Aisin vs Allison trans

I know there are truck forums out there but I am curious as to some opinions on this from the people who put these trucks through the paces as it were. Any opinions on the Ram 3500HD vs the GMC/Chevy 3500HD? The ole farm truck is gonna need upgraded and I want to replace it with a dually. My biggest curiosity is to how these two trannys compare, although if there are any other points of input I'd love to hear them. Always thought I'd end up with GM on account of the trannys but if I could have a Ram with a Cummins but with a trans that will be as long lasting and dependable as an Allison. . . what are the thoughts and experiences? Are the Aisins as tough and long lasting? Any input appreciated.

(quoted from post at 14:28:17 11/29/22) I know there are truck forums out there but I am curious as to some opinions on this from the people who put these trucks through the paces as it were. Any opinions on the Ram 3500HD vs the GMC/Chevy 3500HD? The ole farm truck is gonna need upgraded and I want to replace it with a dually. My biggest curiosity is to how these two trannys compare, although if there are any other points of input I'd love to hear them. Always thought I'd end up with GM on account of the trannys but if I could have a Ram with a Cummins but with a trans that will be as long lasting and dependable as an Allison. . . what are the thoughts and experiences? Are the Aisins as tough and long lasting? Any input appreciated.

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he concerns about automatics in Dodge trucks are long since over. I'm sure you'd be happy with either brand.

I'm no authority on the topic but have quite a bit of seat time in both GM and Ram trucks.

I own a GM/Duramax with the 6 speed allison 1000 transmission, I've been happy with it. I have 130,000 miles on it with a mild increase in power and no issues to date. The more power you put in front of these I believe is when you start to see issues but that all depends on how you treat it.

I've yet to drive a GM/Duramax with the new 10 speed allison so I can't comment on it.

I've driven a newer Ram/Cummins with the 68RFE and was not that impressed. The best way I can describe the engine / transmission combination is an awkward first date. Neither the engine nor the transmission knew who was going to make the first move or how to act after that move was made. Either way someone is going to end up disappointed.

I've driven a stock Ram/Cummins with the Cummins/ Aisin setup and it did everything it was asked of. The truck has over 125,000 miles and still performed fine. My only comment was that shifts seemed to occur very slowly when compared to my personal GM truck. Out of shear curiosity I googled it and the internet basically said the transmission can't handle the cummins torque, so it makes sure to defuel between shifts. Weather this is true or not I don't know but thats what I read.

I would love to have a 5.7 Cummins in front of an Allision in a General motors product. Many have said this before, but seems to fall on deaf ears. I know there are custom company's out there, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

Beagle.

(quoted from post at 12:41:52 11/29/22) I'm no authority on the topic but have quite a bit of seat time in both GM and Ram trucks.

I own a GM/Duramax with the 6 speed allison 1000 transmission, I've been happy with it. I have 130,000 miles on it with a mild increase in power and no issues to date. The more power you put in front of these I believe is when you start to see issues but that all depends on how you treat it.

I've yet to drive a GM/Duramax with the new 10 speed allison so I can't comment on it.

I've driven a newer Ram/Cummins with the 68RFE and was not that impressed. The best way I can describe the engine / transmission combination is an awkward first date. Neither the engine nor the transmission knew who was going to make the first move or how to act after that move was made. Either way someone is going to end up disappointed.

I've driven a stock Ram/Cummins with the Cummins/ Aisin setup and it did everything it was asked of. The truck has over 125,000 miles and still performed fine. My only comment was that shifts seemed to occur very slowly when compared to my personal GM truck. Out of shear curiosity I googled it and the internet basically said the transmission can't handle the cummins torque, so it makes sure to defuel between shifts. Weather this is true or not I don't know but thats what I read.

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think the new 10 speed has the allison name only and was developed on a joint venture between Ford and GM

Well being and old Chrysler and Ford man as in Mechanic/ Tech and working on many as i call them SLUSH BOXES and been thru both companys schools on Slush boxes along with Cat's early school on the power shift They have only built two slush boxes and that is the one that is out and the one going out . Many moons ago when i first started in as a Chrysler Plymouth tech another young guy started at the same dealer as i did , he started as a salesman and over the years worked his way up into management . When they came out with the new asin (sp) MY BUDDY Denny told me they now had a Bullet proof slush box . I looked at him and said yea sure they have. One evening i was over looking for a newer car for the wife and Denny and i took a new Chrysler 200 out for a test drive , when we got back Denny had me park it behind the service dept. and we came thru the service dept. And setting in two stalls were two new Dodge rams with there slush boxes scattered across two work benches . I looked at him and said BULLET PROOF MY DONKEY . A couple days later i was back over and talking to another old time friend the service manager and we touched on the subject of the new Bullet Proof slush box . And it comes down to one can not beat old school of a standard transmission . YEa you might eat a clutch , If ya slam shift you might end up eating a sycro . I have hand built slush boxes to last a little longer but they still go out . Even the mighty Allison fails and when it takes a dump you are in for a EDUCATION . The best working Automatic that i put together lasted five years of commercial snow plowing . You stop and look at all the trucks on the used market and see how many are still running the Org. transmission , NONE . ANd how many ya see that trans has been BUILT but has a SLIGHT ISSUE .

There is no replacement for the 5 and 6 speed Allison 1000/2000. It is king of the hill and cheaper to repair, if you can break it. The current 10 speed 'Allison' is just a licensed use of the name, nothing more.

I'm sure the Aisin is fine, but it's my understanding not all Cummins Rams have it? 3500 dually only, I think? Might be wrong. I'll guarantee it's way more expensive to fix.

Personally, I'd also rather have a Duramax engine than the Columbus vibrator in the Ram.

why feed eight when six will do .

There isnt a manual trans in a light duty truck that will stand up to diesel power in trucks today

My Ram Cummings with 6spd stick handled it fine.

Yes but equipped with the Aisin transmission, the torque rating is higher

I'll keep my old 71 Ford F-100 with a C-6. I don't need or want any of this new stuff.

I drove a number of fleet trucks with the Allison transmission. They all performed well, and I didn't hear any complaints from the owners (Penske, Ryder) as of yet. Most everything has been moving to clutchless transmissions these days.

I truly hated the self shifting stick shift transmissions that they are using in the big trucks. They have more bugs in them than ants at a picnic. but, now the girls can drive them <lol!>

My brother has a 98 dodge cummins with a manual and it is turned up to 600 hp so he says. He brags about how it will pull trailers and shuts up about putting almost $30,000 dollars worth of manual transmissions in it and clutches.

I'm with TV slush boxes are like cement it is either cracked or going to crack, and slush boxes are the same thing out or going out. The only slush box I had that took the beating was in a 65 Plymouth Belvidere it would take everything It got and is still in that car when the engine died. The car is out back and that transmission is still there the engine has gone on to a new place. As for there is not a stick trans to hold the cumapart they never put a trans designed to hold it. I'm sure I can get an 8,9,or 10 spd road ranger to hold up in there and will be going when the engine is in the junk. the clutch will take it also. I'm also ssure there are plenty of old 5 speeds from 2 ton trucks that would hold up in there also. if it would work and last behind the old big block fords,IH's and Dodges they would take that cumaprt. The 5 speed in my old IH tandem would work in there fine i'd bet. I would also bet the double disc clutch would hold up in there too. You do have to know how to drive with a gear box transmission. If you want more gears there is always a few 2 stick set ups or the 18 spd Road ranger. Same set up as a 13 just able to split the bottom as well as the top side. Got one in a truck right now with 1,200,000 on it and never be out for any work yet. Set behind a 500 Cat with 550 torque more than those 4-600 HP cumaparts in pickups that need 25-2800 RPM to get that 4-600 HP while the Cat only turns a modest 2100 and peak torque is only 1200 RPM.

A friend of mine just got the price to replace his 6 speed manual, Dodge(including a new clutch while it is there)238,000 miles $6,000.00. It was all good till it wasn't.

I've been in shops where they were both worked on. You see far less trouble with the Allison.

The Cummins is the only heavy duty engine to be installed in a light duty truck. The OEM manual transmission will not hold up in pickups. That is why they CD are using automatics. An Allison trans is light years ahead of what you had in a car. With several GM duramax diesel trucks with 6 and 10 speed Allisons all above 150k always hooked to a trailer in our fleet, I will stick with them. A 5.9 or 6.7 Cummins produces greater torque over a greater rpm range than the big block gas engines if the old days. Also I dont have much use for a CAT engine in a semi. I prefer a Cummins.

Don't know what you got against the Cats, cause the ones I've driven and currently drive purr way nicer and smoother than any of the many Cummins I've driven over the years , including the new rattly ones of today in our new Freightliners.

You make me smile, Stuart. I've driven Cat engines, Cummins engines, Mack engines, and Detriot 60 series engines. While the 3406 Cat really surprised me - actually accelerating on a steep uphill pulling 42,000 pounds of freight, the Detroit surprised me even more. For an engine that is almost 2 liters smaller, it pulled like nothing else I ever drove.

I thought the Cummins engines were a bit weak on hills and had a narrower power band.

I was actually just screwing with him about Cat engines.
He is comparing semi trucks to pick up trucks

Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't take anything newer than a 4th gen Ram and equivalent GM, and I don't see the need of semi power and towing numbers in a 3500, but that's just what they come with, and I am just trying to decide which will take the longest to get to the out phase of the slushboxes. Those big power numbers are all fine and fun until you actually try to tow that much and there is a hiccup and you get killed. Knew a guy who that happened to.

I'm not going to brag about how heavy a trailer I pulled with my '96 F-250 7.3L diesel, or how hopped-up and chipped my PSD was/is. But in 325,000 miles the oem clutch was replaced with a new LUK single mass and pressure plate and clutch disk, was a tiny but bigger than stock, 320 mm. New clutch release lever and T/O bearing too, and about 4 oil changes in the ZF-5-47 Trans, yes, it's the slightly heavier duty Trans first used in 1996.
I had two New Process NP-435's in 6 cyl F-150's and neither one made it to 100,000 miles without a rebuild. The old GM SM-420 in Dad's 1960 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup is probably still going.

I think the transmissions in today's trucks fail because the OEM's want them to, to keep the dealer's shops busy.

We have Aisins in our Isuzu box trucks. No problems... yet.

I had the '69 800+ cu. in. 400 HP Cummins Big Cam in an IH Cabover with a bed for a sleeper hooked to a 15 sp. Eaton-Fuller. Power band was 300 RPM. Hence the need for 15 gears on an 80k# hauler. The good part was that the only time you needed the clutch was when negotiating a traffic signal.....smooth as silk shifter. The trailer was a rock bucket and I twisted the tranny's drive shaft off one day coming out of a gooey pit with a heavy load getting in too big of a hurry.