Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Jeep, and DeSoto Transmissions
Automatic transmissions in roughly chronological order
- Early Chrysler transmissions
- TorqueFlite (3 speeds) - the legend! Detailed article describing how the TorqueFlite works, and showing how to solve common problems. Transmissions based on the TorqueFlite include the 32RH, 46RH, and 42RE.
- Front wheel drive A-413 (TorqueFlite based)
- A-500 and A-518: TorqueFlite with added electric overdrive
- Four-speed automatics:
- Five speed automatics:
- Six speed automatics:
- 62TE six speed car/minivan automatic
- 65RFE (software-modified 545RFE)
- 66RFE and 68RFE six speed truck/Jeep automatic
- Variable line pressure
- Eight and nine automatics: ZF 8-speed automatic • ZF 9-speed automatic
- Chrysler’s stillborn automatically-shifted manual transmission
- CVT (continuously variable transmission): Patriot, Compass, Caliber
- Hybrid-electric transmission: see end of page.
Manual transmissions
- A-833 four-speed transmission: from economy cars to the drag strip
- Front-drive Getrag manual transmissions: 1980s, 1990s
- Brief Neon automatic and manual transmission info
- Details on 2.2 TBI and 2.2 Turbo III transmissions
- The early Imperials page has a detailed description of the 1930s four-speed manual.
- Alan Ditmore noted others:
- A-230, A-250, and A-390 three-speeds
- Toyota-built AX-15 five speed
- Later trucks used the NV2500, 3500, and 4500 granny gear five speeds and NV-5600 six speed
- NP-435 "granny gear" four speed (MoparNorm wrote: “There were three versions of the NP435, a D-1, D-2 and D-3, with both wide and close ratio gear sets. The more modern version of the 435 (after the 445) was known as the NP4530, nearly identical, with different gear sets and more aluminum in the case.”)
Performance, repair, and racing issues
Repairs and quick fixes
- Fix (and prevent) four-speed automatic transmission problems cheaply
- Changing your transmission fluid
- Torque converter modification to prevent shudder and failure
- Installing a transmission fluid cooler to prevent problems
- Manual transmissions:
- Manual transmission shifter cables (rear and front wheel drive)
- Lubricants for New Venture truck transmissions
- EEK (1980s-early 1990s) five-speed manual transmissions
- Neon/PT 5-speed manual transmission and general shifter troubleshooting
- Clutch replacement - step by step replacement (Neon shown)
- TorqueFlite automatic:
Transmissions: Racing and performance issues
- Shift kits and manual valve bodies
- Why you need a clutch shield for racing
- Upgrading to a manual transmission (from an automatic - front wheel drive)
- Transmission mounts (front drive)
General Motors transmissions in Mopar makes
Randle Blankenship wrote: There was a time in the early to mid 1950s when GM Hydramatics were used not only in GM cars, buses, trucks, and military vehicles, but Nash, Hudson, Kaiser, Willys cars... and some Dodge postal delivery trucks (1954 or 1955 RHD models). The sound of their coming and going was distinctive.
The Dodges had the shift lever sprouting from the left side of the steering column. The shift quadrant was marked R Lo Dr N. I saw one of these up close at the time, and I can confirm that it was indeed a four speed truck Hydramatic coupled to a Dodge Six engine. The same vintage International postal trucks were using 3 speed Borg Warner automatics. I do not know of any consumer type Dodge truck of the time being offered with any kind of automatic, though some earlier Dodge pickups had optional fluid drive.
Hybrid-electric transmissions
General Motors, Chrysler, and BMW developed a two-mode transmission/motor designed for hybrid-electric vehicles which increased the gas mileage of full-sized SUVs by 15% (or 25% including cylinder-cutoff systems). It was an option in the Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen as well as big Chevy and Cadillac trucks and Mercedes and BMW cars. Starting in 2007, GM built all the transmissions for all the partners in a new plant near Baltimore. It could be programmed for either gas mileage or performance. It had two electric motors inside; one for low speeds, the other for high speeds. It could be used in four wheel drive vheicles. The automatic-transmission part (which is used for transmitting gas-engine power) appears to be a CVT.