My dad has a 92' Dodge Dakota with 318 V-8 Auto 4x4.

Had the tranny rebuilt 50K ago, shop put in a shift kit to help with the snow plowing duties. From day one, the truck would not downshift properly on the highway. I would skip straight from OD to 2nd gear unless you perfectly held the throttle at 3/4.

Now his truck shudders going into lockup, and hunts back and forth at 55-65 mph till it finally locks up, when it unlocks to downshift, it shudders, hunts, redlines, etc. The problem is lessened when he hits the tow haul button that disables OD.

1. Is linkage tension more likely to blame, or is there an electric signal that the tranny gets?

2. What tranny does he even have?

3. Will an aftermarket TC help. He is gunshy to take it in to a tranny shop, last guy took him for 2K and left him with truck that has steadily gone down hill with no warranty to speak of.

4. What should he do to fix the problem, band adjustment, tranny honey to increase line pressure?

I know that this is not a Diesel Performance post but I have no where else to turn, you guys know your stuff!

 

Have him take it to j&g in slc. They are honest and know thier stuff

 

My 53 year old man lives in WA, Spokane to be exact. Does Goerend build TC's for other vehicles or does he just specialize in 47-48 RE