Prospects with a 48RE and the Trans Wars...
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Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
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From: Valencia, California
Prospects with a 48RE and the Trans Wars...
I've got to reconcile myself to buying a truck with an automatic so my wife is able to co-drive on long hauls or if I have a heart attack or croak while we're in the boonies...
This is a long-term purchase. I expect to keep a new diesel for 10 - 15 years at least. We'll be towing a medium-sized camping trailer (around 8,000 gross) all over North America, including lots of mountain driving. I think an exhaust brake is a certain addition, along with gauges and things like Mag-hytec covers and perhaps some intake/exhaust mods, but I might or might not decide I need a major power bump over the stock 325/600.
I'm concerned about the correct modification path and dismayed by the amount of venom I've seen on various websites discussing the best approach for beefing up the 47RE and 48RE. The supposed suspect 48RE thrust bearing oiling discussion isn't exactly giving me a warm fuzzy feeling, either.
Can ANYBODY give an objective summary of pros and cons between ATS and DTT, WITHOUT resorting to bashing a product they have not bought or bringing personalities into the mix?
Has anybody suffered a component failure in a DTT or ATS equipped trans, and if so, can you describe what failed and what level of modifications were made to the trans and engine prior to the failure, and how many miles were put on the package? Also what type of support response you got from the supplier?
I'm not interested in touching off yet another religious war between ATS and DTT people. I need DATA, please!
I can't afford to buy multiple trannys - it bites already that I can't just buy a six-speed and be done with it!
Thanks, Jim
This is a long-term purchase. I expect to keep a new diesel for 10 - 15 years at least. We'll be towing a medium-sized camping trailer (around 8,000 gross) all over North America, including lots of mountain driving. I think an exhaust brake is a certain addition, along with gauges and things like Mag-hytec covers and perhaps some intake/exhaust mods, but I might or might not decide I need a major power bump over the stock 325/600.
I'm concerned about the correct modification path and dismayed by the amount of venom I've seen on various websites discussing the best approach for beefing up the 47RE and 48RE. The supposed suspect 48RE thrust bearing oiling discussion isn't exactly giving me a warm fuzzy feeling, either.
Can ANYBODY give an objective summary of pros and cons between ATS and DTT, WITHOUT resorting to bashing a product they have not bought or bringing personalities into the mix?
Has anybody suffered a component failure in a DTT or ATS equipped trans, and if so, can you describe what failed and what level of modifications were made to the trans and engine prior to the failure, and how many miles were put on the package? Also what type of support response you got from the supplier?
I'm not interested in touching off yet another religious war between ATS and DTT people. I need DATA, please!
I can't afford to buy multiple trannys - it bites already that I can't just buy a six-speed and be done with it!
Thanks, Jim
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Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
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From: Valencia, California
Yep, my daughter will only be able to drive at 16 if she is driving a stick and can hang a decent double-clutch downshift and cut a clean light at the start!
... but my wife has repeatedly gone back on promises to learn on my Dakota, and finally it comes down to the fact that she simply isn't comfortable with manual transmissions. It seems overly complex and intimidating to her, and she has panicked when she's missed a shift or stalled on the few occasions I've managed to get her to try. She is a fair driver normally, but instantly becomes a BAD driver when panicked and I simply have to accept it. Too late to change her, it seems. Some recent abdominal surgery has given her another reason to not want to deal with a clutch. It is what it is.
Jim
... but my wife has repeatedly gone back on promises to learn on my Dakota, and finally it comes down to the fact that she simply isn't comfortable with manual transmissions. It seems overly complex and intimidating to her, and she has panicked when she's missed a shift or stalled on the few occasions I've managed to get her to try. She is a fair driver normally, but instantly becomes a BAD driver when panicked and I simply have to accept it. Too late to change her, it seems. Some recent abdominal surgery has given her another reason to not want to deal with a clutch. It is what it is.
Jim
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 1
From: Moved.......now Sumter, SC
Come on guys….chicken? I can do this (gulp).
I own stock in none of the trans companies and I’m no mechanic
. I was in the same situation you are in and wanted to upgrade for the same reasons. I researched loooooong and HARD before doing my upgrades, spending over 3 months doing research and talking to people. Someone is probably not going to agree with me, but I’m gonna give it to you straight using hard facts….no name bias here.
First for the advice:
If you leave your truck stock or end up going with some mild fueling box, say 70hp or less, your 48RE will give you many years of happy pulling if serviced correctly.
Second, if your intention is to replace the entire transmission with a complete DTT, ATS, or BD (the big three makers), whether the reason being high HP or old trans is worn out, then you can not go wrong with any of them. They all go about doing things a little differently, but when you purchase their complete package, their parts work perfectly together. If I were doing a complete replacement, I would pick the one that was closest to me.
Now, I'm assuming you will not be replacing the entire unit, just maybe adding some parts to make it last longer under heavy towing with a mild fueling box. In this scenario, you are looking at changing the torque converter and valve body.
Now for the facts:
Torque Converter: You change the torque converter to improve fluid coupling and lock-up clutch slippage. Good fluid coupling and no lock-up clutch slippage is what puts the power to the ground. All of the big three have excellent fluid coupling, so that is not an issue between them. That leaves us with clutch slippage. In order to prevent clutch slippage you need either more clutch surface area or higher pressure holding it together, either one will do the job.
Each of the big three has increased clutch surface area in their torque converters. Stock truck has 34 sq. inches of clutch surface. DTT has 42 sq. inches of clutch surface area, BD has 61 sq. inches of clutch surface area, and ATS has 117 sq. inches of clutch surface area. If you were going to replace just the torque converter and not the valve body, the ATS will be the better choice of the three.
Valve Bodies: Valve bodies determine how much fluid is pumped through your trans which means cooler temperatures, how high the line pressure is at low RPMs which will affect how well the lock-up clutch stays locked up, and a host of other finer points like shifting characteristics and such. Most folks think that just changing the torque converter will solve their problems since they are only interested in good fluid coupling and more clutch surface area. The stock valve body only pumps 3.5 gallons of fluid per minute at cruising speed while the clutch is locked-up. This can lead to very high tranny temps while towing. High temps are bad. An aftermarket valve body will pump upwards of 4 to 5 gallons of fluid per minute. On a mountain climb pulling a camper, an aftermarket valve body can save your tranny. Line pressure I found out can be good and bad. High line pressure means better clutch lock-up. This is how BD and DTT ensures their lock-up clutch stays locked. ATS just decided that extreme clutch surface area would do…yeah…117 sq. inches is extreme. The problem with high pressure is that when you increase pressure, you increase pressure throughout the transmission. The after market parts you just added really enjoy the higher pressure, but the original seals and stuff in your original trans was not engineered to operate at such high pressures. Over the long hall, high pressures will be detrimental. So, the trick is good pressure without being excessive.
Finally it all comes together:
BD has 61 Sq. inches of clutch surface area. They keep line pressures low for long term reliability, in-fact they have the lowest fluid flow capacity of 4 gallons per minute. They make up for the little less clutch surface area by adding a part called the PressureLoc which provides higher pressure only at lower RPMs when you are at cruising speed with clutches locked. For an engine that will stay stock, you can expect better than stock trans performance and good reliability. Their PressureLoc device has an average life of two years, but at least they are cheap and the trans doesn't need it to function from what I can tell. I have found several people who have had BD Torque Converters fail in extremely high torque conditions while towing in extreme grades. Not known for great customer service. Their parts come with a standard one year warranty.
ATS has 117 sq. inches of clutch surface, the best in the group. Their valve body keeps line pressures in the optimum range for good cooling and longevity with a flow rate of about 4.5 to 4.7 gallons per minute. With the amount of clutch surface area they have, extreme pressures are not needed to hold the lock-up clutch, so you can expect good longevity. Down side is their Torque Converter weighs 75 pounds by itself….dry. I have not been able to find anyone who has had an ATS torque converter fail due to high torque conditions while towing extreme grades. Excellent customer service. Their parts come with a standard 3 year warranty, best in the bunch.
DTT has 42 Sq. inches of clutch surface area. This is the weaker clutch of the bunch. Because of this, they will not sell you a torque converter by itself…you must purchase the TQ and valve body to make it hold. They increase pressures to make their clutches hold. As a result of the high pressures, they really push a complete transmission or an additional update kit to prevent internal leakage when you talk to them. The benefit is that they have the highest fluid flow rate of 5 gallons per minute or higher, which will result in the coolest operating trans of the bunch. What I think is a downside is their valve bodies have to be calibrated to the exact horse power of your truck. While this will give you the best performance for your HP level, after this is done, if you add a better fueling box or injectors that raise your HP rating, you will have to go back and have your tranny calibrated again. I have not been able to find anyone who has had a DTT torque converter fail due to high torque conditions while towing extreme grades. I did find several people on-line that used their trucks for making a living and their stock trans did not last as long as they expected with DTT TQ and valve body. Good part is the DTT TQ and valve body were not the parts that failed. This would lead one to believe the high pressures and internal leakage took their toll. They have excellent customer service. The DTT stator comes with a lifetime warranty, but the remaining torque converter and valve body comes with a standard 24 months.
There you have it. They all have good points and bad points, but my independent research has shown that if you want reliability and performance in a stock or slightly modified daily driver without buying an entire transmission, the ATS torque converter and valve body is the way to go. If you want to replace the entire transmission, either DTT or ATS would be my pick depending where in the country I lived.
I own stock in none of the trans companies and I’m no mechanic
. I was in the same situation you are in and wanted to upgrade for the same reasons. I researched loooooong and HARD before doing my upgrades, spending over 3 months doing research and talking to people. Someone is probably not going to agree with me, but I’m gonna give it to you straight using hard facts….no name bias here.First for the advice:
If you leave your truck stock or end up going with some mild fueling box, say 70hp or less, your 48RE will give you many years of happy pulling if serviced correctly.
Second, if your intention is to replace the entire transmission with a complete DTT, ATS, or BD (the big three makers), whether the reason being high HP or old trans is worn out, then you can not go wrong with any of them. They all go about doing things a little differently, but when you purchase their complete package, their parts work perfectly together. If I were doing a complete replacement, I would pick the one that was closest to me.
Now, I'm assuming you will not be replacing the entire unit, just maybe adding some parts to make it last longer under heavy towing with a mild fueling box. In this scenario, you are looking at changing the torque converter and valve body.
Now for the facts:
Torque Converter: You change the torque converter to improve fluid coupling and lock-up clutch slippage. Good fluid coupling and no lock-up clutch slippage is what puts the power to the ground. All of the big three have excellent fluid coupling, so that is not an issue between them. That leaves us with clutch slippage. In order to prevent clutch slippage you need either more clutch surface area or higher pressure holding it together, either one will do the job.
Each of the big three has increased clutch surface area in their torque converters. Stock truck has 34 sq. inches of clutch surface. DTT has 42 sq. inches of clutch surface area, BD has 61 sq. inches of clutch surface area, and ATS has 117 sq. inches of clutch surface area. If you were going to replace just the torque converter and not the valve body, the ATS will be the better choice of the three.
Valve Bodies: Valve bodies determine how much fluid is pumped through your trans which means cooler temperatures, how high the line pressure is at low RPMs which will affect how well the lock-up clutch stays locked up, and a host of other finer points like shifting characteristics and such. Most folks think that just changing the torque converter will solve their problems since they are only interested in good fluid coupling and more clutch surface area. The stock valve body only pumps 3.5 gallons of fluid per minute at cruising speed while the clutch is locked-up. This can lead to very high tranny temps while towing. High temps are bad. An aftermarket valve body will pump upwards of 4 to 5 gallons of fluid per minute. On a mountain climb pulling a camper, an aftermarket valve body can save your tranny. Line pressure I found out can be good and bad. High line pressure means better clutch lock-up. This is how BD and DTT ensures their lock-up clutch stays locked. ATS just decided that extreme clutch surface area would do…yeah…117 sq. inches is extreme. The problem with high pressure is that when you increase pressure, you increase pressure throughout the transmission. The after market parts you just added really enjoy the higher pressure, but the original seals and stuff in your original trans was not engineered to operate at such high pressures. Over the long hall, high pressures will be detrimental. So, the trick is good pressure without being excessive.
Finally it all comes together:
BD has 61 Sq. inches of clutch surface area. They keep line pressures low for long term reliability, in-fact they have the lowest fluid flow capacity of 4 gallons per minute. They make up for the little less clutch surface area by adding a part called the PressureLoc which provides higher pressure only at lower RPMs when you are at cruising speed with clutches locked. For an engine that will stay stock, you can expect better than stock trans performance and good reliability. Their PressureLoc device has an average life of two years, but at least they are cheap and the trans doesn't need it to function from what I can tell. I have found several people who have had BD Torque Converters fail in extremely high torque conditions while towing in extreme grades. Not known for great customer service. Their parts come with a standard one year warranty.
ATS has 117 sq. inches of clutch surface, the best in the group. Their valve body keeps line pressures in the optimum range for good cooling and longevity with a flow rate of about 4.5 to 4.7 gallons per minute. With the amount of clutch surface area they have, extreme pressures are not needed to hold the lock-up clutch, so you can expect good longevity. Down side is their Torque Converter weighs 75 pounds by itself….dry. I have not been able to find anyone who has had an ATS torque converter fail due to high torque conditions while towing extreme grades. Excellent customer service. Their parts come with a standard 3 year warranty, best in the bunch.
DTT has 42 Sq. inches of clutch surface area. This is the weaker clutch of the bunch. Because of this, they will not sell you a torque converter by itself…you must purchase the TQ and valve body to make it hold. They increase pressures to make their clutches hold. As a result of the high pressures, they really push a complete transmission or an additional update kit to prevent internal leakage when you talk to them. The benefit is that they have the highest fluid flow rate of 5 gallons per minute or higher, which will result in the coolest operating trans of the bunch. What I think is a downside is their valve bodies have to be calibrated to the exact horse power of your truck. While this will give you the best performance for your HP level, after this is done, if you add a better fueling box or injectors that raise your HP rating, you will have to go back and have your tranny calibrated again. I have not been able to find anyone who has had a DTT torque converter fail due to high torque conditions while towing extreme grades. I did find several people on-line that used their trucks for making a living and their stock trans did not last as long as they expected with DTT TQ and valve body. Good part is the DTT TQ and valve body were not the parts that failed. This would lead one to believe the high pressures and internal leakage took their toll. They have excellent customer service. The DTT stator comes with a lifetime warranty, but the remaining torque converter and valve body comes with a standard 24 months.
There you have it. They all have good points and bad points, but my independent research has shown that if you want reliability and performance in a stock or slightly modified daily driver without buying an entire transmission, the ATS torque converter and valve body is the way to go. If you want to replace the entire transmission, either DTT or ATS would be my pick depending where in the country I lived.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
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From: Valencia, California
Y-knot, I have been doing research, and that's why I was asking questions... 
I wanted input from folks who USE these tranny upgrades and who aren't grinding an axe. I've seen postings from both sides of the ATS vs DTT dustup that sling a lot of mud and it's hard to get useful info when the signal-to-noise ratio is so low! Some will out and out call the tranny builders they didn't deal with liars, snake-oil salesmen, or worse. Hard to figure out where bad feelings end and hard info begins, you know?
AK Ram, many thanks. Exactly the type of thoughts I'm looking for. Especially the fact that you haven't found anybody using either ATS or DTT who has had a T/C failure in high-torque towing on grades. Good to know. I'm still shaking my head at the apparent decision by DC not to optimize the stock converter stall speed and durability for the Cummins application. It's not like there are a lot of other uses for the 48RE now that the V-10 is history in the HD trucks! I know that cost control drives engineering decisions, but it seems to me that they would be hard to beat with a truly bulletproof auto behind the 5.9!
Jim
I wanted input from folks who USE these tranny upgrades and who aren't grinding an axe. I've seen postings from both sides of the ATS vs DTT dustup that sling a lot of mud and it's hard to get useful info when the signal-to-noise ratio is so low! Some will out and out call the tranny builders they didn't deal with liars, snake-oil salesmen, or worse. Hard to figure out where bad feelings end and hard info begins, you know?
AK Ram, many thanks. Exactly the type of thoughts I'm looking for. Especially the fact that you haven't found anybody using either ATS or DTT who has had a T/C failure in high-torque towing on grades. Good to know. I'm still shaking my head at the apparent decision by DC not to optimize the stock converter stall speed and durability for the Cummins application. It's not like there are a lot of other uses for the 48RE now that the V-10 is history in the HD trucks! I know that cost control drives engineering decisions, but it seems to me that they would be hard to beat with a truly bulletproof auto behind the 5.9!
Jim
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: San Angelo Texas
I have been running w/ DTT for 2 years and 45K miles now. I had them send me converter, valve body, input shaft, billett piston and apply lever, clutches, steels, (everything internal that they had at the time). I put it all together in my trans when it had 25k on it. I had never done a trans alone, so that may be why I am having two minor issues. It hooks up great and I do not have any overheat problems when towing. I would like to see some changes, but that may because I spec'ed it out wrong (wrong TC % and wrong TB program (towing).
1.I have the 89% TC and it takes a lot of throttle to get rolling when loaded heavy.
2. 3rd to OD is too harsh (jarring if I get up to 55-60mph and then turn the OD on when towing).
3. I have had a problem with 2-3 bindup, but adjustments have helped get rid of it.
Thats it, DTT customer service is great and I am not afraid to abuse this trans, it is bulletproof. I have been too busy to call DTT and see if I can do something to remedy the first two, that is not their fault. Number 3 was fixed with a quick call and a couple of adjustments. I use a veteran trans rebuilder for all my customers trucks, on mine I take some chances and do it all myself so I expect a few issues.
1.I have the 89% TC and it takes a lot of throttle to get rolling when loaded heavy.
2. 3rd to OD is too harsh (jarring if I get up to 55-60mph and then turn the OD on when towing).
3. I have had a problem with 2-3 bindup, but adjustments have helped get rid of it.
Thats it, DTT customer service is great and I am not afraid to abuse this trans, it is bulletproof. I have been too busy to call DTT and see if I can do something to remedy the first two, that is not their fault. Number 3 was fixed with a quick call and a couple of adjustments. I use a veteran trans rebuilder for all my customers trucks, on mine I take some chances and do it all myself so I expect a few issues.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
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From: Valencia, California
WTTD, that sounds pretty good to me - I'm one of those stick guys who has had several manual trannys apart to overhaul at home, but automatics are something I've never worked on. I probably wouldn't dare do a full teardown on a 48RE at home, even if I had access to any needed special tools. I'm figuring on having a trained installer do mine when the time comes. Sounds like you did pretty well, though!
I appreciate the specific info! How heavy are you towing? I take it you might've gone a tad looser on the TC and a little less aggressive on VB setup if you had it to do over again, right?
How many miles did you have on the trans when you did the mods?
Everybody, I can't tell you how much DTR is helping me with making informed decisions about what for me is a really huge purchase. Thanks to all for sharing your experience!
Jim
I appreciate the specific info! How heavy are you towing? I take it you might've gone a tad looser on the TC and a little less aggressive on VB setup if you had it to do over again, right?
How many miles did you have on the trans when you did the mods?
Everybody, I can't tell you how much DTR is helping me with making informed decisions about what for me is a really huge purchase. Thanks to all for sharing your experience!
Jim
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8,311
Likes: 52
From: Holly Ridge, N.C.
Mopar Jim:
As most of the members know, I have the ATS Stage V
TripleLok Transmission in both my 96' 12 valve Dodge
CTD and also my 2002 24 valve Dodge CTD. The ATS
tranny in the 96' has a little over 70,000 miles on it
with no problems at all!! The ATS tranny in the 2002
has almost 25,000 miles on it now. I agree with
everything "AK RAM" had to say about the ATS units!
(BTW, good evaluation AK!!
) They are tough, reliable
transmissions that are backed by a three (3) year,
100,000 mile warranty. Clint Cannon and his wife Ranee
at ATS, along with all their technicians and support people
are great people to deal with! Brian Koester @ Scheid
Diesel (Effingham) did my rebuild/install as Scheid is an
ATS dealer and my shop for almost everything. Brian
is an excellent transmission technician and also had
built and installed the "Pro-Torque" Converter before
I went to the ATS unit. FYI, that PT converter lasted
about 65,000 miles with around 380 H.P.!! The
"original stock" Dodge tranny went to about 95,000
miles with only a Trans-Go Shift Kit and about 250 H.P.
My 96' Dodge now has over 230,000 miles on it!
Jim, you can look at my signature to see what my "mods"
are now. My 96' Dodge CTD's best dyno run was: 508H.P/
1320 Torque. The 2002 Dodge CTD just recently ran 479 H.P.
1060 Torque. I tow heavy in the mountains (I-77 through
Va., W. Va.etc) pulling a 22 ft. flat bed with the trucks and
I recently scaled out at 11,600 lbs.!!! I also tow an 18ft.
enclosed cargo racing trailer which when loaded is around
7,000 lbs.
I like the ATS units for many of same reasons "AK RAM"
listed:
119 sq. inches of lock-up clutch surface area
ATS designed "square tab" clutch pack lock-up system
Machined billet cover with no "tabs" as on the stock cover
2nd-4th gear "lock-up" capability with the ATS Commander
Jim, BOTH of my trucks shift firm, but smoothly!! Unlike
"AK RAM" I am running higher line pressures by my choosing!
As he said, you don't have to, but can if you want to. IMO,
the ATS units can definitely take it with no problem.
I also drag race both my trucks! My 96' runs the quarter
mile at 13.2-13.3 @ 98-100 MPH. Weight is 6820. My 02'
recently made a best run of: 12.94 @ 102.98 0n 12-13-03
at our N.C./VA. DTR Dyno/Drag Race Day. The ATS Tranny
in my 96' has OVER fifty (50) drag race "launches" on it!!!
Are they tough units???? Yes, I DEFINITELY think so!!
IMO, the "argument" from ATS'S "competitors" about
"locked-to-locked shifting" not being able to work AND
ruining the internals of the Dodge transmissions JUST
DOESN'T HOLD UP ANYMORE!!! I feel this was an unfair
"scare" tactic at the time and there are just too many
Dodge CTD trucks out there now with these ATS trannies
being "pounded" on a daily basis for that to be valid.
FYI, the Banks Sidewinder Land Speed record truck uses
the ATS TripleLok Stage IV Transmission and so does
Scott Bentz's rear engine "rail dragster" that ran a
9.3 E.T. at 133 MPH!!! On the ATS website you can
also read about "Off-Road" Magazines Dodge CTD
that recently ran the Baja 1000 with an ATS Triple-Lok!!
I hope this has helped you some Jim!! You are more than
welcome to drive my trucks anytime to see what I am saying!
Good luck with your decision!!
----------
John_P
As most of the members know, I have the ATS Stage V
TripleLok Transmission in both my 96' 12 valve Dodge
CTD and also my 2002 24 valve Dodge CTD. The ATS
tranny in the 96' has a little over 70,000 miles on it
with no problems at all!! The ATS tranny in the 2002
has almost 25,000 miles on it now. I agree with
everything "AK RAM" had to say about the ATS units!
(BTW, good evaluation AK!!
) They are tough, reliabletransmissions that are backed by a three (3) year,
100,000 mile warranty. Clint Cannon and his wife Ranee
at ATS, along with all their technicians and support people
are great people to deal with! Brian Koester @ Scheid
Diesel (Effingham) did my rebuild/install as Scheid is an
ATS dealer and my shop for almost everything. Brian
is an excellent transmission technician and also had
built and installed the "Pro-Torque" Converter before
I went to the ATS unit. FYI, that PT converter lasted
about 65,000 miles with around 380 H.P.!! The
"original stock" Dodge tranny went to about 95,000
miles with only a Trans-Go Shift Kit and about 250 H.P.
My 96' Dodge now has over 230,000 miles on it!
Jim, you can look at my signature to see what my "mods"
are now. My 96' Dodge CTD's best dyno run was: 508H.P/
1320 Torque. The 2002 Dodge CTD just recently ran 479 H.P.
1060 Torque. I tow heavy in the mountains (I-77 through
Va., W. Va.etc) pulling a 22 ft. flat bed with the trucks and
I recently scaled out at 11,600 lbs.!!! I also tow an 18ft.
enclosed cargo racing trailer which when loaded is around
7,000 lbs.
I like the ATS units for many of same reasons "AK RAM"
listed:
119 sq. inches of lock-up clutch surface area
ATS designed "square tab" clutch pack lock-up system
Machined billet cover with no "tabs" as on the stock cover
2nd-4th gear "lock-up" capability with the ATS Commander
Jim, BOTH of my trucks shift firm, but smoothly!! Unlike
"AK RAM" I am running higher line pressures by my choosing!
As he said, you don't have to, but can if you want to. IMO,
the ATS units can definitely take it with no problem.
I also drag race both my trucks! My 96' runs the quarter
mile at 13.2-13.3 @ 98-100 MPH. Weight is 6820. My 02'
recently made a best run of: 12.94 @ 102.98 0n 12-13-03
at our N.C./VA. DTR Dyno/Drag Race Day. The ATS Tranny
in my 96' has OVER fifty (50) drag race "launches" on it!!!
Are they tough units???? Yes, I DEFINITELY think so!!
IMO, the "argument" from ATS'S "competitors" about
"locked-to-locked shifting" not being able to work AND
ruining the internals of the Dodge transmissions JUST
DOESN'T HOLD UP ANYMORE!!! I feel this was an unfair
"scare" tactic at the time and there are just too many
Dodge CTD trucks out there now with these ATS trannies
being "pounded" on a daily basis for that to be valid.
FYI, the Banks Sidewinder Land Speed record truck uses
the ATS TripleLok Stage IV Transmission and so does
Scott Bentz's rear engine "rail dragster" that ran a
9.3 E.T. at 133 MPH!!! On the ATS website you can
also read about "Off-Road" Magazines Dodge CTD
that recently ran the Baja 1000 with an ATS Triple-Lok!!
I hope this has helped you some Jim!! You are more than
welcome to drive my trucks anytime to see what I am saying!
Good luck with your decision!!
----------
John_P
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Valencia, California
Thanks, John! I'm going to have to keep my old drag-racing impulses in check when I get my truck - I've been down the road with performance cars (pretty much misspent my misspent youth on them...) and it will probably be difficult to resist some power enhancements. The idea of a "tow vehicle" that can lay down ETs better than my old AAR 'Cuda is enticing...
If I make it to N.C. (a trip I've wanted to make for a long time for a number of reasons, including standing at Kill Devil Hills and a certain preserved battlewagon at Wilmington...) I'll look you up and try to take advantage of your gracious offer, sir!
Guys, keep the input coming - I'm feeling much better about living with a 48RE thanks to your info! Looks like I have at least two good options in ATS and DTT. I go into some fairly isolated places in search of dark skies under which to play with my telescopes (another very addictive hobby) and find myself miles away from pavement regularly. Reliability is paramount.
Jim
If I make it to N.C. (a trip I've wanted to make for a long time for a number of reasons, including standing at Kill Devil Hills and a certain preserved battlewagon at Wilmington...) I'll look you up and try to take advantage of your gracious offer, sir!
Guys, keep the input coming - I'm feeling much better about living with a 48RE thanks to your info! Looks like I have at least two good options in ATS and DTT. I go into some fairly isolated places in search of dark skies under which to play with my telescopes (another very addictive hobby) and find myself miles away from pavement regularly. Reliability is paramount.
Jim