Meritor vs. Ishift

remoandiris · March 13, 2016

Is there a tremendous difference between the two auto trans? I did a few web searches for comparisons but found little more than anecdotal evidence and personal opinion. Some drivers liked the Meritor better, others said the Ishift is simply head and shoulders the best available. Maybe technology just gets much better every few years.

I realize the Ishift is Volvo proprietary and it appears Meritor are no longer available in the US, possibly meaning parts and service would be hard to find in a few more years.

So is a Meritor just yesterday's technology that is practically obsolete?

Nuke-E · March 13, 2016

The technology on them is pretty similar, and from a user standpoint they operate basically the same. And the Freedomline is far from obsolete, and is still sold into the US market directly by ZF, with its primary application being in VanHool buses. There aren't as many ZF service centers as there are Volvo dealers, but I'd bet the odds of actually needing a ZF service center are very low. The Freedomline was installed in just about every truck make, and I'd bet you'd find that almost any truck dealer would have at least some ability to get parts and/or perform service.

When compared to the other automated manuals available during the same time period, the Freedomline was way ahead of the competition, with the ability to automatically select a starting gear, and skip shifts under certain (most) conditions.

remoandiris · March 13, 2016

I appreciate the info about service/availability. That didn't come up anywhere in my searches.

Big5er · March 14, 2016

I have only dealt with 2 Volvo dealers in my 6 years of owning my HDT. My local dealer (Houston) has Freedomline techs who they claim have the up to date software and necessary training. The Volvo dealer in Wichita Kansas told me the same thing....when they fixed my Freedomline, by installing parts I supplied (since they didn't have them in stock) that I found online and had overnight shipped to Kansas. Another shop (where my trusted mechanic works) claims to have a Freedonline tech also.

ZF-Meritor is still in business and making the same transmission that we have over here. Worst case scenario, parts are only an ocean away and there are planes making that trip daily. If you are comparing a Freedomline to an I-shift you are trying to compare apples to oranges since the I-shift didn't come out until 2009 (after the Freedomline was no longer being sold in US), which means the I-shift truck is several years newer than the Freedomline truck.

Some people on this forum will tell you to steer away from a Freedomline for the reasons mentioned. If you find a truck that meets your requirements, I wouldn't let the Freedomline be the deciding factor. Would I prefer to have an I-shift? Sure, since that would mean my truck would be 5 years newer than it is.

heavyduty · March 14, 2016

5er is absolutely right. Freedomline is not a I shift but they preform very simular. There are a lot of freedomline on the road and will be for a long time. They both will get the job done. I have talked to 2 different volvo dealers and was told they could still work on the freedomline without any problems. In fact one older mechanic told me he has seen more troubles with I shift than he did with the freedomline. Just my 2 cents worth

Phil D · March 14, 2016

To a large extent, what you'll have available to you will be dependent on what you want in the way of a truck and/or engine, since the two transmissions belong, in a sense, to two different eras.

The FreedomLine will be your only choice between the two if you want a pre-EPA04 truck, or are willing to settle for an EPA04 truck (cooled EGR or ACERT), but nothing with DPF (EPA07 or later). The I-Shift, being much newer, benefits from the additional years of development, and is therefore more sophisticated, but can only be found in later model trucks with EPA07 or later engines.