Transmission Digest
Issue link: https://transmissiondigest.epubxp.com/i/489820
April 2015 17 White says that there is going to be increased de- mand for aftermarket products like those supplied by Superior. "Look at what the OEMs are doing at this point. For instance, you can't buy a 6T70 valve body on a core level that's been through a GM dealership. The manufacturers are taking a hammer and smash- ing the TECHMs on them. Another example would be the AW55-50. Anytime the dealer brings one back in, the valve body is being melted. In the next 5-10 years, an issue that both shops and production remanufac- turers are going to be facing is the shortage of parts that are being destroyed by the OEMs." "A transmission is usually in the field at least two or three years before we start to work on a kit for it," Mason explains. "We need to give it time to break down and to see what the issues that need to be ad- dressed are going to be. Some jump the gun and make every valve and sleeve, whereas we wait patiently to let the unit tell us what it needs. ... Some weaknesses are known early on. Such was the case with the axle bushing/seal failure on the 6T35 / 6T40s. It's not typi- cally as obvious when you're dealing with a calibra- tion kit that's going to address multiple issues. "Fairbanks Products are purchased primarily to produce enhanced transmission performance to match engine-performance upgrading. Superior Shift Corrections Packages ® are purchased because prob- lems exist in the transmission, be it excessive wear or some other flaw. The companies that make paper, rubber and seal kits do not need to add any motiva- tion to sell a kit because you need one in order to re- build the transmission. Superior products are fix-oriented. So, what happens is a guy gets on a tech forum or calls a tech support hotline and says, 'I've got one of these for the first time, and I notice some- thing here is broken or out of the norm.' Often that's when they'll first hear of the kit we've developed to address that ... or that we need to look further into the matter and start to develop a product. "Look at our Honda kit that addresses the five major problems they have. Guys love it and want more! With the 5R55W/N/S kit we addressed several issues, including erratic shift control and engagement issues, the overdrive planet failure, cooler flow prob- lems with our Sure-Cool ® system and some spring- breakage issues. When I was finished doing my research on that unit, I wrote up an eight-page report that I shared with tech support and training people in an effort to educate them to issues we found and how we are going about fixing those issues. "There's a lot of common knowledge that builders have. If a guy's doing that 5R55 job – whether for street or performance – he'll very likely be putting our kit into the rebuild. There's an actual financial benefit from installing our products. Builders come to know that installing our kit decreases his warranty return rates by fixing problems that lead to prema- ture failure. With the solutions provided in one of those kits, the transmission will last long past the warranty period." White says, "All of that thought and effort goes into every product and we continue to be excited with our receiving 18 Top 10 awards (over the last 4 years) and because they say to us ... that the builders agree with our approach to the problem solving/fixes we develop to help you win the battle. Winning is the name of the game. When you win with us ... your customer wins, too, and sends more work your way." Dennis Jr. concludes by observing, "The awards do mean a lot to us. We aren't a huge company full of egos but rather a small, family-owned business that strives to come up with the products and fixes our customers want, need and depend on daily! The awards tell us we're being successful in doing so." And for that WE THANK YOU! TD To properly address prob- lems, many Superior kits are packaged with new separator plates. Emily has been at Superior for 16 years. Sonya Brownʼs personali- ty flows through the phone when distributors call and place orders. Sonya, with 13 years of service, is the "webmaster" too. Comptroller Carol Heath is "just takinʼ care of business" everyday over 19 years! Nelson sets the programming on one of three CNC machines that are running three shifts to keep up with demand. Nelson has been on the team for 15+ years.