It was a good truck but my next one will be faster. The motor thats going into is gonna be a 2 wheel drive reg cab short bed ram and its gonna be a insane little truck.  

You should buy that V10 reag cab long bed 4wd thats for sale at Ace Hardware. That looks like a desevering canadate.  

I loooked at it. Its ok I might go that route i dunno I'll think about it.  

Well i figured you would want the reg cab long bed four wheel drive that thing has....  

get a duramax you poser  

Yea good come back genius. Think of that all by yourself?  

Yea i did and I'm proud of it.  

Give yourself a cookie then.  

Hey guys I thought I would bring some facts to the table. I bought My first Diesel in 2006. At the time I was a die hard Ford fan. I also admired the Cummins reputation for building a solid motor. I initially drove the Cummins 2500 crew cab. The engine pulled extremely strong but felt like it wrapped out quickly. ( I wanted an automatic) At 80 mph the vehicle felt like it was straining and needed another gear. The interior of the truck was basic  even at the highest level of plush. I then drove down to the Ford dealer (with the Dodge truck) and began taking a long look at a 2006 250 crew cab. My immediate impression was wow what a great truck clean well laid out and great power and feel. So there I was debating between Ford or dodge. Wishing secretly that dodge would put a transmission that complemented the Cummins motor.

I started the long arduous process of researching facts like warranty repair ratios and client comments on service returns vehicles. I researched quality and build components, as well as technology and advancement. I also looked at the transmission and rear end/frontend builders reliability records and history.  What I quickly began to understand is that the light truck market is an incestuous breed of truck parts. Axles rear ends engines and transmissions copy patented technology. The key to buying a good truck find the right pieces to fit your specific need.

One thing I found and decided was a must- I needed an automatic transmission. With that in mind there were 2 companies that produced good quality autos for diesels. Hino and Allison. Beings that I am stateside that limited my choice.

I was forced to drive the Chevy…… And wow what a great blend of power and quality. I (prior to this purchase) was adamant about only owning Japanese vehicles. Toyota or Honda. When I drove the Chevy I needed to know more. Who built the motor? What was the track record? What is the reliability? After another deep dive I was pleasantly surprised to find Isuzu was the builder of the motor. Now owned by GM under a joint venture.
Isuzu diesels are not something to be scoffed. They produce more engines than the others combined!!!  Even with the significant number of engines produced they hold a better reliability rating than all others. Including CAT.  Don’t forget that Isuzu specializes in commercial applications. Confirmed rumor has it that Toyota has agreed to have Isuzu produce engines for the oncoming heavy duty tundra slated for production in 2010. This vote of confidence from Toyota illustrates Isuzu’s quality. (remember the damage a diesel engine did to a company when it turned out to be a flop..6.0 ouch.

Here is a website comparison of Isuzu vs. the competition. I found it to illustrate further the advantage and strength that a company like Isuzu brings to the table. Couple with Allison, including the highest ranked axles and frame construction. Buying Chevy was never easier.
I just bought my 2nd Dually LMM pulling a 40’ raptor total loaded weight 15500. Pulled from Denver to Moab. Over the passes Up was no problem down would of blown out lesser transmissions holding back that weight.  

Enzo. Glad you're happy with your new Duramax. To each their own. There are definitely some nice aspects to the new GM trucks. I also see Isuzu's involvement in the design of the Duramax as a plus, even though the early LB7 engines were a little trouble-prone.

My main beef with GM is in the front suspension design of the HD trucks. I just think a torsion bar IFS is a compromised design for a heavy-duty truck. Yes, it rides nice, but I have my concerns about the long-term durability of the design, especially off-road.

As long as you're not a jerk and tell other guys their trucks suck, you're welcome here. Unfortunately, we've had some Duramax fans here that have been less than friendly. So forgive us in advance if we seem a little hostile to Dmax fans.  

congrats on the new truck enzo. but like sanch said we have had a few bad eggs in terms of dmax fans but we shouldnt let them spoil it for the rest of the guys.  

I love the Duramax, it makes me money lol  

Sanchez- To be clear. I dont like American light duty trucks. If I had it my way I would of opted to buy a f650 with a CAT and allison 3000 transmission. Or a Kodiak equipped with Isuzu and Allison. I agree live axles have there merit. Especialliy when you want the truck lifted beyond manufactuer specs. As far as durability- More and more serious off road vehicles are going the direction of independent 4 wheel suspensions. Refer to Land rover and land cruiser. Hummer ect. With the advent of technology the concept of independent suspension froma  reliability concern is not even a point that needs to be debated. Its comfort- Durability is a wash. I own several live axle vehicles. Its imperative there are properly maintained to keep them bulletproof. As for me the purchase of a chevy vs dodge or ford? Is the lesser of 3 evils. From a quality standpoint- the all pale in comparison to the japanese and chinese.(facts to prove) However the doemstic market is limited by choice.  

Also- Ford guys. What will hapen to the 6.4 market value when ford develops its own diesel engine named the scorpion. Already slated for 2010. Read new issue of motor trend trucks. Navistar is at the brink of bankruptcy an without the lucrative ford contract may very well fail. Resale value will plummett. Parts will be second rate and harder to come by. The 6.0 and 6.4 will go the way of the edsel. Cummins seem to be well financed. The concern there- Can the newly aquired (by a private firm) chrysler group afford to keep cummins on the contract (cummins is by far the most expensive option for a dodge truck from a manufactuer persepctive) Rumor is that dodge may be looking at alternatives to t he cummins. Including Navistar/ International. Using the cummins for its commercial Line only.  

Your right. I understand your a tech at a gm/chevy dealer. Why did you decide to work there? Im curious. I share your appreciation of a good inline 6 motor. Like I said in my first reply that is the motor of choice. However you being a tech guy, Would you of made the reccomendation to buy an automatic dodge? (pre 6speed) Also on the new transmission it is beefier but still not proven.

however- If you could get me a 4500 dodge with the aisin(toyota/hino division) transmission and exhaust brake. I might make a change. I am not married to any truck I want what is proving to be the best for my needs.