Gear Vendors

[Pittdawg]

Has anyone installed this aux. tranny on these platforms or any other platform? Is there a way to set them up in fully automatic mode to use all 8 gears without having to press a button everytime?

 

[RayVoy]

We think your missing a link.

 

[Pittdawg]

We think your missing a link.

You are right. Here it is:

Gear Vendors under/overdrive, Application Guide 4 Wheel Drive 4-Speed Automatic Models.

I just got off the phone with them. I am very disappointed. You have to flip a switch to access each overdrive gear, "it cannot be set up as fully automatic on your platform". Boo.

Additionally, I was told the split gears will give little to no mpg benefit and the only benefit is for drag racing or towing to help keep the engine in the "sweet part of its powerband".

If I don't tow or drag race, the only benefit is the final, taller "over overdrive gear" when cruising on the highway. $4k including installation for a 2 mpg gain on the highway seems like quite a waste.

 

[northcreek]

You are right. Here it is:

Gear Vendors under/overdrive, Application Guide 4 Wheel Drive 4-Speed Automatic Models.

I just got off the phone with them. I am very disappointed. You have to flip a switch to access each overdrive gear, "it cannot be set up as fully automatic on your platform". Boo.

Additionally, I was told the split gears will give little to no mpg benefit and the only benefit is for drag racing or towing to help keep the engine in the "sweet part of its powerband".

If I don't tow or drag race, the only benefit is the final, taller "over overdrive gear" when cruising on the highway. $4k including installation for a 2 mpg gain on the highway seems like quite a waste.

I have installed the GV unit in my motorhome which has a TH400 trans and a 4:10 gears.In my case it saves wear and tear on the engine but does little else.As you have mentioned it is a semi-manual affair which is poor in that the overdrive really doesn't know what the trans is doing so you often get a trans/OD shift simultaneously.GV's mileage claims seem to be fuzzy math.....so yes..I agree it is a waste of money.
Another thing is that like most vehicle mods,you often create problem where there were none before.In my case the transmission is forced to work harder when in OD,I don't have a locking TC so the extra load causes slippage at the TC and that heats the ATF up so a monster trans oil cooler was needed.
The GV unit is well made and the kit is well thought out but,the controls are antiquated and the claims are BS....Mike.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Regarding this and towing... what is the reduction from 4LO? Seems like it cuts the gearing by 3:1 or even 4:1, so the option of 2:1 would make a lot of sense for low-speed towing of heavy loads.

 

[northcreek]

Regarding this and towing... what is the reduction from 4LO? Seems like it cuts the gearing by 3:1 or even 4:1, so the option of 2:1 would make a lot of sense for low-speed towing of heavy loads.

There is no reduction it's either 1 to 1 or OD.........

 

[Shdwdrgn]

There is no reduction it's either 1 to 1 or OD.........

I don't understand... When you switch to 4LO, there is a huge gearing reduction when compared to 4HI.

 

[northcreek]

I don't understand... When you switch to 4LO, there is a huge gearing reduction when compared to 4HI.

I guess I did not understand the question but,maybe I do now.The GV unit will not engage below 45 mph with the GV controls although you could probably install a straight switch to bring in the shift solenoid....Mike.

 

[The_Roadie]

I think the question was about the NP226 transfer case in the vehicle already. It's a 2.7-to-1 reduction in 4LO. As I've posted many times, on the most aggressive trails I run, I always run out of ground clearance or traction before I run out of torque in 4LO, even climbing 40 degree sandstone Moab Utah "fins". There are plenty of underdrive units out there for rock crawling that can do an additional 2-to-1, but my impression the GV units were mostly for motorhomes.

 

[Pittdawg]

I was trying to have my cake and eat it too. I installed 4.10 gears which I love but I lost about 2 mpgs on the highway (and gained about 1 mpg in the city) so a taller overdrive would get back my highway mpg but with the cost and constant need to turn the extra overdrive on and off it just doesn't make sense. You say why sweat 1 mpg overall loss? Well, I changed jobs recently and travel about 50 miles on the highway each way which I wasn't anticipating when I installed my gears so now highway mpg has become a bit more important.

 

[The_Roadie]

Oh, and I see you're 2WD, so no LO range transfer case.

I think the friction of the gear unit would outweigh the benefit of lower RPMs.

Find a $2000 beater Civic like I did for commuting. I only do 20 miles a day and it pays for itself.

 

[northcreek]

I was trying to have my cake and eat it too. I installed 4.10 gears which I love but I lost about 2 mpgs on the highway (and gained about 1 mpg in the city) so a taller overdrive would get back my highway mpg but with the cost and constant need to turn the extra overdrive on and off it just doesn't make sense. You say why sweat 1 mpg overall loss? Well, I changed jobs recently and travel about 50 miles on the highway each way which I wasn't anticipating when I installed my gears so now highway mpg has become a bit more important.

A GV kit will set you back about $3K plus driveshaft short/bal,I don't think that you could recover enough $$ to justify the install.BTW the GV unit is manual only if you want to split gears(a joke with auto trans) but, in normal drive mode it engages at 45 and drops out at 25 automatically...Mike.

 

[northcreek]

I think the question was about the NP226 transfer case in the vehicle already. It's a 2.7-to-1 reduction in 4LO. As I've posted many times, on the most aggressive trails I run, I always run out of ground clearance or traction before I run out of torque in 4LO, even climbing 40 degree sandstone Moab Utah "fins". There are plenty of underdrive units out there for rock crawling that can do an additional 2-to-1, but my impression the GV units were mostly for motorhomes.

My interpetation is that he wants to put it in lo-range and then OD for a inbetween gear ratio(higher than low but,lower than high).......I think....Mike.

 

[navigator]

I think he actually wants the extra OD more so he can get better mileage on his commute.

What size tires do you have? Can you go to a larger tire thus reducing the gearing to get a little back?

 

[northcreek]

I think he actually wants the extra OD more so he can get better mileage on his commute.

That's the wrong "he" that you are talking about.

Why do I feel like I'm in the "who's on first" skit?....Mike

 

[Pittdawg]

That's the wrong "he" that you are talking about.

Why do I feel like I'm in the "who's on first" skit?....Mike

I am the op. I was mostly interested in the mpg gains from the extra overdrive but was also intrigued by the claims on the website that it essentially turns our 4 speed autos into 8 speed autos increasing power to the wheels and mpgs. Turns out those claims are mostly bogus and/or impractical for a daily driver. It sure would be cool if car manufacturers made different tranny overdrive ratios for different rear end gear ratios.

 

[McGMT]

I am the op. I was mostly interested in the mpg gains from the extra overdrive but was also intrigued by the claims on the website that it essentially turns our 4 speed autos into 8 speed autos increasing power to the wheels and mpgs. Turns out those claims are mostly bogus and/or impractical for a daily driver. It sure would be cool if car manufacturers made different tranny overdrive ratios for different rear end gear ratios.

The manus. do make different tranny FINAL drives which can change the ratio right at the tranny but OD is OD is OD ya know?

 

[northcreek]

I am the op. I was mostly interested in the mpg gains from the extra overdrive but was also intrigued by the claims on the website that it essentially turns our 4 speed autos into 8 speed autos increasing power to the wheels and mpgs. Turns out those claims are mostly bogus and/or impractical for a daily driver. It sure would be cool if car manufacturers made different tranny overdrive ratios for different rear end gear ratios.

Because you have a 2wd you could actually install a manual gear box behind your transmission( there are kits to do this).It's an old trick that has somewhat come back into fashion lately...Mike.

 

[meerschm]

I was trying to have my cake and eat it too. I installed 4.10 gears which I love but I lost about 2 mpgs on the highway (and gained about 1 mpg in the city) so a taller overdrive would get back my highway mpg but with the cost and constant need to turn the extra overdrive on and off it just doesn't make sense. You say why sweat 1 mpg overall loss? Well, I changed jobs recently and travel about 50 miles on the highway each way which I wasn't anticipating when I installed my gears so now highway mpg has become a bit more important.

so lets see, 50 weeks a year, five days a week is 250 days a year, and 100 miles a day, 25000 miles a year.
With gas at $4 a gallon, and if you get 20 MPG, you will spend $.20 per mile on gas.

look forward to putting $5000 through the tank just to get to and from work.

the roadie might have a pretty good idea.

in the mean time, keep the tire pressure up, and the speed down, and enjoy the drive.

 

[Pittdawg]

Because you have a 2wd you could actually install a manual gear box behind your transmission( there are kits to do this).It's an old trick that has somewhat come back into fashion lately...Mike.

I would love to do that but my left knee arthritis rules that out. I actually had a stick shift Lexus IS 250 prior to this truck and LOVED that car! The leather seats were unmatched in comfort as compared to any other vehicle I've ever rode in and that close ratio 6 speed manual was perfectly mated to that high revving 2.5 cylinder 6 cylinder engine. That car just kept pulling from idle to redline like you wouldn't believe!

 

[northcreek]

I would love to do that but my left knee arthritis rules that out. I actually had a stick shift Lexus IS 250 prior to this truck and LOVED that car! The leather seats were unmatched in comfort as compared to any other vehicle I've ever rode in and that close ratio 6 speed manual was perfectly mated to that high revving 2.5 cylinder 6 cylinder engine. That car just kept pulling from idle to redline like you wouldn't believe!

No there is no clutch work involved,here is the link,you can do OD on the cheap with this kit...Mike.

www.OverDriveIt.com Toll Free: Customer Support 1-928-522-6762 Flagstaff Az.

 

[Pittdawg]

No there is no clutch work involved,here is the link,you can do OD on the cheap with this kit...Mike.

www.OverDriveIt.com Toll Free: Customer Support 1-928-522-6762 Flagstaff Az.

Interesting but I would be a whole lot more interested if they actually built it for you rather offered you instruction on how to build it. I'll give them a call, maybe they will build it for you?