Is the NV4500 a good street option?

[bw4sale]

I've been trying to read up on the NV4500. Seems like it would be a really nice tranny for a bigger truck, 3/4 or 1 ton. How about for a shortbed 1/2 ton to be driven not worked. I understand that they are bullet proof, but what about the ratios. Is it very street friendly?

I can get a '92 NV4500 out of a 1 ton truck for $300 with the bellhousing. It sounds like a good deal, but I'm not sure it's what I want in my truck.

It looks like the ratios would be something like this:

First Gear 6.34
Second Gear 3.44
Third Gear 1.71
Fourth Gear 1.00
Fifth Gear 0.73
Reverse 6.34

I don't think I want to keep my 3 speed, but I want to stay with the manual trans.

[mikajo39]

seems like a good tranny but 1st gear would be pretty unusable in a day to day situation. You'd have to skip 1st and just use 2nd to take off. reverse seems pretty low too so backing up might peel out or something haha but other wise the other gear ratios look pretty good

[bw4sale]

I guess I should add too that I have a 3.73 rear end.

[chas350]

sounds like a SM465 with overdrive. granny gear first, but you could pull down a house with it lol. thats a real good price!

[WorkinLonghorn]

Even that second gear is pretty low. 2nd in my NP435 is 2.56-1 and using it to start out is just about right with 3.73 rear.
It looks too low to me to be useful unless you had a 3.07 rear or huge tires. Someone will chime in that actually has one.

[Musclerodz]

overkill for your truck. You would be better off with a NV3500

[special-K]

These transmissions are very streetable.That`s what the factory used in a zillion street trucks.It`s just like a granny 4spd w/overdrive.Except,they shift 10x smoother.You don`t normally use 1st,not supposed to.These typically came with 3.73s and 4.10s.My`92 K3500 has one with 4.10s and I`ve been enjoying it for 160,000 miles.I had one with 3.73s in a`95.I wouldn`t say they are bulletproof compaired to the old 4spds.But,still about as tough as you`ll find in an o/d.

[69GMCLonghorn]

Same as above, it's a great tranny, but in a 1/2 ton that won't be worked, you might be better off with a 5 or 6 speed sans the granny gear.

For me, I love the granny gear, especially for parking or crawling along in traffic that isn't moving. It's just a little easier on the ol' clutch.

[bw4sale]

One of the things that I really liked about it over some of the other 5 or 6 speed options is the placement of the shifter. I like that it is in a stock (or close to stock) location. Maybe I should be looking into the 3500 instead. The only problem there is if I ever want to really put some power in front of it. I've heard they can't handle a monster motor.

[69GMCLonghorn]

If you have access to the 4500 and can do the install, go for it. You'll be ahead of the game, strength-wise. And it will be a very drivable truck with the O/D 5th gear. Judging by your avatar, I'm guessing you'll be at around 2300 at 70 MPH. Now all you need is a $3000 Gear Vendors unit and you'll drop another 500 RPM and get 3000 MPG! HAHA

[49gmc]

Originally Posted by 69GMCLonghorn

For me, I love the granny gear, especially for parking or crawling along in traffic that isn't moving. It's just a little easier on the ol' clutch.

or burning rubber!

[69GMCLonghorn]

I haven't been able to burn out in granny gear. By the time you were to get it broken loose, the front end would come off the ground and you'd be at redline... I drove my truck today. Maybe I'll have to go out in the parking lot and give it a shot! I wonder how much a new clutch costs... LOL

[special-K]

The 3500 will do.But,just think of the NV4500 like the old 4spd truck transmission.It went in any truck...a 250-powered Blazer or Short Stepside.It`s not like the transmission weighed them down or were too much transmission to turn.

[attack eagle]

man the nv4500 was a FANTASTIC tranny in my brother's 93 Club cab Ram 150HD (5.9 Magnum crate replacement, with OEM fuel injection, and shaved heads). There it was paired with the 3.23 Open and 31" tall tires making first gear usable to about 5-10 mph, though a little jab n grab on the clutch to start in second was more common.

Unless you guys are rocking diesels, caddy bigblocks, or turbo power i don't think you will approach the limits of the trans. You MIGHT exceed the limits of your rear end in first gear though...
My brother somehow managed to grenade the 3.23 OPEN diff, he frag'd the Carrier by splitting it in two circumferentially.

[Beelzeburb]

I drove my NV4500 equipped Blazer home today. I agree with some of the above, especially the reverse thing, but I'm not planning on moving at more than 7mph in reverse anyway. It just sounds odd to be at 5k rpm crawling into a parking space.
Skipping first on the street and go strait into second is standard practice. I don't need a granny first to break traction though, 2nd gear burnouts are just as good.
You'll appreciate the 5th gear for highway cruising.

[49gmc]

Originally Posted by 69GMCLonghorn

I haven't been able to burn out in granny gear. By the time you were to get it broken loose, the front end would come off the ground and you'd be at redline... I drove my truck today. Maybe I'll have to go out in the parking lot and give it a shot! I wonder how much a new clutch costs... LOL

well i got crappy tires lol

[Spray-Bomb]

Scott you crack me up

I have one in my 90 ext. cab SWB with a some what hot SBC (prolly around 400 HP)

I liked it just fine, its great for towing & like said above crawling through parking lots
And with the reverse being granny also, it makes it a dream to back up to a trailer & if you wanna back up fast, just punch it & throw it out of gear

Now to the "bullet proof" part, I would say under most conditions its a great trans, but twisting 7k racing I screwed mine up
And its definitely not a speed shifting trans

As for the 3500, its a good trans to, just no dumping the clutch on it

[69GMCLonghorn]

Punch it and throw it out of gear... Awesome! I have to try that! I wonder if I can get a Longhorn to do one of those sliding J turns like the stunt guys do! HAHA

[Shaky]

These guys have some info on it. It's worth reading the "mythology" sidebar:

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/nv4500.htm

[special-K]

All trucks the NV4500 came in are street trucks.

[smoknbarrels]

Ok, so I charted your gear ratio, and it works good if you have taller tires, I selected 29" tall tires and it seems to work ok, anything smaller and its not much use to you..
a lot of people think that a tall gear is always great for a hot street or racing application for our trucks, but I don't think so. I think lower gears are better for first gear, this way you use the engine to control your launch since these trucks break loose so easily, with a tall first gear its to easy for the truck to break loose then sit there spinning and spinning as first gear winds up to 60 mph.

number are a little hard to see, but it shows what speed you'd be at when shifting at 5000rpm.. and the gears are spaced quite well actually..
I think it will work good for you.

[dan42]

For me, the clutch and speedo requirements are a dealbreaker. I'm gonna stick with my SM 465.

[special-K]

I think you have it backwards.A tall gear would be a numerically lower ratio,such as 3.08s.Tall gears are hiway gears or what is refered to as high gearing.Many people get confused when you say high gears because they think of the higher number,which is actually a lower gear.So we say tall,as in people with long legs that cover more ground with one step.High/low gears refers to speed not ratio.Like on the gear shift knob...L is the highest ratio.

[smoknbarrels]

I also calculated that at 70mph your tach would be reading 2058rpm with that setup.. sounds like a decent cruising rpm to me!
then when you go to pass that hyundai in front of you and drop it into 4th you'll be at 3026rpm (which should be near the top of the torque curve). sounds quite streetable.

[smoknbarrels]

Originally Posted by special-K

I think you have it backwards.

when I say low gears, I mean numerically high.. sorry if I confused anyone but I was talking about the transmission gears not the rear gears.. for example how the m21 4 speed tranny has a tall first gear (numerically low).