Hey guys/gals,

I'm the second owner of my pickup but I do know it was babied since day one. Dealer service for the first 13 years, driven by an older woman, truck bed was the factory paint and NOT A SCRATCH ON THE BED FLOOR after 13 years!

Now she's 17 years old with 115K and I still baby it with the exception of towing my 4,300lb +/- boat a dozen or so times a year.

The trans has always shifted smooth and quick when driving normally and not towing and it still does. BUT, when towing the boat and it needs to up or down shift between 3rd gear and OD it shudders into gear. It doesn't do this when shifting 1-2 or 2-3 at all but does it everytime it moves between 3 and OD in either direction.

The shudder isn't super violent and there's no noises but it's defiantly a firm shudder. I can avoid the shudder by anticipating the need to drop a gear and lift the throttle a bit and push the OD button. Is this something to be concerned about or is this somewhat normal for these tranny's under load?

I don't know if the trans fluid has ever been changed but I'll be changing it in the spring. The fluid looks new, nice bright red and no smell so I don't expect the fluid/filter change to do much other than give me piece of mind.

 

Frist thing you should never use OD while towing per the manual. Puts to much strain on the trans.

 

What he said.
Don't tow that much weight in OD
Change fluid
Install an aux trans cooler

 

I had a 5,500 lb trailer. Never used OD while towing. I also us Amsoil transmission fluid. My trans still shift great with 155k.

 

Neither was an answer to the question.
He never said he towed with OD on.
He said when ANTICIPATING the Down shift he should hit OD, all that would do is drop him into fourth gear then he would go from fourth to third, then it wouldn't shudder.


Try some shudder fix or Lucas when you change the filter. May fix your problem.

 

He said it shuddered every time between 3rd and OD in either direction, so he is using OD when towing. I think according to the way I read it anyway, when he feels it's about to shudder he mashes the OD button to take it out of OD, which would keep it from shuddering.

 

Just to clarify I have been using OD when towing but only on the highway. I will run for an hour or so on the highway and for the long stretches at 65-70mph it just seems silly to have the engine turning high rpm when it has plenty of power to maintain speed in OD. As I come up to a incline I have to drop out of OD to maintain speed. If I let the trans shift to 3rd on it's own I get the shudder. If I back off the throttle a bit and hit the OD Off button it's smooth.

So based on what you all are saying I should just run with OD off all the time when towing? Too bad because I'm getting 12mpg on the highway WHILE TOWING using OD which I'm very pleased with.

 

Seems simple to me. If OD works while cruising on the highway, use it. Before you go up any incline, turn it off.

 

It is simple, the question, however, was is that normal?

 

I can't answer that. But I interpret the manual language to tell you that OD can't handle a load like that, and one could imply that's what the shudder is caused by.