"Car" Transmission?

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14x4
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"Car" Transmission?

Post by 14x4 »

My girlfriend told a guy she works with that I like to off-road in my S10. He used to own a S10 and did some off-roading in it, so he decided to give me some advice. He pretty much said don't off-road, or if you do, be prepared to spend a lot of money constantly repairing the transmission. He then continued to say that I should buy a 1/2 ton truck and stop investing my money into my S10. He said that S10's, unlike full-size trucks, have "car" transmissions and turn into absolute junk if taken off road.

Is this true? Is it a matter of when, not if, my transmission is going to fail? If so, is there something I can do to prevent it (while continuing to off-road)?

I tried searching the subject but I couldn't find much. If its been said over and over, can someone help me out with a link instead of repeating themselves? :oops:

Thank you.
Mike
Last edited by 14x4 on Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 04crewvt »

Our trucks use the same 4L60E transmissions as the 1/2ton trucks but I believe they have a different torque converter and different programming. That being said they are not he strongest transmissions in the world and if you wheel hard you can expect to blow one up sooner or later. The up side of that is when you do you can get a much stronger rebuilt one but at a cost. I just dropped 2100.00 on a rebuild for my Tahoe which is the same transmission upgraded to hardened components and a firmer shift with an upgraded valve body. As with everything your mileage may vary.

The added part to that is if you wheel it you will break it and that does not matter if it is an s10 a k1500 a jeep or any other rig. If you want to play better be ready to pay for repairs one way or the other.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by HenryJ »

I am going to guess that he had an early second gen Blazer. Those really had transmission problems. The 4L60E in ours is not all that bad. True it does need some modifications to be tougher and shift firmly.

There are weaker links than the transmission on these trucks. Any rig has problems. Treat it right, wheel smart not hard and you will be fine.

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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by green02crew »

They are not the strongest 1/2 ton transmission but they work. They have been put in Corvettes, Camaros, Vans and Silverados. So I guess technically yes, they are a "car" transmission as the Corvette is a car :lol: . Will it fail when offroading? Perhaps, as can anything else. Add a good tranny cooler and some servos added with a longer pin and maybe some programming and you are less likely to have an issue with heat and it will feel much better. This is what they did for it in the Vette. I have overloaded my truck and towed waaaay more than it should have and I still have the original transmission at 77k miles, *knock on wood*. Tell your girlfriend to tell this guy to learn how to drive or change his tranny fluid before saying its junk.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by HenryJ »

Good point on the service. I change mine at 25k miles for severe duty. Spend the extra and change all the fluid as well as the filter.

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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 04crewvt »

The 1st gen blazers had the previous version of the 4L60E (700R4) it was known to blow up at around 80-90K, the transmission in my 95 Blazer (2nd gen with 4L60E ) which was a highway rig only had 243K on it when I traded it and was still going strong and the 98 Tahoe I just replaced the transmission in had 225K on it and had been used for towing so it looks like they are much stronger than they were. I expect you will blow up the IFS components many times before the transmission as long as you are careful. The servo and pin mod as well as a shift kit might be the cheap way to prevent some issues but I would still start a repair fund if you are taking it off road more than just occasionally.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 14x4 »

I appreciate the help guys.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by roadrunner »

Any trans can be "blown". I blew the one in my CC a couple years ago but it was due to being stuck in deep drifted snow with ice underneath and not quitting soon enough to prevent damage. The sun-shell detonated along with some other rather expensive parts. Lesson learned: when buried in mud/snow quit while you are ahead and get PULLED out. Yes I knew better but sometimes foolishness overtakes reason. :roll: 8)
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 14x4 »

roadrunner wrote:Lesson learned: when buried in mud/snow quit while you are ahead and get PULLED out.

Point taken. I should probably stop going out in my rig only.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by F9K9 »

14x4 wrote:
roadrunner wrote:Lesson learned: when buried in mud/snow quit while you are ahead and get PULLED out.

Point taken. I should probably stop going out in my rig only.
That really is rule number one when going off road.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by roadrunner »

Rule #2: If alone have a good winch. It could save your truck or possibly your life! 8)
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by PATRICKH »

Nothing else to add that has not already been said.

Ever notice though, no matter what you drive, you always find that one guy who "had one of those once and they were junk" :roll:
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 14x4 »

PATRICKH wrote:Nothing else to add that has not already been said.

Ever notice though, no matter what you drive, you always find that one guy who "had one of those once and they were junk" :roll:
I can't tell you how many people have cautioned me when it comes to my "small" truck. Everyone thinks S10's aren't tough enough. They're full of it. :moon:
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by s10 again »

Does anyone make a good auto truck tanny anymore. I'll take my little s10 trans all day over a Dodge truck one. Had a 95 ram 2wd that was wifes truck ate two new autos before 120k and it never really worked.

Just take care of it and don't wheel like a made man. Don't forget to keep the rad (and cooler if you have one) clean especially when playing in mud. If you get bogged down don't load the engine against the trans that is just asking for it and it would not matter if you had a Allison straight out of a tank!!!

And no do not go wheeling alone you may need a second 4x4 and the extra hands to get you out of trouble. Now I have been known to do some pre-running of trails alone but this is not far off from driving on dirt roads. And I keep safety gear close at hand. I learned the hard way when I swamped a Tracker. I had to walk 3 miles to a phone to call wife so she could drive 30 miles to bring gear I should have had before heading out. She will never let me live that down!!!

I once posted a pic on Jeepforum showing a Cherokee balanced on it's nose. Initially the thread was about unsecured cargo but I also pointed out how would anyone safely be able to exit that rig alone. Things happen and a simple mistake can turn life threating when driving on a good road. Going off road only amplifies this effect.

Take care and happy wheeling ahead.
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Re: "Car" Transmission?

Post by 14x4 »

Good advice. Thanks Chris.
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