Quick Ship SKU #: ATS-319-954-2356 ATS Allison Conversion Stage 5 Transmission 68RFE 10-12 Ram 6.7L Cummins 4WD

Sometimes, the factory 68RFE in your 2010-2012 Ram Cummins 4WD just doesn't cut it. Why not put an Allison behind your Cummins engine! The Allison transmission is known for its strength and durability and in the past, installing an Allison in your Ram was an absolute headache. Not anymore! ATS has developed a complete kit with everything you need to swap your 68RFE for a built Allison Stage 5 Transmission.

ATS Diesel has engineered the first fully integrated Allison transmission swap for Cummins powered vehicles. Backed by our proprietary TRANSLator technology and our exclusive, patent-pending Allison to Cummins Bellhousing, the ATS Diesel Allison Swap offers complete factory functionality from your late model Ram; from push button start to tow/haul mode, electronic range select and electronic transfer case functionality. Our revolutionary new TRANSLator can-bridge module allows the Allison TCM to communicate with the Ram ECM and offers a seamless integration of all factory options on the truck with a nearly plug-and-play installation. Our exclusive, patent-pending Allison to Cummins Bellhousing allows a perfect factory match between the Allison and the Cummins with no additional fabrication required. The all-new ATS Diesel Allison Conversion Kit includes all necessary hardware and software to install an Allison LCT1000 behind your Cummins.

For those of you that are not satisfied with the Dodge automatic transmission behind your Cummins engine, the Allison 6 speed swap is an excellent alternative. If you’re looking for increased reliability and a transmission that will hold under the power of the Cummins you will find that the Allison LCT 1000 built by ATS is superior to the factory transmissions offered by Dodge.

Due to the nature of the Ram 68-RFE having very small shafts, gear sets and clutch packs, the factory Ram transmissions require very extensive modifications and expensive hard parts to compete with a rebuilt ATS Allison 1000. These parts include the hydraulic pump, clutch packs, shafts, and torque converter modifications to strengthen it to reliably handle the massive torque of the Cummins engine. The Allison 6 speed automatic transmission comes from the factory with large shafts, clutch packs and gear sets. This gives the Allison a direct advantage over the 68-RC Dodge transmissions. The 69-RC has similar size clutch packs, shafts and gear sets as the Allison, however, it does not have an ideal gear split so the 69-RC always seems a bit “clunky” and does not handle increased power levels well. The 69-RC transmission also relies on engine derate that happens between all gear shifts, this engine derate makes for a very poor shift quality and massive drivability complaints. When all costs are taken into consideration with regards to what it takes to upgrade all of the small and under designed parts of the Dodge transmission, the upgrade to the Allison conversion could be argued as the most cost effective solution.

There are a few questions you should ask yourself when weighing the decision of whether to go with an ATS upgraded Dodge transmission or to replace it with an Allison conversion:

Is your Cummins engine modified?

Do you tow heavy loads for long distances?

Do you have over-sized tires?

Does your vehicle appear to be under stress with the workload you are putting it under?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you are a prime candidate for the Allison transmission swap.

The 68-RFE transmission has a fantastic gear split between its 1st through 6th gears providing an almost perfect gear ratio change. The torque converter is a PWM design allowing for precise application of the converter clutch which provides a smooth shift. Unfortunately, this is where all praise for the 68-RFE ends. The 68-RFE transmission was clearly designed to be the least expensive to manufacture. As a result, there are many elements that must be upgraded in this transmission to make it reliable and handle higher power levels. Even the transmission case is cheaply designed and must be reinforced with a large aluminum pan and transmission brace over the top to keep if from cracking in half. The 68-RFE internals are actually larger versions of those found in a Dodge Caravan transmission that originally debuted in 1989. Chrysler used this basic design and adapted it to be used behind their gas engines calling it the 545-RFE. They then made a few parts in the 545-RFE transmission a little larger again to then be used behind the Cummins which eventually became the 68-RFE that we know today. The 68-RFE can be rebuilt with upgraded parts making it a great shifting transmission but it is limited because of the small clutch packs, gear sets and shafts that make up the transmission. At the end of the day the 68-RFE is just a Gas transmission that was placed behind the massive 6.7L Cummins engine. Similar to the 48-RE, the money spent in strengthening the internals of the 68-RFE is likely better suited to be invested in the Allison conversion. If you were to spend the money to upgrade the internals of the 68-RFE, you would still be left with a transmission that has clutch packs, gear sets and shafts that are nearly half the size of those in the Allison. Another one of the benefits of the Allison is it learns your driving style, different drivers, power levels, habits etc, the Allison TCM will adapt to them all providing a smooth shift through all the ranges. Tap shifting capabilities and tow-haul are all still present as well. For the 6.7L Cummins you can use the factory shifter and for older trucks you can purchase a new shifter, which can be installed in a matter of minutes and still has all factory functionality. Overall the Allison can handle more power, with more functionality and longevity than other transmissions. An Allison swap is a solid choice whether you want it for your daily driver, heavy towing, or want to take your truck down the sled pulling track. What would be the best all around transmission for a person that tows, wants to use the power of their high horsepower Diesel, is looking for reliability above all and still would like to have the ideal shifting transmission? The Allison 1000 is the best option that is now possible behind the Cummins engine! This does not mean you can take just any Allison 1000 transmission and put it behind the Cummins engine, as great as the Allison transmission is; the stock Allison transmission does have it’s limitations and downfalls. The great news is the Allison can easily and affordably be upgraded to handle a very high level of abuse and high horsepower while providing reliability and longevity.

In order to properly transplant the Allison transmission into the Dodge Pickup there are many areas that need to be addressed. How the transmission is adapted to the engine, transfer case, cooler line adaptation, manual linkage, fill tube, transmission electronic control system, and driveline modifications are the basics. This is another area where ATS shines, we have taken the time to cast a “Factory fit” bell housing and extension housing to replace the GM ones found on the Allison. The new ATS castings allow the Allison to transmission to bolt directly up to the Cummins engine with out any engine modifications. Yes, this means you no longer need a different engine adapter plate, different starter, flex plate and most importantly you no longer have to grind material off of the engine block to make clearance for the starter. All of the factory wiring and fuel line brackets bolt to the original bell housing bolts as it came from the factory. The transfer case bolts up the back of the transmission and it’s positioned perfectly allowing the drive lines to line up properly.

When converting from a 68-RFE transmission to the Allison depending on the year of the truck the engine calibration has to be re-flashed to a 68-RC or 69-RC calibration. This is as easy as using the factory Chrysler scan tool and loading the original factory calibration into the truck. Once this step has been performed you can apply aftermarket tuning to your truck as you have in the past if you are after higher power levels or other engine tuning modifications. The other area where the ATS Allison conversion shines is in our electronics package. The Translator module bridges the gap between the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Body Control Module (BCM) and the Engine Control Module (ECM). When the factory Chrysler transmission is removed from the truck the BCM and ECM no longer receive information from the TCM, this causes a huge problem with the operation of the truck. A few of these issues are: loss of cruise control, loss of factory remote start, loss of factory rear view camera, speedometer out of calibration, you can not shift to 4x4 Low range, Loss of Tow Haul mode, Loss of Tap Shafter, Loss of PRND 1,2,3,4,5,6 indicator on dash. The ATS Translator module bridges all of this information making EVERYTHING work as it did from the factory. All functionality works perfectly allowing the truck to drive and operate as it did the day it rolled off the showroom floor!

ATS Swap Cummins to Allison Conversion Package Stage Comparison

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