Dodge 4-WD Transmission Fix

Dodge 4-WD Transmission Fix PICKUPS Miscellaneous 27-3-38 If you drive a Dodge 4x4 diesel pickup made in 1994 or later equipped with a standard 5-speed transmission, or if you're thinking about buying a used one, you may need to talk with Dan the Gear Man. The Gear Man, known to his friends as Dan Guarino, says as many as 25 percent of these transmissions will fail due to wear on the fifth gear main shaft. "The main shaft is 2 in. long, but has splines only on the outer 3/4 in. of the shaft. Under heavy loads, the gear wears into the shaft past the splines," he says. "That lets the shaft work loose and the nut that holds it in place comes off." Guarino says this usually shows up on trucks with more than 100,000 miles, but notes he's seen it happen as soon as 35,000 miles. It's more likely to show up on trucks that are used extensively for pulling heavy trailers at highway speeds. Guarino fixes the problem with his own version of the main shaft. "Once the shaft is worn, it's shot and has to be replaced. The dealer fix is to replace it with the stock shaft, so the problem will likely occur again. Our Extreme Duty Mainshaft will fix it permanently," he says. "Our shaft has splines the full length, so the gear is always fully supported. This way, it can't work loose and wear out," he explains. The Gear Man's transmission fix usually costs around $1,600. "By the time the owner gets it to us, the truck usually has a fair number of miles on it and we have to rebuild the transmission. If it comes in before it's shot, we can fix the transmission for less than that," he says. Contact: Farm Show Followup, Dan Guarino, Quad 4X4, RR 1, Box 2059, Roberts, Montana 59070 (ph 406 446-2427; website: www.quad4x4.com).

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