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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/shifting problems

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Expert: - 4/3/2010


Question
Hi Carl
 I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with a 5 speed manual trans. The tag says its a nv4500. Sometimes it shifts just fine and others times I cant get it into gear without yanking the gear shift side to side or in and out of the gear that it will go in. I often set at a red light and it must look like I am spazing out trying to get this truck into gear. Sometimes its hard to get into first gear and sometimes it falls right in. Usually it is 1st gear 2nd gear and most always reverse and fifth gear. I did remove the inspection plate on the side of the trans and the syncro gears looked okay....what I could see and there was no metal in the trans fluid. It looked a little metallic in the sun but not to bad.The clutch and pressure are new. thanks for any help you could provide

Answer

Suspension Flex
Ron,

Believe it or not, I have the same tranny in my 94 Wrangler with a stock 4 cylinder.  This is supposed to be an extremely strong transmission and I am running 35" tires, low gears and I run some extreme trails, so I went with (what I thought) was a great transmission.
My transmission is extremely noisy and shifts terrible, especially when cold.  After I run it a while and it warms up, it seems to shift a little easier.  Even then, it has a terrible rattle when in neutral with the clutch disengaged.  I thought that it might be my clutch dragging, but this does not seem to be the problem.  I purchased the transmission from Advance Adapters, and they claim that this is normal.  It may be, but I don't think that this is right.  I plan on changing the oil as soon as I get a chance.  I have been busy and just haven't gotten around to it.  This transmission, also takes a special synthetic oil that costs $20 a quart.  It takes 4 quarts, so this is not a cheap fluid change.
This transmission, is supposed to have a problem with 5th gear.  There is a retaining nut that, supposedly, works loose which is another thing for me to check.
I wish I could tell you more, but until I can figure mine out, I haven't got any quick fixes or good answers.

If you wish to send me your e-mail address, I will let you know if I find out any good answers to this problem.

Carl
rockcrawler@suddenlink.net

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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