Don't get a billet one. Get a Suncoast laminated or one from Georend that is made by Hailsey machine. The Hailsey is the one I have. No issues so far.

 

Really? The billet is more expensive. I think they will push for the billet, I thought that was more bullet proof.
So just the mid-level one, with stock being low end and billet being most expensive.

 

You don't want a billet, that is racing only and with a lot of measuring to make sure alignment is correct. A flex plate must flex some to take up the mismatches in alignment that exist in most stock applications.

A heavier laminate plate is quite adequate for most uses. Even the stock plate works well in most cases if the transmission is setup correctly and not banging the shifts and lockup.

Most flex plate failures are due to 2 reasons, outright abuse and the plate to converter bolts working loose. A TC that hits hard on lockup and does not unlock adequately for shifts is brutal on the flex plate and input shaft. Towing heavy just escalates the effect.

 

The Hailsey machine one I run is just a stock flexplate with an additional flexplate center welded in. Works like a champ. I got it from Dave.


Folks with billet flexplates have been known to break input shafts. They are
very hard on them.

 

Well, Dave is the man, so I'll ask him for the beefed up flex plate.

So I have the trans, billet input, and $350 reinforced flex plate. (Billet is another $100) total with taxes and install will be right at $6,000.

 

Thats about right and pretty much what a dealer would charge for a rebuild. Much better quality than a dealer rebuild of course.

Depending on the needs and $$, you could drop the triple disk TC and billet input and billet flex plate to save yourself $1000-1200. You limit how hard you can push on the go pedal, the power levels you can safely run, and how hard you can play but save yourself that chunk of change that could be a deal breaker.

Considering you have run this long doing what you are doing without breaking parts, its likely that you could get by with the lesser parts.

 

Yeah that billet input is a killer at $600 smokes.... So I could save the money, but if I'm going this far, to seek out a great builder, to take 2 or 3 days to go to his shop and have it installed, to pay at least $4500, by God I'm going to go the rest of the way and put in the billet and triple.

What is the saying? Paying for quality only hurts once or something like that?

Besides did you see that new EFI live or whatever it's called? Holy smokes, 1000lbs of torque and almost no smoke? I'll have to start a new thread about getting u-joints that don't fail all the time. Maybe a new drive shaft with heavier joints....

 

LMAO, how about nightmares about the havoc THAT will cause.

Hmmm, seen all the threads on breaking the OD housing? Weak spot there that gets damage from bad ujoints. I have my doubts its efficacy when you really put the power down.

If it gets past that then there is a t-case that is borderline holding the power. Stick all 4 wheels good and hard and in 4x4 the chain just kinda draws the ends together. Kinda looks like a hot sealed can dropped in hot water.

If everything else holds and the drive line doesn't blow have you seen the rear ends that twist the diff 90 degrees on the axle housings? You kinda look sideways at that and think "how does that work".

I enjoy working on my truck, just not working on it like maintaining a helicopter.



You can't go wrong with doing it all at once, enjoy the results.