I dumped $4500 into the DTT tranny on my '98.5. Fun to drive,but it still had little issues. I went with the G-56 on this one and love it! My wife darn near destroyed the tranny on my '85 Toyota,but she likes this one. I've got the inevitable clutch upgrade money in my piggybank already. It's not a matter of if,but when.

 

thanks for the input guys so what im getting from this is that a 2003 with a manual would be the best choice

 

I would say an 06-07 mega cab manual. They are the easier to get to your 400-450hp goal and are so nice for traveling and family. The 06-07 may get slightly (very slightly) less mpg stock but at the hp goal range you want and for what you want the truck for the mpg difference can easily be all but eliminated. In the end any 03-07 with a manual is a great choice.

 

I've had both and the I miss my auto.
Auto for DD and light towing/hauling, which most of us do.
Manual for heavy, over 10k, towing/hauling.

Most of the autos hold together longer than the manuals do.
Most manuals need clutch work and 5th gear fixed under 100k
and most autos easily go well over 100k before rebuild time.
Once you build up the auto the stick doesn't compare.

Anyone have a nice 2500, 4.10 with bad auto trans to trade on my 3500 3.55 manual?

 

I might agree with the notorious 5th gear issues with the 5 speed in your 99 but the newer 6 speeds not so much. If you drive them right they will put the autos to bed.

 

around these parts there is no deciding unless you are purchasing new and willing to wait for a Manual. There quite simply is no Manuals available for sale. if you do find one bring the banker as he will be needed to secure finances.

 

Your gonna have to dump around $4500 in the auto(48re) to make it work well. If you are getting a 6.7 the 68rfe is the way to go. If you are going for high (600 or above) HP then the auto is the way to go. The manual won't hold up. That would be a tough choice for me if I had to do it again but I always come back to my built auto. Getting caught in heavy traffic with an auto is not bad at all, in a manual, your leg is going to fall off especially if you have an aftermarket clutch......LOL

 

Glad I'm not the only one that sees the benefit of having a manual

 

On the hwy towing you can't beat a hand shaker. Yeah in stop and go it can get old.

If we were talking about any other light duty truck with a diesel I would say go ahead and get the auto. But with a CTD the only way to take full advantage of it's power range is with a manual.

And to the guys that say an auto will rule the track... Well, find somebody that can drive a stick and you won't say that anymore.

 

No one can shift a truck trans as fast as a good auto.

 

An auto is not as efficient as a manual. More power loss. I can shift my G56 almost if not as fast as I can the t56 in my car.

The data logs of my car going down the track show that three gear changes don't add up to half a second. And this is a stock syncro trans...

The only advantage I see the auto having is from a standing stop but only because the launch with a manual has to be spot on and is very hard to do right with these trucks.

 

Drove my 04.5 for 30k miles before the auto got under my skin to the point where I couldn't stand it any more. Got out of that and into my current truck as a stiff price penalty, but wth, you only live once and should have what you want.

I didn't like the darn thing shifting where it wanted to instead of where it should have. No way I would ever go back.

 

THE 48RE IS JUNK. ITS A LIGHTWEIGHT TRANNY IN A HEAVYWEIGHT TRUCK. If your going to use it for a grocery getter then an auto is fine but if your going to use it to make a living pulling or working then an auto is the wrong way to go in a dodge. Ive had 2 built trannies and you just cant pollish a terd. You can sugar coat a terd but you still have a sugard coated terd. I have an auto dodge and an auto chevy and the ally is a first class tranny for a 3/4 and 1 ton truck but i still like the cummins over a duramax. Everybody can say what they want but i feed my family with these trucks and my observation is purely expressed on my experiences with them and not what somebody told me or brand loyalty

 

mixing stick all the way! i agree that they are had to find. i drove 7 1/2 hrs to get mine and i'd do it again in a heart beat! both of my rigs are standards...my tow pig and rock crawler! the way i see it, the only place for an auto is in a bracket drag car. and if your more serious about heads up racing...then a lenco is the way to go. lol

i hear a lot of folks complaining about driving around town in stop and go traffic w/ the manuals but all i'll do is stick it in first and let it idle forward...mine truck has an upgraded clutch too and its not a pain at all (and i have messed up knees).

my buddy has a bone stock 06 and his tranny is slipping bad. it can't even handle the stock power his motor makes. once he comes back from his deployment we'll be taking his truck over to see ron at sun coast.

 

my truck is going to be a workhorse i mean its gonna get a flatbed the moment i get it but doesnt mean im not gonna build it up a little ... thats why i need the reliability and decisive power range selection so i think im gonna go with the manual but keep it going guys im really liking the input.