crunchybuttr

Why do they even bother putting an auto transmission in a truck... it just doesn't make much sense to me. I know they can up your acceleration... any other hidden benefits? All I could find when I was truck shopping was auto... I guess a Dodge cummins with a straight drive is worth holding on to. Any one with similar experience? What say you?

rockjeep73

depends what you want to do with the truck. an auto in a stock truck will last a long time. drag racing = auto. sled pulling = manual. daily driving = you cant tell me an auto isnt nicer

Ron E

A friend, after a trip in mine, wants a 5sp,2wd gen-1 CTD. So far, only automatics. MPG is a major consideration to him, and that's why he's holding out for a m/t.

I like the OD automatics...but I wouldn't trade for one.

crunchybuttr

I hear you... sure... the point and go aspect of the auto is fine, But in a truck, especially, where power and efficiency are the goal, manual transmissions are really the only way to go. I'd take one over an auto any day of the week. Keep'em coming though, I really want someone to change my mind.
Mike

jiMMyCTD

if i had a full on lock up race auto then it would be bomb. but yes for pulling manuals are the way to go for the cheap aspect. I have both and normally drive the 92 in traffic areas. it all depends on where you drive and what the pourpose of the truck is really

Stomp

Gee am I the only guy who wants to covert mine to an auto???? For what I want an auto would be awesome. Stock auto built auto I like to dyno and I like to go fast. I am getting tired of shifting. I would like to go to the track one of these days, but a guy with half the hp would eat me alive when I have to shift.

Mileage well i'm not in it for the mileage.

Stomp

rockjeep73

You are absolutely wrong, you can build an auto tranny with a lockup converter (47rh or 47re) and put 100% of your power to the ground, just like a manual would. And even with out the lockup DTT can build converters as tight as like 93%, meaning it would be 93% efficient at putting the power to the ground, a little different than the 60%-65% stock converters.

torquefan

I'm a manual fan too. If I wanted an auto, I'd drive a Taurus.

rockjeep73

Ignorance...

Its not a question of what your a fan of, he was asking the benefits of an auto, and why they are in our trucks.

6DoubleDuece

Here's my thought on this one. I don't want to have to spend 4-8 thousand just so my tranny will hold up to the abuse we all put them through. That is like getting another truck

I daily drive my truck in traffic, towing, long trips ect. Get a decent clutch and your good to go.


My dad has a 93 with a 5sp. and I hear what your saying they shift like crap! My ZF-5sp. shifts like butter plus you can power shift it

Thanks
Brenden

Forrest Nearing

I've got news for ya... eventually you reach a point where the only thing that WILL stand up to the abuse is a $5-8k automatic!

I'm a manual tranny guy, but it just makes more sense to go automatic this time around...

Underpsi

Ya this is definitely true I can't just ram it in the next gear like you can with a gasser manual I have to just let it fall in gear and for good acceleration it kills you. This is the only reason id want an auto so i could get some good accel.

paccool

I'm happy with my auto. It has been in the truck about 4 years now and I've added quite a bit of power. I'm around 400 HP now with the twins but still need to do some dyno tuning of the waste gate. I don't drive real easy, get into it pretty hard every so often. Just had it serviced and the tranny guy says it was clean in the pan, fluid was good (Amsoil), no damage to anything he could find. Also have a DTT 89% converter. Stomp has ridden with me and can confirm it holds pretty good.

Now having said the above, the tranny guy is a friend of mine and said the tranny could hold 1000# of torque which is my goal with the twins. The valve body has a couple of mods, shift kit installed, line pressure cranked up, extra disc packs installed to tighten it up. Oh yea, also use it to tow the travel trailer.

Don't think I ever want to go back to a stick, getting too da**ed old to shift all the time

timb

I think that it is a preference thing all the way.I dont know how many of the people that have posted here about the cost of a built auto have actually priced the parts for the manual trans. to hold 5 or 600 ponies, but those parts are'nt free. And I dont know who is building auto's. for 7 to 8,000 buck's. but I can tell you there are cheeper places to buy them.

kc8ksg

I don't mind shifting in a manual at all, it doesn't really bother me in town, however it does bother me in a little powerless vehicle when I constantly need to downshift out on the highway because it doesn't have enough power to make it up hills, but that is not a problem with my Cummins. I think for a truck that isn't going to be a fast race truck and be used more for pulling and some off roading then I would take a manual, that is why I held out for one and didn't settle for an auto. However if you want to get through the gears fast and not have the delay of shifting then an auto is the way to go especially for the quarter mile. Some day I would like to have an auto with a DTT tranny and BOMB the heck out of it and see how quick I could make it, but I will still keep a manual around. I know how hard it is to find a manual because I coulndn't find what I wanted which was a manual 4x4 w/4.10 gears, it took a while but one finnaly showed up and i grabbed it.


Chris