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ScottE
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2002
10:41:21
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 Subject: 4.7/tranny combo
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Hi folks - new to the board, gonna be a Dakota owner in about 2 months. Got the wife's permission to buy new, and it's gonna be a QC, 4.7L, 4WD, 3.92 LSD. Before I place the order, I wanted to get some opinions on mating the 5 speed manual tranny vs. the 4 speed automatic to the driveline. The reliability of the a/t will make the decision - I have read and heard smatterings about problems with it, but I'd like some insight from owners that have put miles on them. I do tend to have a slightly heavy foot on and off road, and I have always preferred a manual, mainly due to the fact that I normally drive a built V6 Bronco II. TIA for any input, can't wait to get the new rig - the board here looks like a great resource!
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Texas Todd
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2002
11:07:13
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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5 speed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I'm bias though. Love mine, really glad I ordered my 4.7 with it!
With the LSD, even with the 3.55 gears, if you want to, you can LIGHT the tires!
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Buggy-Bumpers
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2002
12:10:54
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I've got the 2001 QC SLT Plus 4.7Ltr FT4WD with the auto 5 speed tranny. I also have the HD TT LSD and it does make a big difference when towing, which I did all the way accross the country. I got great gas mileage 6-7 MPG @ about 70 MPH. If you are doing alot of off roading then you probably will be better off with the manual tranny, but in my opinion if you are towing alot then the 5 speed auto tranny (it has 2 2nd gear ratios for towing) is the better. If I did it again I might not get the FT4WD, I might gain about 1-2 MPG's.
2001 QC SLT Plus
4.7Ltr FT4WD
LSD TT HD 3.92
Acces Tonnuea Cover
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ScottE
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
09:47:40
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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bump
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Huh?
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
10:21:52
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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5-speed auto?
Tell me more, you can go from 1st thru 5th in a constant gear ratio change, with an auto?
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Dr.Dakota
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
12:33:42
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I got the auto, like yours its 4wd (actually awd-full time) 4.7L. I seriously looked at getting the manual, past trucks that I have had were all, but since this one is 4wd and I planned on doing a lot of off-roading, I got the auto. It makes off-roading a lot easier. Less scatching out during slow climbs and when starting over rocks etc. It also makes towing easier, and traffic easier. The only thing it doesn't make easier is drag racing, but heck...its 4wd/awd...whos gonna seiously drag it.
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oh, huh?
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
15:53:22
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Again, tell me more about the 5speed auto?
You can go thru continuous ratios, in 5 speeds, with an auto?
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YJ
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
18:06:47
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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45RFE is considered a 5-speed auto because of the 2nd gear being split into two. If you romp on it, it will shift into one 2nd gear ratio. If you're being conservative, it will shift into the other 2nd gear ratio. I just had mine flashed and although I'm not certain, I've heard the flash changed it to a flat out 5 speed. It shifted better for a while, but now it's acting up again. Lots of 'thumping', slipping, etc....
Get the manual unless you're in a ton of stop and go every day. I'm not sure how well they're holding up, but the 45RFE auto tranny is absolute garbage. And I'm certainly not the only 45rfe having problems.
Good luck,
YJ
Black 2K QC 4x4 4.7 3.92 KVT910DVD
Black 91 YJ 4LHO Borla | 5" Suspension | 33BFGMT
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joel
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
18:32:58
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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The auto is a very smooth shifter if your easy on the gas. On the highway is when you notice all 5 gears if your paying attention. Its not a 5 speed auto like the BMW's where there are 5 close ratio gears. Its more like a high and low overdrive gears. 1st gear, 2nd gear and 3rd with 2 overdrives.
I don't know how much truth there is to this but I read somewhere the extra gear was to work around a drone sound problem caused by spacific RPM and speed.
When going up a slight hill with a load is the time you'll know its there, the tack will raise about ~300 RPM's(?), the downshift is smooth and the upshift out of that gear is seamless. Its hard to hear the shift, ie RPM change because of the excellent noise insulation.
Joel
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YJ
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
20:21:28
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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If you're talking about the 45RFE, which is the auto that will gets mated to the 4.7, the 2nd gear is split into a sort of 'low' and 'high'. Only one overdrive. 1,2,2,3,4(O) = 5
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joel
Dodge Dakota
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8/02/2002
23:50:55
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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gotcha, I wonder what its called?
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D
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2002
02:22:02
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I heard that the smoother the auto shifts, the
worse it is. smoother shifts means more
slippage (or something), causing the life of
the tranny to worsen. thats why the transgo
shift kits (in production for the 45RFE) are so
popular with other cars. it makes the tranny
shift harder, but in the long run improves the
longevity, and helps a little on the track ; )
I got the auto, cause I love to chill while I am
driving, I wish I could have the convenience of
selecting gears sometimes though...and I
doubt this transmission will last 75,000.
D
01/4.7/CC/mods/DJMdrop3-6
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2002
10:10:12
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Their is nothing wrong with the 45RFE Transmission!!!!! It is probably the best automatic transmission that a Dodge truck has had in recent years. The 727 was a good trans but it had it's growing pains as well. The 45RFE is very similar to GM's 4L80E. THeir are no bands in this trans. Assumeing that you get one that was built right and you do not abuse the he11 out of it, it should last with the right maintence. Remember that this tranny is being used in the Ram,Dak, Durango, and that new car with the Hemi. They are useing this trans with the 4.7 and the 5.7 Hemi. I am going to laugh my a$$ off when you see Dodge put the 5.7 engine and the 45RFE trans in a 3/4 Ton fullsize. The only people that I have heard complain about this trans so far are guys that have been doing alot mod.'s and raceing with their truck or they own a 2000 Dak. The 2001 on up Daks with the 4.7 and 45RFE have been problem free for the most part. The only thing's I have seen on my 2001 is bad paint and front Rotors. I have taken it in 3 times for other complaints but everything checked out.
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Audie
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2002
14:31:06
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I have a 2002 CC 4.7, 4X4 with towing package, 3.55 gears and the 45RFE and it's in the shop for transmission repairs at 5000 km!!. Apparently since this is a new tranny for 202 they must first send the diagnostics to HQ who give them the preliminary instructions. The first reply I got was that the failure may be due to Ungo security system/auto start and/or electric brake controller or back up warning indicator!! Yeah right!! One of the 2 codes indicated a problem with the 4th gear clutch (I made a post on the problem a couple of weeks ago but got no comments). They have ordered a sensor part which is supposed to take two days but the dealer says it is usually 2 weeks or more. I think there is also a mechanical problem since I am getting a lot of clunking noise in the rear end. I tow a Pace trailer loaded to 4000#.
I previously had a '94 Dak 4X4 with a 318 and zero problems but right now I don't have a warm fuzzy about reliability of this vehicle.
Later ..... Audie, from Ontario
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2002
15:59:11
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Audie The 45RFE is not new!!! They have been useing it since 1999!! Every company makes lemons. Just because you got a bad trans does not mean that the design is bad.(I am not saying that yu did anything to cause this problem I am just going to defend tech.'s) I will saw that more problems are caused by people adding equipment to a vechile then anything else. When they design cars they design all of the componets to work together. The engineer's do not design vechiles to be modified with after market electronics. I have seen alot of trany problems linked to after market stero componets. I have seen alot of people with inflation restraint systems that were not working properly because some hack wanted to install an after market radio and spliced into the wrong wire. I have seen PCM that were not working right because some spliced into a wire that provided power to the PCM and the factory radio. The voltage spikes from the aftermarket radio and amps were causeing the PCM to malfuntion. You would not belive the stupid $hit work you see people bring in for you to fix when you are a Tech!!!!!!! People will hack the he11 out of a 30,000 vechile to instal a $49.00 alarm that no one is going to pay any attention to any ways!! So your tech.'s might not have just been blowing sunshine up your A$$. They might have realy thought that was what was wrong. I am not saying that you would do this but I catch people lying to me all the time. Men are the worst for this. They will bring something in that they hacked the he11 out of and then tell you some other mechanic did it, or their friend, or brother, or their "dumb wife"..... It is never their fualt. I am glad I am not a Tech. any more!!! Seldom does anyone add anything to their vechile that does not comprimise one system or another. Most things can be added with out to much fanfare if done right the first time.
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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8/04/2002
10:24:25
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Hey guys, for those that do not understand how DC names it's transmissions I thought I would share it with you. The first number tell you how many forward gears it has. The second number tells you what the torque rateing is and the H or E tells you if it is hydralicly controlled or electronicly controled. The 4in 45RFE=4 speed, the 5= a torq. rateing of 5. The lowest torq. value is 0. It goes 0-6. So as you can see the 45RFE was designed to do some serious work. It is almost as strong as DC's strongest automatic and it should not wear out as fast seeing how it is bandless and that was the most frequent part that failed in any heavy duty application like snow plowing or raceing and hard 4wheeling.
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B
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
00:03:34
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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B
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B
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
00:03:42
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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B
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B
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
00:03:49
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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B
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Chipster
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
00:28:50
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Sorry Guys, Transgo has not started on our
shift kit as of Aug. 2nd. I know I talked to them.
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antony
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
04:41:02
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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The 4.7/45RFE engine tranny/combo has been the
cause of horror stories ever since it was first
introduced in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokees. It's
now being used in the Grand Cherokees, Libertys,
Durangos, Rams, and Dakotas. I know that there are
many owners who were lucky enough to get a "good"
one, and haven't had any problems, but I wouldn't
take one if you gave it to me free. I am thinking
of getting a Dakota with the 5.9L/46RE combo just
to avoid all the 4.7/45RFE potential problems.
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YJ
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
11:55:20
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Good idea, antony.
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sandman
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
18:13:55
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Well the 46RFE is a decent transmission if you like to adjust bands all the time. It would also mean that you would be stuck with that dreadful 5.9 V8.
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D
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2002
19:57:34
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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LOL wouldnt that be a b*tch ! ! !
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antony
Dodge Dakota
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8/06/2002
05:06:03
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I'm not saying that the 5.9/46RE combo is perfect.
But it's been around long enough that just about
everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong by
now, and they know how to fix it. The 4.7/45RFE
combo, on the other hand, seems to invent new
and perplexing problems that no one has ever seen
before and that no one knows how to fix.
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Deno
Dodge Dakota
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8/08/2002
18:18:59
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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so the trans in my 2000 Qc isnt slipping,its just swithching between high low 2nd gear...lol
never noticed it till i had a catback exhaust installed,which i wouldnt recommend on the 4.7,noticable loss in torque
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01Dakotaman
Dodge Dakota
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8/08/2002
19:00:16
|  RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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I hate to break it to you Antony but the 4.7/45rfe combo is not in the Jeep Liberty!!! Get your stuff right! j/k
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antony
Dodge Dakota
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8/09/2002
02:58:58
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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True! The 4.7L is not in the Liberty.
But the 45RFE is, and the 3.7L in the
Liberty is just the 4.7L with two
cylinders lopped off. So the same sort
of potential problems exist there.
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Texas Todd
Dodge Dakota
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8/09/2002
15:36:44
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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If the numbering is so, why don't they call it a 55, not a 45, isn't it a 5 speed? This is the first I've heard about this 5 spd auto, advertised as a 4 speed.
The original ? was which one.
My vote is still the 5spd, oh I know, the torque, well, ask Duner's 4.7 5 spd how it's doing.
And where I work, in Houston TX, near the Galleria, theres plenty of TX sized traffic jams! It makes me glad I have a 5spd, how much shifting do you'll think you'll be doing anyway?
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GlenC
GenIII
8/09/2002
15:51:30
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Well, i dont have an facts, but i dont like how the 45RFE feels. Granted, i believe kenne Bell has a fix for my auto problems with the supercharger, i just dont have the money. All in all, i look back and wish i would have gotten the 5 spd. But the auto is nice to have around town and such. I dont want to say im HOPING it dies soon, but im looking forward to the chance of dropping a 5.7L (please oh please) and a 5sp in my truck. Some one needs to go make one of those new 5.7s CAREFULLY fall off a truck and some how get shipped to me... :)
GlenC
'01, CC, SLT, 4.7, Auto, 3.55 LS, 4x4
MBRP stainless dual rear exit catback.
Robert Shaw 180 T-Stat. Autolite 3923s
JBA Headers.
Kenne Bell supercharged.
Fried Rice
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Las Vegas Dak
Dodge Dakota
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8/09/2002
16:06:23
| RE: 4.7/tranny combo
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Joel posted:
"When going up a slight hill with a load is the time you'll know its there, the tack will raise about ~300 RPM's(?), the downshift is smooth and the upshift out of that gear is seamless. Its hard to hear the shift, ie RPM change because of the excellent noise insulation."
This is not an "extra" or "hi/low" gear. This is your lockup torque converter. When under light load in third and fourth gears, the torque converter locks up getting you better gas milage. When the load is increased, the torque converter will often come out of lock up to get more power to the drive line.
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