Lock them before you need them. Thats the trick. Don't worry about unlocking them until you get home. I find this no trouble, but thats just my opinion. One thing that I did not mentain is that a pickup can be driven in 4-lo without the frontend engaged if it has lockouts.

One thing that I hate much much more than auto hubs or CAD is pubutton or turn-**** 4X4. I must complement Dodge on not using that junk in the Powerwagon. It is unreliable, more money than the lever, and nobody who has any business driving a pickup needs it. If I look at a pickup and it has electric 4X4, I turn around and walk away. That is how much I hate it. There are people who say that it is pretty reliable, but I don't care. It doesn't matter. I still absolutely hate it. Whoever decided that a solenoid should be used to shift a t-case should be shot.

 

It's not a lot of trouble to unlock your hubs, but why do it if you don't have to?

I hate the pushbutton t-case, too, I had one (88 Ranger), and it was constantly blowing fuses and just not working. My **** hasn't let me down, yet, though, except one time when it froze, but that has happened to my trucks with manual hubs way more than once.

 

Like I said, just my preference.

 

i had to go back to the top of the page to figure out the original topic. is dodge stepping up? i think so. i am not going to rush out and buy one, but i will keep an eye on it. i am registered at a decent dodge forum as well as FORD-TRUCKS, tho this is the best managed and organized forum i have found. (cudos to KEN). the 5.7 seems to be a gas hog, but then again i only get 13mpg with my 5.0 with 3.31 gears. i for one would be happy with a bigger more capable truck that got the same milage. all i here is bad milage in front of the auto... what does the 5.7 do in front of a manual?

 

Thats a great question, what or how does the new Hemi do w/ a standard tranny?

And can we keep the topic at hand, at hand?? we're not talking manual hubs we're talking Power Wagon. It makes it hard to view all the people who discuss the Wagon over their own personal prefrence of hubs manual/auto, or ****/lever.

 

what i really want to know is if FORD is going is going to try to match it. the new ford trucks are supposed to be so strong... surely they can handle a decent manual tranny. is it really that difficult to put an extra gear on an NP435. well, maybe, but my point is if you build it they will come. i will. please, no more mazda trannys.

 

What??? You don't like the GETRAG???? or what ever it's called.

 

Ford uses the ZF S6 650 six speed manual transmission in HD trucks. It is aluminum cased with integral bell housing. Uses an 11.9" clutch.
Dry weight is 235lbs. All gears are fully syncronised. First(LOW) and reverse are in the same shift gate for ease of parking lot manuvres. Starting from a stop without load or lightly loaded you would use 2nd gear since first is really geared too low for regular driving. This transmission has the added benefit of an integral oil cooling system. It has its own radiator mounted up front just like an automatic transmission. Manuals dont really need this, but it's an added benefit IMO. It uses ATF for lubricant. GCWR for this transmission 26,000lbs. Ratio's are; LOW 5.79:1, (1st) 3.30:1, (2nd) 2.10:1 (3rd) 1.31:1
(4th) 1:1 (OD) .72:1 (Reverse) 5.23:1. It's not an M5OD by any stretch of the imagination.

You could almost say NP435 is currently made with a 5th gear. It's called the NV4500. Gear sets have been made larger and the case was lengthened. Gears are not as low as the original 435 though. First is reduced to 5.61:1 and reverse to 5.04:1. Both are now syncronised as well. Unless you rock crawl you'd never miss the lower first gear anyway, many people have no
idea how low 5.61:1 really is. Dodge and GM trucks with base gas engines
use this transmission, though from what I hear Dodge is going to be dropping it as well as the NV5600 in favor of a Getrag 6 speed which will now be used in both gasoline and diesel applications - much like Ford has done with the ZF 6 speed. GM will apparentely be the only manufacturer still offering a 5 speed heavy duty manual transmission for the 05' model year.

G-56 six speed. It's seems impossible to find any good information on this transmission. Doing searches on it, I was of the opinion it might be a Ford/Getrag joint venture product. Then I was persuaded to believe it may
be an MBT transmission. Or even perhaps a different ZF under the guise of another manufacturer's brand. Nothing conclusive. The Getrag site (when it works) does not list it in it's product line. The best I came up with was doing a google search under "Tremec G56 six speed". A whole lot of pictures and descriptions came up from the first listed link, but you practically need presidential clearance to get to any detailed information. This tells me that Tremec, which we know produces many different transmission models under license from many different manufacturers, has also at least been licensed to produce this transmission as well. I cannot find listed GVWR, GCWR, shift pattern, lubrication specs, torque specs, nothing. All I know so far is - it's got an incredibly low first gear ratio of 6.29:1, equally impressive OD ratio of . 68:1, it has an aluminum case, and integral bell housing. That's about it.

Since the NV5600 is apparantely on its way out, and the Getrag is not proven I would say the ZF is the best manual transmission going right now.

 

Daimler recently sold off NV, better know as new venture. It was a wholly owned subsidary of daimlers. The getrag was a poor transmission before they went to NV. I dont see things getting better for them.