Trans opinion needed.

[77crewcab]

Need some help deciding what tranny to use with my 60 short wide. I will be doing a 383 TPI engine and this will be a daily driver mostly around town with some weekend highway trips. Will probably occasionally tow my 16ft camper that weighs about 5k on short trips on the weekends. Will be running 3.42 rear gears and about a 30 inch tall tire. Here are my options.

SM465 (already have tranny but no bell housing etc. Possibly add a Gearvendors at a later date)

700R4 (already have runs good)

NV4500

I am leaning towards one of the manuals but since I have the 700 sitting here ready to go I am wondering if I should just use it and get rid of the 465. But then I wouldn't have the advantage of running in O/D while towing like I would with the 465/GV setup. Please help me decide.

 

[dyeager535]

Personally I'd think OD in your case would be the way to go.

That throws the 465 out the window, I'm running it, I would, or will be, for a 4500.

Low end torque is such that I believe highway cruising would be well served with OD. With your setup, and a .70 OD ratio, you'd be pulling about 1600RPM's at 60MPH, unloaded I would think that to be a pretty good cruise RPM with a 383. My truck doesn't have much for sound deadening (ok, none), but at 60MPH (2100RPM) the vehicle noise is pretty bad. Most of it I attribute to the engine speed, even though I've got exhaust that is very mild sounding. The truck will go a heck of a lot faster than the speedometer reads, but I won't cruise the thing any faster than 60, because I just don't like listening to the engine running that fast, and it's not helping fuel economy.

I don't like auto's, but other than that personal preference, really can't see a reason not to run one, except perhaps the strength battle, which the NV4500 would win if the 700 is stock. The gear spacing of the 465/4500 somewhat takes the joy out of spirited driving, while with a little extra stall in the converter, the 700 gear spacing would probably be more fun to drive a bit hard.

I don't really tow, but my dad does with the 465, and even with a gear vendors unit, gear spacing makes it difficult for him to find a "sweet spot". Either the engine is lugging, or RPM's through the roof at a lower vehicle speed. This is a problem based on climbing roughly 3000ft passes.

If you could throw the 465 in there without too much hassle, I'd say do it, and see how you like the gear spacing and how it works with your motor, because the 4500 will be the same, other than the OD.

 

[77crewcab]

Well it is pretty flat around here so the hills aren't really any concern. How does the 465/GV function as far as smoothness. Is it difficult to use the GV for splitting gears?

 

[Cowboy_80]

splitting is easy. Use it like another gear, pull the switch instead of moving the shifter though. On flat ground you'll probably only use it as an overdrive instead of actually splitting gears.

 

[dyeager535]

IMO it's a pain, and for what it costs I think it should be better.

It's pretty smooth, but when used with a manual, you have to remember to disengage it manually when coming to a stop, and the activating knob just seems kind of cheesy to me. I don't see how they could improve it, I would just rather have a trans with OD integral. Of course, just now looking at NV4500 adapter parts, it looks like you might be into it $1000 if the 4500 itself was free.

If the Gear Vendors was something like a .50 OD ratio, it would be worthwhile for splitting gears, but as I recall, it's only something like .75 or .8, which isn't that much of a difference. Not that you would ever need it, but the GV is not usable in 4WD either.

My dads setup is roughly 33" tires with 4.10's, the OD isn't as effective as it could be at 60MPH+ on semi-flat terrain, and my dad does complain that when towing, climbing hills, the gear splits still aren't enough to maintain speed without really running the RPM's up. I'm assuming it's a design reason, but a splitter really needs to be .5 ratio, and the GV unit isn't. It might be less noticeable on an auto, and it's better than no OD, but it's not ideal IMO.

I think there is an OD unit by Ranger that is .50, don't know much about it though.