The new 5th gear shafts hold just fine....

However, I won't contest the input shafts - the 1 3/8" shaft on the 5600 is superior.....definitely a no brainer.

Stock to stock, the 5 spd clutch seems to hold on to more power than the larger 6 speed clutch.....why, I don't know....but more often than not, the guy that plugs in a Comp on a stock clutch and fries it seems to be driving a 6 spd. I don't know anyone in my area that has fried a stock 5 spd clutch with 100 hp extra over stock.....but everyone I know with the 6 spd has fried the clutch very soon after the bombing begins.

That said, I would prefer the 6 spd.....I enjoy my 5 spd but the ratio jump between 2nd and 4th gear is so huge that 3rd gear really isn't enough to fill it all in smoothly and the problem is magnified when towing.....it isn't something that enormous amounts of torque won't fix ( ) but you certainly appreciate the seemless ratio changes of the 6 spd.

 

I love my 6spd! I've never really driven a 5spd so I don't have anything to compare it to. Shifting it seems pretty quick to me. I know it's not a sports car, but I can get mine pretty close feeling.

Two things I'd like are a reverse lockout. I've hit it a couple times, especially out screwing around. And another gear. I know sounds stupid, but I'd like a hwy cruisin gear that'll drop the RPMs down.

 

I got Mach II's with a clutch with 150,000+ on it......go figure.....BUT anything more......HA!

 

OK, I see you now. It's weird that the larger 5600 clutch holds less. I'm guessing low plate loads to keep pedal effort reasonable. Then again, my clutch was holding Smarty and M4s and had held 350hp for over 2 years.

Yes, the ratio changes of the 5600 are seamless-- but the shifting SAH isn't!

 

True perhaps in extreme competition. However when ever a CTD Ram has been tested in "pull-offs" agaisnt the competition it looses because of a lack of a fifth gear in the automatic tranmission.

 

i have a 2000 6 speed SO with 4:10's and she's a puller alright

 

5-speed... great around town and lower mph.
6-speed... great highway and cruising, great for towing heavier loads, around town, well... my right thigh is getting bigger than my left from all the pedal pumping! Pick yer poison, IOW the one that suits you best!

 

I'd love to see that... operating a clutch with your right leg should be interesting.

 

I have no idea why the 6spd would be a better highway cruiser than the 5 spd? The top two gears in both are the same. Or why the 5spd would be better at lower mph?

 

Think glass half full........

Loosing weight in his left leg due to pumping......thus right leg is "Bigger"

 

Only problems I've heared of about the six are the rough shifts <experienced these> and some nut that can back off of something connected to sixth gear, that problem pretty much shells the tranny.
My moms got the 5 and its fine,for a stock rig.
I'd not trade for my 6 though
thats my apples on that

 

Love my 6 speed. Shifts fine and I don't use first much unless I am on a hill or towing. I do have the 4:10 gears. First is good for the bumper to bumper trafic, it just walks along on it's own at idle.

 

exactly. and direct is 4th in a 5 speed and 5th in a 6 speed.

all the other gears are about the same except that the 5600 splits 3rd and 4th on the 4500.

 

well, I meant w/ a fully splined main and a big input

my buddy went through two 5600's in his 04.5 in a year. the 3rd one has held up pretty decent though. I guess I'm just gun shy.

I hear a lot of pullers say they'd rather have a build 5sp than a 6sp too.

my next truck is probably going to be a 6sp, but I've got a 5sp in the garage that's going to get built w/ fully splined main, billet input, iron extension housing, etc. I'm gonna convert it over to 5sp and sell off the 6sp stuff to pay for the tranny and a dual disk

 

Hmm...I've had 3 out of 4 tranny options now. Started with the 5spd...no problems with it, just hated towing heavy with it! I don't give a crap HOW much power you have, the 3rd to 4th gear split is too big at 35K gross!!!!

Swapped in a NV5600...shifts like crap, but I love every second towing with it!! If you don't like to shift, skip a gear!! The NV5600 is matched PERFECTLY to the Cummins!! The only thing I think it needs, is a gear between 5th and 6th, and a taller OD...like a .50 gear!!

Now I drive the 98 about 90% of the time... I really like the auto for everyday driving...but I HATE the way it shifts!! Once I get it built, I'll really love it!! What little towing I do with it, it's not bad...stock...but I wouldn't want to gross over 20K with an auto...just not enough gears!!

IMHO,
Chris