Pickup Choices
- Thread starter TxPatriot
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jnbhobe
Well-known member
I'm not sure, The only one I know of is the Ram with CEL and steering links !!
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
AAdams
Well-known member
We have a '07 GMC Sierra classic w/Duramax/Allison..... I don't care for it. It was a good truck, but at 99k it doesn't seem to have the power it did. I will hopefully be changing soon to the in-line 6 on a RAM. The Cummins has a good reputation and many of their engines are used in the OTR industry so they will normally last a very long time. The Duramax has a "targeted lifespan of 200k miles" (GMC 2014 Towing Guide p.7) Also the Max 5th wheel pin weight is 3500lbs ( GMC 2014 Towing guide p.10), So if you are looking at used GMC/Chevy you may want to look at the miles closely, IMO. I know many Love their Duramax, I did at first, but after owning mine I am just giving my opinion.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
If any vehicle has lost power, and especially a diesel at 99K, I would start looking for what might be causing that problem. There has to be a cause and it is not the norm.
I posted the "recall?" as sarcasm. While some of the other major truck makes have had some big recalls Chevy has not. Not saying it won't happen but the Allison is pretty much bullet proof and the others are still trying to catch the Duramax 6.6.
Not to discredit the article that says the Duramax is a targeted 200K engine but here is a thread that is interesting. Lots of 250K to 350K Duramax trucks still out there running strong. Granted that is the LB7 but that is the first and oldest Duramax engine.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/63...7/387675-high-mileage-lb7s-you-out-there.html
Asking for an opinion as to which truck is the best is like asking which political candidate is the best, or which religion is the best. The discussion will get out of hand in short order
I posted the "recall?" as sarcasm. While some of the other major truck makes have had some big recalls Chevy has not. Not saying it won't happen but the Allison is pretty much bullet proof and the others are still trying to catch the Duramax 6.6.
Not to discredit the article that says the Duramax is a targeted 200K engine but here is a thread that is interesting. Lots of 250K to 350K Duramax trucks still out there running strong. Granted that is the LB7 but that is the first and oldest Duramax engine.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/63...7/387675-high-mileage-lb7s-you-out-there.html
Asking for an opinion as to which truck is the best is like asking which political candidate is the best, or which religion is the best. The discussion will get out of hand in short order
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NMGliderPilot
Member
My 2009 Dodge 2500 4x4 (410 gear) Cummins 6.7l turbodiesel is a hoss! Fuel mileage as a daily driver would suck at about 14mpg, but 10mpg dragging my 2015 Gateway and my fat butt ain't half bad. Factory engine specs say good to 350,000 then rebuild. It's a truck. Some of the others are just pickups, but this beast is a truck. For what it's worth, all the gov't smog crap hurts all of our mileage, but you can get most of that deleted and do better. Just sayin'...
Cjackg
Well-known member
You will probably love the Cummins but you are going to miss that Allison when your new truck has trouble figuring out which gear to shift to around town. I have owned two 3500 Rams and they were good trucks but the transmission was always worrisome and both had problems hunting for the right gear to use.
OEFVET
Well-known member
It all comes down to personal preference. The recalls on the Chevy/GMC trucks has been an improper crimping of the power steering hose. I have the complete inspection procedure for anyone who would like it. Another consideration on the Chevy/GMC is to have a lift pump and 2 micron fuel filter installed. The duramax has bosch injectors and requires a 2 micron fuel filter to properly remove contaminants. It comes from the factory with a 6 micron filter. If you chose not to have a 2 micron filter installed you will have power loss and eventually need to replace injectors around 100k.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
Just for clarification. A dirty fuel filter of any kind will cause power loss. There is no requirement that the injectors have a 2 micron filter. It just makes good sense to use one if your system is fitted for it. Two things that kill injectors in any vehicle are air and dirt. A lift pump helps eliminate air in the Duramax since the systems CP3 location near the engine sucks fuel forward from the tank. Any air leak is more damaging with this system. A lift pump pushes, under pressure from a location closer to the fuel tank. Installation of the Nicktane filter adapter, or something similar, allows for the use of a 2 micron Cat filter. The more restricted 2 micron filter is best used with a lift pump because of better fuel flow with the pump but a pump is not required. Injectors can go at 25K or in the case of some still be cranking at 200K and while better filtering helps it is not the "end" solution. One fill up at a station that has contaminated fuel will kill the injectors in short order. This is true of any diesel engine injectors.
Think about this. If the engine "requires" a 2 micron filter and comes with a 6 micron filter, how many of us who lost injectors at one time or another could make a claim with GM?
Think about this. If the engine "requires" a 2 micron filter and comes with a 6 micron filter, how many of us who lost injectors at one time or another could make a claim with GM?
I will chime in and make this my first post (i've been lurking in the dark corners for quite some time). I will echo many things already stated because I believe them to be true.
1. you will get many opinions here about the various trucks, but I believe that you should spend more time on the different forums, ones that are only for those trucks. There you will get years of specific information that like this site are way too resourceful to put a value on [insert thumbs up smiley here].
2. Establish your price range and take each of the big three for rides.
3. My big motto: do it once and do it right (which is why I am still camperless over year after I purchased my TV)
4. Take your time with the process and see number 3 above.
Now I know there was more but it's past my bedtime and my brain is actually starting to evaporate in its current mushy state.
In summary:
I bought a new 13 Ram CTD Dually and though I vowed many years ago that I would never buy a new vehicle, the prices commanded for a used and 'potentially' unabused diesel truck were mid 30's. I could easily see myself way into the 40's with a major repair. There was one 5.9L '07 dodge that the original owner really took care of and dumped some $ into upgrades, however, it didn't have all the goodies that I wanted and if I was going to spend $34k for a truck it better be what I wanted or else I would be spending 'a little more' to get exactly that. Once I knew that I was gonna go new to curb the risk I did #2. Results for me were:
1. Ford was undoubtedly the best riding, though I may have been used to the feel because my main scoot has been a navigator for years. The turn offs were all the hiccups...suffocations with prior years as OP's mentioned. I also didn't like the fact that you have to raise the cab to do some major repairs, which is arguably a mute point because I don't think that there are many of us doing major work on these newer computers with wheels (I was an engineer for a yeer and its mind boggling when you see side by side the engine bay of a 5.9L and a newer 6.7 The biggest turnoff with Ford was that they were too expensive. I refused to pay that much for a truck and though my Ram cost less it was still more than my duplex...it's still absurd when I think about it...and don't bash my neighborhood...yea, it's a little rough, ha
2. Chevy - I thought it lacked in performance compared to the others. Chevy guys don't take offense, I'm trying to tell a story Seriously though, it seemed like a dog and it was stiff over the bumps. Now it was the only 3/4 ton that I test drove which I'm sure was a factor due to the shorter wheelbase but then again imagine a 1 ton being sprung heavier. [insert shrugged shoulder smiley here] (ha, I will find these things in time if they exist)
3. Dodge/Dodge Ram/Ram - Now I was kind of partial to Ram because I wanted a manual tranny and I was somewhat knowledgeable about them because my buddies had them for years...then again, I really didn't know anything. I seriously spent months on CumminsForum before I bought my truck. I wanted to read every page about my model year but that was a tall task...now are you starting to picture the shadows? Anyways, a popular saying from the D/DR/R owners is that they bought a Cummins and a dodge truck just happened to come with the motor. And I will tell you secondhand, ha that the motors outlasted the earlier trucks. These newer trucks are supposedly beefier and better but time will tell if they hold up. Now don't get me wrong Ram like every other manufacturer has its issues (death wobble/steering components, and tuning to name a few), but in the end I found the best value to be in the ram. It's all relative. Good luck and when in doubt see #3!
- Jason
1. you will get many opinions here about the various trucks, but I believe that you should spend more time on the different forums, ones that are only for those trucks. There you will get years of specific information that like this site are way too resourceful to put a value on [insert thumbs up smiley here].
2. Establish your price range and take each of the big three for rides.
3. My big motto: do it once and do it right (which is why I am still camperless over year after I purchased my TV)
4. Take your time with the process and see number 3 above.
Now I know there was more but it's past my bedtime and my brain is actually starting to evaporate in its current mushy state.
In summary:
I bought a new 13 Ram CTD Dually and though I vowed many years ago that I would never buy a new vehicle, the prices commanded for a used and 'potentially' unabused diesel truck were mid 30's. I could easily see myself way into the 40's with a major repair. There was one 5.9L '07 dodge that the original owner really took care of and dumped some $ into upgrades, however, it didn't have all the goodies that I wanted and if I was going to spend $34k for a truck it better be what I wanted or else I would be spending 'a little more' to get exactly that. Once I knew that I was gonna go new to curb the risk I did #2. Results for me were:
1. Ford was undoubtedly the best riding, though I may have been used to the feel because my main scoot has been a navigator for years. The turn offs were all the hiccups...suffocations with prior years as OP's mentioned. I also didn't like the fact that you have to raise the cab to do some major repairs, which is arguably a mute point because I don't think that there are many of us doing major work on these newer computers with wheels (I was an engineer for a yeer and its mind boggling when you see side by side the engine bay of a 5.9L and a newer 6.7 The biggest turnoff with Ford was that they were too expensive. I refused to pay that much for a truck and though my Ram cost less it was still more than my duplex...it's still absurd when I think about it...and don't bash my neighborhood...yea, it's a little rough, ha
2. Chevy - I thought it lacked in performance compared to the others. Chevy guys don't take offense, I'm trying to tell a story
Seriously though, it seemed like a dog and it was stiff over the bumps. Now it was the only 3/4 ton that I test drove which I'm sure was a factor due to the shorter wheelbase but then again imagine a 1 ton being sprung heavier. [insert shrugged shoulder smiley here] (ha, I will find these things in time if they exist)3. Dodge/Dodge Ram/Ram - Now I was kind of partial to Ram because I wanted a manual tranny and I was somewhat knowledgeable about them because my buddies had them for years...then again, I really didn't know anything. I seriously spent months on CumminsForum before I bought my truck. I wanted to read every page about my model year but that was a tall task...now are you starting to picture the shadows? Anyways, a popular saying from the D/DR/R owners is that they bought a Cummins and a dodge truck just happened to come with the motor. And I will tell you secondhand, ha that the motors outlasted the earlier trucks. These newer trucks are supposedly beefier and better but time will tell if they hold up. Now don't get me wrong Ram like every other manufacturer has its issues (death wobble/steering components, and tuning to name a few), but in the end I found the best value to be in the ram. It's all relative. Good luck and when in doubt see #3!
- Jason
OEFVET
Well-known member
I completely disagree with you. My cousin is a bosch engineer. He has provided me with much information on this. You can disagree all you want but all diesel mechanics (at least the good ones) will recommend a 2 micron filter with the duramax. GM gets around the premature injection failure because 100k is not considered premature by GM.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
I don't think we disagreed, in-fact, I said the 2 micron filter is better than stock. Please reread what I wrote and then tell me where we disagree. I have the Cat 2 micron on my truck. I did say that it is not a "requirement". If you find that it is listed in the truck manual someplace that a 2 micron filter is "required" let me know where (cause I don't see it). And since my first set failed at 50K and the second set at 76K I guess, by GM's standards, they should have replaced both under warranty. Unfortunately they did the first but not the second.
Oh, and at least two GM service techs have told me that the Cat 2 micron I have on is not REPEAT NOT recommend by GM because it puts more back pressure on the CP3. Thus the idea that a lift pump will help with that problem.
I forgot to add in this post originally, that by using the Nicktane adapter and the Caterpillar filter you save $15 to $20 or more with each filter change and get the benefit of better filtration. The GM filter runs about $40 and is 6 micron. The Cat is about $15 and is 2 micron. You can get 1 micron Cat filters. GM recommends changing filters every 10 to 15K miles depending upon driving conditions.
Oh, and at least two GM service techs have told me that the Cat 2 micron I have on is not REPEAT NOT recommend by GM because it puts more back pressure on the CP3. Thus the idea that a lift pump will help with that problem.
I forgot to add in this post originally, that by using the Nicktane adapter and the Caterpillar filter you save $15 to $20 or more with each filter change and get the benefit of better filtration. The GM filter runs about $40 and is 6 micron. The Cat is about $15 and is 2 micron. You can get 1 micron Cat filters. GM recommends changing filters every 10 to 15K miles depending upon driving conditions.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
Pretty simple, I think. If GM says that their engine requires a 2 micron filter to operate properly and avoid injector issues and then they send the vehicle out the door to the dealer and customer with a 6 micron filter would that not be providing less filtration than they say is necessary for proper operation? Would the owner then not have recourse should the injectors fail prior to your 100K
But, nowhere in any GM documentation that I find is there a notation saying that 2 micron filters are required or are better. And there is no 2 micron OEM (GM made) filter that is made for the Duramax that I am aware of.
But, nowhere in any GM documentation that I find is there a notation saying that 2 micron filters are required or are better. And there is no 2 micron OEM (GM made) filter that is made for the Duramax that I am aware of.
