Pain in the butt transmissions

[Midnight Flyer]

Through the years there have been all sorts of transmissions in the big rigs and some of them haven't been the easiest to shift (some of the old Macks come to mind). So what have been the most difficult to shift and/or work with? 8)

[Jumbo]

Super 10 speed.

[Rev.Vassago]

Super 10 speed.

Here's another vote for the Stupid 10.


Ironically enough, it was also the transmission that I got my best fuel mileage out of. I could be maxxed out at 80K, and still get 7.9 mpg out of that damn thing.

[Kranky]

Through the years there have been all sorts of transmissions in the big rigs and some of them haven't been the easiest to shift (some of the old Macks come to mind).

Hmmmm, I've always found Mack transmissions (both old & later model) to be easy shifting.

From a durability standpoint I'd say the worst was the old Spicer 4x4 (16 speed) air shift.

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[Midnight Flyer]

Does Spicer still make transmissions? All I've ever seen are Eaton-Fuller or Meritor. 8)

[GMAN]

I remember an old 4 x 5 that was interesting to drive. It had two gear shifts.

[Kranky]

Does Spicer still make transmissions? All I've ever seen are Eaton-Fuller or Meritor. 8)

Spicer is now known as Transmission Technologies Corporation.

[Kranky]

I remember an old 4 x 5 that was interesting to drive. It had two gear shifts.

The Mack quadruplex was a 5x4 with 2 sticks.

It's also my favorite transmission of all time.

That's primarily what I drove for the first 10 years or so of my career.

Just like anything else, once you get the hang of it you can make it "talk".

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[Midnight Flyer]

Through the years there have been all sorts of transmissions in the big rigs and some of them haven't been the easiest to shift (some of the old Macks come to mind).

Hmmmm, I've always found Mack transmissions (both old & later model) to be easy shifting.

From a durability standpoint I'd say the worst was the old Spicer 4x4 (16 speed) air shift.

.

A buddy of mine who's been driving since when they first started making trucks hated those 4X4s (he called them air 4X4s). He was always cussing them! 8)

[GMAN]

Does Spicer still make transmissions? All I've ever seen are Eaton-Fuller or Meritor. 8)

I have a Spicer in my International. It is a good transmission.

[jorlee]

That I've driven is Rockwell, transmissions. I can't stand them, slow shifting pieces. :x

[TruckerChris]

Gordon has Meritor 10 speed's manual, not auto and there were super tight... Everyone complains about them

[marylandkw]

I spent a summer cursing a Mack quadruplex, never did get it to talk unless you count scrapping gears. My mentor told me I just was not "man" enough

I have never met a Mack transmission I could be smooth with and I drove a buddies a few weeks ago in an 08' granite.

I like the Eaton Fuller I have now (13) but at this point I think my next truck will have an Allison. My knees are just not what they used to be.

[Mack2]

A mack T2070 transmission (5spd with 2 low range gears) has always been hard for me to shift though I can shift a 5spd Mack just fine and everbody else ends up curssing it.

[ironeagle_2006]

How about that 9 over that Eaton had were your pattern was Granny First second third pull the spiltter then back to grandma then run the rest. However if you forgot about 9th was OD only and shoved it down into what would normally be 4th in anyother trans you would hear this nasty grinding. I had to recover a truck for my 1st company OTR that a driver had broken a countershadft in by trying to use the 9th gear in the low side and ended up DH home from AL back to IL with that rig with a trans that LIKED TO STICK IN GEAR.

[eighteenspdjammer]

Worst was spicer SST10 with front-mounted splitter.
Don't preselect, because just as soon as you hit the button, that air cylinder is just RAMming that gear, G-D-D-D-d-d-d-CLANK. every shift. Makes you feel like you're just learning again. Have to the whole way through the truckstop parking lot in one gear just to keep people from laughing at you.

[eighteenspdjammer]

Worst was spicer SST10 with front-mounted splitter.
Don't preselect, because just as soon as you hit the button, that air cylinder is just RAMming that gear, G-D-D-D-d-d-d-CLANK. every shift. Makes you feel like you're just learning again. Have to the whole way through the truckstop parking lot in one gear just to keep people from laughing at you.

[lwsii]

best transmissions of all time? in my opinion the Spicer 5 x 4 no air splitters or none of that, just two sticks. Keep your linkage to the auxilary (4 speed) lubed & tight, coolers on both boxes, when they came out with synthetic lubes, a good driver should should run a million-1.5 million miles easy. If you ever needed you could swap auxilaries in a shop in less than an hour. Only bad shifting transmission I think of is a 13 with a Cummins, I never could seem to smooth em out.

[Rev.Vassago]

How about that 9 over that Eaton had were your pattern was Granny First second third pull the spiltter then back to grandma then run the rest. However if you forgot about 9th was OD only and shoved it down into what would normally be 4th in anyother trans you would hear this nasty grinding.

Ummm.....That's a standard 9 spd.


If you actually used the granny gear on the highway, you are an idiot. That's not a highway gear.

[jorlee]

How about that 9 over that Eaton had were your pattern was Granny First second third pull the spiltter then back to grandma then run the rest. However if you forgot about 9th was OD only and shoved it down into what would normally be 4th in anyother trans you would hear this nasty grinding.

Ummm.....That's a standard 9 spd.


If you actually used the granny gear on the highway, you are an idiot. That's not a highway gear.

What he discribed is known as the Performance nine speed. That is which is not a standard nine speed. The performance nine speed doesn't have lo. It's basically a 10 speed with out 5th in low range.