I need everyones opinion here !!!!!

Alright ppl im in the market to buy a diesel truck cause i've been bit by the bug and i need to pull my toys on a trailer. So i ride a harley in the summer am a tech at toyota and have driven pieces of *** cars my whole life but never any new cars or diesel trucks. Now if toyota had diesels in canada i would definitely buy one cause i have family in europe and they tell me no deisel compares but we all know thats not happening any time soon in north america so thats out of the question. I've worked on and test drove all makes of diesels and cant seem to pick one out cause they all have theyre own problems. Now im loyal to Ford but if i have too i will transfer and alot of my friends have F series and all have had theyre share of problems within 100000 kms. but love them. Also my father owns a 7.3 with 600000 kms. and has had to do repairs nothing other then glow plugs,turbo,injectors,clutch pump,clutch and normal wear and tear front end parts so its hard to not buy one. In my opinion my ultimate truck would have to be the F-series with a Cummins engine and a Dmax Allison tranny. I also like how dodge has the solid axle. Although its a beautiful thought and i know it can be done with a lot of work and fabrication, i just want a truck thats gona give me the least amount of problems and that i can trick up for mud bogging and to beat up on these young kids with theyre hondas for shits and giggs lol..now im not gona lie im leaning towards the 08 6.4 F-series cause they have common rail design now "thank god" but before i do i just want to hear everyones opinion on anything from 06 to present day including Dodge and Chevy trucks. And oh...btw if anyone knows anything about the Ford transferring to CAT diesel engines news please inform me...thanx and "keep on truckin it"  

Get a Ford F350 with the 7.3L Powerstroke. The 6.4 is alright but the epa has ruined it. with all of the emissions crap on them you get crap for mpg. and fords are just strong trucks no matter what.  

The recent news I have heard is that Ford wants to put their Cummins engine into their trucks. And that Dodge is after CAT to try and make a diesel engine to fit in the full size P/U's. All I know for sure is that Ford's "international" engine's are junk. My best friend works at a Ford dealership and he says that's the weakest point. He says that the rest of the truck is fine though.  

Cummins is already in Ford trucks, but its the heavy duty line not the pickup truck line.  That's the gotcha.

You could go with the '06 Dodge with the CTD as it's got most of the issues with the powertrain resolved and it's still new enough to have some warranty (mine expires in April) so if you did have some issues you could get them fixed or buy another warranty from Dodge.



Kris  
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 5.9L - No Mods Yet
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 6.7L - Titan Fuel Tank Owner

Dude... you gotta quit getting your information from comic books. Ford does not own Cummins and never has! Cat stopped making on highway engines and has no plans on ever going down that road again! Ford is developing it's own diesel and should offer it as soon as their contract with Navistar has expired, which is the end of 2009.  
2002 Dodge Ram 6 SPD Fass pump, afe cold air, mbrp 4" ss exhaust, 275hp RV injectors, edge ez, isspro gauges, South Bend clutch, track bar updated to 03-07 style, dss steering stabilizer system, 285 Cooper Discover

"If it doesn't have tit's a trigger or a throttle I'm pretty much not interested!"

Besides Dodge announced they were renewing there contracts with Cummins did they not? If you want a cummins in a Ford buy you a truck and build it yourself there are plenty of knowledgeable people out there and plenty of adapters to make it work. I like the Ford looks but love the cummins when it's time to replace the motor in mine i'm going to get a cummins in it.  
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Any of the 2007 or newer diesels are going to have a lot of emissions crap on them. So if you're looking at buying new, you're pretty much up a creek with any of them.

Having said that, I think the Cummins still has the most potential, and probably the strongest aftermarket following, followed by the Duramax, and then the Power Stroke. Just my $0.02 worth.  

i'd go with the duramax. its a tried and true lasting engine and GM has stuck with it since 2000 and perfected it to what it is today. most stock hp and torque and by far the best tranny. its light weight and engineered for fuel efficiency, towing power, and overall performance.  its designed by Isuzu and Made by GM, so you know your getting lasting reliability. seems to never have problems and will last 300,000 miles easily without any problems. Engineering is great engineering at any weight  

Not to stir the pot, but let's compare apples to apples.

Comparing the last "good" year for Dodge, Ford, and Chevy, meaning no DPF's, let's use the 2006 line up for comparision:

Dodge/Cummins
325hp and 610 ft lbs of torque from an engine that has been made since 1984 as an agricultural power plant.  Dodge has used this engine in their trucks since 1989.

Ford PowerStroke
325hp and 570 ft lbs of torque from an engine that was made in 2003 (6.0L engine) and due to failing to adapt to EPA requirements ran until the early 2007 model year (December 2006 to be precise).  This is also known to be the most troublesome diesel engine produced due to the number of recalls and lawsuits between Ford and IH/Navistar.

Chevy/Duramax

There are two engines in this model year, the LLY and the LBZ.

LLY rated at 310hp and 605 ft lbs from an engine that's been made since 2001 (not 2000 as previously noted), as the 6.5L Detroit was being used through 2000.  GM hadn't acquired DMAX until 2003, who originally made the Duramax engine so early Duramax engines weren't GM made until GM took over the company.  Because of this, the Duramax doesn't have the roots from the original 6.2L/6.5L Detroit Diesel line which dates back to 1982 as a replacement for the Oldsmobile modified 350 diesel and their V-6 alternative of the late 70's and early 80's.

LBZ (2006.5 through 2007.5) rated at 360hp and 650 ft lbs of torque.  Note that the LLY and LBZ are identical engines and the only difference is from the "hot" factory tune, which is meant to make the engine more competitive with the other offerings from Ford and Dodge.



For engine life comparision:

Per your own post a Duramax should be able to go for 300,000 miles without problems and that's pretty good.  Most of the Ford IH/Navistar diesels are having issues and getting parts replaced around 100,000 miles which are obviously stuff like bad injectors and EGR valves.  Dodge/Cummins rate engine life up to 425,000 miles or more depending on use, and that is directly from my owner's manual.  There are even a few Cummins out there that are in the 600,000 mile range and are still being driven.  That's double the life of the Duramax.


For ride and comfort, hands down goes to Ford.  They have a fantastic interior, and this has been known since the 80's.  The Ford interior is the standard that all others should follow.

For mileage and highway running, the Duramax is made for running on the open roads with it's lower gear ratio and 6 speed Allison.

For towing and engine life, this is dominated by the Dodge/Cummins duo.  The higher gear ratio on the GM line really kills it's ability to tow, and I would be scared to tow in a Ford with all the engine problems the 6.0L Powerstoke has had.

At the end of the day it boils down to what you like, but I've had 3 Dodges so far (still have two) and love them.  If I can find the khaki/gold color in a 2006 I would buy it in a heartbeat as its the wife's favorite color.



Kris  
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 5.9L - No Mods Yet
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 6.7L - Titan Fuel Tank Owner

Can anyone give me some advice?  I own my first 2005, 6.0 diesel Ford F350, and am trying to find ways to raise my fuel economy for hauling.  Can anyone tell me what is the best performance chip, and anything else that I can look into, I am currently getting 12 mpg at best.    

Just a couple things mentioned in the last couple of posts that...well...  I wouldn't say a D-max will go 300,000 without a problem. This site is full of stories from guys that absolutely loved their D-max till it hit 200,000 and then just fell apart.
"There are even a few Cummins out there that are in the 600,000 mile range and are still being driven." It was a big deal when the first Cummins powered Dodge hit 1,000,000 miles...Dodge did a big story on it and I think they even gave the guy a new truck, now there are so many million mile Dodge Cummins trucks out there, that it's no big deal. The Cummins B series engine has been used everything from as mentioned agricultural power plants to forklifts, excavators, gensets, marine, motorhomes...to name a few. GM didn't acquire D-max. D-max is Isuzu...GM had a controlling interest of Isuzu but has since sold all of that off. HP numbers for Ford and Dodge are now 350( those 325 numbers are old). The 360HP LBZ actually laid down a lower number than the 6.4 Ford on the dyno (you can read these numbers in past DP issue) also "the LLY and LBZ are identical engines and the only difference is from the "hot" factory tune, which is meant to make the engine more competitive with the other offerings from Ford and Dodge"...not from everything I've read.  
2002 Dodge Ram 6 SPD Fass pump, afe cold air, mbrp 4" ss exhaust, 275hp RV injectors, edge ez, isspro gauges, South Bend clutch, track bar updated to 03-07 style, dss steering stabilizer system, 285 Cooper Discover

"If it doesn't have tit's a trigger or a throttle I'm pretty much not interested!"

You're right, DMAX wasn't acquired by GM.  GM had a 49% stake in Isuzu and when GM/Isuzu formed DMAX, GM had a 60% stake in the new company.  See the following links:
http://www.prdomain.com/companies/G/GeneralMotors/newsreleases/20075940703.htm
http://www.isuzu.com.tr/english/kurumsal/isuzu_motors/gm_isuzu_iliskileri.html


Horsepower numbers for the 2006 Dodge and Ford are correct, as we're talking about that specific year only.  On the new 6.7L Cummins the HP numbers are 350 in the 2500 and detuned to 325 in the 3500.


Kris  
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 QC 5.9L - No Mods Yet
2008 Dodge Ram 3500 QC 6.7L - Titan Fuel Tank Owner

I need some advice.  I have a 2002 cummins I want to put in my self propelled bail wagon.  It's a farm machine.  Hauls hay.  It has a 391 ford in it thats warn out.  I'm wondering how hard it is to get the engine up and running again because of all the electronics, I have the computer, and the wiring harness, but how much of the electrical has to go with it?  

put a p-pump on it and then it mechanical, their fore no computer. on the other topic had a duramax 07 and 08 from a lease company not even close to the 5.9. never got over 13 empty and never saw above 10 with an empty trailer. go with a ctd  
I burn more diesel and run more miles in a week the most of you people do in a month. ctds that have been used 97 3500, 98.5 3500, 98.5 3500,01 3500, 03 3500. those that are being used 06 3500, 07 3500. and yea these trucks earn their living

i agree with your idea of a ford with cummins but wen it comes to the allison transmission i wouldn do it i know a guy with a 07 duramax who has been through 4 allison's already he recently bought a 2500 cummins.... you would probably like a manual 6 speed.. you have more boost more smoke an power...