89' Dodge Ram Tranny question....shifting problems....

[BMOTOXSTAR]

So, I have this 89' Dodge Ram Sno Commander that I bought about a month ago.

Question is the tranny shifts kinda' weird.
It has a 3 speed auto.
It shifts into 2nd at around 25 MPH, then it shifts into 3rd around 55 MPH.

Could there be a problem with the tranny or is that how these 4X4 trucks shift?
Does not slip, shifts nice and hard.

I heard it miight have vacum lines that control the shift and those may be bad?

Thanks for the help.

[Cooter]

Nope, no Vac. lines on a Chrysler...That would be the Furds and Chebbies..


Chrysler's use a kickdown linkage attached to the carb linkage all the way down to the trans..I don't think there's a problem with your trans, as the only real good way to get it to shift later would be the govenor and that is tricky stuff...Too much and it won't shift at all, too littel and you have what you got now...

I would just hold LOw and shift it myself...

[BMOTOXSTAR]

No, it shifts to late. It revs far but the engine does not sound like it is working to hard.
Is this normal for this type of truck?


Into 2nd at about 25-30 mph & into 3rd gear at 55,60 mph.

[John_Kunkel]

There is a problem and it's most likely the so-called kickdown linkage. Either it's out of adjustment or the linkage is rusted from too many years of off-road use.

Find the linkage from the carb to the transmission and make sure it's free to move and that there's a spring pulling the linkage forward against the carb throttle stud. The further back the linkage is for any given throttle setting the later it will shift.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

I am grabbing my flash light & going to check it out right now.
Thanks man.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

There is a problem and it's most likely the so-called kickdown linkage. Either it's out of adjustment or the linkage is rusted from too many years of off-road use.

Find the linkage from the carb to the transmission and make sure it's free to move and that there's a spring pulling the linkage forward against the carb throttle stud. The further back the linkage is for any given throttle setting the later it will shift.

Yeah I sprayed the linkage down with WD40 & it was stiff and seemed rusted up.

I then took a drive and it shifted great, like it should, what a difference.
I then went on the highway doing 60 mph and when got off the highway it did the same thing.
Pulled over and messed with it and back to normal at street speeds.

It was really rusted up.

How the heck do you adjust these?

Maybe a tighter spring would help?