slipping a bit, when supposedly locked up, and so I made allowances for that and babied the truck some. The previous owner towed a 5th wheel, but he took good care of the truck. At 107,000 miles I drove to Denver and had Clint and his crew at ATS rebuild my trans to ATS Stage IV specs. At the same time they cut open my old TC and I could see the TC clutch wasn't too badly burned. I'm sure I could have babied it along another 25,000 miles or more. But the ATS is certainly the best mod I ever made to my truck. I've got 255,000 on my truck now, and the trans is still absolutely perfect. I change the fluid at 24,000 miles intervals.

 

That's what I like to hear. I just put an ATS stage 4 in mine less then 10,000 miles ago. I absolutely LOVE it. So much better than just a good TCC and valve body. I went that route first, and wound up with a broken input shaft.
My favorite part of the setup now is the trans commander. Set it to the speed you want the converter to lock and unlock at. It always operates flawlessly.

It just hurt to pay for it......

 

YY, I'm going back and forth across I-40 a lot, sometimes hauling more than the truck should carry, and the last thing I need is a trans breakdown on the road. Now that the trans is upgraded to Stage IV if it just needs a rebuild, that won't be nearly as expensive.