flusher
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- Getting old. Sold the ranch. Sold the tractors. Moved back to the city.
Was your Dodge tranny manual or automatic?
What would you do?
- Thread starter GreatWhitehunter
- Start date
Was your Dodge tranny manual or automatic?
horsinaround
Silver Member
I have a Codge with the Cummins and a 6 speed manual transmission. Manual might not be the most convenient around town, but there is no doubt you can keep it in sweet spot. No problems with it and it is one pulling machine... Stock. I pull a big horse trailer and also a 24 foot gooseneck equipment trailer. The only thing I have had done to it is have the rear pinion seal replaced under warranty as it started to drip. I have 95000 miles and get 14mpg pulling and 19-21 empty.
powerstroke444e
Veteran Member
Well I am in simular boat I want a newer heavy hauler but don't like any of the new stuff enough to make a big paymnet. I have started looking for a F650 extend or crewcab with a 5.9L as I think a heavier truck will last longer with loads I pull and I can like with out FWD.
Diamondpilot
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John, I respect your opinion like you do mine. You having a 8,800# F-250 was a handy cap. My 2004 F-250 is a 10,000# unit so much heavier. I had this truck at the same time as I did my 2005 GM 3500 SRW with a 9,900# GVWR and they were equally matched and both squatted the same, about 8 inches when I put the boat in my avitar on the back. I then ordered a 2006 F-350 and traded in the Dmax with 11,500# GVWR and wow. It only moves 2" at the most. Drives with much more confidence.
The simple math here is the GM 2500 with 8,800#-7,200# for the truck leaves 1,600# of payload which exceeds the 3/4 ton rating slightly. My F-250 with 10,000#-7,600# for the truck leaves 2,400# exceeds the 3/4 and 1 ton ratings both.
While I agree the GM power-plant is a nice one the truck as a whole is not without its know issues. Same with Ford and Dodge.
People say I am Ford Bias. That is far from true. Since 2003 I have owned a 2500 Dodge, 2 Fords the F-350 and the F-250 mentioned above, and a GM 3500. I have had by far the best luck with the Fords. I also currently own a Saturn and a Nissan Titan truck along with the 2 Ford Superdutys so to say I am biased makes me laugh. I simply buy what is the best for my needs as you did with the GM2500 for yourself.
Chris
The simple math here is the GM 2500 with 8,800#-7,200# for the truck leaves 1,600# of payload which exceeds the 3/4 ton rating slightly. My F-250 with 10,000#-7,600# for the truck leaves 2,400# exceeds the 3/4 and 1 ton ratings both.
While I agree the GM power-plant is a nice one the truck as a whole is not without its know issues. Same with Ford and Dodge.
People say I am Ford Bias. That is far from true. Since 2003 I have owned a 2500 Dodge, 2 Fords the F-350 and the F-250 mentioned above, and a GM 3500. I have had by far the best luck with the Fords. I also currently own a Saturn and a Nissan Titan truck along with the 2 Ford Superdutys so to say I am biased makes me laugh. I simply buy what is the best for my needs as you did with the GM2500 for yourself.
Chris
Diamondpilot
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Auto. Had it rebuilt by Dodge then had a Jasper put in it. Traded it in on a F-250 with a bad tranny and took nearly a 6K hit. Easy to see why so many Dodges have manuals. The Auto have a awful reputation.
Chris
powerstroke444e
Veteran Member
I will agree with Diamond, that the dodge auto's in the 2002 and older trucks would be my last choice but I don't think the OP is going to buy something that old and I don't think anyone would put that trans on a must have list.
Let hope that if he does go that old he looks at a used 450-550 ford with 7.3 or a F650 with the 5.9L with an auto or a stick as he said he is thinking about a heavy hauler?
I fully understand wanting to get out of a vechile once it loses your faith in it, get rid of it, its your money spend it on what you like/want.
Let hope that if he does go that old he looks at a used 450-550 ford with 7.3 or a F650 with the 5.9L with an auto or a stick as he said he is thinking about a heavy hauler?
I fully understand wanting to get out of a vechile once it loses your faith in it, get rid of it, its your money spend it on what you like/want.
OP
GreatWhitehunter
Veteran Member
I also usually agree with Chris on this subject. But his refusal to admit the 6.0 is accident prone puts him in the "builder catergory" blind brand loyalty. The 2500hd are super hard to find here also. There pricing used in comparable but finding one is tough. I have looked on the dmax forums for awhile and don't see even close to the number of issues with those guys. I've seen alot of IH and Frieghtliners flatbeds going for nothing. Granted the hp isn't great but the rest of the truck is perfect. I'd never need to worry about having enough brakes. The creature comforts are there but for strickly towing it would be great. The only hold back is the camper for the fam. I'd also like to have 4x4 and that's a bit harder to find. There's a nice hooklift IH I'd love to pickup.
I could haul my equipment in the containers. I'd prefer to get at least a 1 ton but the gm in a 1ton is impossible to find in srw.
Matt
I could haul my equipment in the containers. I'd prefer to get at least a 1 ton but the gm in a 1ton is impossible to find in srw.
Matt
WH401
Platinum Member
For the record it wasn't a diesel auto, it was behind a Hemi, which they use the same transmission in the 2500/3500's behind a Hemi as they do in the 1500's.
dodge man
Super Star Member
Lets do a little math. Lets say you figure fuel costs for a gas truck vs a diesel truck. Say the diesel gets 15mpg and the gas gets 10mpg. Assume fuel costs $2.50 per gallon for both. I'll figure it for 100,000 miles. If my math is correct the fuel cost for diesel is $6,666 and the gas is $10,000. Thats a savings of $3,333. I don't know how much more a diesel costs than a gas motor but I'll throw out $8000. It seems like it would take 200,000 miles to make the diesel pay for its self. I suppose a diesel holds up better, holds its value better etc. but I contend alot of people are buying diesel trucks because they want to, not because they NEED to. They are the in thing right now. There is nothing wrong with that, I'm just saying a gas motor might make more economic sense for the OP.
Diamondpilot
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Yes, my Dodge 2500 was a Hemi. The tranny was a poor match for that truck. It never towed more than 10,000# which I did for 2 years prior with a F-150. No issues with that truck but had 3.55 gears and just could not handle that weight.
As for the gas diesel thing I agree 100% that for most buyers the gas engine makes since. Well kind of. The diesel will give you on average $5,000 more on trade over a gas. The problem is, and this is not being brand loyal, Ford is the only one with a gas engine up to the task being the V-10. GM really screwed up dropping the 8.1L, it was a sweet engine. Dodge had a good start with the 360 and even the V-10 they had back about 10 years ago then went Hemi crazy. I bought into it because of the funny commercials. The reality is its a great car engine but has no place in a truck.
I do know the 6.0 has some issues but the total package of the 04-07 Ford truck is hands down the best total package for that time period. Dodge had a great engine in the 5.9 but the rest of the truck was a step behind the GM and Ford offerings. GM has issues with the Dmax up till 2005, especially with overheating pulling heavy loads. The real issues I have with the GM products is the chassis, its the worst in the class. They also have know problems with the Allison cooling lines, steering shafts, ect.
One last thing then I will stop. Ford sells over 83% diesels in the 3/4 ton and larger class. Dodge and GM sell in the 40% range. As far as total sales go Ford outsells diesel equipped trucks of both Dodge and GM combined. This alone means there are twice as many Ford diesels on the road compared to both GM and Dodge. So yes, it will look like they may have more issues but that is not the case just by numbers alone.
Again, I am not builder loyal. I would buy a Dodge tomorrow if it was on par as a total package with a Ford in my eyes. I would also love to see Nissian, which I currently own one and think its the best truck I have ever owned hands down, build a diesel. Same goes for Toyota. I would not touch another GM for a few reasons but mainly because of the whole government bail out deal. I have given Dodge and GM a try in the last 6 years and they just let me down and cost me money in the form of lost business due to down time. Fords have done me right. I have owned about a dozen since 1997, of which 3 were diesel, and only 1 night spent in the shop total.
Chris
As for the gas diesel thing I agree 100% that for most buyers the gas engine makes since. Well kind of. The diesel will give you on average $5,000 more on trade over a gas. The problem is, and this is not being brand loyal, Ford is the only one with a gas engine up to the task being the V-10. GM really screwed up dropping the 8.1L, it was a sweet engine. Dodge had a good start with the 360 and even the V-10 they had back about 10 years ago then went Hemi crazy. I bought into it because of the funny commercials. The reality is its a great car engine but has no place in a truck.
I do know the 6.0 has some issues but the total package of the 04-07 Ford truck is hands down the best total package for that time period. Dodge had a great engine in the 5.9 but the rest of the truck was a step behind the GM and Ford offerings. GM has issues with the Dmax up till 2005, especially with overheating pulling heavy loads. The real issues I have with the GM products is the chassis, its the worst in the class. They also have know problems with the Allison cooling lines, steering shafts, ect.
One last thing then I will stop. Ford sells over 83% diesels in the 3/4 ton and larger class. Dodge and GM sell in the 40% range. As far as total sales go Ford outsells diesel equipped trucks of both Dodge and GM combined. This alone means there are twice as many Ford diesels on the road compared to both GM and Dodge. So yes, it will look like they may have more issues but that is not the case just by numbers alone.
Again, I am not builder loyal. I would buy a Dodge tomorrow if it was on par as a total package with a Ford in my eyes. I would also love to see Nissian, which I currently own one and think its the best truck I have ever owned hands down, build a diesel. Same goes for Toyota. I would not touch another GM for a few reasons but mainly because of the whole government bail out deal. I have given Dodge and GM a try in the last 6 years and they just let me down and cost me money in the form of lost business due to down time. Fords have done me right. I have owned about a dozen since 1997, of which 3 were diesel, and only 1 night spent in the shop total.
Chris