Matt Beazer <teseract@enchantedbookstore.com> wrote:
[...]
> On another note, how "bad" are the 5 speeds prior to the 1993 models?
> As in, 1980's Dodge Ram 4 speed manual bad, or just "not very smooth"?
> A friend of mine's Dad had an '87 Ram with the 318 and the 4 speed...
> it's like moving the earth every time you shift. :)
There were several different 5 speeds used over the years, so it
will depend somewhat on which one you are talking about. My '90 Dak
with a V6 has an NV2500, I believe the NV1500 has been used for the I4
and possibly some V6s. Usually a 5 speed behind a V6 means the AX-15
trans, but I believe the NV3500 may have been used in later years.
The only "absolute" that I am confident enough to comment on for
certain is to say that any Dak which came with a 5 speed behind a V8
will have the NV3500. The trans used behind a particular V6 or I4
will depend on the year I think, and since these changeovers sometimes
happen mid-year, even that may not be completely reliable.
Anyhoo, as I mentioned earlier, my '90 Dak with a premag V6 has the
NV2500. My '96 with a Magnum V8 has the NV3500. Both seem decent,
neither is a high performance, fast shifting, rally car transmission,
but IMHO they are very good as truck transmissions go. Also, Hurst
offers an aftermarket shifter for the NV3500 should the stock feel not
meet your standards.
I used to bracket race my '96 regularly (every week) and never felt
the need to try the Hurst shifter, though I did modify the shaft
itself to shorten the throw. Its still the stock action though.
--
-Jon-
.- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
| '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
`-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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