So a suggestion by Rockland Standard Gear with no data to back it up is a "study"? Have you read the TC fluid sticky on DP?
You need to switch your avatar back I liked the old one better
The sticky at DP is a compilation of manufacturerers recomendations on their products driving them as they were intended. It was put together by a person who does not build or repair them.
I could do the same thing on heart transplants and sticky it on a medical website and it would look good cause I copied all the words correctly and made a good presentation. Would you let me do a transplant on you?
Simple fact is you will probably be all right with ATF IF you check the level on a regular basis. Most people don't including me. Therefore I use motor oil which has less of a chance to vaporize. I also believe it lubricates better under adverse driving conditions.
ATF was originaly filled in standard transmissions and then later in transfer cases for better mileage, not because it was a better lubricant.
We play hard with these trucks and need all the help we can get to keep them from breaking or wearing out parts prematurely. This is what the aftermarket hot rodders do and the manufacturersd learn from us; not from a guy behind a desk copying and pasting brochures and his claim to fame being a trans cooler hung upside down.