I read somewhere that GM doesn't even have manual transmissions as an option with the Duramax and that Ford is thinking of going the same way as their manual sales only account for 5% of the Powerstroke market. DC on the other is about 50/50 manual sales versus auto. Anyone know if those numbers are in the right neighborhood? If so I wonder why it is like that? Also, if these new autos with the 6.7s turn out to be as good as everyone is claiming I wonder about the future of manuals in Dodges. Its just something I was wondering about. Autos are ok but I do like my manual.

 

From my personal experience, electronic Ford auto transmissions are utter crap. Anything not electronic by Ford is a great tranny, its just their electronic ones. Which accounts from almost all from about 91 on. So that really doesn't make sense to me why they'd want to do that.

However, having said that I see more auto Ford's and Chevy than any manual. Why? I can't say. I've had both, and perfer Ford's manuals over their autos, and not just because I like a manual over a auto.

Dodge on the other hand has never made a manual I didn't like, and was easy to shift. I think this is where Chevy especially is lacking, I've never driven a Chevy stick (save for the ole 3 speed on the tree) that worked right.
Now Dodge's auto's aren't perfect, but they are better than Ford's. Chevy has pretty good trannies too.

 

That is interesting, especiallly considering that Dodge and Chevrolet have shared a few similar if not identical manual transmissions over the years.

 

Well, after owning one automatic diesel (97 PSD), and two manual diesels (99 PSD, 01 Cummins), it would have to be smokin deal to get me to buy another one with an auto. The autos from GM, Ford, and Dodge, are barely adequate for a stock truck , do a lot of towing or start adding power and you will kill any of them fairly quickly. The Allison is probably the best of the 3, but mainly because GM has so many electronic nannies protecting it. The autos are starting to get better, I am excited to see the new Aisin in the 07 Dodge.

As far as autos out selling manuals, this has been the general trend in the American automotive market for the last 15-20 years. Americans are lazy and if they can buy something that will do the job for them (yes most Americans consider shifting it yourself a job), they will gladly pay a premium price for it. The manufacturers are simply providing the consumer what they want, if manuals don't sell why make them.

 

I have auto and am switching to manual. Chevrolet doesnt have a manual period for their hd's atleast, or if they do you cant price it on their site, ive tried. if you ask me, that might be a shot in the foot. If I were to buy a gas, itd be a Chevy, and a manual-but thats gone. Guess Im stuck with dodge diesel then...i guess that will do. lol.

 

From what i remeber from a bs sesion a year back or so with a mechanic was that GM and Ford were having problems with there clutches holding the power of the new engines. Im talking since the Dmax came out. Thus chev started phasing them out. i believe that part of that reason was also that at the time the Allision could handle higher power out puts then the Manuel that GM was using. With ford your geuss is as good as mine. Some one decided to let the Good idea fairy shove it up there rear over there.

 

That makes as much sense as anything else. I got to thinking about the 50/50 manual/auto sales with Dodge though. I think Ford's truck sales are supposedly top dog and maybe even GM sells more diesels than DC. If you drive around most places you're likely to see a good mix of all 3 being driven out there. But, if you travel up and down interstates extensively and look at what the hotshot drivers are in you will notice, and this is just a personal observation on my part, that for every duramax or powerstroke there's about ten cummins/ram workhorses out there. Which might partially explain why DC sells so many manuals while Ford and GM sell virtually none cause I'd be willing to bet most of the hotshot trucks are running manuals due to superior durability and easier maintinence. This is just some random bs I was thinking of one day when I was driving. Those sales numbers may be all wrong and my personal observations may be worthless but truthfully I do see a ton more CTDs out there hotshoting

 

To me, it is simple, PS and DMAX are both V-8, high revving engines. They dont have the low end grunt of the Cummins, thus they work better with Autos.

 

GM eliminated all manual transmissions with the new GMT900 platform. I've heard that manual sales were something like only 3% of all Duramax trucks built. That's mainly because GM has hyped the Allison to mythical proportions and not concentrated on upgrading the power capacity of the dual mass flywheel. Dodge is using virtually the same flywheel and clutch package to put 610 lb-ft to the rear of the truck with the G56. I'm not sure about Ford's manual sales. They use the same ZF6 transmission that GM did with a couple of internal differences to handle the slightly higher output of the Powerstroke. I can see Ford moving away from manuals as well considering the marketing money they've spent on hyping the Torqueshift automatic. I know I'm a minority, but I love jamming gears in my Duramax!

 

Scramblinman is correct. GM and Dodge went together and formed New Venture. They did this to deal with the lack of heavy duty manaul trans on the market. Getrag was not getting it done. My 95 K2500 had NV4500. Dodge's version was not the same but real similar.

Truth of the matter is GM makes more money from the Allison so they pushed it. To get a manaul trans in my 02 I had to order it. I like my ZF6 truck. Trans shifts well and and is geared pretty well IMHO. The dual mass flywheel is the weak link in the deal. Replacing it with a Solid billet flywheel was the best thing I ever did. Totally different truck afterwards.

I have a good bit of drive time in manual trans CTD Dodges. I like the NV5600 the best. The NV4500 has a gear spread that is not always freindly when your pulling a heavy load with 3.55 rear gears.

Side note I did just recently by a new diesel truck. It is a auto. Mainly because it will be my wifes daily driver. She drives both my stick trucks but does not like to drive the crewcab in town. The crewcab auto is much easier in town for her. So slush box it is.

 

This is what I understand to be true too.

 

chevy & ford have always been more about the creatue comforts than the work ethic of their trucks.

dodge has always been more about the work side.

and with creature comforts, comes the auto tranny...I mean, who wants to shift a manual trans on there way to the opera ???????




and for the record, I have never been to nr desire to go to an opera.......

 

I have always preferred manuals. I test drove a Powerstroke 6-speed and it just felt too cumbersome to drive. The gear ratios and engine powerband didn't seem to be matched very well, and it shifted a bit too "notchey" for me. Can't comment on the DMax as I have never driven one.

The Cummins/G-56 combo is very nice to drive, in fact I think it is about the best manual combo I have ever driven. It is one of the things that really sold me on the Dodge. Other than not having a high enough overdrive, I think 3.55 axle ratios would make it perfect for me.

I think us manual guys days are getting numbered. A lot of people these days are growing up around automatics, and have SO's that can't/won't drive a manual. So the manufacturers end up selling what the majority of the masses want. It's not worthwhile for them to sell two different platforms if less than 10% of people want them.

 

or because it is about twice as big in size as the other two transmissions? If you leave the engine stock there are no issues with the allison.

pull apart one of those new aisin's and they look identical inside to an allison. Ironic, cause allison and aisin have a joint venture going over in Asia.......

so you guys are probably going to meet all those same electronic nannies pretty soon too

 

Lets face it... 75% of the people that buy these new trucks are posers. They need them to pull a trailer once in a while, but they are mostly using them to get groceries. Ford and GM could care less about the people that want a real HD truck. They sell to soccer moms now. The era of the Ford and GM HD truck are gone. If you want a real truck, buy a Dodge.

This is BS. The big 3 transmissions all have an 1-3/8" x 10 spline input shaft. The Ford and the Dodge have 13" clutches. The flywheel pattern is just about identical for both. The Ford clutch has about 1/3 more area.