Does Ford make GM transmissions?
No, Ford does not manufacture transmissions for General Motors (GM) vehicles. Ford and GM are separate automotive companies that design, engineer, and produce their own proprietary transmissions for their respective vehicle lineups.
Explaining the Relationship Between Ford and GM Transmissions
Ford and GM are two of the largest automakers in the United States, but they operate as independent companies with their own unique engineering and manufacturing capabilities. While there have been some instances of collaboration or shared components between the two companies in the past, they generally develop their own transmissions and other key drivetrain components for their vehicles.
The transmissions used in Ford and GM vehicles are designed, engineered, and produced by the respective in-house powertrain divisions of each company. Ford has its own transmission manufacturing facilities and engineering teams that develop transmissions specifically for Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury branded vehicles. Similarly, GM has its own transmission development and production capabilities to support Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC models.
Reasons Why Ford and GM Don't Share Transmissions
- Competitive Advantage: Developing proprietary transmissions allows each automaker to differentiate their vehicles and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Unique transmissions can be a key selling point for consumers.
- Intellectual Property: The transmissions are considered valuable intellectual property that automakers guard closely. Sharing designs or manufacturing would require extensive collaboration and licensing agreements.
- Manufacturing Capabilities: Ford and GM have made significant investments in their own transmission production facilities and supply chains. Relying on each other's transmissions would disrupt these established manufacturing processes.
- Brand Identity: The transmissions are an integral part of a vehicle's powertrain and contribute to the overall brand identity and performance characteristics. Automakers prefer to maintain full control over these key components.
In summary, while Ford and GM are both major American automakers, they operate as independent companies with their own proprietary transmission technologies and manufacturing capabilities. There is no evidence that Ford produces transmissions for GM vehicles or vice versa.
Who manufactures GM transmissions?
General Motors (GM) makes its own transmissions, often in-house, though it has collaborated with other companies in the past and occasionally uses external suppliers. For instance, GM jointly developed 10-speed automatic transmissions with Ford Motor Company, with each company manufacturing its own version. GM's transmission manufacturing plants are located in the United States, such as the one in Warren, Michigan, which produces transmissions like the 6T70, 6T75, and 6T80.
- In-house production: GM designs and manufactures many of its transmissions in its own factories, including specific models for its various vehicle lines.
- Ford-GM collaboration: GM has collaborated with Ford on specific transmissions, like the 10-speed automatic, with each company producing its own version for different vehicle applications.
- Allison Transmissions: While GM and Allison Transmissions have a long history together, Allison has been an independent company since 2007.
- For a period, some GM heavy-duty trucks used "Allison-branded" transmissions that were manufactured by GM.
- However, GM and Allison are ending their licensing agreement, meaning GM will no longer use the Allison brand on its heavy-duty transmissions going forward.
Did GM and Ford build a transmission together?
The Ford–GM 10-speed automatic transmission is part of a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and General Motors to design and engineer two transmissions: a longitudinal 10-speed transmission and a transverse 9-speed trans-axle.
Who makes the transmission for Ford?
Ford designs and manufactures most of its own transmissions, with a significant portion built at Ford's plants, such as the one in Sharonville, Ohio. However, Ford has also collaborated with General Motors (GM) to co-develop certain automatic transmissions, like the 9- and 10-speed ones. While they share the architecture from these joint projects, each company builds and tunes its own unique version with brand-specific software.
- Ford-built transmissions: Ford manufactures many of its transmissions in-house at plants like the one in Sharonville, Ohio, as seen with transmissions like the AOD and Toploader.
- Joint development with GM: Ford and GM have partnered on some projects, with each company contributing to the design. For example, Ford primarily designed the 10-speed longitudinal transmission, and GM designed the 9-speed transverse version.
- Manufacturing and tuning: Despite co-developing the architecture, each company manufactures its own version of the transmission in its own factories. They then use their own control software to match the transmission's performance to their specific vehicle models.
Are Ford and GM transmissions the same?
No, Ford and GM transmissions are not the same, although they have collaborated on certain models like the jointly developed 10-speed automatic transmission. While the basic architecture for these co-developed transmissions is shared, each company manufactures its own version with unique control software, case designs, and internal components that are not interchangeable. Differences can be found in the valve bodies and overall tuning to match each brand's vehicles, and heavier-duty models are completely different designs.
Shared development
- 10-speed automatic: Ford and GM co-developed a 10-speed automatic transmission, with Ford designing the 10-speed and GM designing a 9-speed transaxle.
- Common components: They initially aimed for identical hardware in the jointly developed transmissions to maximize parts commonality and economy of scale.
Key differences
- Manufacturing: Despite sharing a design, each company manufactures its own version of the transmission in its own factories.
- Tuning and software: Each company tunes its version of the transmission differently and uses its own control software to match the vehicle's specific performance characteristics.
- Internal components: There are internal differences, such as variations in valve bodies and separator plates. For example, Ford's 10-speed (10R80) and GM's (10L1000) are not interchangeable, and the heavy-duty versions are different designs.
- Case and gearing: The overall case design and internal gear ratios can be different between the two versions.
- Heavy-duty models: The heavy-duty 10-speed units are separate designs, with Ford's 10R140 and GM's 10L1000 not being interchangeable.
