Hard Shifting...Good or bad

[madflyer72]

I work at a vehicle parts store and I have heard both ends of the story. Either people swear that when your car/truck shifts into the next gear it should be super smooth. I also have people say that you want to feel ever shift and for a truck it should be hard meaning that the gears have caught good.

I just want to get the story straight.

My truck also shifts harder, is it a sign that the tranny is on its way out?

Thanks guy...

[HVAC SuperTech]

It depends, are the shifts slamming into gear, and right before the shift, are the rpms spiking up just a bit? Or is it a quick firm shift into gear. It shouldn't break your neck shifting, but you should feel a jolt or bump when it shifts. Main thing you want is quick shifting, and firm shifts. None of this where the rpms go up and you hear the engine free rev a second before the shift occurs.

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[Zaairman]

I used to work at a place that had a fleet of 7.3s. All of them were foreman trucks and kept very nice, they weren't the trucks that were beat on hard. I asked the shop one day how/when the trannys went out on them, since they all had well over 200k. I was told that they would shift harder and harder, til they were slamming into gear, then they would go out. As my truck gets older and older, I'm noticing it is shifting harder and harder at times. Beginning of the end I guess.

[SS4Matt]

I have a billet converter and a tugger shift kit in my truck. It shifts kinda hard driving around town, but when I have a load on it, it is smooth and quick.

[jesilvas]

If it's stock and it's shifting roughly with flairing RPMs and slamming gears, not good.
But tuned or with a shift kit or valve body then it will shift firm and quick, but not hard.
Firm and quick is good. Less time for the clutches to slip which means less wear and less heat

[madflyer72]

I don't notice any spike in RPM's so I am thinking we are all good. Just hit 190,000 miles so I am hoping that it holds up lol

[dieselburner21]

Originally Posted by Zaairman

I used to work at a place that had a fleet of 7.3s. All of them were foreman trucks and kept very nice, they weren't the trucks that were beat on hard. I asked the shop one day how/when the trannys went out on them, since they all had well over 200k. I was told that they would shift harder and harder, til they were slamming into gear, then they would go out. As my truck gets older and older, I'm noticing it is shifting harder and harder at times. Beginning of the end I guess.

thats exactly how mine acted before it gave out

[dieselcrawler]

Keep an eye on the OD light on the shifter... if it starts flashing, and/or the OD button doesn't work, problems are on the horizon... that, coupled with RPM flairs during shifts, and you got some issues ahead.

[Codum]

Originally Posted by Zaairman

I used to work at a place that had a fleet of 7.3s. All of them were foreman trucks and kept very nice, they weren't the trucks that were beat on hard. I asked the shop one day how/when the trannys went out on them, since they all had well over 200k. I was told that they would shift harder and harder, til they were slamming into gear, then they would go out. As my truck gets older and older, I'm noticing it is shifting harder and harder at times. Beginning of the end I guess.

This is exactly what I experienced. Started shifting hard at around 250k, finally went out at 407k. Keep in mind it's strictly a highway truck.