The Test Drive
With Fleenor behind the wheel and a few excited passengers, we set out for the test drive. He started off easy to ensure the fluid passages were filled with oil and all air was removed. As we pulled out of the parking lot the transmission seemed to shift perfectly. The truck started out in first gear as it should and made all the proper shifts at the proper times and the lock-up was nice and firm. With a big smile on his face Fleenor continued to drive around Garden City, checking the transmission and transfer case to assure they were functioning the way they should. Next was a freeway run. Under moderate throttle, the transmission felt great and much better than any transmission that this truck has had to date. We couldn’t wait to hook a trailer to it and find out what it would do with a load behind it. Needless to say we were all smiles as Fleenor drove back to the shop, working the throttle more and more.
This was a great test drive; not only was it fun and the truck drove better then ever, it seemed to be getting more power to the ground. When we arrived back at Ultimate Transmission, Fleenor checked all fluids again to make sure everything was good to go.
On our way back to Salt Lake City, Utah, the truck shifted great and we noticed a slight increase in fuel economy and lower transmission temperatures. The transmission has several thousand miles on it and a few trailers have been towed cross country and returned without mishap, unlike the trip to Atlanta where we felt we were doomed to always have our roadside service on speed dial. Thank goodness for Ultimate Transmission for making this a trustworthy hauler again. This was truly a great decision for this project and something we should have done in the first place when adding twin turbos, big injectors and a chip.
One thing that should always be noted is that you most generally get what you pay for. In this case, you will get more than you pay for by far. With a great team to talk to and ask any questions we might have. We have consulted them on several different occasions about our personal trucks and our friends’ trucks. They always make time to help us with the problems we have with transmissions that have yet to be built by Ultimate Transmission.
Ultimate Transmission truly rates better than five stars in our book. We are looking forward to testing this transmission and giving a full report in the future. As for now, we are happy to be using this project to better inform you, the reader, in what works the best and who is the best for building an all-around fun truck, a truck that not only turns heads, but can be put to work towing a load that most other trucks would have to steer clear of. As for project Long Bed Mega Cab, this truck just keeps getting better and better, load after load and mile after mile. All we hope for is that one day we can go to the local Ram dealer and get a truck that is as well-equipped as our LBMC is. Until then, we will continue to test this truck and other products to make one of the best head-turning tow rigs out there. We hope to do a big brake kit and free spine hubs on LBMC in the near future to increase fuel economy and braking. If you have any ideas or know of any products that would make LBMC a better tow rig, let us know by sending your ideas or the product information for Project LBMC to dteditor@dieseltechmag.com. (Don’t forget to specify what project you want to see your ideas or products tested on.)