A while back I posted a question asking if the Factory Tech Valve Body would shift too hard to pull "sensitive" loads such as horses. After the messy but cake install and thorough testing, I am happy to report that the FTVB does a superb job even with such a load. My truck is an 03 w/3,000 miles, pretty much stock (for now) and I pull an approximate 4,000 lb trailer when loaded with 1 horse through the Blue Ridge Mountains. So there is a good deal of shifting that goes on. The same positive, firm shift is there when pulling. The additional load of pulling the trailer does not seem to amplify the harsh shift of the FTVB at all, or at least very little. The weight of the trailer actually makes the "jerk" of the quick shift less noticeable. I don't see high RPM (rarely over 3k) when pulling a horse trailer so, the quick shift is not a problem. If you do a lot of towing, I'd recommend you get one of these FTVBs if just for the transmission longevity. BTW, I have the regular FTVB in its 2C configuration.

Overall, I am very pleased with the FTVB. IMHO, it is the perfect amount of shift firmness. I've rode in vehicles that have a neck jerking shift at part throttle, which gets a check in the cool factor box but not all that practical as a daily driver. With the FTVB, the "feel" of the shift is equivalent to how hard you step on the skinny pedal

Just wanted to report my results for anyone who might have been hesitant to upgrade to the FTVB for the same reason that I was.

 

Thanks Slick! I've been hesitsant to do the FTVB install 'cuz I trailer a Jeep 400 mi plus to go wheelin'... You info is excellent! I love this group! Elf

 

Thanks, that answears a lot of my questions. Did you also get the 4x4 pan or just go with the stocker?

 

glad it worked out for ya man
did you take greg up on his offer to test this

 

I did and glad I did

 

I kept stock pan. But for the minimal $ I would recommend folks do it. I don't know how much the extra 1 qt would help temps or fluid life. The drain plug would be nice. There are a couple other really sweet pans out there that hold 3 more qts over stock. A little pricey for me though.