Transmission shifts hard

1996 Suburban 2WD (5.7L - 4L60E), shifts hard from park to drive and it seems all shifts are firmer than what they used to be. There is no slippage. I changed the fluid and filter today and there was nothing in the pan as far as debris. Fluid was a little darker than what I expected and there was no noticeable burnt smell. I am hoping this is an electronic problem and not a problem that can only be fixed with a removal and replacement. I have about 50-60K miles on this transmission. Anyone have any thoughts what I might be up against?

yes if it makes a cling noise when you put it into drive then it is your drive shaft v-joints it happened to mine and my drive shaft ended up dragging on the ground while i was driving:disappoin . so check that i also had a question i have a 91 suburban and where do you put the trans fluid in? the dip stick hole? my trans won't catch 3rd gear all or a sudden???? i am about to sell it this weekend.

$375 later for an EPC solenoid and $150 for u-joint this thing is fixed. I had the transmission replaced 6 or 7 years ago in Maryland at a national transmission repair chain, not AAMCO. My mechanic here in Texas told me that company disconnected the EPC, added a resistor in place of it, added a vacuum controller, drilled a hole in the side of my transmission case and ran a vacuum line. Why, I have no idea and neither did he. He said the transmission on my 1996 vehicle was controlled like it used to be long before electronic transmissions. I can only assume this was done to keep the check engine light from coming on since I bought the life time guarantee. When the diagnostic equipment was hooked up for troubleshooting, the pressures were all zero or not there at all and he couldn't read anything else on the equipment. I will never go back to that national chain, their customer service sucks not to mention questionable maintenance practices. My truck's transmission runs as smooth as the day I bought it. Anyone out there with transmission experience know why this might have been done instead of doing it right?

Hard to say why.
But it is a good reason to stay away from transmission chain stores.
But sounds like you have a mechanic that knows what he is doing.
You are luckie he could get it strighten back up right.
MT