I said I wouldn't....

Here I am again, thinking seriously about buying another automatic. .. I said, NO.. it's a six-speed this time. It just seems like this particular truck that I'm looking at is a pretty good deal for the price..[2004.5 3500 CTB SRW SB w/ 90k-$23.9k] (even if it didn't have the plow) The Fisher MM is just an extra to me.

The question I'm having though, If I'm planning to pull with this thing in the future, where it's got 90,000 miles on a transmission that is YES the newer 48RE, but it has plowed some.. (blade doesn't show very much wear..) and it has pulled.. don't know the weight or how often the guy might have had the tranny serviced. I'll have Dodge run the vin for me.. don't have that YET..

Anyway... Oh yeah, I was looking for opinions on the 48RE wasn't I?...

How about it?.. I've read some that if it's worked and flushed every 30k it's not a bad option for an automatic... (I'm battling with myself here, can you sense that?)

Is this a tranny that I can count on with this mileage.. If I want to pull a 12,000# 5'er across country in another year?..

..appreciate your help, all...

dieselthunder00

 

I've heard that it is a reliable tranny if you steer clear of engine HP mods and larger tires. Once you start modifying for power, the stock tranny is garbage. I don't like the torque converter slip % on the stock tranny. Seems like a bunch of slush. I've got about 50K on mine, did my fluid change at 30k, and it has always looked really clean. Towed my boat and snowmobile cross country almost weekly for the first 2 years and try daily to push the throttle through the floor. It has since been retired from pulling anything other than my butt to work (rather sad) because I moved away from the high-country to this tiny little volcano (Maui). I hope it runs to 100,000 which will take me another 5 years at the rate I am currrently driving.

 

Personally if it was me, I'd run away rather than walk away. Not because it's an auto, I love my auto and in fact sold my one year old 05 manual NV5600 6 speed because I hated the manual. I'd run because it was used for plowing snow, never know how he took care of it. You can search the vin or carfax but it's not going to tell you the most important thing. How did the previous owner take care of the truck. Any indication of abuse is too much for me. Plowing snow is very hard on auto transmissions.

That's just my opinion and when I buy things used I like them in like new condition.

 

You are buying the truck cheap enough, put a tranny in if it bothers you that much.

 

Very true. You could just assume that a 5-7K (bullet proof) tranny was in the future (after warranty) and consider that an expense, be done with is and not worry about it.

JRG

 

don't talk yourself into it sounds to me like you already know you don't want an auto..don't set your self up for disappointment.

after getting a G-unit in my new truck the only time I would drive an auto again is if I wanted to build a really fast drag truck.

I have been let down by dodge auto's before so I am a little bitter
don't get left on the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere like I did
plus it is a plow truck, are you sure it does not have it's second plow blade on it now??

 

The plowing thing would bother me the tranny.. My 05 had 60000 miles when I got rid of it and 45000 was with crazy larry. That was all the time, not just for fun.. And a total stock tranny.. I towed my 10000 lb work trailer every day pulled grades whatever you want.. I was really impressed with the tranny.. But I wasn't stupid either I had the tranny guages, set the outlook to de-fuel and all of the safety hazards.. I wasn't doing 15 lb boost launches or anything stupid just drove it like I normally do which for most people is fast but that's just me... Plus I had a 6" lift with 37's so the added power was greatly appreciated!!

Shane

 

You will hear that "you gotta pay to play" more times than you can imagine in here as well as other sites and it couldn't be said anymore TRUE than that...that information is as good as it gets. I am currently running the Edge Juice w/Attitude on my 06' and I don't do boosted launches, plow or anything of the sort; however, anything above level three on the Juice and I can feel that cruddy stock torque converter slipping like I do on ice. The valve bodies are sloppy which makes it hunt for gears, etc. Even if you only plan on pulling a 12k 5ver, I would anticipate at LEAST a torque converter and valve body upgrade. I pulled a load of cattle with my pop last month back in VA that weighed about 13k or so (gooseneck) and I left the Edge on level 2 boost fueling on 3 and could still feel the converter slipping a little and I only have about 10k on the truck right now which tells me that my full billet won't be arriving soon enough. just my two cents

 

I am on the 3rd tranny with 99K miles
I don't beat them but I pull a 5K cargo trailer every day 4-5K mile per month in town... I was told that the first tranny rebuild did not come with the updates and the dealer did not clean out the POS check valve in the tranny cooler that ended up restricting flow back to the transmission which led to the 2nd failure.
The update on this tranny has the check valve (better design) built into the valve body and drilled the POS one in the cooler out...
It now shifts better and more confidently... I hate it when the transmission feels like it takes a breath between shifts like it is hunting for the gear.

 

theres drawbacks to each truck, the autos are expensive to build and a dual disc clutch is not the best for a daily driver but guys drive them. a built auto to drive everyday gets old too

 

Ive driven a stock auto, my billet auto, and a stock clutch on a G56. I hate autos because of the cost to build them right.....and after driving with a better converter, i will never be able to own a stock auto 48re ever, ever again. The G56 i drove i absolutely loved...sounds like you want a stick anyway, so get a stick. Can't wrong with one....but you CAN go wrong with an auto

 

really???? a built auto gets old????
I would have thought a built auto would never get old..I don't have much experience with built autos(my 01 had a VB and TC) I would like to hear what draw backs a built auto has??? why do you think it gets old??

 

I beat the sheeet out of my truck every time I drive. With 52,000+ miles, I have no complaints about the auto. I did blow up my 47RE at 32,000 miles driving like this. I slam it in forward/reverse all the time when I'm in a rush and even with the oversized tires and the 3.73 gears I've had no problems. Tow my 9,000lb trailer like I'm in a drag race from light to light (Love the tourqe). Now, my truck is stock, so that may be the reason it is holding together.

 

well I got 6500 in my transmission. when you drive it everyday it gets old. It bangs in gear and bangs when it downshifts. Im getting old I guess. I like the tranny but, Im looking for something else to drive to keep miles off the truck and just tired of driving to the crap hole I work at where it gets stuff all over it. I know it has to have line pressure to hold. I had a 6 spd manual with a strong clutch in it and get old also. I like driving a manual for the most part. The thing that ruined the manual for me was the grabby clutch. I hated trying to back a trailer up with it. but an awesome clutch is 2200 or so and a built auto is 5k and up. depends on what you wanna spend I guess

 

I agree with this statement also sir