This my be a dumb question for I'm not much of a machanic. I do know that the mighty Cummins will most likely eat my 48re transmision before its all over with. Is it possible to change over to a NV5600 with out an extreme make-over when it does happen?

 

If the engine is left stock, and you don't just plain beat the heck out of your truck, the 48re has proven to be a very reliable trans. I have one customer who is a commercial hauler and has near 300k on his 04' 3500 dually 48re, and all he has done to it was change the fluid once at 135k. People don't give the 48re enough credit. My biggest customer is in the pipeline construction business, which is about as tough a life as you'll find for a truck. They have actually switched almost completely over to 48re's because many of their employee's are bad about tearing out clutches, and they are having no problems with their 48re's as of yet. And trust me, they are harder on their's then you'll ever be on your's.

 

I haul daily for work in upwards of 30,000 gross. I'm going to kill this transmision before its said an done. Dads on his second 48re with only 80,000miles. I didn't know I was going to be hauling as much as I am because if I did I would have ordered the six speed when I ordered the truck.

 

Sounds like you are overloading it. Of course you are gonna break stuff when you do that.

 

Trade it for a 6-speed manual then. That new of a truck that has been hacked up in a conversion will definetly be a hard one to resell later. I think you could trade trucks cheaper than doing the conversion anyhow.

 

I don't know that it applies to our trucks, but most studies on the subject reveal that in FLEET applications, it is substantially more expensive to run stick shifts.

 

That is interesting. I've heard that before. One of my goods friends dad went to autos in all of his freightliners because of this reason. I assume it's because alot of people can't use a clutch properly

I agree that it would be cheaper to trade the truck in on a 6 speed. Personally I don't like the low geared g56 tranny. But for your application if it holds up it would be good. It's like having 4.10's with the old nv5600. Another upside is you get a new truck with the 5.9 before they switch over to the 6.7 with the emissions!

 

For the heavy hauling we do, I prefer the G56.

 

So far I love my G56 too, I guess we'll find out how tuff she is when I get my new clutch ordered.