Hi im new here and new to the Lightning scene...I just bought this 2001 Lightning with 35,000miles on it, i got on it when i test drove it but it was fine. Now im home here in Ohio and it was 50 degrees today, my truck runs great with the pedal to the floor first gear to second, but high rpm from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th the rpms actually hesitate around 4,000 and the truck shudders and then shifts normal yet kinda rough...ionly if im really hard on the pedal, if i drive normal the truck shifts fine and it dosent act up...the truck is stock except bigger rims....im at a loss here...oil is fine...tranny oil is good, any ideas plz!!! im going to drop the tranny pan tomorrow and change the fluid and tranny filter...help a newbie out!

 

WOT shift from 3rd into (OD) will kill your transmission! Don't do that.

If your going to drop the pan, ,it would be a good time to add a performance valve-body.
It will make it shift better and the tranny last longer.

Dose the truck have any other mods done to it?

 

no the truck haas no other mods that im aware of, nothing obvious anyway! A performance valve body...you suggest a brand and a price by chance?

 

There is a lot of them out there. Not sure on witch one is the best. You could ask the guys over on NLOC.
I get a lot of parts from JLP.
.: Johnny Lightning Performance
And then theres LFP.
LFP Factory Performance Accumulator Valve Body - Shift Kit at LightningForcePerformance.com - Your American Muscle Parts Depot
Factorytech was one of the first I heard of. But it looks like there site is under construction...lol
FACTORY TECH TRANSMISSIONS - Ford E4od E40d 4r100 5r110w 4r70w 4r75e 4r75w Trans - Store Offline

 

Ok i found one from LFP a stage one for a good price thanks for the info! Now if my tranny has a "shudder" problem is the valve body what does that and this will fix it? Sry im not a tranny guy

 

lol, I'm not a tranny guy ether. Certainly not an expert but it kinda sounds like a sloppy shift and the Fords are known for a sloppy shifting tranny from the factory.
So no,,I cant guarantee that is your problem but if your dropping the pan and changing the fluid and filter it is a highly recommended mod for your tranny and might just fix it at the same time.

 

ok so im being told by other ppl that the OD should be off unless just cruising around...my question is when im racing or messing around with WOT should it be off still?? the reason i ask is i tried that once and my truck was almost going to redline and barely over 100mph!? i see videos of ppl going 140mph and im sure their OD is on...im just confused because im new to this and no one around here has a lightning...i ordered the LFP stage 1 valve body, but wont install still spring...

 

You dont want it to shift into OD at WOT!! It will destroy your tranny.
I dont know what gears or size tires you have, (I think you said stock?) but I have 4.10 gears with 30" tall tires and at the end of the 1/4 mile with OD off I'm going 116MPH.

I have went faster on the highway a couple times ,but I leave OD off , if I want to go faster then that , I let OFF the gas,let the motor slow down , turn on OD and then ease into the throttle.

Also , if I want to play around with someone and are already running 70 or so. I'll let off the gas so it idles down , then turn off OD , then nail it after it shifts.
You dont want to hammer it in OD and let it downshift. It's hard on the tranny and a good way to through a rod through the block!

 

thanks alot phil! Your helping me alot here! yes the truck is stock but i know it does have 20inch rims it and stock is 18inch i think... and the gears are 3.73 stock and im sure thats what my truck has. But if i wanna go fast i can use the OD so it shifts into 4th just not with WOT?! i just wanna make sure i understand this lol I did that today, i had it at WOT until it was about to shift into 4th and i let of the gas and it shifted fine then i had it at WOT again...is that ok? It shifted fine...?

 

Yeah, your understanding it right. You just don't want it shifting into OD at a high RPM.

 

Ok so i drove the truck today and the tranny is fine! right around 80mph and higher RPM is when it starts to shudder and hesitate really bad!! Anything think its the plugs or coil pack?? wanna start there but im not getting any codes!?