Ron Hill Blog

We are a nation of 4WD lovers. From the humble school run to crossing the Simpson Desert.

Modifications are big wow factor these days - lift kits, bigger wheels and tyres, diff lockers and performance chips.

Any one of these modifications is a great addition to your car, and together they make the car into an awesome outback weapon!

When doing these mods there is generally a major component that is forgotton - THE EXTRA LOAD. The pressure that the drive train and automatic transmission have to deal with is huge.

Heat is the biggest killer of an automatic transmission and with extra weight it soon builds up and can become a problem.

Our team at Ron Hills have a solution - an extra oil cooler fitted in the correct spot on your 4WD will prove great results in making your transmission last longer by lowering oil temperatures. This is just one of many modifications to give your 4WD transmission a long and healthy life. We can retro fit most 4WD's on the market.

I've fitted one to my own 4WD and there is a marked difference in towing temperature in the transmission.

Stay cooler for longer with a mod from Ron Hills - Nick

Garage shifts

While selecting gears first thing after starting the engine, take note of the engagement time between moving the selector lever and feeling the engagement. There can be a longer delay in reverse, when compared to drive (due to the extra internal components applied and the higher oil pressure required).

An engagement time of more than 2 seconds should be checked out by a technician.

Variation in shift feel

Shifts feel different from transmission to transmission even within the same brand of vehicle. Soft and firm shifts can be acceptable and considered somewhat normal.

Flare

Watch out for a “flare” which is a partial neutral between one ratio to the next as the transmission shifts. A flare shows up as a momentary rise in engine rpm during the shift and will accelerate clutch wear if ignored and can lead to early transmission failure.