General Motors manufactures the Chevy 4L80E transmission, it is the strongest transmission made by GM. The optional Allison transmission is now available and proven to be worthy, however it is hard to beat the 15 plus years of super service the 4L80E transmission has given the truck industry.
Essentially Chevy used a very reliable and successful model to go by in designing the 4L80E. Based on the T400, which is an icon in Chevy transmission land, the 4L80E has a case which accepts all the guts from the T400 and has an overdrive section in the front of the case in order to achieve the overdrive gear. It is a fully electronic transmission using a transmission control assembly and a wide range of sensors telling the computer when and how to shift.
It is a great recipe, combining a known commodity with some savvy design changes to dish up one of the tuffest transmissions for light duty trucks ever. I define a light duty truck as a 1.5 ton or less. Such as the Chevy or GMC 3500 series trucks and SUV’s. The other brands of vehicles have their own versions to compete with the GM 4L80E.
Part of the success this transmission has had since the beginning is that the base came from a tremendously successful unit already (T400), which makes the job easier than having to start from scratch. Essentially they had to design an overdrive section and a new case to stuff it into. A lot less work and trial and error than starting from scratch.
Simple it’s not, but a good idea it is. Remembering I mentioned this is fully electronically operated was another challenge to overcome. About the biggest problems this unit faced were actually wiring harness problems. My recommendation upon replacing a 4L80E transmission is to check the wiring harness and connectors. It is cheap to buy new connectors and easy to get at most parts stores.
Since you are probably searching for a 4L80E transmission for sale, may I recommend speaking with the folks at GotTransmissions.com. They have the experience to hook you up with a 4L80E transmission for sale that will meet your need and fit the budget. Call now and let us give you an education. Don’t forget we ship in 24 hours so you can get back on the road asap.
