48RE Build Help

M

Mo Problems

New member
Hello,

I have a 2006 cummins with the 48re. I use the truck to tow my fifth wheel toy hauler roughly 16k lbs, enclosed trailer, and other towing duties, daily driver, and make it into a fun truck. Truck is currently leveled on 35’s with 3.73 gearing, mods are efi live, intake, gauges, and exhaust. It is time to address the trans. My end goal is to put compounds on the truck to make towing easier and have some fun. I plan to be around 850 Hp. I am wanting to build the 48re as funds allow. I have some parts for the trans now that I have been collecting over the year. Was hoping for some help to fill in the blanks and answer some questions. Been researching parts and builders to build a “race” trans to the best of my ability within my budget.

Current parts list-

Sonnax standard size input shaft and piston kit
Sonnax intermediate shaft
Sonnax fat output shaft
Billet flex plate
Firepunk master rebuild kit with billet reverse servo retainer
TCS small billet parts- billet 2nd gear servo, billet accumulator piston, strut, anchor, billet 4.2 ratio apply lever
DPC triple disc converter 150 under stock stall
Upgraded borg warner gov pressure solenoid and transducer
Revmax Rear Band just in case OEM is not good
Billet low/reverse servo
Deep trans pan
Derale 15870 external trans cooler
Removed the check ball in the stock trans line and have the stock trans cooler flowing all the time
Transgo for the valve body
Transmission line pressure gauge in the cab
Dex/Mercon Fluid with a bottle of lubeguard

I do plan to put on the firepunk anteater once I have the trans in the truck and all working as I like using the stock shifter to adjust gears, hold gears, lock the converter and such.

With that being said, do I need the following parts-

Gorend belleville spring kit

I have called Firepunk, Muldoons, Revmax, Power Driven Diesel, LoganBuilt. All great people, with different build ideas and mentalities. I would rather over build this trans then under build it. So seeing if I am missing anything. I do plan to do the case mods for oiling and such.

Is there any other parts you could think of that I would need for the trans to hold up and last for years to come?

Look forward towards your response and help! :thankyou2:
 
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RacinDuallie said:
Info on motor was vague. Who suggested 150 under stock stall?
Click to expand...

Current truck engine mods-

efi live
intake
exhaust
intake horn
coolant bypass

Future truck mods-

Compound setup, unsure on size
100% injectors
single or dual cp3
625 headstuds
valvesprings
150 gph lift pump

The power may be more or less, heck I could do the trans and be content with it for all I know, LOL. Was just trying to plan ahead.

Most of the builders said 150 under stock stall is what they would recommend.
 
Mo Problems said:
Current truck engine mods-

efi live
intake
exhaust
intake horn
coolant bypass

Future truck mods-

Compound setup, unsure on size
100% injectors
single or dual cp3
625 headstuds
valvesprings
150 gph lift pump

The power may be more or less, heck I could do the trans and be content with it for all I know, LOL. Was just trying to plan ahead.

Most of the builders said 150 under stock stall is what they would recommend.
Click to expand...

There are some trans guru"s still here. Be patient. :rules:
 
going that far not buying a valvebody and doing a sonnax shift kit is rubbish to me. These guys have hundreds of hours and revisions in the valvebody you can buy for a reasonable price and it's the backbone of your trans. Also why fat output and not fat input? If it was me and I could only do one fat shaft the input would be the priority.
 
Agreed. You can always replace an output with the trans still in frame. I'd do a rear main seal while the trans is removed. Not sure where you are located, but I would consider bypassing the heat exchanger.
Is the sonnax input shaft going to be an one piece billet? What about the intermediate?
 
Red Sleeper said:
Agreed. You can always replace an output with the trans still in frame. I'd do a rear main seal while the trans is removed. Not sure where you are located, but I would consider bypassing the heat exchanger.
Is the sonnax input shaft going to be an one piece billet? What about the intermediate?
Click to expand...

My plan is to look at the rear main seal and see if it needs to be replaced. I only have 50k miles on the truck. Heat exchanger has been bypassed when i did the coolant bypass.

The sonnax input shaft is the one piece billet unit and the intermediate shaft is 300m.

Input-
Sonnax Smart-Tech® Input Shaft Piston Kit - 22121B-02K

Intermediate-
Sonnax Extreme Duty Intermediate Shaft - 22171B-HD

thatguy69 said:
going that far not buying a valvebody and doing a sonnax shift kit is rubbish to me. These guys have hundreds of hours and revisions in the valvebody you can buy for a reasonable price and it's the backbone of your trans. Also why fat output and not fat input? If it was me and I could only do one fat shaft the input would be the priority.
Click to expand...

That is one part I go back and forth on is the valve body. With the current shortage of everything cores have been hard to come by shops said. I will probably end up sending mine in to have a place do there magic and send it back.

Fat input was not needed for my goals from everyone I talked to, they all said it would be overkill. They would sell me one, yet I don't have that kind of money for one sadly.

Reason for the intermediate and fat output, I bought both from a buddy for $500 brand new in box. He blew up his truck and bought a new fancy one and had no use for the parts.

Do you guys know if I already have something similar to the sonnax servo cover? Seems to be one part mentioned by a lot of places in there build list to get. I feel that is the last part I am missing.

Look forward to feedback and insight as always. :woohoo:
 
Goerend is my recommendation on the VB. I've not heard of a broken shaft from anyone running a Goerend VB.

On the shafts, I'd bet if you'd quizzed the builders on them, they'd have told you the output you have is definite overkill. I was advised to run the billet input and not waste money on the output.
 
BigPapa said:
Goerend is my recommendation on the VB. I've not heard of a broken shaft from anyone running a Goerend VB.

On the shafts, I'd bet if you'd quizzed the builders on them, they'd have told you the output you have is definite overkill. I was advised to run the billet input and not waste money on the output.
Click to expand...
Like never ever? That's a pretty bold claim. But I'm good with it because I have a goerend in mine lol. EDIT I just remembered reading where Lavon kept having a truck snap shafts on a 6-700hp build that had a goerend vb. Said they put their vb in it and the issue went away. I know there's a few differant versions of goerends vb.
 
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No, personally I haven’t. Not trying to be a smart ass, but I’d have to ask, how many horses was Lavon putting to the ground and what was he doing? I don’t imagine he was towing 16K and daily driving at 850HP. ;)
 
BigPapa said:
No, personally I haven’t. Not trying to be a smart ass, but I’d have to ask, how many horses was Lavon putting to the ground and what was he doing? I don’t imagine he was towing 16K and daily driving at 850HP. ;)
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It was a customer truck, around 6-700hp if I recall
 
BigPapa said:
Goerend is my recommendation on the VB. I've not heard of a broken shaft from anyone running a Goerend VB.

On the shafts, I'd bet if you'd quizzed the builders on them, they'd have told you the output you have is definite overkill. I was advised to run the billet input and not waste money on the output.
Click to expand...

They said probably best to go with firepunk based on my current parts and such. As they said they could build me a VB, yet for best results using others parts go with the people you bought parts from.

BigPapa said:
No, personally I haven’t. Not trying to be a smart ass, but I’d have to ask, how many horses was Lavon putting to the ground and what was he doing? I don’t imagine he was towing 16K and daily driving at 850HP. ;)
Click to expand...

850 is my max effort tune I am shooting for, for towing and such the truck will be turned down and driven on.
 
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