Thinking about a Gear Vendors overdrive again. Any experience here with them?

[FlatTwin]

Thinking about a Gear Vendors overdrive again. Any experience here with them?With fuel closing in on $4 a gallon am looking at putting on on the truck. Talked with Gear Vendors and have found one used for $1500 and the extra giblets will cost another $6-900 or so then installation. Yes thats a lot of diesel fuel but my gut tells me that fuel is not going to get cheaper for a long time so if I am going to do this then its time.Evidently I need a NV5600 tail housing off of a 4 X 4 truck to make the GV work with my two wheel drive tranny. Any ideas where to get one for a reasonable price? GV suggested Dodge and we know how thats going to cost! Thx,Joe (aka FT)

[Wild and Free]

They are great products and bullet proof also. I have installed a few and Know of one locally who used his rig as a power puller with a gear vendors OD unit installed with zero issues just as an example of the strength of them. Someone else may be able to help with a tail shaft.

[volkswagon]

May I ask why you want to put one of these on your truck?

[Blueox01]

May I ask why you want to put one of these on your truck?

Double Overdrive:smart:

--- Update to the previous post...

Thinking about a Gear Vendors overdrive again. Any experience here with them?

With fuel closing in on $4 a gallon am looking at putting on on the truck.

Talked with Gear Vendors and have found one used for $1500 and the extra giblets will cost another $6-900 or so then installation.

Yes thats a lot of diesel fuel but my gut tells me that fuel is not going to get cheaper for a long time so if I am going to do this then its time.

Evidently I need a NV5600 tail housing off of a 4 X 4 truck to make the GV work with my two wheel drive tranny. Any ideas where to get one for a reasonable price? GV suggested Dodge and we know how thats going to cost!

Thx,

Joe (aka FT)

You could try Inland Truck Parts,Blumenthals or google For Reman NV5600,I know there are others that Reman these just can't remember the name of the one in Portland,OR:shrug:

[volkswagon]

Double Overdrive:smart:

Not trying to be a pain in the butt here but what good will that do? Unless your truck runs different than mine, but mine gets the best mpg's in D at somewhere around 2000 rpm.

[dracozny]

Not trying to be a pain in the butt here but what good will that do? Unless your truck runs different than mine, but mine gets the best mpg's in D at somewhere around 2000 rpm.

about 20% more mpg give or take

[FlatTwin]

Not trying to be a pain in the butt here but what good will that do? Unless your truck runs different than mine, but mine gets the best mpg's in D at somewhere around 2000 rpm.

Probably because I do not have a "D" on my six speed manual gearbox!

I get my best mileage around 1600 rpm's which is right at 63 mph on the highway. As the speed limit is 75 mph here in Arizona on the main roads and 70 on many others, running a double overdrive would as is noted get me better mileage.

--- Update to the previous post...

Double Overdrive:smart:

--- Update to the previous post...

You could try Inland Truck Parts,Blumenthals or google For Reman NV5600,I know there are others that Reman these just can't remember the name of the one in Portland,OR:shrug:

Not really looking for a complete reman NV5600 but good call as they might have parts that they would sell, a tail-housing included!

Thx!

[Blueox01]

Yea,thats what i was getting at,but on second thought you sure thats all you'll need,the main shaft is going to be longer on a 2wd(i think).

[dually]

Could you just get 2.73 gears in the rear diff ? That would bring down the rpm at 70.

[ISX]

Could you just get 2.73 gears in the rear diff ? That would bring down the rpm at 70.

The Dana 80 only goes down to 3.31. Plus you would lose some of your starting ability since 1st gear would now be higher. By having the gear vendors, you can stay with stock gearing and be able to gain a gear in each gear, since you can put it in OD in each gear. They also make over under units I think, so you can be in 1st, 1st UD, 1st OD..so a 5spd will have 15 theoretical gears. I just looked at their site and did some calculations and it would make me do 70 at 1585 rather than the 2050 I am at now. I think that's cutting it close to being too low.

[LiveOak]

I like the Vendors over drive unit. That having been said, I just don't see how the huge cash outlay can be justified on the premise of this unit paying for itself or even reducing fuel costs enough to offset the huge cost of the over drive unit. Most of our trucks will already get 21 - 24 mpg running empty provided the vehicle speed is kept below 50 mph. The laws of physics are still in effect. If you drive faster than 50 mph, you vehicle fuel mileage is going to fall off proportionally no matter how tall a final drive you use. In my opinion, our trucks are pretty much already geared to run in the engine's most efficient rpm/power range. If you want the Vendor's overdrive unit for the ability to split gears and operate under a much wider range of gear ratio's to keep the engine in the most efficient rpm/power range, then there may be some benefit from installing one especially for towing and hauling applications or you just want one because the additional range of gearing is appealing to you yeah go for it. Otherwise, I think you may be spending a LOT of money for something that may yield disappointing results. You can buy a LOT of diesel fuel for $3200. Just my worth.

[Wild and Free]

Plus you would lose some of your starting ability since 1st gear would now be higher. By having the gear vendors, you can stay with stock gearing and be able to gain a gear in each gear, since you can put it in OD in each gear. They also make over under units I think, so you can be in 1st, 1st UD, 1st OD..so a 5spd will have 15 theoretical gears.

I just looked at their site and did some calculations and it would make me do 70 at 1585 rather than the 2050 I am at now. I think that's cutting it close to being too low.

It changes nothing as the OD unit is selectable. You still have the same 1st gear. But you then say that in the next sentence.

[ISX]

It changes nothing as the OD unit is selectable. You still have the same 1st gear. But you then say that in the next sentence.

Because I was talking about swapping in a 2.73 rear... It would be like starting out in 2nd with his current 3.54's if he were to start out in 1st with the 2.73's.

[Wild and Free]

Because I was talking about swapping in a 2.73 rear... It would be like starting out in 2nd with his current 3.54's if he were to start out in 1st with the 2.73's.

AAAAHHH Gotcha. I', pickin up what your puttin down now.

[FlatTwin]

Because I was talking about swapping in a 2.73 rear... It would be like starting out in 2nd with his current 3.54's if he were to start out in 1st with the 2.73's.

Problem is that this ratio will not (as far as I know) fit in my rear end assy. I had looked into going with a different gear ratio and it just was not that much of a change, so started looking at GV units. Right now in my area we are looking at just below $4 a gallon for diesel. What if it goes to $5 a gallon? How abouts $6 a gallon? This changes things rapidly and if you can add another 20% fuel mileage, especially with a Cummins, it starts to look a lot better.

[ISX]

The Dana 80 only goes down to 3.31.

Problem is that this ratio will not (as far as I know) fit in my rear end assy. I had looked into going with a different gear ratio and it just was not that much of a change, so started looking at GV units. Right now in my area we are looking at just below $4 a gallon for diesel. What if it goes to $5 a gallon? How abouts $6 a gallon? This changes things rapidly and if you can add another 20% fuel mileage, especially with a Cummins, it starts to look a lot better.

Yes it only goes down to 3.31 ratio..