Ax15 Trans

[75slant6]

Seems like there are a couple of guys running an AX15.

I know @dartslantsix is one - David Belau

@75slant6 is maybe the other?

Yeah I’ve been running an AX-15 behind a 5.9 magnum in my 72 Duster for the past 4 years and 15,*** miles (8,500 of those coming between September-January). It’s 99% a street car but I have run it down the strip a few times and autocrossed it some. I’m running 2.76’s with 25.6” tires. I had 3.23s in it originally, but that made first gear nearly useless unless on a hill.

@ralphie361 is running one behind a 5.7 Hemi. He did tear 2nd or 3rd gear out of his first one, doing a power shift.

 

[65wgn440]

I have a '96 Cherokee with one in it, and I'm very surprised anyone would choose that trans for a performance swap. Bought the thing with less than 120k on it, and I have to granny shift into 2nd because synchro is gone. Did have to put a clutch in it pretty soon after I got it, so maybe somebody was not very nice to it. BTW, the auto trans they put in those Cherokee's (have 3 others) is a rock solid unit, I hate to admit. Toyota trans basically, I believe.

 

[75slant6]

I have a '96 Cherokee with one in it, and I'm very surprised anyone would choose that trans for a performance swap. Bought the thing with less than 120k on it, and I have to granny shift into 2nd because synchro is gone. Did have to put a clutch in it pretty soon after I got it, so maybe somebody was not very nice to it.

Definitely not what I would choose with a bigger budget, but I probably did the whole swap in mine for $600-700 and it was a bolt together deal with mostly oem dodge parts. Next trans to go in my Duster will be an 8hp70 or t56

 

[Professor Fate]

@ralphie361 is running one behind a 5.7 Hemi. He did tear 2nd or 3rd gear out of his first one, doing a power shift.

Interesting, since I'm considering running one behind a 5.7 in my Sweptline. Mostly because I have one, and NV4500s are priced too crazy around here- even 3500s are fetching an arm and a leg it seems.
I'm running a 5.9 Mag in front of my Dakota's NV2500 (original 4 cyl. trans) so far with good luck, the AX15 was going to be my spare for this rig, but the Sweptline is calling me...

 

[65wgn440]

Definitely not what I would choose with a bigger budget, but I probably did the whole swap in mine for $600-700 and it was a bolt together deal with mostly oem dodge parts. Next trans to go in my Duster will be an 8hp70 or t56

So this trans bolts right up to small block bellhousing and no input shaft issues ? Oh wait, doesn't it have integral bellhousing ?

 

[Professor Fate]

So this trans bolts right up to small block bellhousing and no input shaft issues ?

They were used behind the 3.9 V6s in Dakotas, so the bellhousing will bolt up to a small block. The V6 uses a neutral balance flyweel, so that works in some cases too.

 

[75slant6]

So this trans bolts right up to small block bellhousing and no input shaft issues ?

Correct. Since I’m running a 96 5.9 magnum, I bought a flywheel and pilot bearing from rock auto for a 96 pickup and bolted everything up. Only non oem dodge part that I used was a clutch master/slave cylinder setup from a round nosed s10.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Look in to the Toyota Supra R154 trans. Same family as the ax15 and can handle quite a bit of power.

 

[DionR]

Look in to the Toyota Supra R154 trans. Same family as the ax15 and can handle quite a bit of power.

If you can find one. I got $1100 for mine couple of years ago, and I NEVER get real money for anything I sell so that was cheap.

 

[DionR]

Oh wait, doesn't it have integral bellhousing ?

Bolt on bellhousing. AX15, AR5, MA5, R154 all have the same face, so if you can find a bell that fits your motor you are golden (for the most part). That's why a Toyota Supra R154 can be bolted up to a SBM.

There used to be a huge thread about swapping the R154 and it's brethren, I think on Jeep forum? Haven't looked for it for years though.

 

[Professor Fate]

I think it was @Buschi340 that was running an R154 behind a 340.
Hasn't been around for a while.

 

[DionR]

I think it was @Buschi340 that was running an R154 behind a 340.
Hasn't been around for a while.

Yep. He was one of the first that I know of.

 

[Dave999]

AX-15 is similar to the Aisin Warner R154.
Austrlians run/ran them and the W57/W58 (smaller versions) in Valiants and holdens and fords
all usually equipped with a small block or 6 cylinder engine and in the ranges of power/torque you would imagine..

popularity dictated by ease of purchase. loads of toyota trucks and cars in Oz
and easy(er) access to half cut crashed bodies and salvage from japan.
they imported these transmissions by the container load

AX-15/R154 used in europe and japan in drift cars usually 2 litre turbo efforts with big HP often created by rediculouse RPM capability and a lot of forged expensive parts

gonna depend how you drive and what you use the car for.
some cutting of torsion bar cross member may be necessary unless you have access to full range of shifter set-ups numerouse fore/aft offsets for passenegr car and truck use

the parts potentially in japan/Oz though....

just like tremec t5, for everyone who says never broke one, you will find a handful who turn the things into parts soup time and time again.

late model (99-2003) mustang t5 and a machined none-world-class chevy s10 tail housing probably fits with little or no torsion bar cross member cutting, and potentially easier to achive acceptible driveline angle. need a hole in the middle of the tunnel for shifter and a swan neck stick to put it under your hand

BUT i guess the AX-15 gives you a bellhousing that fits? if it doesn't easier to make an adapter for a box that has a perfectly round input bearing retainer rather than the odd shaped bolt pattern for the Aisin boxes

bellhousings and adaptors to fit most things to most other things
https://dellowconversions.com.au/

Dave

 

[DionR]

BUT i guess the AX-15 gives you a bellhousing that fits?

The Dakota V6 bell will fit all of the “big” pattern Aisin trans. Only drawbacks are the required 143T flywheel unless you move the starter pocket, and the bell is bigger than a standard bell and makes exhaust routing a little more difficult.

Oh, and they are a juice clutch only.

 

[72Duster440]

I ran one in my Jeep behind a 4.0/4.7L stroker. It was putting down 325ftlbs with 280 under 2k. I never had issue with it and it got beat on offroad quite a bit.

 

[Dave999]

The Dakota V6 bell will fit all of the “big” pattern Aisin trans. Only drawbacks are the required 143T flywheel unless you move the starter pocket, and the bell is bigger than a standard bell and makes exhaust routing a little more difficult.

Oh, and they are a juice clutch only.

might get away with a denso starter off a dakota with the pinion swapped for a 9 or 10 tooth 25 mm one. either one for a birt brin bellhousing/starter or one from Europe: WOSP engineering. or Australia: Castle Auto Electronics.

That usually caters for big flywheel/ring gear in small bellhousing with standard Mopar starter mounting pattern. Its the standard set up for most Austrlian and south African Mopars that used local transmissions from local borg warner (mopar mount with 25 or 27 mm pinion on a bosch version of the mopar standard starter) rather than standard US MOPAR 727/904/ 3 or 4 speed which used mopar mount and a 35 mm pinion, as far as i know. Also works with the first of the gen2 street hemis, saves you paying $1M for a rebuilt starter for your street hemi equipped car although i doubt saving money on a starter would worry an owner no top points and trophy for wrong starter....