New Eight Speed Automatic Transmission In 2015 Chevrolet Silverado

By Author: Victoria Minney
Total Articles: 1
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If you want a truck that has a high first gear ratio to tow or haul heavy loads, the transmission of the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado might just be what you need. The truck comes with the eight speed automatic transmission unleashed by GMC/Chevrolet. The transmission replaces the six-cylinder transmissions that GMC was using and might be modified to fit the 5.3-litre EcoTec3 engines. It is a new electronic automatic transmission released by GM on the Silverado and the Sierra 1500 pickups.

The transmission provides a higher gear ratio of up to 7.0, which gives the driver a more confidential start when trailering or carrying heavy loads. It is a deeper first gear of around 4.65:1, capable of offering a better fuel economy while towing heavy loads. The transmission is developed from the previous Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmissions. They have a similar size and weight.

The Hydra-Matic has been used for a while now and it’s a high performing transmission. It has been effective when using light-weight trucks that do not require a heavy duty transmission. However, the Hydra-Matic transmission faces the challenge ...
... of generating uneven force when trailing heavy loads. Therefore, the driver feels ‘jerks’ when accelerating, when trailing or carrying heavy loads from the start. It has been a widely accepted transmission in the market for a while and has achieved tremendous success for Chevrolet in designing trucks and SUVs. However, the higher gear ratio makes the eight-speed automatic transmission better than what six-speed transmissions have to offer in accelerating from a complete stop when trailering. It offers a stable and smoother transmission when heavily loaded. It instills more confidence on the driver since there are no ‘jerks’ while taking off or accelerating. The eight-speed transmission is an 8L90 with numerical-lower rear axle ratios that reduce RPM on the engine while driving on the highway.

It is not the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado transmission alone that keeps it a notch higher; it has also come with the most powerful engine offered to a light-duty pickup. The Chevrolet Silverado has a designed 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower with a torque of 460 lb.-ft. The 420 horsepower design is meant to work for the market of both the heavy and light-duty pickups that GMC offers in the market worldwide. To generate the 420 horsepower energy, the truck has to rely on the 6.2L engine to operate for the light-duty trucks. However, the company is offering a smaller 5.3L, which still uses the Eco Tech engine with a standard of V8 for the lighter trucks.

The 6.2L engine has enough power to trail heavy loads of up to 12,000 pounds. It is also the highest trailing rating recommended by SAE J2807 Recommended Practices. The new gear sets break the record on efficiency and loading capacity for heavy duty trucks. It uses gear sets that shift to economize on fuel when moving lightweights and still matching the expectations when carrying heavy loads.

However, it is crucial to save on fuel when driving lighter loads. Therefore, the EcoTec3 engine has the capability of shifting to a four-cylinder operation. It makes the truck efficient in its operations when loading both heavy and light loads. The only pickup that comes close to the eight-speed 2015 Chevrolet Silverado Transmission is the Ram 1500. Nonetheless, it is a different version of the ZF 8HP45 and HP70. The Ram 1500 also uses different gear box with a gear spread of 4.71:1 to 0.67:1 which is designed to accommodate the three-engine lineup. With such a competitive match, Chevrolet is now offering the Silverado with a smaller and a much lighter-duty eight-speed automatic transmission to operate with a smaller EcoTec3 V-8 and the existing standard V-8.

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