travelingman

Ive been thinking about one but for a different reason . I would like the option to be able to gear lower when off road instead of going too 4 low when I don;t need 4wheel drive . Any of you have one of these behind a
automatic ?

BBWD

It only works as an extra overdrive and only above 55 MPH

John (DH)

shorthair

You could get a 3 or 4 speed brownie used for not much I saw one in a ferd once worked real good.

n2moto

Gear Vendors won't work if you are in 4wd you would need a US Gear for that.

The Gear Vendors works behind the transfer case not between the transmission and transfer case. The GV will only work after about about 25 MPH I don't think that is what you want. I believe the GV unit says not to use it when your E brake is on. It looks weak to me too. But maybe it will hold up.

The US Gear fits between the transmission and transfer case. You can use 4wd with it, and your E brake. The installation costs are higher with this unit compared to the GV when installing it on a 4x4. You have to shorten the rear DS just like you would have to do with the GV unit. Then you have to split the trans and transfer cases to put it in and then lengthen the front drive shaft.

Please verify what I've said but that is the info the last time I checked.

n2moto

Gear Vendors won't work if you are in 4wd you would need a US Gear for that.

The Gear Vendors works behind the transfer case not between the transmission and transfer case. The GV will only work after about about 25 MPH I don't think that is what you want. I believe the GV unit says not to use it when your E brake is on. It looks weak to me too. But maybe it will hold up.

The US Gear fits between the transmission and transfer case. You can use 4wd with it, and your E brake. The installation costs are higher with this unit compared to the GV when installing it on a 4x4. You have to shorten the rear DS just like you would have to do with the GV unit. Then you have to split the trans and transfer cases to put it in and then lengthen the front drive shaft.

Please verify what I've said but that is the info the last time I checked.

Jim O

Who told you that.
I installed my gear vendors about 100.000 miles ago 160,000kms and it works over 25mph and it can be used in 2nd to 6th and it can be split shifted. As someone else mentioned it can not be used in 4wd and it should also be wired so it will not work with the exhaust brake on. I installed mine myself and wired it so that if in 4wd the gearvendors solinoid can not be energized and the same with the exhaust brake. My milage went up by about 2 to 3 miles to the US gal. bobtailing and I did not notice and increase in towing. However it is nice to have the ability to go down 1/2 a gear say from 5th to 4th over etc. Gear vendors recommend towing in 5th over but I still tow in
6th and if it is below 35 degrees F. I have towed in 6th over but you have to watch the exhaust temp. I agree with the people that say the payout is far down the road but it sure makes it fun to drive. Would I do it again (you bet)
Jim O

BBWD

Jim:

I was speaking of it's use with an automatic transmission. Completely different how it works.

John (DH)

powerrammaster

I would like one because the getrag has far too much space between gears especially 3 and 4. 3 is screamin and 4 is lugging, hard to drive on the back country roads in the hill country I'm in.Someday I'll do one for driving pleasure alone, the mpg's will be an added benny.

Jim O

That is not true. If you go on the Gear vendors site you can get a brochure that will tell you how it works. I have a friend that has one on a 97 F--d and it will work in any gear that you put in the auto trans that will go at least 20mph,There is a button switch like an old style dimmer switch that energises the solinoid to apply the cone clutch to shift the gv into and out of overdrive. If you were not towing the gear vendors can be left in the automatic mode and it will work as you say, but if you choose to stay in second gear (or any gear) and you want to put the gv in overdrive you can as long as you are going fast enough to pressure up the system. The oil pump is driven by the input shaft of the gearvendors and it takes approx 20mph to 25mph to get the pressure required to engage the clutch. On my truck it is about 23mph. and I have 3:73 gears.The real advantage of a gearvendors with an automatic is that you can put the auto in direct (3rd. in Dodge) and the gear vendors in overdrive and the strain is off of the auto and it also won't hunt. The gearvenors OD ratio is .78 and I believe the Dodge 4spd auto is .69 so it is a lower gear. The only thing I have against the gear vendors is the short oil change period, and I corrected that by fabricating a 80 0z. sump instead of the 40 oz. that they supply for a Dodge in a non commercial towing application.

travelingman

Short hair that brownie sounds like it could be usefull deal if the ratios were right . I would like to see some pictures of one of those installed .

shorthair

Sorry I can't find the link now but I read about a guy on one of the ford sites oilburners or the dieselstop he used a 4 speed with 2 under direct & 1 over ratio, & a detached transfer case ala the old highboy's or powerwagons.

frdklr

Hate to disagree there BBWD but you can use the splitter at any speed above about 20 mph. I have the 6 speed manual and can split all gears from 3rd on up with usable ratios in between. The exception is 5th overdrive winds up being essentially the same ratio as 6th gear. Going into 6th overdrive though causes a 21% drop in engine revs. Thus on my '06 I can now run 70 mph at 1600 rpm. Much nicer as far as noise. I would agree that above 55 or 60 mph running low engine rpm vs high rpm doesn't make a whole bunch of difference in fuel mileage BUT, if a guy slows down to 55-62 mph or so, and runs in a high enough gear to get the engine revs down around peak torque (1400-1500) you will see noticeable increase in fuel mileage. Case in point. I have 35 inch tires and a Ranchhand bumper. I am levelled with a Lorenz kit. I do have lockouts. I have the GV overdrive. If I run 65-70 mph I get 15 mpg. I just finished a 500+ mile trip and never got above 62 mph. Stayed mostly between 58 mph and 62 mph. I was running in 6th overdrive with the engine revs at 1300-1400 rpm and used cruise control alot. I manually check my mileage all the time as the overhead computer always reads at least a mile per gallon higher. On this last trip I got 19.4 mpg. This was against the wind, with the wind, on two lane, on freeway. Maybe 5-10% city driving. The way I figure this is about as good as I will get with the present tires and being somewhat lifted.

SCC

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about what a product can or can not do. I am not a vendor or do I advocate a certain product (they all have their place) I am simply saying that if you are curious you should do some research on each. I have done a lot of looking around and reading reviews on all of the different options out there (over/underdrive supplemental trans, different gear ratios, etc) and just bought a gear vendor and should have it here some time next week. Again, I just weighed out all of the options between the different products and then have been reading up on what different people on here have been experiencing since I don't know anyone around me that has one that I could physically see or experience the difference.
I am hoping to do a write up here on the install and then my experience after having it on the truck (both felt / sound and driving speed and mileage increase/decrease etc).
One thing that has not really been focused on here is the improvement on engine and transmission wear (which is the reason I am getting one...the mileage increase, if any, is just a bonus). My truck has the NV4500 which has the flawed 5th gear but in general is a great trans for a light duty truck. I tow and in general use my truck the way it should (and maybe am a little rough with it) but one of the methods that I have come up with...and correct me if I am wrong, would be the use of the gear vendor to drop rpm but still be able to tow in 4th gear which is the direct drive gear (and probably the strongest) of the transmission. It won't be the exact ratio as the 5th but it will be close and allow me to run 60mph and keep the rpms more manageable while minimizing the stress on the transmission and avoid the 5th gear failure (again). And as a perk the system will let me run a 6th gear in addition to my 5speed so when I am running unloaded I can enjoy the benefit of freeway speeds (65 here in Oregon) while keeping the rpms low and in the power band and hopefully all the while conserving some fuel in the process.
We shall see and I will keep you all informed. Sorry for the long post.