I think there should be a sticky on the 5speed auto trans.

There are times when it feels like its got all the power I need, other times it shifts smooth and some times, if I hit it just right, it shifts hard.

But it always feels like I'm losing power through the trans, like its slipping, but its by design.

Can someone explain this transmission to me, why does it feel diffrent from any other trans I've used? I've driven new rangers and ts the same deal, so whats the deal and can it be reprogrammed to perform better?

I hope this makes sense. O_o My truck seems powerful, but with 4.10 gears, I'd suspect it should haul *** and roast the tires when I stomp on it. I know its a 3.0 v6 which arent very powerful to begin with, but come on =)

 

The first problem is that it's a 3.0. I have a 3.0 too, they are slow...not much you can do.

I have had some major problems with my auto. I'm getting ready for either the manual swap, or just to deal with the slipping

I've been through 1 complete rebuild already (water damage) and I rebuilt it with pretty much the best aftermarket parts and computer parts. It was great for a few days.

Then I blew the OD servo. Then the intermediate servo. So far it's been 4 servos and the last one was the intermediate.

The tranny is great when it's running good, but I know it's not putting down all the power.

 

So I am not crazy.

I really think there should be some kind of sticky about this combo, I thought my engine was blown or trans was shot when I got the truck, it wasnt until I took a brand new one for a test drive and found it to be the same that I realized that its just something new.

Does it still offroad well?

 

No, haha, your not crazy :)


It offroads...well, it will go offroad...thats how I ruined tranny number 1.

I am not so much into wheeling my truck, I have a couple atvs and I'd rather beat the atv up than my DD truck. Just my advice, don't wheel the truck.

If you must (because it is FUN wheeling a truck) I'd say that you'd atleast be lifted and 4x4. Just makes it a LITTLE more fun.

my truck is 2wd, and thats like 99 percent why I don't even touch it offroad, I mean I go down trails and stuff to park the trailer with the atvs, but nothing crazy. It breaks too much expensive stuff.

But if it wasn't my DD, it'd be a manual 4x4 SFA on 40's with 5.13. Which in a year or so, it won't be my dd :)

 

Mine stood up well to hard offroading. But I went to full synthetic Amsoil fluid early on which smoothed out a lot of shifting irregularities.

I also got a program from Fred (which you can buy direct or through Wayne's Underdog Performance site) which allowed me to bump up the line pressures for shifting. My trans shifts so well some of my coworkers have actually commented on it when we ride to lunch in my truck.

That said, the design has some longstanding problems which interestingly have kits that Ford can put in -- if you complain about it enough. They did start using some double ridge seals on the reverse servo piston years ago -- yet some folks still have the delayed reverse and so forth.

I'm putting in a Transgo kit for mine as I rebuild it to put a 4x4 output shaft in (I wheeled my truck in 2WD with a locker -- which meant I had to hit everything harder and faster to get through than my 4x4 comrades). My tranny at 90K still shifts and works great, but it's getting a soft parts rebuild since I have to take it apart to put the shaft in anyway.

If you'd like to learn more about the transmission you have and how it developed over time, look at these articles on rebuilding them from another forum:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=146953

That one has a guy bringing a A4LD up to 5R55E standards (similar but with small differences that give it more torque handling capability than our 5R44E).

These are A4LD rebuild threads -- but they show a lot of what's in there and there is discussion of differnces between the modern 5R variants and the A4LD which preceeded it. They'll take awhile to read through -- but you'll understand your tranny a lot better when it's all over.

Part 1: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...threadid=98027

Part 2: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...hreadid=101571

Part 3: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...hreadid=103666

Part 4: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=113354