88whitemanche Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 What's up fellas Wanted to ask about this transmission...I've got a lead to pick one up for cheap with a bad 5th gear synchro that I will be rebuilding I got into a few threads that show that people have had problems with these transmissions.... Does anyone have any input? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw star Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 There is a nut that retains the 5/R gear that is known to fail much like the 5th gear retainer on the AX-5. Good news is there is an improved retainer you can get for it. Other than that, its a good transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schardein Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 I ran one in my CJ7 behind a 4.0 for about 7 years, with 35" tires. No problems other than I missed a 1-2 shift under power going up hill. After that the 1-2 synchro was finicky. Other than that operator error, I was happy with it. I've got another I will be running behind a 5.3 Chevy Vortec motor in the same CJ7. Swap in progress. The first gear is not a granny gear. Still good at about 4:1. It has a steep overdrive, so don't be afraid to run lower axle gears to get the best low gear performance, and the overdrive will let it stretch out on the highway. I ran 4.56 with 35s and it was perfect for my driving style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 I absolutely love mine in my TJ Rubi. It is by far the smoothest manual transmission I have ever driven and has been 100% trouble free for 130k miles. FYI - they all sound like they have marbles rolling around when idling in neutral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 What's up fellas Wanted to ask about this transmission...I've got a lead to pick one up for cheap with a bad 5th gear synchro that I will be rebuilding I got into a few threads that show that people have had problems with these transmissions.... Does anyone have any input? That's the factory transmission in my 2000 Cherokee. No problems whatsoever. It's one of the sweetest transmissions I have ever driven, and at 72 years old I have driven a LOT of manual transmissions. IMHO it's superior to the AX-15 in every way possible. I especially like the lower first gear ratio, and the fact that it's not at all balky about shifting into second gear (which is a characteristic of both the BA 10/5 and the AX-15). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 The first gear is not a granny gear. Still good at about 4:1. It has a steep overdrive, so don't be afraid to run lower axle gears to get the best low gear performance, and the overdrive will let it stretch out on the highway. ??? Ratios: 1st = 4.01 2nd = 2.32 3rd = 1.40 4th = 1.00 5th = 0.78 R =3.55 5th gear is less overdrive than the AX-15, which is 0.72. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 There is a nut that retains the 5/R gear that is known to fail much like the 5th gear retainer on the AX-5. Good news is there is an improved retainer you can get for it.Cool I'll keep in touch with you for the rebuild and what parts to pick up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 What's up fellas Wanted to ask about this transmission...I've got a lead to pick one up for cheap with a bad 5th gear synchro that I will be rebuilding I got into a few threads that show that people have had problems with these transmissions.... Does anyone have any input? That's the factory transmission in my 2000 Cherokee. No problems whatsoever. It's one of the sweetest transmissions I have ever driven, and at 72 years old I have driven a LOT of manual transmissions. IMHO it's superior to the AX-15 in every way possible. I especially like the lower first gear ratio, and the fact that it's not at all balky about shifting into second gear (which is a characteristic of both the BA 10/5 and the AX-15).Sweet...I've had the luxury of the ax5 and ax15...The ax15 in my Comanche shifts smooth with the 10w-30 fluid put into it.... The Cherokee going to 2nd when cold has to have a bit of arm strength to put it in...haven't changed the fluid yet... I guess like any moving parts some are easier and some are harder.... I absolutely love mine in my TJ Rubi. It is by far the smoothest manual transmission I have ever driven and has been 100% trouble free for 130k miles. FYI - they all sound like they have marbles rolling around when idling in neutral. Sweet thanks fellas...I should be picking it up Saturday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schardein Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 The first gear is not a granny gear. Still good at about 4:1. It has a steep overdrive, so don't be afraid to run lower axle gears to get the best low gear performance, and the overdrive will let it stretch out on the highway. ??? Ratios: 1st = 4.01 2nd = 2.32 3rd = 1.40 4th = 1.00 5th = 0.78 R =3.55 5th gear is less overdrive than the AX-15, which is 0.72. You are correct. It has more overdrive than the Jeep 6 speed (NSG370). However the six speed has a lower first gear. I considered swapping to the six speed at one time, but to take full advantage of it I would have also had to switch to 4.10 gears. In the end the juice wasn't worth the squeeze even though I could have got the 6 speed for basically nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjrev10 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 The first gear is not a granny gear. Still good at about 4:1. It has a steep overdrive, so don't be afraid to run lower axle gears to get the best low gear performance, and the overdrive will let it stretch out on the highway. ??? Ratios: 1st = 4.01 2nd = 2.32 3rd = 1.40 4th = 1.00 5th = 0.78 R =3.55 5th gear is less overdrive than the AX-15, which is 0.72. You are correct. It has less overdrive than the Jeep 6 speed (NSG370). However the six speed has a lower first gear. I considered swapping to the six speed at one time, but to take full advantage of it I would have also had to switch to 4.10 gears. In the end the juice wasn't worth the squeeze even though I could have got the 6 speed for basically nothing. I like the idea of a 6-speed. The crank sensor seems to be the biggest hurdle though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 You are correct. It has less overdrive than the Jeep 6 speed (NSG370). However the six speed has a lower first gear. But this thread is about the NVG3550, which is a 5-speed. And which has less overdrive than the BA 10/5 or the AX-15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted February 5, 2016 Author Share Posted February 5, 2016 Well I picked up the nv3550... I spoke to the guy a bit to get some info... He had a tj with a 2" body lift and 33s He was constantly driving back home and to school 4 hours away every month or so and would have issues popping out of 5th gear.... After doing some research it seems that anyone with a tj with a body lift or transfer case drop would have issues popping out of 2nd and in 5th gear.... So I may have gotten a good deal on a good trans until I take it to a shop to verify there's nothing wrong with it... Or check it my self Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1stDeuce Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 I'd bet there's nothing wrong with your new trans. 3550's don't generally have problems "popping out of gear", but body lifted TJ's do. :) NV3550's also don't have a nut holding 5th gear on... That's a NV4500 problem, and for the most part only when used behind a diesel. I was a vehicle development engineer on the Wrangler/XJ programs at Jeep when the switch from AX15 to 3550 happened, so here's my take... Given the choice of NV3550 vs. AX15, it's a wash. The 3550 has a bit more torque capacity. (the NV3500 was used by GM behind the 4.8 into the 2000's, and by Chrysler behind the 5.2 and 4.7L in Dakotas.) The 3550 is just a 3500 with a removable bellhousing. The 3550 also has an OD ratio more suited to Jeeps. (Not as deep as the AX-15 OD ratio.) It also has better synchros on 1st through 3rd gear compared to the AX15. Unfortunately, neither of them are easy to rebuild. My only real beef with the 3550 is it's fairly tall reverse ratio. I find that even with 4.10's in my Jeep and 33" tires, I constantly slip the clutch or lug the engine, especially turning around offroad. Not that we're talking about it, but I wish they both had the reverse ratio that the AX-5 in my Comanche has!!! VERY nice for trail use!! The OD ratio is better for Jeeps on the 3550 IMO. OD on the AX15 is a little too tall, just like on most auto transmissions. First is a little lower than an AX15, but not hardly enough to notice in my experience. The 3550 shifts much better than the AX5 or AX15. Unfortunately, there's a downside to smoother and tighter shifting... The slop that makes an AX5 or AX15 easy to match-shift isn't present in the 3550, so match shifting a 3550 is not so easy. It can be done, but requires a LOT more finesse than just pulling lightly on the stick until it drops in. (Hey, I get tired of stepping on the clutch, and in low range, I can match shift an AX all day with zero grinding... Not so with a 3550...) The 3550 is also not tolerant to running standard 85/90wt unless it's been rebuilt using bronze shift cones. The sulfer in normal 85/90 will soften the friction material used in the OE shift cones. You can run Synthetic 75/90 with no problems, or the standard "synchromesh" fluid, which I believe is ~30wt. (ATF is too light!) Some 3550's will rattle a little bit in in neutral and in gear, and Jeeps that came with them have a t-case damper to quiet the in-gear rattle. I don't have a damper, so I run one quart of 75W90 synthetic, and then top off with synchromesh. 75,000 miles and counting, no problems, and no rattle. FWIW, the NSG370 6-speed has a deeper 1st at 4.5, but a fairly shallow OD, comparable to the AX5 at ~.84. It also has a better reverse at 4.06 vs. 3550 at 3.57. The 370 works better for taller axle gears, in that it will make 3.73's feel like 4.10's would feel with an AX15/3550. In MI, I got tired of shifting a 6-speed in a 4.0l, where you just don't need the close gear spacing that it offers. I frequently shifted 1-2-4-6... Now that I live here in the mountains, I think I'd appreciate the 370 more, but they're not terribly easy to come by, so I'll live with my 3550. :) Chris BTW, there's a great comparison of ratios between Jeep transmissions in the very first post here: http://www.wranglerforum.com/f210/ax-5-v-ax-15-v-nv3550-v-nsg370-gear-ratio-comparison-77373.html Try to enjoy whatever transmission you all have!! :) Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 :bowdown: Thank you for that explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moner12 Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Hey, great thread. Was wondering. I installed a 2 inch lift and my shifter was working great. I recently installed a 1 inch body lift and notice that my shifter does not go into 2nd, fourth, and reverse I've read in other forums that the ax5 and the ax15 you install the shifter extender from rough country, and that would fix that issue But..... I have a nv3500 transmission, and can't seem to find a fix for this transmission. Can anyone help pls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 a one inch body lift? I'm assuming you mean on your TJ, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 2 hours ago, Moner12 said: Hey, great thread. Was wondering. I installed a 2 inch lift and my shifter was working great. I recently installed a 1 inch body lift and notice that my shifter does not go into 2nd, fourth, and reverse I've read in other forums that the ax5 and the ax15 you install the shifter extender from rough country, and that would fix that issue But..... I have a nv3500 transmission, and can't seem to find a fix for this transmission. Can anyone help pls. Assuming you have a TJ, as Pete also is guessing. Despite having zero experience on that model beyond doing basic maintenance and having never owned one, I'm still going to comment. Likely you can fix your issue by enlarging the hole in the floor for the shifter and running a larger shifter boot. If you have any sort of center console you will likely need to make modifications there too. Personally I would pull the body lift out, they're the source of all sorts of problems and just aren't worth dealing with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Articul8 Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 So i think 1st Deuce summed it up. Having owned a Nv3550 and a 370 i can say the Nv3550 is my favorite transmission for the jeep. There was a slip out of gear issue when body lifts were installed on Tjs can't speak for cherokees i was still about that frame life then. NOVAK came out with there shifter kit and that solved that. Note i didnt body lift mine just a flat belly skid with 2 inch lift on 245 series MTR tires. Went everywhere...RIP the Goat!! The only issue i ever had was with the throwout bearing. They make a ticking noise. After a few dusty trails and creek crossings. The ones from the dealer are all metal bodies. While the part store replacements (Junk) are half plastic half metal. Go back to the mopar one. These transmissions as mentioned can be found in 00-01 Cheros, 03-04 Kjs Renegades, and Kj diesels. Solid transmission. Id get it you won't be sorry or Pm me the link so i may have a spare lol. The 370, i hated it was in my LJR. That was by far the noisest transmission i ever owned. Shifter binding was a issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 If you don't have one you have no idea what you are missing out on. https://core-shifters.com/collections/shifters-for-cherokee/products/core-hurst-shifter-2003-2004-jeep-wrangler-liberty-nv1550-nv2550-nv3550 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 6 hours ago, Articul8 said: There was a slip out of gear issue when body lifts were installed on Tjs can't speak for cherokees i was still about that frame life then. NOVAK came out with there shifter kit and that solved that. Since the XJ is unibody and the MJ cab is unibody, there's no such thing as a body lift on an XJ or MJ. However, so people with lifted XJs (more so than MJs) do a transfer case drop to correct driveshaft u-joint angle issues, and that can create shifting problems (but more with the transfer case than the transmission). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic Tomasello Posted August 9, 2022 Share Posted August 9, 2022 My son bought his 2000 wrangler with a 5 speed and it has 80000 miles on it. The problem is that after a long ride from NJ to NH it has a mild but consistent grind from 4 the to 5 the gear. The clutch disengagement is high with very little play on top. Question is do I have to replace transmission with clutch change. Also any possibility that the slave cylinder is involved and needs replacement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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