Well, Ill be damned... 10R80

[NotBudule]

I really only have one issue with the Ranger tranny and it is an issue with how Ford decided to program it. I have been driving 2.3 Ecoboost powered vehicles for the past 7 years and 100k+ miles. The engine is just not happy cruising along at less than 1500 rpm. The way the tranny is programmed it will have the rpm around 1200 or 1300 rpm when cruising. I realize you can lock out gears, use tow mode or sport to keep the rpms up but you shouldn't have to.

The FP tune made a big improvement but was not perfect. Since I wanted to get back to using 87 octane with gas prices the way they are. I decided to go to Unleashed for an 87 octane tune with custom transmission tuning. I am on my third revision to the tranny tune and it is now the way I want it. Cruises between 1500 and 2000 rpm. Up shifts are crisp and it willingly down shifts without being over aggressive like tow mode.

Was the first two tunes "good " and you just kept tweeking it ? Sounds exactly like what I want , tow mode almost perfact shifts except the hills I gotta go down , it holds back a bit to much ...

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[APmech]

Tell you what dude, your wasting the "damn" your giving on the trans skipping gears.

Wanting the tranny to shift though every single gear, every single time.. would just put more wear on parts and use more fuel.. so.. yeah. Wicked awesome thing to bitch about.

Damn right I want it to shift thru every gear. Wear and tear...., lol. Like I'm going to burn it up shifting thru all 10 dude...

 

[AutobotXJ]

Skipping 2nd gear while driving in the city or on a hill is horrible. There are times when it doesn’t skip and I cross my fingers that the tranny has finally figured me out, but the next day, it skips again. I tend to drive in sport or tow mode in these situations now. In fact, the only time I use D is when I’m going down the mountain.

 

[BassRanger]

The 1st to 3rd ratio change in our 10r80 is about same as 1st to 2nd in most 5/6 speeds. You wouldn't even notice if it weren't for the gear indicator.

My trans smoothed out during the first month of driving. No complaints now, other than the occasional cold start hard upshift. Other than that truck runs great in Drive.

 

[Blmpkn]

Damn right I want it to shift thru every gear. Wear and tear...., lol. Like I'm going to burn it up shifting thru all 10 dude...

Definitely not a thing that's going to cause an immediate failure, your right.. but.. shifting=wear. Non debatable.

My driving habits have the thing acting like a 6 speed most of the time. Why TF would I want to force it to shift 4 more times than it needs to?

 

[Dgc333]

Was the first two tunes "good " and you just kept tweeking it ? Sounds exactly like what I want , tow mode almost perfact shifts except the hills I gotta go down , it holds back a bit to much ...

The first iteration was much like the FP tune, crisper shifts but it still spent to much time cruising at and below 1500 rpm. The second iteration the cruising rpms we're where I wanted them but I would get occasional hunting. I would be cruising in 8th it would shift to 9th them immediately down shift to 7th then back to 8th. Third iteration is perfect.

 

[NotBudule]

The first iteration was much like the FP tune, crisper shifts but it still spent to much time cruising at and below 1500 rpm. The second iteration the cruising rpms we're where I wanted them but I would get occasional hunting. I would be cruising in 8th it would shift to 9th them immediately down shift to 7th then back to 8th. Third iteration is perfect.

How does that work , you just tell them where you want the rpms to not go below ,? Is there a shift chart you make the curves on.? Just curious ? I don't want the Ford one , not at 93 ...and no power complaints , just need a "delug tune"

 

[WNCblueridge]

The first iteration was much like the FP tune, crisper shifts but it still spent to much time cruising at and below 1500 rpm. The second iteration the cruising rpms we're where I wanted them but I would get occasional hunting. I would be cruising in 8th it would shift to 9th them immediately down shift to 7th then back to 8th. Third iteration is perfect.

My FP tune got installed around 1400 miles. Shortly after tune it was cruising to 1500rpm minimum. It was hanging around 1300rpm before tune. Not sure if that was from the tune or more the transmission still learning/adapting

 

[Apples]

Allow me to take a different stance on this subject.

CVTs have been with us for many years. In some respects, they're an ideal transmission. They can allow the engine to operate at its most efficient, or powerful, RPM range, depending on the driving need at the time. And in fact, this is how the original CVTs operated. However, owners who were first subjected to their (almost infinite) shifting pattern, flat hated them! In sort of a retaliation, manufacturers instigated computer controlled shift patterns just like fixed, multi-speed transmissions did. Obviously, this is a conundrum for vehicle manufacturers, as CVTs are capable of providing even better fuel mileage than they do now, if the consumer(s) would rethink their stick-in-the-mud attitudes about feeling shift patterns!

The same can be said about the 10R40. Regardless of your profession, or chosen white-collared job, unless you're an automotive engineer, you have little leeway in bitching about shifting strategies!

The truth is, the 10R40 is the best-designed automatic transmission currently offered (GM involvement notwithstanding)! It is rugged, and long-lasting, if you keep it serviced as Ford recommends! If you don't like it, then trade it, and buy a slush-box equipped POS!

 

[Big Blue]

Allow me to take a different stance on this subject.

CVTs have been with us for many years. In some respects, they're an ideal transmission. They can allow the engine to operate at its most efficient, or powerful, RPM range, depending on the driving need at the time. And in fact, this is how they originally CVTs operated. However, owners who were first subjected to their (almost infinite) shifting pattern, flat hated them! In sort of a retaliation, manufacturers instigated computer controlled shift patterns just like fixed, multi-speed transmissions did. Obviously, this is a conundrum for vehicle manufacturers, as CVTs are capable of providing even better fuel mileage than they do now, if the consumer(s) would rethink their stick-in-the-mud attitudes about feeling shift patterns!

The same can be said about the 10R40. Regardless of your profession, or chosen white-collared job, unless you're an automotive engineer, you have little leeway in bitching about shifting strategies!

The truth is, the 10R40 is the best-designed automatic transmission currently offered (GM involvement notwithstanding)! It is rugged, and long-lasting, if you keep it serviced as Ford recommends! If you don't like it, then trade it, and buy a slush-box equipped POS!

Could not have said it better!

 

[Dgc333]

The truth is, the 10R40 is the best-designed automatic transmission currently offered (GM involvement notwithstanding)! It is rugged, and long-lasting, if you keep it serviced as Ford recommends! If you don't like it, then trade it, and buy a slush-box equipped POS!

I would disagree with that statement. The Mopar 8 speed is generally considered to be the best longitudinal tranny currently available. I know the one in my son's 20 Ram is much smoother shifting than the 10R80 in my Ranger and does not have any of the idiosyncrasies that people complain about. It is a good tranny but it is not there yet as one of the best. The fact that the after market tuners can make it shifter better makes it pretty clear that Ford didn't do the best they could.

 

[Dgc333]

How does that work , you just tell them where you want the rpms to not go below ,? Is there a shift chart you make the curves on.? Just curious ? I don't want the Ford one , not at 93 ...and no power complaints , just need a "delug tune"

Don't know about other tuners but with Unleashed you tell him what you want and he created a tune file and emails it to you. You try it out then tell him what is good and what needs to be changed, he will revise and send you another tune to try. You repeat until you are happy.

 

[Jedadiah]

Might be a different gripe than many, but my biggest complaint is the behavior when I pass someone on a regular 2 lane highway. I'll give full throttle, get around them, and then it stays in a low gear forever longer than I want it to. I figure it's thinking I might need the lower gear again, but most of the time I don't. I just want it to shift back to 10th while I'm back cruising at 55 and it's hanging in 7th or 8th for no reason at all.

 

[NotBudule]

Don't know about other tuners but with Unleashed you tell him what you want and he created a tune file and emails it to you. You try it out then tell him what is good and what needs to be changed, he will revise and send you another tune to try. You repeat until you are happy.

So I could tell them "make D like tow mode but ease up on the braking " and we could start from there ? That would make me pretty happy. How much my happiness gona cost me ? Roughly ? If ya don't mind my asking ...

 

[AdamHarris]

I would disagree with that statement. The Mopar 8 speed is generally considered to be the best longitudinal tranny currently available. I know the one in my son's 20 Ram is much smoother shifting than the 10R80 in my Ranger and does not have any of the idiosyncrasies that people complain about. It is a good tranny but it is not there yet as one of the best. The fact that the after market tuners can make it shifter better makes it pretty clear that Ford didn't do the best they could.

Mopar doesn’t make an 8 speed transmission..

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