spinnn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- January 27, 2009
- Messages
- 117
- Reaction score
- 57
- City, State
- The Pines
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 95 Sport
Hello everyone! Here's the deal:
I just picked up an old lady driven 1996 XLT 4-door, to add to my menagerie. 104k. The usual Explorer games began..."why does the dome light only work on odd numbered days?" "why do the fog lights light up the trees, and the headlights are pointed straight down?" You all know the drill.
I've been making headway on her, and think that she is a keeper. Door locks and half the windows are functional now, but the ceiling compass is going to have to wait another day. The one thing that is killing me, tho, is that the trans gives a new meaning to the word "mushy". 4r55e. Fluid and filter are new, just installed a aux cooler in front of the AC condenser. She doesn't slip, as a matter of course...just flares a little on 1-2 and 2-3. You hardly feel the shifts. Something's up here.
So, I see that Sonnax has a reman valve body with all the upgrades for like 400 bucks. The description seems to cover a lot of the revisions that would cause the trans to crap out prematurely. I am knocking around picking this up and installing it, along with re-tensioning the bands...I would much rather pay 400 now and have the trans hang in there for another 80-100k. Plus this is not going to be the woods monster...probably going to make her sit nice and throw 31's on...265/75/15 or something. No serious wheeling, just farting around a little off the pavement. That's what my other truck is for.
So, has anyone ever gone this route with sonnax, or have experience with them? Also, anyone who wants to weigh in on this situation is welcome to, all opinions are useful when dealing with the voodoo that is an automatic trans.
I just picked up an old lady driven 1996 XLT 4-door, to add to my menagerie. 104k. The usual Explorer games began..."why does the dome light only work on odd numbered days?" "why do the fog lights light up the trees, and the headlights are pointed straight down?" You all know the drill.
I've been making headway on her, and think that she is a keeper. Door locks and half the windows are functional now, but the ceiling compass is going to have to wait another day. The one thing that is killing me, tho, is that the trans gives a new meaning to the word "mushy". 4r55e. Fluid and filter are new, just installed a aux cooler in front of the AC condenser. She doesn't slip, as a matter of course...just flares a little on 1-2 and 2-3. You hardly feel the shifts. Something's up here.
So, I see that Sonnax has a reman valve body with all the upgrades for like 400 bucks. The description seems to cover a lot of the revisions that would cause the trans to crap out prematurely. I am knocking around picking this up and installing it, along with re-tensioning the bands...I would much rather pay 400 now and have the trans hang in there for another 80-100k. Plus this is not going to be the woods monster...probably going to make her sit nice and throw 31's on...265/75/15 or something. No serious wheeling, just farting around a little off the pavement. That's what my other truck is for.
So, has anyone ever gone this route with sonnax, or have experience with them? Also, anyone who wants to weigh in on this situation is welcome to, all opinions are useful when dealing with the voodoo that is an automatic trans.
