SUNCOAST CATEGORY 4 700HP+ SUNCOAST 5R110 TRANSMISSION 4WD

The SunCoast Category 4 5R110 transmission has it all. With the addition of the billet intermediate shaft and upgrading the shaft to Aeromet, there is not a stronger 5R110 transmission you will find anywhere. SunCoast engineering team has developed each specific piece to work in conjunction with each other. The transmission starts with a new 9C pump from Ford, then we use all new Ford solenoids. The shaft is then upgraded to Aeromet, and we add a billet intermediate shaft, as well. The pump and valve body on the category 4 Ford 5R110 transmission is also upgraded to our custom full competition specifications. This is the end-all be-all of the 5R110 transmissions.

Tales from the 5R110 

The Torqshift 5-speed 5R110 transmission replaces the old faithful 4-speed 4R100 in the 2003 model year with the introduction of the new 6.0L diesel engine. The Torqshift design, in fact, has a total of six forward gears ratios, however only 5 are advertised. The "hidden gear" is only used in very cold weather. The 5 forward ratios are: 3.11, 2.22, 1.55, 1.00, and finally overdrive is .71. The Torqshift also utilizes an optional 4th gear, which is 1.10, that is used in cold start conditions to aid in engine and transmission warm up.

With the Torqshift, once the Tow / Haul mode is activated, it can help increase driver control when towing large loads up and down steep grades. It will also minimize shifts and maximize the available torque. Upon descent, the tow/haul feature utilizes engine braking to help extend the life of the transmission and improves driver control.

The Torqshift was also Ford's first attempt at adaptive control. The adaptive control shift function monitors the performance over its lifetime and adjusts shift times in real time to assure consistency and to compensate for wear. The Torqshift was also used with the 6.4L as well. This transmission was later replaced with the much larger and more robust 6R140 when the 6.7L Powerstroke was released by Ford.

Updated Low/Reverse Snap Ring

On both really and late model 5R110 transmissions a common failure is that the low/reverse retaining ring pops out of the case groove. This causes clutch slippage in reverse and due to radial movement in the pressure plate the retaining ring will walk right out of its groove. 

SunCoast replaces this retaining ring with an updated one that is much wider and thicker. The updated retaining ring provides increased outward tension which increases rigidity helping keep the ring seated securely in the case groove.

Walking Away from the Center Support. . . 

The center support on a transmission is a critical component that could make the difference between success or failure. The center support acts as a stabilizer, just as our lower back and abdominal muscles support us. With the Torqshift being such a long unit, over time the torsional flexing distorts the case, and the center support can sag and become displaced. The TorThe 5RTqshift relies on the center support to also apply fluid feed to the direct and forward clutches. When this distortion occurs, the fluid feed holes for direct and forward can become misaligned. This is especially true when towing heavy loads or under moderate to hard acceleration. This will also lead to premature failure and burnt clutches.

SunCoast has developed a new "No Walk" center support to correct this issue, which we include in this kit. We also go a step further with this and make a new Mag-Hytec pan standard to increase the rigidity of the case and reduce torsional flexing.

With this now being corrected the need for the direct solid modification is no longer needed. We originally created this modification before learning about the torsional effect.

The 'Wide Load" Direct Clutch

The direct clutch pack has been a problem child for some time now. With the center support now being corrected, we move your attention to the most problematic area of the 5R110, the direct clutch. In the 5R110 the direct clutch pack has been the topic of so many discussions. In the beginning we modified the direct clutch solenoid. We did this as a result of the fluid flow issues we were seeing, trying to compensate for what we would later find out was the center support walking. Today many companies still sell these altered solenoids to try to correct a direct clutch issue. We have alleviated this with our new no walk center support.

Moving forward the direct clutch pack is still one of the most abused clutch packs within the transmission. The direct clutch pack is constantly subjected to conditions that can prematurely wear. To alleviate this SunCoast has developed our new "wide load" direct clutch pack. These new clutches are not only made from our SunCoast SCZ carbon graphitic material but a larger wider clutch as well.

Making the clutch wider effectively increases the mean radius of a clutch, increasing the mean radius increases the torque capacity of said clutch. What this mean is the larger the mean effective radius, the more torque load capacity the friction plate can handle.

This new wider clutch is also combined with the new wider steel and new wider apply plate. This combination along with the new and improved "No Walk" center support make this the most loudly engineered kit on the market today.

The Billet Ring Gear Hub

The Ford factory ring gear hub has many issues even in stock form. When we start increasing load on the driveline via additional torque, larger wheels and tires, towing heavy loads or aftermarket tuning this piece becomes very susceptible to catastrophic failure. 

This unit comes with a new billet one piece ring gear hub. This new billet hub is precision machined out of 4140 HTSR steel. This not only withstands the additional torque but is perfect for heavy duty towing applications.

The Input Shaft

In most of our 5R110 transmission rebuild kits we typically use a 300 Maraging billet steel, however in this particular SunCoast 5R110 transmission rebuild kit we upgrade to an aeromet material for the input shaft. 

The aeromet input shaft is much stronger than the Vascomax material. This added streangth helps resists sheer breaking which so common in the 5R110 transmission due to the smaller shaft size. A sheer break typically occurs with excessive power or the rapid loading and unloading of the transmission. This phenomenon is pretty common with wheel hop.

The Aeromet material also is much more resistant to torsional fatigue breakage. Fatigue breaks are pretty common in applications that include heavy towing and hauling.

The Intermediate Shaft

The Ford 5R110 transmission has been known to strip the splines out on the intermediate shaft in even stock applications. It is also a well know fact that the intermediate shaft on these will fracture and sheer completely causing catastrophic failure within the unit. This problem is further agitated by the addition of larger tires, aftermarket performance modifications, and heavy towing/hauling. When these shafts due break the collateral damage as a result can be very expensive.

In the SunCoast Category 4 5R110 transmission rebuild kit we upgrade the intermediate shaft to a precision machined billet steel shaft. This shaft is manufactured using 300m steel that has been heat treated for increased strength and reliability. This 5R110 billet intermediate shaft has also had the radius increased in critical load areas to withstand the additional loads.

Billet Planet

The overdrive planet on the 5R110W is a definite weak link in the higher horsepower applications. This is especially true when you factor in larger wheels and tires. 

The billet overdrive planet housing is used in all of our competition 5R110W transmissions. This overdrive planet is precision machined out of 4140 HTSR billet steel. This eliminates both the spline failures as well as the housing shattering under heavy loads. 

Information such as tire size, gear ratio, and reciprocating mass can all play a role in the torsional fatigue that occurs on these shafts. Torsional fatigue is one of the largest contributors to premature failure that we see. Fatigue is something that occurs over time after repeated stress. It is not so much the overall torque but the "accumulation" or "sum" of all the torque that the object has been exposed to over time. When you examine the different materials for making these shafts, you will see they come in a variety of grades with a variety of prices. While the more expensive grades such a Maraging, Vascomax, or even the much coveted Aeromet, have a stronger yield rate, they are much more resistant to fatigue.