unless your making BIG power (+1000) then just stick with the 4R.
what hp are you wanting to build for?
how will you be using the truck?

I had $3,500 in my custom 4R build and I had zero issues at 600 hp with 20 hooks and 50-75 trips down the 1/4 .

The 4R is cheap to upgrade and can handle plenty of abuse

 

unless your making BIG power (+1000) then just stick with the 4R.
what hp are you wanting to build for?
how will you be using the truck?

I had $3,500 in my custom 4R build and I had zero issues at 600 hp with 20 hooks and 50-75 trips down the 1/4 .

The 4R is cheap to upgrade and can handle plenty of abuse

450hp, no more. The truck tows everyday and it’s also our family touring truck. I have zero doubts that a properly built 4R will have no issues, but my biggest gripe is the 4 speed. Even if it had 5 that’d make the world of difference and the 6!! I imagine it’d be awesome!

 

The biggest problem is getting the trans to shift correctly. 7.3s actually came with Allison’s in school buses

I agree, it would be nice to have a 5 or 6 speed. But, a properly built 4r100 will outshift any other diesel trans because every gear in a 4R is “stack shift”

My stage 1 sam wyse 4R shifts better than my buddy’s fully built Allison behind his 1000hp duramax ever will


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Ah really, that’s very interesting. Can you please elaborate on why a 4R will outshift any other trans? I thought the 4R was based of quite old technology whereas the Allison has always been at the forefront? One more gear would make so much difference to the 4R let alone 2!

 

Do it and let us know. Personally my 21yr old original 4r100 has been towing 5th wheels and light/medium equipment just fine lol. Ya sure it could use a few gears but we have bigger trucks with more gears than toes n fingers for the big stuff.

 

I have a Sam Wise stage 2. Put 80,000 on it so far about 60,000 pulling 10k+ trailers.

 

4r100s are what they call a “stack shift” transmission. This means every time they shift all they are doing is adding a clutch pack to the pack that was previously engaged

A transmission like the Allison has to pull out of the previous gear, then apply the next gear. A stack shift trans is able to shift much quicker. It’s very noticeable on my built 4r vs my buddy’s built Allison how much quicker mine shifts. The Allison is a good trans for towing but not the best for racing/performance

All the guys making 4 digit horsepower numbers in 6.0s and 6.4s ditch the 5r110 and retrofit a 4r100 for its superiority in high performance/drag racing situations


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4r100s are what they call a “stack shift” transmission. This means every time they shift all they are doing is adding a clutch pack to the pack that was previously engaged

A transmission like the Allison has to pull out of the previous gear, then apply the next gear. A stack shift trans is able to shift much quicker. It’s very noticeable on my built 4r vs my buddy’s built Allison how much quicker mine shifts. The Allison is a good trans for towing but not the best for racing/performance

All the guys making 4 digit horsepower numbers in 6.0s and 6.4s ditch the 5r110 and retrofit a 4r100 for its superiority in high performance/drag racing situations


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So let’s take out race/drag (because I will never do either) and only focus on light-medium towing/daily driving.

Which built trans would better suit my needs? I’m not talking a stock box but completely built.

Also, a side note. A built Alisson is about double the price compared to a built 4r100 for me. If it was much more it probably wouldn’t even be a consideration. However, due to the fact I’m hanging onto the truck and fuel millage it’ll return I know in the long run the initial outlay won’t be so bad in the end.

 

My 99 has had a Gear Vendors since 2005. Over 150,000 miles since the install. The 4R100 is still never-touched at 210K. Not only does fuel economy improve with overdrive, but so does engine life and ownership experience because it's a lot quieter and less 'busy' at 75 MPH highway cruise with RPM in the 1,700s. A GV is cheaper than an Allison conversion, and doesn't require a controller interface solution. the GV electronics are simple and stand-alone.

Quick story; Last June I did a trip from Breckenridge CO to Lake Havasu AZ. I was by myself, not towing. I left CO early and was meeting up with my water-ski group for a week. I was in a hurry to cover the 700 miles. Utah has 80 MPH limit on I-15. I was able to cruise along fairly effortlessly at just under 90 at about 2,400 RPM. Every time I encountered and blew by another 7.3, I was thinking the other guy had to be thinking "how the F is that guy going so fast in that thing?" Answer: Gear Vendors.

 

Yeh I actually looked into the gear vendors a couple years ago.It does look to provide some good benefits. However one of the problems I can see is that it provides and additional overdrive to our OD, but this can’t be used whilst towing. Of course whilst not towing it’s be great.

 

Have you considered a zf6 conversion? I think that would be your cheapest and easiest solution by far to get more gears


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Yeh, but I really don’t want a stick shift.

Has anyone one driven a 7.3 with the Allison behind it? Or know of anyone that has?

 

A 450 HP 7.3 with a properly built 4r100 behind it doesn't need any more gears unless you are towing way more than what the truck is rated for.

 

Check out transmissionturner.com
We used this guy for a custom Allison installation in a dump truck back when I worked for a transmission shop that specialized in Allison's. He has a covered all the different swaps with pros, cons, and cost comparisons.
Having seen Allison's in action you will need a custom built unit to survive behind a diesel. Don't get me wrong the 3000/4000 series that they put in dump, and semi trucks are awesome, but the 1000/2000 that they put in light trucks are too fragile to survive behind anything other than a gas engine.
Check out some Duramax forums, and listen to them talk about how their Allison died in a stock truck with less than 200,000 miles on the clock.
I love my 5r110, and would definitely recommend it, but I think a 4r100 would be easier.

 

As far as I understand it, the 5r110 and 4r100s have the same final drive gear ratio. The 5r just has another gear in between to help keep the engine in the power band while towing

I don’t think the gear vendors is even remotely an option for the OP since you can’t tow with it, and even if you could, more gears in between is what he should be after, not more gears over 4th gear lockup.

Cruising at 70-75 with 3.73s and stock size tires puts the 7.3 in ideal rpm range for towing


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As far as I understand it, the 5r110 and 4r100s have the same final drive gear ratio. The 5r just has another gear in between to help keep the engine in the power band while towing

I don’t think the gear vendors is even remotely an option for the OP since you can’t tow with it, and even if you could, more gears in between is what he should be after, not more gears over 4th gear lockup.

Cruising at 70-75 with 3.73s and stock size tires puts the 7.3 in ideal rpm range for towing


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Yes, very true. I agree, I’m not really liking the sound of the Gear vendors option. Too many out there that aren’t too happy with their decision.

So I guess, I’ve got to really weigh up if the slightly wider 1st and last gear in the 1000 as well as the extra 2 gears in between is going to be worth it.

I also know that it’s going to feel very different to the 4R100 in the weigh it shifts. It’s not going to just be a 4R with shorter shift points. Does a 1000 feel that much nicer to drive or am I really playing it up?

 

I have been pondering this with seriousness the last month or so, planning a big roadschooling camping trip out west and back with a 27' 5th wheel.
It looks like the prices to do an Allison swap are just too extreme. With custom trans tuning, I feel like it is what I would want if money were no object. But if I can finagle it, I am going to move in the direction of the Gear Venders unit.
My truck has 4.1 rear gear, which means my overall drive ratio with the GearVender split 4th gear won't be as drastic as mentioned above. I hope it is enough to allow towing a small 5th wheel in top gear at least on the flats. But if not, I still think it will be a win win. I do a lot of unloaded miles, so the extra deep OD will get me lower revs, lower noise, higher mpgs. Then while loaded, there are times when the jump from 2nd to 3rd is just too far a drop. The turbo can't spool up enough to pull in 3rd gear. So adding a split gear between will fix that right up. Then the added 3rd gear split before 4th gear will be very useful as well. So if I only ever use 3rd split and normal 4th gear when loaded, it will still be better. Being 2wd with stock tires, the 4.1 gear is probably my generation's equivalent to the old 3 speed days.
By the time I can do this upgrade, I'll definitely have the bigger exhaust and slightly upgraded turbo internals.
I'm not going for record breaking power, I aim to have a good highway million miler hauler. I have already put around 140,000 miles on it myself, and have hauled some pretty heavy loads. So I know where it is lacking.
I am so glad I stumbled into this thread. To make money in the budget for something like this, it is very hard without some real world user's experience and comments. Just knowing there is a real person out there who has driven 60+k miles with it is good to hear.
One question about how it is used, am I understanding correctly that it will shift back and forth, allowing use of all 8 ratios?

Thanks for bearing with me, and I hope my signature works, to display my truck specs.

 

I think your missing the point of Gear Vendors. I would love to get one for my 4r100 but it doesn't have a computer system that takes the driver out of the shifting equation.

For whats it worth; Gear Vendors is an split shifter. You dont get more gears above the OD, but you do keep your power band in the right RPM.
How many of you have been climbing a hill with a load and shifted down only to tack out because your going too fast for the gear you shifted down to and too slow for the gear your in.

That's what Gear Vendors does, its that in between gear your missing so you don't over rev your diesel. The only downside is they don't make a a module that works with the transmission to make it autonomous "automatically shift at the right time." their auto shifter isn't ready for towing loads with a truck yet. They are working on it, but until they get it right you still need to shift the split shifter in and out with a foot switch on the floor board. its an old school high beam foot switch. Just on or off, that's what the split shifter is in or out. and yes it is a hard shift, but so is a shift kit.