Trans Options...

[AZ_Catskinner]

You can even get it with the plain old ST package in a Dodge, if you are "Chrysler-inclined".

I personally don't like the Dodge ½ ton, strictly for the fact that I couldn't "downgrade" to a tire with enough sidewall for the rocks I deal with on a regular basis.

[Crazy001]

Yeah, I personally have no use for those 20" wheels either. My 17"s are better for towing, have more sidewall, and are lighter for when I have to rotate 'em!

[carbonmetallic]

Originally Posted by fordmantpw

Ford also has to go through all emissions and EPA testing for every engine tranny combination as well. That is very pricey and time consuming. They also have PCM changes and a multitude of small items that the arm-chair engineer doesn't think of. What about crash testing? Do they have to test each combination? I don't know, but it is conceivable since a different tranny may have an effect on the crumple zones.

If the demand was truly there, I'm sure Ford would be producing it if they could make a profit.

they cant make a profit doing anything right now. As long as ford keeps cutting corners, they probably wont make a profit. All new fords do not have a transmission dipstick, why? They claim a sealed transmission, that is a pretty piss poor excuse. Imagine how much money they are saving by not adding the transmission dipstick to every car and or truck.

Then on top of that fords designers are designing engine compartments that make adding aftermarket parts extremely difficult. Granted not everyone wants aftermarket parts added, but for the ones that do, it makes it hard.

I figure if I am willing to pay 40-50K for a truck, it should be how I want it to be, with the options I want available, not what Ford thinks I should have.

[poppie]

Originally Posted by duramaximizer

No, strength is not an issue, combine durability with weight is the issue. If weight wasn't an issue in vehicles, then we would have it right now. Look at the tractors, John Deere, JCB, Fendt, Valtra, Agco, MF, etc etc wouldn't all have CVT's in tractors right now if they couldn't make them heavy duty enough. Besides in a comparable tractor, CVT's double fuel economy.

your talking about hydrostatic in tractor's and combin's,i'm a former farmer and heavy equment operater,CVT'S are like a snowmoble drive,not the same as hydrostatic,both will not double the fuel economy,to much slippage,want top mpg get a clutch with a hand shaker.

[Crazy001]

Originally Posted by carbonmetallic

All new fords do not have a transmission dipstick, why? They claim a sealed transmission, that is a pretty piss poor excuse.

My '07 F150 has a tranny dipstick...I checked!

Of course, I only checked since my '05 Mustang didn't.....

[David85]

Are you $%&)&^)% kidding me?!?!? No transmisssion dipstick??? Thats just stupid, some one at ford ought to be forced to pull one of those trannies with only a car jack and a craftsman toolkit.

On the point of CVTs, there are several configurations out there, hydralic being one of them. Citroen spent two decades trying to perfect it, but never could. parastatic losses were too high, and it was just too noisy. This is why the norm for cars right now is a belt driven design, which is not strong enough for a full size truck.

[AZ_Catskinner]

It's only certain trannies that don't have dipsticks - I went and checked my neighbor's 07 F250 and my buddy's 06 F150 - found a dipstick on both of them. Conversely, the wife's Mountaineer doesn't have one.

My F100 doesn't have a dipstick on the NP435, so this problem goes all the way back to the early 70's!!

[David85]

Well on a stick shift that seems to be the norm, same with differentials, transfer cases and so on, but none of those has anything close to the amount of fluid in an auto tranny.

I guess they assume that no one who drives a minivan, light SUV or car these will check the fluid anyway, is there at least a warning light?

[Crazy001]

My Mustang had no warning light, and no way to tell if your fluid is at the right level.

I assume that they figure that modern gaskets and sealing materials are good enough that it simply won't leak. I read somewhere that the #1 cause of tranny failures is refilling with the incorrect fluid. Take away the dipstick, and you take away any chance a reasonable home mechanic can do it himself. I don't know...I hated it, I like to see for myself that it's right...not just trust the machine.

But really now...who would not notice a red puddle beneath their car?

[fordmtnman]

Bought a 2wd v6 to get the manual. Spent 15k. Would have spent up to 25k for a 4x4 with a 4.6, but I do not want an automatic. Ford lost 10 thousand dollars on me.

In AK, I would have just bought a dodge, but here I don't HAVE to have 4wd, so I did the unthinkable. I got the 2wd.

[woodbutcher05]

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back when I got my first drivers license,the way it worked,was if you took the road test in an automatic tranny car,the license had a restriction on it:"AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ONLY".If you used a stick there was NO restriction noted.This was in Florida back in 1960 or so.
Leo

[David85]

Originally Posted by woodbutcher05

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back when I got my first drivers license,the way it worked,was if you took the road test in an automatic tranny car,the license had a restriction on it:"AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ONLY".If you used a stick there was NO restriction noted.This was in Florida back in 1960 or so.
Leo

As a 22 year old, this sounds crazy, but I have to admit, I would agree with it having learned both types. Cars and trucks today are just too easy to drive, people don't have to think behind the wheel anymore.

[woodbutcher05]

Hi David85.I learned to drive when I was 12.1949 Chebby Suburban.3 onna tree.16.5" wheels and tires,NO power steering.NOW that was an adventure.I`m 61 now.
Leo

[Crazy001]

Originally Posted by woodbutcher05

Hi David85.I learned to drive when I was 12.1949 Chebby Suburban.3 onna tree.16.5" wheels and tires,NO power steering.NOW that was an adventure.I`m 61 now.
Leo

They had cars back then?

[woodbutcher05]

Yeah.But that tiller steer is a booger.

Leo