I am considering a Gear Vendors overdrive unit for my truck. What is the general consensus about this equipment. Any other units that are better. Thanks for you input in advance.

L8r,.....dogger

 

I personally like the looks of the us gear unit myself. It mounts between the tranny and t-case, so you could use it in 4wd also. Plus I just dont really much care for the design of the GV, it looks like it hangs off the back of the t-case about 2 feet.

The US box is rated at 35k lbs and 2k lbs torque. The GV unit is rated at 30k in recreational use and 25k for commercial.

This is just my observation though, I dont have any first hand experience to say that one is better than the other.

 

I think dieseljunky is running a GV overdrive on his truck. Hopefully he'll see this thread or you could try to PM ...

Thoughts:

I like the US Gear Unit because it mounts to the transmission so you can still use 4WD, but ... in the literature it states that you have to lift to shift into OD/UD ... not a big fan of that one, either lift to throttle or "tap" the clutch is what their website states ...

The GV unit on the other hand works off of a planetary gearset and from what I remember it can work in full automatic mode, I think it requires an electronics box, which is sweet. But, I don't like the fact that it hangs off of the back of the transfer case either ... so ...

Does anyone know of the GV unit has been adapted or could be adapted to be install after the tranny and before the TC like the US Gear unit is? That would be really hot.

 

I am pretty sure that the US gear piece will not work with the G56. To run it you need the NVG5600 or an automatic.

 

:bump: :bump:

 

Yeah there's several guys on here with GV's there's a guy from Alaska that tows pretty heavy with his. Like you said can't be used in 4x4 also can't use an exhaust brake when in OD. I don't have an exhaust brake though and doubt I'd split gears in mud even if it would. Oil has to be changed every 5K. It's unfiltered and gets real ugly but only holds 1.5 qts. When downshifting sometimes, usually if I don't depress the clutch fully, it has a slight clunk to it. Everyone I know that has one says theirs does the same thing. It's awesome out on the interstate and that's what I bought it for. I tach 2000rpms at 84mph. You can set the cruise on 75 and the fuel gauge seems like it never moves. If I ever get another g56 5.9L Ram it's gonna get a GV too.

 

so what is your final mpg with both the dynatrac hub and gv? Also have you pulled a sled or tried drag racing with it

 

I do have a heavy foot but I don't race and seldom tow, pulling sleds?? When I do tow it's nothing weightwise so I'm no-where near broken in yet only 15k miles. My best hand calc ever was last week 18.79 typically I'm at the lower end of 18 pretty good for a heavy foot I think. Stock my truck got about 15/16.

 

That doesn't seem like the number I was expecting for considering the amount invested and added work of oil changes and what not. I see on usgear or maybe on gvs site that they are used for drag racing so I just wondered what they act like in our applications. Or if it holds up to sled torture.

 

They say on their website they're good for drag racing on up to I believe 1000hp engines but I'm not sure if that applies to diesels with 1500 or 2000 ft lbs. I imagine it would be suspect pulling sleds too.

Wish I could say I was getting 4 and 5 mpg gains like some guys with the same 2 mods claim but I'm not. At least there's some gain. The wear and tear they save long term was my main goal. The oil changes are easy I just wish they could go 10K.

 

I've had both a Gear Vendors and a U.S. Gear auxillary transmission, but on two different trucks. If I were going to buy one today I'd without a doubt get the Gear Vendors. MUCH smoother shifting and you can set it to work automatically, if you want, just like a normal overdrive. You have to manually shift the US Gear every time, and many times there is at least a fairly hard "clunk"........other times the thing would rattle/grind like it couldn't engage or something for a couple/few seconds, especially if you didn't back off of the throttle and re-accelerate at exactly the right moment. I called them a couple of times trying to figure out if something was wrong. Once the guy asked me if I was SURE it was a US Gear............I said, "Well, uhhhhh, it says US Gear on it, and I bought it from US Gear, but maybe not???" They didn't seem to have much helpful advice other than I wasn't shifting properly. Granted, there definitely WAS an art to it, but I had learned it pretty well. But the problem seemed to get worse with time and was horrible if somebody else drove the truck that didn't know how to shift it right.


Of course both of those trucks were automatics...........

 

I have a GV OD and Lock out hubs. I have seen 22+ MPG. Up from 17 But mostly it's 20-21 MPG The difference is most apparent on the higher speeds where the drag reduction would be the most (for the hubs) and the ability to lower the RPM to a more efficient range at speeds over 60. for the GV unit.

I may get better MPG at 50 w/o the OD but I won't go 50 MPH on the highway.

Also a big advantage is being to use 5th over. 5th is direct drive and using the OD gives you the same ratio as 6th but with the strength of 5th and it helps to keep the tranny temp down while towing

the disadvantage is reverse as you will only have a cone clutch to provide the friction to go backwards. So don't get one if you plan on packing up a real heavy load up a muddy or rough steep driveway or road. Talk to GV to get a better understanding on THAT limitation.

Leaving the parking brake on and trying to back up is a BAD THING!