These are the transmissions preferred by most of the guys on this site:

http://www.goerend.com/

 

When you posted about front brakes being shot and tires about gone before you replaced them I mentioned tires and brakes go hand in hand with drivers as a rule.Well clutch's do also but in your case the automatic trans.Your truck is showing age before its time.Put it back mainly stock and drive more consertive and get your monys worth out of the truck.Other wise the old saying is "you play you pay"

 

Here is where a friend of mine got his built transmission. http://www.atsdiesel.com/ATSWebsite/...nsmissions.asp

I have 143,000 on my transmission with no issue, calling them junk is a little harsh, they do have limitations and turning 37's while towing a boat is alot of strain on the drive train.

 

WHere do you live? I have a full blown Suncoast and love it! HTS is also an awesome outfit. They would've built mine but there was a billet shaft shortage issue at the time.

 

i know i am not exactly easy on it, i didnt expectthe transmission to last forever anyways, so i was planning on upgrading when it bit the dust. putting it back to stock isnt really an option, i didnt like it when it was stock, thats why i modded it in the first place.

 

The stock 48re is not junk by a long shot. It's done everything I have asked it to do. It does leave something to be desired pulling heavy loads but it works just fine.

 

If your tranny was fine that morning and then went bad all of a sudden, it is the same thing that hapened to me. Except mine went at 92k miles with heavy towing. Your governer pressure sensor regulator has bit the dust. It is in the valve body. If I were you I would have it replaced under warranty. Then, way after warranty is up, have it built. The stock 48re is a good tranny period. It gets even better when upgraded.

 

What gears are you running in the diffs? If stock, you are geared to high. Need to get some lower gears to lower your final drive at the axle gear ratio. Tranny cannot handle the high ratio and the bombing. Even with an aftermarket tranny with out changing the final drive ratio, you may have some problems with the tranny/TC.

 

take it to the dealer see if they will fix it then have the tranny upgraded talk to dusty at HTS and tell him what you are planning on doing with the truck and he will lead you down the right path with out trying to talk you into something you don't need.

 

dropped the truck off at DTT for a new tranny, supposed to be done within two days, cant wait to see how this feels now....heard nothing but good stuff bout them so far

 

all done, and right on schedule to boot, shoulda broke the stocker months ago, it feels sooo much nicer and positive than it ever did before, money well spent.

 

good to hear turbo ... I think you did the right thing and the honorable thing considering how you use your truck and why it broke in the first time ... kudos. I would luv to have the tranny done. What did it cost you and what all did you have done to it? DTT has nothing but great reviews from all that I have read. How does it shift compared to stock? The shifts are likely firmer but are they smoother or tighter than stock? man I wish I could get a ride ina truck with a built tranny ... actually maybe not ... then I'd have to buy one for sure. thanks
good luck!

 

it was $5600 canadian, installed, that was with the billet input, converter, flywheel and whatever else they did, i dunno, i just said i ddint want it to break again and to fix it. shifts are smooth and firm, like you can really feel them, but its not to bad. just get a chip, put it on the highest setting and have at it, you will probably need a tranny in short order.

 

haha, yep, that's why I'm still stock ... but one of these days. All that extra power is fairly cheap but the upgraded drivetrain aint quite so. I finally got my tranny shifting half-decent so it may be a little while.
let us know how it works with your 12,000 lbs hooked on.
thanks and good luck!

 

I agree completely! The 48RE is NOT junk. I have been really surprized how well mine has held up. I have been running Smarty on 9 for over a year and 30,000+ miles......towed very heavy...and also did a few passes in the Quarter mile running 35'' tires. It feels like it always has. Sloppy torque converter is always annoying but no sign of failure yet on any part of the trans.

The key, imo, is to service it regularly by replacing the fluid and filter every 20K or so...........and don't beat on it daily.


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