Tremec T-56 Gets a New Life

Tremec’s 6-speed transmissions have been the most preferable transmission option in performance-oriented and racing cars for many years, and not without good reason. For instance, the T-56 transmission unit was considered almost impeccable for many years of application in powerful cars. But despite its reliability the T-56 has been pretty much the same during the years of its production, the aftermarket industry came up with a lot of advanced engines, which have to be paired with quite powerful transmissions to smoothly transmit torque to the drive wheels. Here comes a problem: T-56s were not designed to handle enormous torque and rev rates of modern engines. It seems like T-56s are doomed to end up at junkyards, but tech specialists from Rockland Standard Gear (RSG) decided not to give up on the famous Tremec product and came up with an interesting solution.

Initially manufactured by BorgWarner before Tremec took lead on production in 1998, the T-56 unit was firstly applied in the 4-th Gen Camaro back in 1993. Since then, this solution gained popularity in the performance segment, as it found application in a variety of speed-oriented cars – from the fourth-gen F-bodies to the first 3 generations of the Dodge Viper and many others. The issue is that this unit has seen very few internal upgrades during its long production time (from 1993 to 2007), thus the T-56’s architecture can hardly comply with technical requirements (namely high torque and RPM rates) of modern performance-oriented designs.

Tremec T-56 transmission

All major components of performance cars are frequently subjected to rebuilding and tuning procedures. But when it comes to this specific transmission, there is no much room for improvement of this system to avoid any malfunctions due to internal design limitations. Luckily, RSG has developed a 6-speed transmission solution named as Tranzilla Magnum.

Tremec decided to discontinue production of T-56 units in 2007, replacing this model with the TR-6060. It is interesting to point out that before it became outdated, the T-56 didn’t have much weaknesses. The main problem that occurred in this unit was a key transmission failure. This issue is caused by power shifting without a full release of the clutch. In the TR-6060, the abovementioned problem was solved.

Tremec TR-6060 transmission

But RSG decided to stick with the T-56 unit by fixing its weaknesses and making it more powerful for coupling with more powerful engines. RSG technicians quickly understood that they won’t achieve the desired result by simply integrating new components with more efficient and durable parts. They decided to approach this tricky task by designing its own solution, which basically turned out to be TR-6060s into T-56 configuration.

With the Tranzilla Magnum, RSG took the internal updates that Tremec brought into the fold with the TR-6060 and found a way to imbed them into a T-56 box. Thus, the Tranzilla maintains the packaging of the original T-56 without any of drawbacks typical for this transmission.

Here comes a logic question: why a builder won’t just stick with a TR-6060 unit to begin with? But it is not that simple. This is all about the packaging. The cars that initially came with T-56s were constructed with the dimensions of that setup in mind, and the TR-6060 wasn’t intended for being retrofitted into those applications. Therefore, RSG engineered all the elements required to take a TR-6060’s internal parts and integrate them into a T-56 unit. It can be hardly called a retrofit – but rather a direct replacement. The Magnum Tranzilla is a handmade solution equipped with well-matched components to ensure that the clearances are minimal. It can handle up to 1,200 hp and 1,355 Nm.

Possible applications

This solution can be used in a wide range of models. RSG engineers can equip the gearbox with updated input and output shafts to hit higher torque ratings. For instance, owners of models from the Corvette line (C5 and C6) certainly can take advantage of Tranzilla upgrades. While the enhanced strength of the Tranzilla unit is probably its most vivid advantage, RSG’s expertise to adjust this gearbox to the requirements of builders is a very good thing, not only for durability, but also for operating efficiency.

RSG manufactures transmission units with more close gear ratios. The thing is that most cars have a 1,500 RPM drop between gears – during the process of upshifting, the RPM rate is reduced to 1,500. In case with a close gear ratio setup, this issue is eliminated, and your car stays in the engine’s power band rather than waiting for the engine to restore a necessary RPM rate.

Magnum Tranzilla

Transmissions developed for volume production applications frequently use ratios that ensure fast speed-up from dead stop, but switch to wider gear ratios as you row through the gears to achieve low-RPM, steady-state driving for better fuel efficiency and reduced NVH. It is hardly airtight for performance applications, and many of the Tranzilla customers give preference to close-ratio gearing to force the engine to operate in the most efficient manner.

When it comes to speed performance, the use of a close-ratio transmission in racing and street cars becomes a significant operational enhancement compared to a stock gear set, where high ratios have to conform to fuel efficiency and other OE requirements rather than increased performance capacity. If we are talking about the Tranzilla, gear ratios and component materials aren’t the only options. RSG also can design different shifter locations.

It is great news for owners of such cars like the GT500, the Dodge Challenger, and the 5-th Gen Camaro, which come with remote-mount shifters. To implement such a setup, it is necessary to use bushings and linkages to make it operate properly. With the Tranzilla Magnum, it is possible to avoid any complications and use a direct-mount setup, thereby getting rid of additional hardware.

RSG also offers interesting variants when referring to bellhousing options. Here we are talking here about an SFI bellhousing. This component is a great solution for racing cars, as it keeps the transmission cool under severe loads without any violation of rules specified by authorized bodies (such as NHRA). Tranzilla Magnum solutions can be adjusted for street, strip, road course, or even off-road applications thanks to flexibility of options designed by RSG.

The company also designs a 4WD version of the Tranzilla Magnum, providing benefits of close-ratio gearing and better quality of gear shifting. RSG’s main objective with the Tranzilla Magnum is to provide builders with peace of mind that the gearbox unit they’re using is purpose-built to comply with the most stringent requirements. All RSG transmissions are tested under severe conditions to assure consistency of quality of its products.