help me make a decision

[mrspeed64]

i'm posting this on this part of the site for all you guys that have the 2500 & up trucks.i've been on this site along with the ls1 tech site and have heard horror stories with the 1500 trans in blowing up and s**ting problems.

 

do you guys have the shifting problems & blowing up like the guys that have the 1500's? also, do you guys have a problem with the steering intermediate shaft???

 

i've always own a chevy and went to the dark side and bought a 2001 2500 ram new back in 2000.the trans blew at 44.000 miles and had my shaft replaced once. now my trans is going and my shaft needs to be replaced again. i was thinking about getting a chevy 1500 (because of gas $$) but the more i read about the 1500's, i feel like i'm buying a problem child (my truck now). maybe i should buy a 2500 and bend over for the gas. i get 11 mpg highway now with my pig.

 

need advise..guide me please..sorry for venting!!!

[mmmikkke]

I bought a 1500 GMC 4wd in 2002 and eventually the trans developed a rough 1-2 shift. I traded it in on a 2005 2500hd, partly because my 1995 K3500 (roughly equal to the current 2500hd) never had a hint of a trans problem in 145,000 miles.

 

The 4L80E is a much nicer trans than the 4L60E. I took the mpg hit partly for this reason, exactly the same way you are now considering. I'm really much happier with the 2500HD.

 

My 2500HD 4wd gets about 12.5 mpg in suburban driving, and I try to drive efficiently, but I do put my foot into it when the situation requires. My 2002 1500 got about 15 in suburban driving, same driving style.

 

Another thing about the 1500 was that there seemed to be some stiction (friction that tries to keep still, but then lurches when it breaks loose) in the trans when creeping along very slowly as the traffic signal got ready to turn green. Would give me a very slight head bob as I creeped forward. I noticed immediately after taking delivery that the 2500HD doesn't do that, although I didn't check for this during the test drive before I bought the 2500HD.

 

The 2500HD has more exhaust noise, and I actually find the mild rumble very satisfying. The 6.0 has a lower compression ratio than the 5.3 and that is part of the reason it gets poorer mileage.

 

I noticed no degradation in mpg when I replaced the factory 245/75-16E Bridgestone V-Steels with Toyo Open Country 285/75-16D's. I *did* notice a much smoother ride. The 285's just barely clear the bottom edge of the front spoiler when the front tires are turned about 5 degrees. It looks TOUGH.

 

I'm outside today installing an amber-lens Whelen Mini-Edge strobe flasher. I test mounted it last week (magnet mounts) and it definitely reduces the number of idiots tailgating. I am permanent mounting it right now, hooking it up to the factory harness for the "aux lights" (comes prewired for a strobe/flasher in the headliner if you get the snow plow prep package).

 

I'm mounting on the center of the roof, where the stiffening beam is located. Needed to shim between the beam and the actual roof to keep the roof from sagging under the weight (5lbs) of the Whelen Mini-Edge. But I digress...

[496 CUBIC INCHES]

If you want the 1500 get one. You do have to remember the 4L60-E is a light-duty transmission. You don't want to try and pull 10K pounds with 3.42s,or run 38" Super-Swampers,or do burn-outs at every stop sign.

 

If you have a 1/2 a clue and do the proper maintanance,the 4L60-E will last a long time.

 

If you want to abuse your truck every chance you get the 4L60-E will take a dump on you.

[snoman]

If you want the 1500 get one. You do have to remember the 4L60-E is a light-duty transmission. You don't want to try and pull 10K pounds with 3.42s,or run 38" Super-Swampers,or do burn-outs at every stop sign.

 

If you have a 1/2 a clue and do the proper maintanance,the 4L60-E will last a long time.

 

If you want to abuse your truck every chance you get the 4L60-E will take a dump on you.

 

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The 4L60 is not that light duty and it will handle 10k fine if you have the proper gearing for tire size and you have a aux cooler installed. Heat is the number one killer of a tranny, not some much the use of it. Big tire, tall gears equal HEAT! I have a 89 burb with a 700R4 and 170K miles on it and it still shifts like new and it has towed and been across country and the rockies at least a dozen times. It has had regular fluid changes and a aux tranny cooler on it since day one too ever though it came with a factory HD tow package with aux engine oil cooler, I still added the aux cooler. Some of what has given the 4L60 a bad rap is that the sprags are not that strong and while they hold up fine when left stock there are some that put hard shift kits in them with big tires and tall gears and it will hammer the sprags out of it with time if you drive it hard with that setup.

[496 CUBIC INCHES]

If you want the 1500 get one. You do have to remember the 4L60-E is a light-duty transmission. You don't want to try and pull 10K pounds with 3.42s,or run 38" Super-Swampers,or do burn-outs at every stop sign.

 

If you have a 1/2 a clue and do the proper maintanance,the 4L60-E will last a long time.

 

If you want to abuse your truck every chance you get the 4L60-E will take a dump on you.

 

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The 4L60 is not that light duty and it will handle 10k fine if you have the proper gearing

 

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The 4L60-E is a light duty transmisson. Thats why GM also uses it in CARS,and 1500 series pickups.

[mmmikkke]

C'mon, this is your conscience talking. Get the 2500HD. Get the 2500HD. Don't screw around with a 1500 when you know in your heart that a 2500HD is what you want. Gas isn't going to get any cheaper. It's just a matter of deciding if you can afFORD a 2500HD. Well, have you worked hard? Pleased the boss? Wife in the right corner of the O.K. Corral? ("I'm OK, you're OK.) There you have it. You've earned a 2500HD.

 

Sign here.

 

Much more of a Man's truck. And beautifully done. Ride the wave, dude.

[snoman]

If you want the 1500 get one. You do have to remember the 4L60-E is a light-duty transmission. You don't want to try and pull 10K pounds with 3.42s,or run 38" Super-Swampers,or do burn-outs at every stop sign.

 

If you have a 1/2 a clue and do the proper maintanance,the 4L60-E will last a long time.

 

If you want to abuse your truck every chance you get the 4L60-E will take a dump on you.

 

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The 4L60 is not that light duty and it will handle 10k fine if you have the proper gearing

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

 

The 4L60-E is a light duty transmisson. Thats why GM also uses it in CARS,and 1500 series pickups.

 

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I think the more proper term here in medium duty because they are not light as you imply and the "duty" is based on it input torque capacity not is work abilty. Keep it cool and it will do fine with proper gearing as my 16 year 700R4 (which the 4L60E is based) has been flawless and it has had a hard life) Also for 05, GM has beefed the 4L60 series a lot including the sprags and a 4L60 series tranny has been used in the vette for a long time and that is not a LD application at all. Actually the 4L60 is a better choice for some RV uses because of it 3.09 first gear vs the 4L80's 2.48 and if you swap a 60 to a 80 you will feel the difference it startout ratios. GM good regear the 80 series if they wanted to but then the Alison with it 3+ to 1 first gear also would not feel any stronger on take off the a 80 series.

[mrspeed64]

o.k i'm 90% sure i'm gonna go for the 2500. so gas is up there in price. i car pool with the wife to work. i also have stock in exxon/mobile. gotta keep the stock up.

plus the wife's tired of me undecided.

 

how about the steering intermediate shaft? do the 2500's have that problem too?

[mmmikkke]

Check out this post on the steering intermediate shaft.

 

Steering Intermediate Shafts

 

Sounds like you might be lucky and get one that's good. Looks also like the 2500hd is not immune to this problem.

[Superman TNT]

I have had several Chevy's, 91 1500 2wd w/ V6, 96 1500 Z71 4x4 w/ 350 Votec, 2001 1500 Z71 w/ 5.3L and now a 04 2500HD 4x4 w/ 8.1L and Allison tranny. Here is my experience.

 

91 Chevy, nice truck, great gas milage but couldn't tow much of anything. It had a manual tranny and the clutch went at around 70k miles. No other problems with this truck.

 

96 Chevy 1500 Z71 4x4 w/ 350 - GREAT truck! ! My 4x4 switch went out at 30k miles and was replaced under warrenty. No other problems. It had 3:73 gears and got about 16 - 17 mpg highway, 13-14 average around town. It would pull very well.

 

01 Chevy 1500 Z71 4x4 w/ 5.3L and 3:73 gears. Nice truck with no problems through 53K miles. Biggest complaint is weak power. Despite what Chevy will tell you the 5.3L engine is a complete dog compared to the 350. It get the same gas milage as my 350 did, maybe a little better. Front anti lock brakes went out (big Chevy problem, see the posts). I feel like if I continue to try and tow anything with this truck it will have tranny and engine problems. Rather than kill it I bought my 04.

 

04 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 w/ 8.1L and 4:10 gears. Truck is still new. I barly have 4k miles on it. It is loaded with every thing you can imagine. So far great truck. I LOVE the tranny in this truck. It feels so solid and smooth, like nothing I've driven before. It gets better gas mileage than your pig. I got 12 - 13mpg highway for over 1,500 miles going 75mph on average. I get 10ish around town.

 

My suggestion is to avoid the 5.3L engine and tranny, especially if you tow anything. I have heard great things about the 6.0L engine but have no experience myslef. I don't thiink there is a big mpg difference between the 6.0L and the 8.1L so I would get the power over the gas milage.

 

Good luck,

[mmmikkke]

...I feel like if I continue to try and tow anything with this truck it will have tranny and engine problems. Rather than kill it I bought my 04...

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Good point, and I agree. The 5.3 is the biggest engine you can get with the 4L60E. If GM puts anything bigger on a 4L60E, they beef the 4L60 into a 4L65 (I think.) I think 6.0 Escalades get this beefier 4L65.

 

I bought my 2002 1500 not knowing this, and as I indicated in an earlier post in this thread I was seeing signs that it was not happy. I traded it in to divorce myself from a likely problem. Don't put yourself in the same position I was in. The 4L80E is a much nicer trans, it has a higher stall speed on the torque converter, and is much more responsive for that reason. With the 6.0/4L80E you really feel like you have a engineering marvel directing the power to the drive shaft.

[04JJHD]

I replaced my steering shaft with a borgeson steering shaft because I had the knocking noise and no problems since. I love my 4l80e it shists perfetly and is basiclly a turbo 400 with another gear and it's electroniclly controled, hell they have the same first 3 gear ratios