KATOOM

I was wondering who tow's with a 5 speed tranny? If you do, then what RPM's do you tow at? What gear do you prefer? What do you pull? How much wieght do you pull? What size tires do you have as to compare the RPM's. Then the last question is who has had the dreaded 5th gear fail, and did it happen while towing?
I was asking because I have the 5 speed as you can see and I was told (by a reputable shop that advertises on this sit) that the problem has been resolved for '01's. (they still offered the 5 spd in '03) I have been towing a lot this summer and pulling in fourth can get the RPM's up there around 2300 to 2700 RPM. I know thats not a problem for the Cummins but it is to the ears and MPG! I do pull in fourth in hills but for flat ground I dont see where using 5th would hurt? I've talked to guys that pull in fifth with no trouble that didnt know anything about the 5th gear problem. Sometimes I almost feel like I would rather not know about possible problems! :- It makes for uncomfortable driving since you feel like your just waiting for the time bomb to go off and one of these problems to leave you on the side of the road! Anyways thanks for the info! ;D

Dieseldude4x4

I pull up to 26000 pounds on occassion and have 129000 miles on mine. No problems whatsoever. I run synthetic oil and have added the transcoolers to my gear box. When loaded, I keep the rpm's up over 1500 since I read a post a while back where the lower rpms were believed to have caused the damage to the trans from vibrations from the engine or whatever. I collect and pull antique tractors on a 30 foot gooseneck but I also have a dump trailer that I have had over six ton on. I am using the stock Michelin tires and got 75000 miles out of the first set rotating them every 9000 miles and using 70 in the fromt and 65 in the rear.
Not making a recommendatione here, just telling you what has worked for me very well to this point. Good luck and hope this helps.

KATOOM

Thanks for the reply. I am just trying to find out what's the real issue for the 5th gear problem and how many have had this problem while towing. Thanks again.

rich

I had the 5th gear problem in my 01. the gear stripped on the shaft went out when i was 1200 miles from home. The 5th gear problem is caused when it is lugged down under 2k rpm . It is also helped when you accerate fast and then let off of it when you are going down the highway. My 98 has 176k and i have not had a problem with it but i did not get it new. i run 235 85's and when i tow i run no less the 2k in 5th. if you look at my sig it wil tell you the kind of weight i pull

KATOOM

STRIPPED ON THE SHAFT??? Thats the first time I have ever heard that one. I thought the nut just backed of and allowed the gear to come of the shaft. What did you do to fix that?

thecatsfan

Katoom,

I have the 5 speed and tow a TT that weighs in around 6300 lbs. typical load, 7K on a heavy trip. I wasn't fully aware of the 5th gear nut problem when I bought the truck, but learned quickly about the issue.

I have never heard of the shaft failing either. Typical failure as I have seen it documented is only a loss of 5th gear and relatively minimal damage if repaired quickly.

I have consistently read that the 5th gear nut failure occurs when lugging the engine under heavy load in 5th gear. If you are above 1600 to 1800 RPMs, or are not pulling hard, you should be okay. If you feel like the engine wants to drop below 1600 RPMs, downshift to 4th. These are the "rules of thumb" as I have read them at least.

I typically tow in 5th gear whenever I can. I do watch my RPMs and watch all my other gauges as normal. What I've found is that anytime I've felt that I was starting to push it at low RPMs in 5th gear, it was better to downshift anyway. This only happens to me in the mountains where 65mph just isn't a safe towing speed. I towed my TT all the way across WY last month in 5th gear and never thought twice. At highway speeds, my RPMs were around 2K and well above the range of concern.

I have never heard anything about the 5th gear nut being resolved in the 01 models. I would love to find out that this were true. While I don't dwell on it, I too feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and for my 5th gear to fail.

Standard TRansmission is an aftermarket supplier of fully splined mainshafts for the NV4500 that will permanently resolve this problem if it ever occurs. The kit is about $290. If I ever lose 5th gear, I plan to go this route. I hate fixing things twice. I called Standard Transmission and asked them about 5th gear in the 01 NV4500. They said that New Venture Gear has never changed the mainshaft assembly in this tranny, so all NV4500s are succeptable to the 5th gear nut failure. Bummer!

Hope that helps.

rich

It was in an 01 the teeth inside the gear were stripped , luckily the shaft was tuffer then the gear so they replaced the gear. That was an $800.00 repair bill but music city dodge in Nashville had the gear. I had a load of livestock so i couldnt stay down for long. They had me in about 9:30 and out by 5:00 i was pretty happy about their service. I dint have anymore problems after that with the gear and that was at 80k and i got rid of the truck at around 165k

KATOOM

thecatsfan, I take it that you never had a problem? I try and tow like you just described since I dont want a problem either. How many miles did you tow before you found out about the 5th gear? I have heard about Standard Trans fully splinned shaft but the problem with that is you have to disassemble the tranny to put the shaft in. That means a press for removal and install of gears. They said they would do it for around $200 but you have to send the heavy tranny there. Shipping cost??? Thanks everyone for the responses.

Pumperdude

thecatsfan

Katoom,

No, I've never had a problem. I found out about the 5th gear nut issue before I ever towed with this truck. I bought it in November and my TT was already winterized, so I didn't tow anything with it until March. By then I had read all the boards and knew all about the problem.

I don't baby it though either. I figure if it is going to happen, it will happen. I know the owner of a local tranny shop I am very comfortable with and I'm sure he could install the shaft for a reasonable price. Besides, that will give me an excuse to put in a SouthBend clutch. ;D

I tow my TT up to the RedFeather Lakes area for camping pretty frequently. That road rises about 3K feet in 25 miles, so it has a few hills. I run it all in 5th gear except for maybe one hill. Curves at the bottom make it hard to approach at 5th gear speed and it's probably a 10% grade.

I'm glad I know about it so at least if it happens I won't think I blew my tranny, but it does kind of suck to run around knowing it could happen.

Oh well, I just remind myself, I could be driving a Duramax. That always makes me feel better. ;D

Haulin_in_Dixie

I started out scared of the fifth gear deal and only ran forth loaded, winding the engine. Then I started running fifth down hills and on easy flats. After a while I went to running it wide open just shifting below 2000 and never had a problem. Changed the trans out at 185,000 because I lost the pilot bearing and already had the new trans and clutch purchased. The low rpms is what will eat it up and I would bet that higher torque than stock will also tear it up. My trans is sitting on the floor with 185,000 and all gears working well.