Beercamel

I have been browsing this forum for some time now and I'm very impressed with its setup, and would appreciate some help. I will be ordering 4x4 Quad Cab 2004.5 3500 srw with cummins 600 HO very soon. I have already decided on everything I want on this truck, except the transmission. The truck will rarely tow and when it does where talking about some waverunners, no big deal. I have no preference toward automatic or manual (6spd) as far as driving goes, except in the following area.

1. Which will handle most power. The only engine mods that will go on are intake exhaust and edge programmer. So which will handle the power best, and if either should be upgraded what am I looking at.

Also this truck will be a daily driver with 315 tires and gauges.

So to sum the question up, If you were in my position and wanted the three engine mods above, what kind of trans would you go with to get the most RELIABILITY and DURABILITY with the upgraded engine.

Your help is most appreciated, especially if you back your choice up with an experience or fact.

HOHN

I weighed this one as well. I went with the stick.

Yes, it's a pain in stuck traffic. But there are SO many plusses...

-- MUCH stronger than stock auto
-- upgrades for bombing only mean a better clutch ($1k), not a whole new trans
-- better mileage
-- more gears and ratios (you need all you can get w/ a diesel)

FYI-- I bought my truck NEW with bombing in mind. I almost never tow (twice in a year). It's my daily driver.

I had to weigh whether to get a late-built 02 or order a new 03. I bought the 02-- more underhood room (for twins eventually), proven body (built since '94). Yes, the 3rd gen is a superior engine. But I am happy with my '02.

I might be pursuaded to trade for a cummins 600. There are some things I wish I had done differently....

I should have gotten the long bed. Lots of accessories like aux tanks don't fit the short bed trucks.

But I sure like the looks of the SB.

Justin

Lightman

If you're only going to do mild mods like an EZ, I would go with the auto. It can easily handle that, and provides so much less hassle driving. I would recommend a 6spd if you wanted to do heavy bombing and didn't want to spend the $ to upgrade the auto, or if you were doing heavy towing and wanted an exhaust brake. Aside from that, throw it in D and forget it!

spots

Tranny preference is like oil preference. Many many different opinions. I'd say drive them both (extended road tests) and get what YOU want. I like the 6 spd for the control of shifting. Don't own anything with an auto (okay the tractor is HST) If an exhaust brake is important to you make sure DC has the 48re ready for it in the new 600. Have fun shopping, and I hope you do enjoy whatever you buy.

12PACK

Thanks for posting it. I'm in the same boat, but everytime I start to consider an auto, a negative post about one gets me leaning back towards the stick.

I wonder if many of the stick owners would have gone with a 5 sp auto if one was offered.

Mopar Jim

I'm there with him, 12 pack. I'm a stick lover, but my planned QC 3500 Cummins is a truck I plan to keep a long time and my wife needs to be able to drive it - which means automatic, but I won't tow without an E-brake.

I hugely appreciate all of the information I'm getting from all of the exprienced CTD owners on the forum. It is educating me so I can make more intelligent decisions!

Jim

spots

IMO I think DC would sell more automatics if they used an outside source (Allison, MB or whoever) to use a commercial type of trans instead of a Dodge made blow 'em up type. I really do hope the 48RE holds up but with less than one year under their belt I don't believe they are proven yet. Ford had huge failure rate with their E4OD (bulletproof C6 with an overdrive) back in the 90's. Time will tell.

JRensel

Try driving a few '04s with the 6 speed. Mine has a mystery rattle that the local dealers and DC are unable to fix. Its not the clutch plate springs, they replaced that at the get go. Yes the engine is quiet so you hear other stuff, but this is not a normal six speed noise and I have several buddies with no such problem. But about 1/2 of the new 4x4 one tons on the lots I have tried did the same thing and it aint going away with milage, it is as bad, possibly worse. South Bend Clutch says it is probably the springs on the clutch plate rattlling in their cages and graciously offered to fix it for free, but its not cheap to pull it apart to crimp those down. Dodge in Auburn Hills had heard from me, and I can wait a bit to see what they come up with. Supposedly a new TSB is coming, according to the local dealer, dont hold your breath! I think they arent really sure.

Having said all this, I still wouldnt buy an automatic as I remember too much of the 47 tranny problems that were all over the TDR magazine. I too hope the 48 holds up well and wish all their owners well.

Jack

Old School

Well, having pulled what I have pulled in the places I've pulled, I will add this: The wave-runners are not going to roach a 48RE . Having said that, and going by personal experience only, I would have to disagree with HOHN when he says the handshaker is much tougher than the slush box. I have a friend who had to have a new six speed because 3rd gear puked in his, I know, I know this is an exception still.... If nothing else, I think back to the golden days of summer, pulling the 5th wheel up 6 and 7% grades at 60-65 mph, outside temps 90 to 100, engine temp remaining right around 200, air conditioned comfort, right arm around the sweet one, enjoying the scenic western U.S.....I may be wrong, but I imagine myself with a hand-shaker, watching the tach, monitoring temp, shift, shift, shift... no wait a minute, my romantic side suggest that as far as the sweet one goes, there does lay the possibitly that the hand coud slip from the shifter going from 4th to 5th and SURPRISE Excuse me while I laught at myself...Seriously though...I don't know guys, I use the 48RE in conditions where your should seriously consider a manual almost every day, and have racked up over 30,000 trouble free miles with not one problemo (knock on my head)....Of course if it chucks its guts, you all will be the first to know.

Mopar Jim

Old School, are you using an exhaust brake? I assume no, but wanted to be sure. Assume the 48RE is stock as well based on the signature line.

It is encouraging to hear good reports on the 48RE!

Jim

jlehma

I just like an auto in my old age and in TRAFFIC!!!!! Calif ya no. cant go anywhere without traffic. sucks!! Plus my sweety may drive occasinally and she has never driven a stick. Had a 47 for a couple of months, seemed ok didnt tow with it, now i gotta 48 in a 04 and it seems much nicer. also have and extended warrenty so who cares if it pukes, get a loaner outta the deal!!

HOHN

Old School....

I was speaking in generalities. The fact that this guy lost 3rd gear has more to do with RELIABILITY, not DURABILITY. Everyone makes a lemon now and then (or, in Ford's case, every other truck). SOME 5600s go bad, just like SOME autos and SOME 4500s go bad.

But there are pullers putting down INSANE hp using a STOCK 5600 with a beefy clutch.

Show me a stock auto whose internals are able to withstand that, and I will grant you your point.

There's no argument that a 5600 will hold more HP than an auto, when both are stock.

That said, there a plenty of good reasons to go with an auto-- and I have actually considered it.

In my case, I preferred the strength (in terms of hp holding) of the 5600 and that fact that a clutch is WAY cheaper than a DTT auto. The extra ratios and mpg are bonuses.

For your consideration,
Justin

Old School

OK, I give you your point on reliability vs. durability, as anyone with any mechanical knowledge knows a manual is definately the way to go when putting a large strain on continually...MY point is...aahhh...hmmm.. I guess I don't really have a point, just that I use the heck out of my pickup and it has not let me down in the least to date (again, knock on my wooden nugget). I especially enjoy the truck because I think I got a pretty good value when I use it to pull a 20k lb air compressor to a well-head in the morning, entertain a prospective client at lunch, drive the sweet creature to a steakhouse in the evening, and hopefully use the back seat for something other than kids corner on the way home I use it as a rolling office, restaurant, motel and semi-tractor. Most of these tasks are accomplished with coffee in one hand and a phone in the other (What?.. I still have two knees to steer with!.....Kidding) I find it fascinating and am extremely pleased I don't have to shift gears in the middle of all of this. That's not to say I don't drive the truck. I think I have a pretty good idea where the shift points are loaded and empty, can pretty well control the shifting with throttle position according to load and conditions, and I never EVER let the tranny hunt. When I first got it, I wouldn't pull a load in OD, but have since relaxed that restriction, and have been pleasantly surprised at the results.

Mopar Jim, (Cool name by the way) I confess I do not have the exhaust brake and sorely wish I did, so I could look as cool and relaxed going downhill as when the Ram and I are blowing by lesser vehicles on the way up. I'll confess that I probably go slower than is necessary coming down just because I hate the thought of smoking brakes and or over-revved engines. Too many scares in big rigs when I was ascending the learning curve as a lad. There are no other mods or bombs on the Old Shcool Ram either. It does what I need it to do, and does it far and above my expectations, bone stock. As far as the E-Brake...after reading several posts on the subject here, I have decided to wait until the warranty period is over, or DC comes out saying they are OK for the 48RE. In closing I'll quote a thread I read earlier here, "Did I mention how much I love this Truck?"

Whew! That went on for awhile didn't it?

John_P

Beercamel:

I wanted to let you know that at our recent N.C. Dyno Day
and Drag Race event we had two (2) brand new 2004
Dodge CTD's run on the Dynojet 248. One truck was
equipped with the 6-speed and the other the 48RE
automatic. BOTH trucks ran identical numbers on the
dyno for horespower and torque, that being: 235 RWHP
and 435 RWTorque. I had heard for a long time that a
manual "will put more power down to the rear wheels"
but that certainly was not the case at our event.

Hope this has helped you some.

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John_P