which diesel truck

[EBMC]

I'm looking into getting a new crew cab 3/4 ton truck. Anybody have any thoughts on the Duramax, good or bad?

[Swain]

I have a 2009 Crew Cab Short bed, 4x4 Duramax

Runs great.

I have it for sale

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2507729580.html

[camcojb]

The Duramax is the best diesel out there in my opinion.

[EBMC]

I have a 2009 Crew Cab Short bed, 4x4 Duramax

Runs great.

I have it for sale

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/2507729580.html

What? No fancy wheels? Seriously, thats the truck I'm looking for (although I dont need 4x4),I'm just begining the research and need to sell my 06 F150. I'll definatly keep yours in mind if its still available.

[Merlin]

Look for a 2006 mode, pre smog equip. Also, the best duramax, all the bugs worked out.

Cliff
369 CP Chevelle

[HotRod68Camaro]

Love the Duramax. I have an 08 CCSB. Great engine and trans.

[Ketzer]

I'm on my second Dmax, nothing but positive things to say.

Jeff-

[clill]

Get the Duramax. I have a 09 and it is great. A Friend had a 08 Ford that had broken down many many times. The last time was pulling his travel trailer and it quit in a intersection. He had to live in the trailer on the side of the road for 4 days till the local small town shop could get to it. Then they had to order parts. His wife just traded it in on a new Duramax.

[EBMC]

Duramax it Is! Thanks Guys:thumbsup:

[TT302Z28]

Duramax is awesome just stay away from the early years with LB7. At 160k to 200k the head gaskets have to be replaced. This is a huge job and not to be taken lightly.

Don't ask how I know.....but the best engine ever! I towed a 5000lb trailer from Auburn to Ft Bragg this summer and was passing cars on the hill climbs!

[cencalc6]

The Duramax is the best diesel out there in my opinion.

Yup I Agree! :thumbsup:

[wmhjr]

I do not agree that the Dmax is the "best diesel out there". Though I'm not a dodge fan, I am a big Cummins fan and prefer it to the Dmax. The Cummins is hand down built heavier and tougher than the Dmax, which also explains why they typically last so much longer and in the high mileage area, retain their value longer. Facts - not fiction.

That being said, there is nothing at all wrong with a Dmax. They're the "hot rod" of the diesels. Capable of lots of power - just not for as long as the Cummins will put out. A single Cummins connecting rod is beefier than two Dmax rods combined. No joke. The Cummins is also the only of the 3 motors rated as medium duty rather than light duty.

[camcojb]

I do not agree that the Dmax is the "best diesel out there". Though I'm not a dodge fan, I am a big Cummins fan and prefer it to the Dmax. The Cummins is hand down built heavier and tougher than the Dmax, which also explains why they typically last so much longer and in the high mileage area, retain their value longer. Facts - not fiction.

That being said, there is nothing at all wrong with a Dmax. They're the "hot rod" of the diesels. Capable of lots of power - just not for as long as the Cummins will put out. A single Cummins connecting rod is beefier than two Dmax rods combined. No joke. The Cummins is also the only of the 3 motors rated as medium duty rather than light duty.
The Cummins is a great engine no doubt. But there's no way I'd live with that racket they make, along with the weird 6 cylinder sound. The Dodge trucks are definitely a step or two below the GM's in quality and comfort (and I've owned several of them).

When I said better it meant better in my opinion as far as noise (there's almost none on the new trucks), and overall fit, finish, and comfort of the two trucks.

[ParkerRS]

I've owned three of the 5.9 cummins powered dodge trucks. Both one ton and 3/4. I own a Ford with the 7.3 which was the last dependable powerstroke engine, and one duramax for a short time.

The Chevy had the smallest interior room for a long trip in my opinion. The ford is the better handling truck when towing of the three. I could never beat the Dodge at all for longevity, also as long as they were serviced properly they were all three trouble free for over 200,000 miles in heavy towing use. No dodge I ever owned had to go back to the dealer for anything after purchase. I simply did oil and filter along with fuel filter evry 5K and an air filter every 15K.

This is all my personal experience and opinion so take it for what it's worth. A lot of people talk the dodges down on qaulity, but I've owned 8 dodge vehicles with zero problems from any.

The chevy's look nice and run well, but the cabs are just uncomfortable to me compared with the other two. The materials inside also seem a notch down compared with the other two. As i said this is all opinion but look at all of them. Your opinion may prefer something different.

The 6.0 and 6.4 Ford are notorious for problems. The new ford engine hasn't been out long enough for any useable feedback yet. The Duramax had teething problems in the first 2 years but seems to be a very solid unit now. The cummins has been around forever and is by far the heaviest and best built engine. The other two are faster off the line but with 10K in tow when you hit a long hill the Cummins will easily hold speed and pull on up while the others will need more pedal or lose speed.

All of the new diesels are quiet, compared with just 4-5 years ago they are almost as quiet as a gasoline engine. The pre 2007 emmisions engines will give much better mileage though due to not being strangled or using fuel for regen cycles on the DPF. The Cummins is the "ONLY" new p/u diesel which does not require "DEF" (diesel exhaust fluid) to meet the 2010 emmisions requirments. This is another fluid you must buy and replenish and the other two will not run without it. Some of the new chevy's have been having troubles with this locally. Also don't believe the salesman when he tells you DEF is the same price as fuel per gallon. It's not, it's higher depending on where you buy it is between 5-7 dollars a gallon.

[wmhjr]

The Cummins is a great engine no doubt. But there's no way I'd live with that racket they make, along with the weird 6 cylinder sound. The Dodge trucks are definitely a step or two below the GM's in quality and comfort (and I've owned several of them).

When I said better it meant better in my opinion as far as noise (there's almost none on the new trucks), and overall fit, finish, and comfort of the two trucks.

Noise? Really? To be very honest, I find the Fords to be the noisiest by FAR. I find no real difference in the noise from a Dmax and a Cummins. Don't know what trucks you're listening to. I've got one buddy with an '09 Dmax and another with an '11. You "might" be able to determine which is louder of our 3 with some sort of decibel measuring device electronically, but not with your naked ear.

For comfort, I'll agree - the Dodge rides far harsher and the front end is more problematic - however I'll also say it's stronger. The solid front axle is simply stronger in terms of brute strength, but you sacrifice some comfort and handling - no doubt.

For quality, I have to say I've been a long time GM guy, but have been singularly unimpressed with GM quality. The reason I'm driving a Dodge truck is because my Chevy was so poor quality to be very blunt. But that's a personal thing, and I do agree that the Dodge "feels" like a "cheaper" interior.

I've got just shy of 240k miles on my '04 Cummins - bought it used. I expect to put another 200k on it at least. You won't see many Dmax owners saying that. It all depends on what you're looking for. They all have their advantages, and "better" is a very subjective description.

[wmhjr]

The cummins has been around forever and is by far the heaviest and best built engine. The other two are faster off the line but with 10K in tow when you hit a long hill the Cummins will easily hold speed and pull on up while the others will need more pedal or lose speed.


Thems true words. I routinely pull 10k with mine. 6spd manual. I get on the road, shift into 6th, set the cruise, and forget about it. I've never yet hit a hill on the highway that the Cummins didn't just power right up in 6th. I only come off cruise or shift when somebody gets in my way. That's through some pretty mountainous terrain too - not flatlands of Ohio or Kansas. The advantage that gives you is also in fuel economy. It's pretty well known that the Cummins isn't the fastest, but it IS usually the more economical on fuel.

And as I'm personally proving, 200k is barely a break-in period on a Cummins. Come see my odometer at RTTH. Oil changes, fuel filter changes, and fill'er up is all I need to worry about. I did replace a water pump at 237k miles. :)

[camcojb]

Noise? Really? To be very honest, I find the Fords to be the noisiest by FAR. I find no real difference in the noise from a Dmax and a Cummins. Don't know what trucks you're listening to. I've got one buddy with an '09 Dmax and another with an '11. You "might" be able to determine which is louder of our 3 with some sort of decibel measuring device electronically, but not with your naked ear.


I'm speaking of the older trucks. You pull up to the light next to an older Cummins and you can't even hear yourself think. :willy: They were slow to adopt pilot injection like GM did with the Dmax to quiet the engine noise.

And yes, I had an F550 and it was loud. I have not heard a quiet Cummins, so apparently I'm only seeing older models.

[wmhjr]

I'm speaking of the older trucks. You pull up to the light next to an older Cummins and you can't even hear yourself think. :willy: They were slow to adopt pilot injection like GM did with the Dmax to quiet the engine noise.

And yes, I had an F550 and it was loud. I have not heard a quiet Cummins, so apparently I'm only seeing older models.

Gotcha. My experience is that the most noisy of all are the Fords, regardless of the age. The older fords sound like an empty tin can shaking some rusty bolts around in it - with a amplifier on it. I can't really speak toward the legacy Cummins as far as noise. But from '03 on, I find them to be not a single bit noisier than the Dmax - at least if they're stock. Non-stock, and it can all change.

[DOOM]

Duramax all the way. But I will say I have an old 94 Dodge Cummapart that I use for plowing and I gotta tell the friggin thing is an animal It made me a believer thats for sure. I do warranty work for a local DODGE dealer and I have driven the new RAM with the Cummins and its smooth as silk. But I still prefer the Duramax....

[suark]

Duramax, 06 or 07 classic, both are pre-dpf ( diesel particulate filter) equipped, both have 6 speed allison which can handle more power than the 5 speed stock. I have a 06 with MPI twin turbos, built trans, it's the fastest vehicle I have ever owned and I can still tow my 13000lb camper anywhere. Never had to fix anything on it, hands down the best vehicle I ever owned.

[camcojb]

Duramax, 06 or 07 classic, both are pre-dpf ( diesel particulate filter) equipped, both have 6 speed allison which can handle more power than the 5 speed stock. I have a 06 with MPI twin turbos, built trans, it's the fastest vehicle I have ever owned and I can still tow my 13000lb camper anywhere. Never had to fix anything on it, hands down the best vehicle I ever owned.

yep, Rob's twin setup is the best mod I ever did to mine. :thumbsup:

[COYBILT]

I'm looking into getting a new crew cab 3/4 ton truck. Anybody have any thoughts on the Duramax, good or bad?

Ive got a 07 new body style 2wd duramax and I couldn't be happier, The truck throws down 22mpg on the freeway and 17.5 city.
With a 20ft enclosed on back with a car I average 15.6 mpg. If your looking for a great truck with out all the Smog crap on it, Go 2007 old bodystyle with the duramax. That engine is Known as the LBZ and has a fairly good rep, the earlier LLYs had some overheating issues at first and the early LB7s had injector issues.
The newest LML is a great engine and the chassis is awesome but as long as you don't mind throwing in DEF(Diesel exhaust Fluid) then go ahead.

[Jr]

My buddy rob has his truck for sale:


Rob Phillips
FOR SALE, I need to move this before Friday, don't ask, just listen. 2006 dodge ram 2500 mega cab 4x4 diesel w/63000 mi I have to get 22500 for it. It blue books for almost 30k. 310-941-3237. Rob

I need to figure out how to post a picture from his fb page... This truck is very clean!

[Stuart Adams]

Just like Coke and Pepsi, personal preference. No one can convince me to drink Pepsi or drive a diesel truck made by anyone but GM. I'm sure everyone has had good and bad with the 3 choices. Duramax for me, best truck I've had. Drive what you like.

[wmhjr]

Just like Coke and Pepsi, personal preference. No one can convince me to drink Pepsi or drive a diesel truck made by anyone but GM. I'm sure everyone has had good and bad with the 3 choices. Duramax for me, best truck I've had. Drive what you like.

It is personal preference to be sure. However it's far from a pepsi vs coke comparison. People should have open minds, as there are clear factual differences that might make one a better fit than another based on the need. For example, if I were building a competition pulling truck, I'd likely go with a dmax. If I were buying a used truck and wanted maximum engine durability over high miles I'd buy a dodge. It's not a brand thing. It's a design thing. Just saying.

[Stuart Adams]

It's a personal preference thing for me Im saying. I wouldn't buy a dodge diesel truck period. I have no desire to even find a reason to. Just saying.

[wmhjr]

Very odd response. I'm curious as to why you'd never consider one regardless of the reason. It's like saying I have a personal preference to ignore all facts and data and just potentially spend more money on a technically inferior product without any logic. Not saying that's the case, but that's the way it comes across. No insult intended. I just didn't think there were many people left so tied to a single brand - or opposed to one - in spite of any reason.

[Stuart Adams]

I hope you are happy with the diesel truck you prefer. All good on my end. Have a good one.

[ironworks]

I'm not tied to one brand but I will never buy another Ford Diesel again. The chassis is great, the cab has more room then any of the others. I had a great Gas powered ford before my current F-450. The engine and the customer service all the way up to Ford themselves sucks horribly. I could write a best selling book about the nightmares I have had with my truck. The cab has been off the chassis 3-4 times since I have owned it. The latest problem is that the Exhaust system is always cleaning itself. But I have only once had a check engine light come on. It can dump white smoke for 5 minutes going down then road then stop and not do it again for months.


The twin turbo 6.4L Ford truck is JUNK....


But I love Pepsi

[killer67]

GM - LBZ is the way to go

[DRJDVM's '69]

You will find a huge range of opinions out there and tons of horror stories for all the brands...., and tons of "it's been the best truck ever"

Do some research for obvious glaring issues and then pick what you want

I bought an 06 dodge 2500 with the 5.9 cummins in nov.... First diesel... Been great so far

[wmhjr]

Ned, I totally agree with you. Do your research. My confusion is why in this day and age people would just disregard a brand - before even doing any research. I didn't think brand loyalty - or hatred for that matter - still existed so much anymore. After all, most of what's in any of the new cars isn't manufactured (or often designed) by the brand that's on the car. I NEVER thought I'd own a Dodge truck but careful research thankfully made me reconsider. It's just interesting.

[Beegs]

Ned, I totally agree with you. Do your research. My confusion is why in this day and age people would just disregard a brand - before even doing any research. I didn't think brand loyalty - or hatred for that matter - still existed so much anymore. After all, most of what's in any of the new cars isn't manufactured (or often designed) by the brand that's on the car. I NEVER thought I'd own a Dodge truck but careful research thankfully made me reconsider. It's just interesting.

I will NEVER step foot in a Walgreens again because they fired a pharmacist for defending himself while on the clock against armed robbers. That's just me. Maybe someone who would never even consider a Dodge had a horrible experience with them and will never buy their product again. To each his own...that is the beauty of our system...spend your dough where you want to.

On Diesels...I have had two Dmax's...'05 and'03 My '03 needed new injectors at 65K, they are problamatic in the first gen Dmax. Go to: dieselplace.com for all things Duramax

[Stuart Adams]

I will NEVER step foot in a Walgreens again because they fired a pharmacist for defending himself while on the clock against armed robbers. That's just me. Maybe someone who would never even consider a Dodge had a horrible experience with them and will never buy their product again. To each his own...that is the beauty of our system...spend your dough where you want to.

On Diesels...I have had two Dmax's...'05 and'03 My '03 needed new injectors at 65K, they are problamatic in the first gen Dmax. Go to: dieselplace.com for all things Duramax

Xactly. All have garages for a reason, not just oil changes.

[wmhjr]

Maybe someone who would never even consider a Dodge had a horrible experience with them and will never buy their product again. To each his own...that is the beauty of our system...spend your dough where you want to.


No, I understand - just a little surprised. I guess by that same logic there are some of us here that would never buy another car period, because you may have had horrible experiences with each of the big 3. I had a REALLY bad experience with a '00 Chevy and that definitely weighs on me. But it would have to be something REALLY bad to completely ignore a complete product line. I was not criticizing - just saying I'm surprised that there remains such a strong "brand" identity. No problem.

[TheJDMan]

My 07 Classic Silverado 2500HD LBZ Duramax Allison 1000 6 speed is without question the best, most powerful pickup I have ever owned bar none! But rather than getting into the pointless which is better argument, I recommend you go drive all three diesel pickups and make your own decision. I also recommend you check out Diesel Power magazine, it is packed with good information every month on all three brands. There are also tons of diesel pickup forums that you can browse. Being a D-Max owner, here is a link to just one of the Duramax forums that I frequent which has a huge membership.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

Just be aware that diesel engine technology is changing rapidly and any comparisons to older trucks, even 10 years old, is irrelavent to current model discussion. All of the big three have weak points, all of them!!!

There have been tons of comparison tests done in different formats, but in my opinion one of the best real world tests was done by Diesel Power Mag where they took trucks from each of the big three, hooked each one to a 19K+ trailer and took them on a 2000 mile trip through the Rocky Mountains including their famous King of the Hill pull. You can watch the video here.
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/1109dp_king_of_the_hill_testing_video/index.html

Early 2011 King of the Hill test. The interesting thing about this test was that the Dodge had too low of a GVW rating to be able to participate with the GM and Ford. Basicaly the Dodge was outclassed before the test even started.
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/features/1102dp_king_of_the_hill_silverado_vs_super_duty/index.html

The current models of diesel pickup from all three manufacturers are the most powerful ever built while still meeting EPA regulations. People can argue which is best all day long but the bottom line is that you will not go wrong with any of the three. As I said earlier, drive all three (preferrably towing a heavy trailer if they will let you) and then make up your own mind. Just beware that these diesel trucks make so much torque that they will litterally erase the tread on drive tires if you tow alot, ask me how I know.

BTW, here is my Duramax.

http://hayes-ent.com/steve/images/2500h2b.jpg

[TreySmith]

Since I have owned a Ram, F250 and spent many hours in a Duramax, I have to say you need to drive them all and see what you like..

The Ram handles the best, I love the steering on them. My 3500 dually 6spd got 23mpg city and about 26 highway and with a programmer it would spin the tires from a 45 roll. I love the fold down center console and the seats are very comfortable. Personally it's the best "driving" truck out of the three, it's also the most powerful tuned. The back seats are very small and the trucks start out kinda pricey. The interiors SUCK on the 06+ trucks but the 2010 leather interiors are amazing. The black cloth 03-05's though are very nice and comfy, mine was an 05. Uses quite a bit of fuel idling all night.

The f250's have the most room inside, I personally LOVED the 6.0 but the EGR will have problems. Straight piped it has that awesome muscle car roar. It got about 12 city and 19 highway, very tight driving truck but had a cheap lift so the ride was terrible. Idling all night would use like a gallon, I use to sleep in it all the time. It's surprising it uses a hell of a lot less fuel then the dodge idling, fords also seem to have the best A/C. I did start to have some egr issues but I cleaned it out and ran fine. I beat the living **** out of that truck every second I had it and it barely gave me any problems, very well built truck. They are notorious for ball joints though, which mine was needing.

The duramax is like a good overpriced mixture of the F250 and dodge. Just as powerful as the ram, fair gas mileage at about 16 city, 22 highway driving it hard and it has a fair amount of room inside. They handle good, drive good and just seem to be a good overall truck. My friend had a lot of issues with his but he was not easy on it at all.

I'd say the best bang for your buck is an F250, I loved mine and would give the world to have it back. And don't be scared of a 6.0, it was so much more powerful then my 7.3, and the ford transmissions are a lot stronger then the allison. Go ahead, flame away.

Whenever you get bored of your truck, get a programmer, it's so damn fun whooping Camaro's and vettes with all your buddies in a 3500 hot shot dually haha. In my f250 we'd put it in 4hi and launch on ricers and even a few vettes. My friends Dmax stopped a 350z from a stop with the truck full of kids lol..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G8LPM-Dv2U

[Travis77]

My opinion on the trucks. If you are looking to buy one new I would probably look at chevy. They did an amazing job with the 2011. It's too bad though that the interior never got tweaked any. I have been a Ford truck guy for awhile, but honesly they seam to be going down hill. I came very close to getting a 2012 but I think I will just hold out for the 2013 duramax. Reason that Ford are sucking is you can not get any lower gear ratio than a 3:55. And what's this electronic lock crap? Give me the simple limited slip and call it a day. Also if you look closely in 2012 Ford dropped the hydroboost braking. I test drove a F-250 with vacuum assist and it had terrible braking. Also the lariat package might as well be called ther glorified vinyl package. Very little leather anywhere inside.
The older dodges are okay for work trucks. Like stated earlier the front ends are great. We have never had any problems with bearings or 4x4 components. But I test drove a 2011 in standards and auto and personally can't get over how the motor sounds. I also have never been confortable in any dodge seat.
Definately drive as many as you can to get a feel of what you like. But for me
Used-Ford 7.3 diesels
New- Chevy 2011

[ParkerRS]

if you plan to do a lot of towing go with the dodge and manual trans, the d max is a great engine but the cummins is incredible...

all the big diesel trucks have auto trans issues when you start towing HEAVY loads...i was into off shore power boats and towing 40ft offshore boats will let you know who makes a good driveline in a hurry.lol


I'll second this comment strongly. If you intend to tow a lot of heavy loads go manual. The automatic transmission is the weak link in diesel trucks.

I know all of you chevy guys are going to jump in and brag about the Allison, but it's an Allison 1000. These transmissions are weaker than you think, just ask diesel drag racers. They are also the most expensive to modify for increased power or load levels. Allison transmissions in buses, motorhomes and heavy trucks are a different animal. For motorhomes, buses and trucks wieghing between 18,000 and 30,000 lbs allison provides the 3000 series in these applications. With a P/U rated at nearly 20,000 GCVWR the 1000 series is on the light side in comparison.

Dodge and Ford also have problems with autos when worked hard. GM relies on the Allison reputation even though they are using a very light duty version. If you intend to tow max or near max loads a manual (preferably 6 speed) is the only way to go regardless of brand.

I've owned two with autos and the rest were all manuals. The autos both required rebuilding and strengthening. If you want the real skinny on diesel autos talk with the guys at www.suncoastconverters.com , these guys buy the latest trucks new, turn them up high and see what breaks in the transmission at the drag strip. Then they tear them down and see what it takes to make them survive the strain. I've been running one of their units in my Ford for 130,000 miles with 0 trouble. the original blew out it's front seal while towing a 15,000 lb tailer at 34,000 miles. Ford's reply to the problem was that they all do that if you load them heavy and pull. WTF?, It's a one ton truck!

[EBMC]

And the winner is.........................


http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab208/2468ebmc/028.jpg
Picked up a 2011 Denali Duramax HD2500, and so far love it. May be picking up a new customers car in LA next week so I'll get to put it to the test over the grapevine. Thanks for all the input guys.:thumbsup:

[Stuart Adams]

Very nice

[98ssnova]

Those things are so nice I really want one I have a gas truck right but might have to trade mine in soon.:D Congrats on your new ride you wont regret it my only regret is I though I bought enough truck for what I wanted to do.

[suark]

And the winner is.........................


http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab208/2468ebmc/028.jpg
Picked up a 2011 Denali Duramax HD2500, and so far love it. May be picking up a new customers car in LA next week so I'll get to put it to the test over the grapevine. Thanks for all the input guys.:thumbsup:

This will be my next one...very nice

[HotRod68Camaro]

Those Denali HDs are awesome.