Looks like I will finally have some time to write down my first impressions of the ATS Tripple Lock tranny that I got last week. In the last 8 days, I have put 3200 miles on the Ram. 2100 of that is on the new tranny. I wanted to get some driving in the city and around town before I posted anything.
First off, before I had the tranny rebuilt, I had a DTT
VB and a TC Saver installed in the truck. I installed these parts around 60K miles. I decided to do tranny mods before I did HP mods since I didnt want to trash the tranny with the excess HP. I did not have a DTT TC since I decided to get the TC at the same time as the tranny overhaul. The DTT parts did their job, and at 104K miles, the tranny was still working great! Without the DTT parts, I would not have been able to run with a #6 plate.
DTT vs ATS Valve Body...
One of the things that I lost going to the DTT Valve Body was manual 2nd gear downshift. I believe this is due to the high line pressure. The computer thinks you are going faster than actual, and therefore I could not get the truck to downshift into 2nd gear until I got to 28 MPH. I know DTT sells a smart controller to fix this problem, but I didnt buy one, so I didnt have 2nd gear until 28 MPH. With the ATS Valve Body, using stock line pressures, I now have 2nd gear back without any extra electronics. I can downshift to 2nd gear anytime I like, and this is a nice improvement.
ATS Tripple Lock TC
ATS recently changed the design of the Tripple Lock. The new design includes a new forged Piston, and locking tabs for the plates inside the TC. I am sure ATS will have no problems if someone posts a picture of the weld holding things together. It is a single seam, using a automated welder, and it looks great! I am really impressed with how the truck moves now that a good TC is inside the tranny. From the DTT trucks that I have ridden in, I think the fluid coupling of the ATS tranny is every bit as good as good as the DTT TC. I have not had the two side by side, so I am going on what I remember. RPM drop going into TC lockup is anywhere from 450 to 550 with the ATS TC depending on where my foot is. With the Tripple Lock, TC Lockup feels like just another gear, and it is so smooth, that most of the time, all I notice is a change in engine noise. I do have to increase the idle about 75RPM since the TC is putting more of a load on the engine when I go into gear. My friend had to have his idle increased also. A lot of what other people with ATS trannies have written regarding the shifting, lockup, and TC efficiency is the same experience I have had.
Service
A friend and I drove from Central Texas to Denver to get our trucks done at the same time. We were promised a one day turnaround, and that is what we got. Both trucks drove in on Tues morning, and both trucks drove out Tues night with new trannies. I was able to watch everything from tear down to assembly. I was able to ask all the questions i could think of, and at no time did I ever think the questions were unwelcome. During tests such as running the Valve Body on the dyno, they sent people looking for us so we could watch this in action. ATS gave us a car to use while we were there so my friends could do some sight seeing while the truck was down. What else could you ask for
How to save youself time on the road
2 days before I was going to Colorado, I found out that James Northrup (inarush76) could have done the install in Dallas. At the time it was too late to change our plans, but for those of you closer to Dallas than Denver, James can do the work, and it will save you a looooong drive.
Conclusion
I would welcome the opportunity to give rides in my truck at any of the rallys I attend if you want to form your own unbiased opinion. I was kinda disapointed when I got to ATS in that all the CTD's there are running around 450+ HP. Getting a ride in them was fun, but it didnt give me a very good impression on how MY truck would perform after the upgrade. I knew I wouldnt be dissapointed and I wasnt, but it would have been nice to get a general idea of what a sub 300HP truck would be like before the point of no return. I really like the lockup abilities of the ATS setup, and contrary to what most people think, unless you use the ATS lockup controller, your shift points are the same as stock. There is no locked shifting unless YOU decide YOU want them! It is nice to have this option, and it comes in handy when you want to slow down since you can also get locked downshifts to 20 MPH
The Warranty.
I have a 65K mile warranty for 3 years in writing! All that is required is to change the filter and adjust the bands every 12K miles. Not much to ask for in order to get the best warranty out there...
Thanks to the Crew at ATS for all the time it required to answer my questions prior to getting this work done!! Although I hate to think of driving to Colorado and back, it was really worth the drive. Personally, I dont think anyone would be dissapointed with this tranny, but that is my opinion. I encourage everybody to form there own unbiased opinion, and spend your money where YOU choose!
Happy Motoring
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