How Do You Pass People?

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Backwoods

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So I've been doing a lot of reading on here about transmissions and realizing its not really beneficial to do a built transmission in these trucks. I have the 545 and everything i read says don't do WOT down shifts. So how do you get around people with a quickness. If I try to do it with out the truck down shifting It seems to take a while. Also what are peoples RPM's at usually when at highway speeds of 65-70?
 

joneseysr6

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seriouly? no wot throttle to pass, and no downshifting, thats the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

just hit the gas as much as you need and let your transmission shift as much as it has to and pass the person you want to pass and stop overthinking things.
 

Pull Ya

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^^^ If you decide to take this advice, you might contact that member and see if he is willing to stand by that advice and send you a check when your transmission needs to be replaced. There are numerous threads about the problems the 5/6 speed transmission has in the circumstances you are describing. Do some more research--call Matt at Moe's Performance and see what his advice is.
Jay
 

whetrick1

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That's good advice


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charonblk07

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So I've been doing a lot of reading on here about transmissions and realizing its not really beneficial to do a built transmission in these trucks. I have the 545 and everything i read says don't do WOT down shifts. So how do you get around people with a quickness. If I try to do it with out the truck down shifting It seems to take a while. Also what are peoples RPM's at usually when at highway speeds of 65-70?

If you're stock, or basic bolt-ons you can pass like normal. Now, if you are full bolt-ons and REGULARLY drive the 5/6 speed trucks like an idiot then yes, you will blow out the O/D clutches in the input clutch drum after a while, that time frame will be determined by how often you drive like an idiot. Driving like an idiot = WOT downshifts through 5-4-3 (5 speed) or 6-5-4 (6 speed) or WOT upshifts into 4th (5 speed) or 5th (6 speed); this happens around 130mph.

Now, if you're more than basic bolt-ons like a stroker or any power adder then it's only a matter of time before the stock trans will go on you.

HOWEVER, there is hope; you can drive the truck to the transmission's weakness and keep it alive even with power adders. Before you go to pass, manually downshift into 3rd (5 speed) or 4th (6 speed) then stomp on it, then once you pass just put it back into D and continue as normal. It takes some getting used to the habit of downshifting before passing or just going WOT at highway speeds but after a month or so it becomes second nature. I kept my stock 545 in my cammed/nitrous '07 alive for 2 years and my L&M 545 survived for 3 years behind my 12-15psi D1SC before it finally had enough behind the F-1A.
 
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Backwoods

Backwoods

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Thanks for the info. So what is the difference between down shifting manually and allowing the transmission to down shift on its own?


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blackbeautyhemi

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**** I hardly do any WOT and the 545rfe didn't hold up to my basic bolt ons and hemifever tune.


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Ronan

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seriouly? no wot throttle to pass, and no downshifting, thats the dumbest thing i've ever heard.

just hit the gas as much as you need and let your transmission shift as much as it has to and pass the person you want to pass and stop overthinking things.



You my friend, have some learning to do.
 

trip1027

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I don't usually let my 6 speed down shift to 4th unless I'm passing on a huge incline or I have 50-70mph headwinds

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Hemi395

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WOT downshifts are the deathsong of the RFE trans. Avoid those and change the fluid regularly and they're​ pretty reliable.

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SilverStreak88

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I'm usually the one being passed, but when I do I try to down shift unless I'm in high speed traffic. Since my trans rebuild it will hang in 4th from 40-60, once I get over 60 I have to push the pedal and go up a couple hundred RPM's to get it to shift into 5th. If I get up to 65 it'll shift on it's own, and when I drop below 57 it'll shift back down into 4th.

I'm debating a refresh, but idk if it would be wasted money, need to do a trans fluid change.
 

RAMTRPR

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My trans on my 09 has over 200k on it. It shutters when I give it gas and it downshifts to pass, but works pretty good if I manually do it. When mine goes I think I will go with a built one from:
http://www.atsdiesel.com/ats2/productdetail.asp?p=3069459272

It might be overkill for me, but with a 6" lift and 35's the trans is screaming at me already. Also getting 4.56 gears to replace my 3.92's and that will be a major advantage when passing :)


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Pull Ya

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ATS has just completed building a beefed up trans that is now being tested by a member of another forum. If it were me I'd wait till the test results are in, and then I'd still pause before buying anything from ATS. Most reviews of ATS are not very good.
jay
 

RAMTRPR

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ATS has just completed building a beefed up trans that is now being tested by a member of another forum. If it were me I'd wait till the test results are in, and then I'd still pause before buying anything from ATS. Most reviews of ATS are not very good.

jay



Any suggestions on a similar built trans? (better and more clutch packs, TQ converter, brace, upgraded valve body, etc)



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Backwoods

Backwoods

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Any suggestions on a similar built trans? (better and more clutch packs, TQ converter, brace, upgraded valve body, etc)



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I would also like to know, is their any options out there for a beefed up transmission for the 545 that people like?

I have to admit that I have done some WOT down shifts over the time I have had my truck, how many? Don't know. The truck shifts alright, I do get a little bit of a shimmer sometimes, and will surge occasionally at around 45mph like it can't find the gear. Before I got the Hemifever tune it would also drop about 200 RPMs before shifting to 5th. Doesn't seem to do that with the Hemifever tune. I'm going to change the filters and fluid this month and switch to Redline C+ and possibly get a deep pan. Also change my driving habits.
 

Pull Ya

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Sorry, no. I've heard of a few guys working on building something stronger but haven't seen or heard any results. You might check with Matt at Moe's Performance.
Jay
 

charonblk07

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Thanks for the info. So what is the difference between down shifting manually and allowing the transmission to down shift on its own?

When you manually downshift, the transmission will be in 3rd (5 speed) or 4th (6 speed) gear before you go WOT; when you let it manually downshift you're already at WOT before the computer tells the transmission to downshift from 5th to 4th to 3rd (5 speed) or 6th to 5th to 4th (6 speed). The reason WOT is the issue is the transmission is trying to transfer the torque from the engine through the 2C clutch pack in 4th/5th which doesn't have the same holding capacity as the other clutch packs and any amount of slipping will glaze the clutches.

When you really romp on it with some power you can do some amazing things to the internals, see my pics below.

Any suggestions on a similar built trans? (better and more clutch packs, TQ converter, brace, upgraded valve body,

Mine was built my Mike at L&M Customs in Delaware but Jerry at True Street Performance is also building decent 545/65s that have been holding up.

ATS tried to build a 545 a long time ago and it was nothing more than a glorified stock trans that people were blowing through faster than the junkyard stock transmissions. Now they're saying you have to use their controller which is what they were saying back in the day, only time will tel with ATS but I doubt it'll be a bulletproof trans.
 

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Eestee70

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How do you pass people? ..........Now what kind of questions is that......WITH YOUR HEMI!!!! LOL
 

MaizeNBlue

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With a smile on my face ...listening to my Hemi, with a K&N CAI, and 5" Moe''s exhaust tips .... sounding freaking awesome!!
 
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