Would like honest suggestions about tow vehicle issues

[cdaigle430]

Sorry, I only have dishonest suggestions so I cant help you.

 

[handirifle]

Sorry, I only have dishonest suggestions so I cant help you.

Ahh, come on, you can try.

The only prob I have with the 12v is around here they all have 200k + on them. I know they live longer, but its the rest of the truck. If it were just me, it would be a project, but the misses wouldn't have it, soooo.

 

[handirifle]

I was in the same situation 2 years ago, except i was shopping for a dually for my new 4000 lbs pin wirht toy hauler. Back then, it came down to a dmax ( lbz, mid 06 to mid 07) or a dodge mega ( specially for the mega cab). A 5.9 would have been prefered in the cummins , but it would have required a transmission upgrade for the 14 000 lbs rv.

Finally got a sweer deal on a 06 dmx dually, LBZ, 6 speed allison with 95 000 km. Been trouble free. Averaging 15 mpg local drivng. My wife got 19 mpg on a few long trip unloaded, I never did . The only thinh to consider with these years GM. Is to eventually do a transfer case pump rubbing issue before it hit 150 000 miles.

OK been answering from my phone for the last few days, and finally got the laptop out. I looked at a Youtube video of the "fix" for the Tcase pump issue. Makes perfect sense now, thanks for the heads up.

 

[handirifle]

I have 340,000 miles on my 94' 12 valve. With stock tires and topper I actually got 26mpg hand calculated. Now with no topper and 285s I get around 21mpg. I can stretch that a bit if I keep my foot out of it but maybe only 1 or 2 mpgs. I'm trying to give you real world numbers, so I'll just say an avg of 21 now.

When it comes to towing I can speak from a lot of experience. BUY A DIESEL! If youre a Powerstroke guy, a Duramax guy or a Cummins guy, I don't care. They each have their ups and downs (except for 12 valves cummins )

I currently own (that I tow with) a gas Chevy 1500 HD with 6.0 liter and 4L80E tranny. It's a 3/4 ton truck with 3,000lb payload and towing capacity of 10,000lb. It has "tow mode" which is a glorified way of letting the computer change the shift points and lockup on the torque converter. It's about 300hp and 360lb/ft torque. Sounds good right? NO! That truck couldn't tow it's way out of a wet paper bag! Sure, if I wanna burn up my tranny and break stuff it "COULD" haul my tractor on the hills of KY, but I know it's limits and it mostly hauls groceries, kids and lawn mowers.

I've also got the 94' 12valve Cummins. Stock HP is only about 160hp but FOR FREE you can get that up to about 360 at the crank. I advanced my timing 16*, got rid of the fuel plate, and put some 4,000rpm governer springs on it. Of course I beefed up the tranny and TC or it would just chew em up now. It's a beast! There is NO comparison to ANY gasser I've ever used and that includes the Ford V10.

Something to remember...AGAIN...get an upgraded valve body transmission. If you cant lock out at low speeds you will burn up almost any transmission. Theres a lot of misguided folks out there bad mouthing transmissions that were never designed to do what they did to em. If your tranny is not locked out and you are pushing high RPMs/torque your fluid will heat up quick fast and in a hurry. Nothing is gonna snap or "blow" at that moment usually, but what youve done is DRASTICALLY shorten the life of your TC and tranny. These kids do this, then 6 months later run down the road and the tranny starts acting up when theyre not even hauling something and they trash talk the tranny that they treated like a borrowed mule 6 months before. Of course it's gonna give out. You can't run 300 degree temps in a tranny...ANY tranny and expect it to last.

Can you explain this a little bit. I used to work at a trannie shop so I know the jargon, I thought, but lock out what? The TC, or lock into lower gear? Maybe a short course on diesel driving is in order. I know when the gasser down shifts I try to keep it from "hunting" for a gear, as in, revving to 4K and up shifting only to start bogging down an down shifting again. That's what mine was trying to do when I just held it down to 35 mph and lived with the slow crawl.

 

[dodge man]

Google "Mystery Switch" and you will get all the reading you can find. What it does is allow you to lock your torque convertor up at lower speeds when you want to by flipping a switch.

 

[sacmarata]

Can you explain this a little bit. I used to work at a trannie shop so I know the jargon, I thought, but lock out what? The TC, or lock into lower gear? Maybe a short course on diesel driving is in order. I know when the gasser down shifts I try to keep it from "hunting" for a gear, as in, revving to 4K and up shifting only to start bogging down an down shifting again. That's what mine was trying to do when I just held it down to 35 mph and lived with the slow crawl.

The Cliff notes version = The TC transfers energy through a fluid coupling. This allows "slip" between the 2 halfs of the TC which is what keeps yer tranny from getting chewed up by the massive amounts of torque a diesel engine pumps out. Lock up is when the TC is locked to the tranny physically by physical means. Factory settings on most trucks allow lockup during low RPM/higher speed driving; when the 2 halves of the torque converter match speeds. Installing a manual lockup switch allows the driver to physically lock and unlock the TC as necessary to transfer all the energy from the engine straight to the tranny.

Diesels have enough torque for this to be advantageous and not lug the engine. I have manual lockup on my 94' and 03 Cummins. I wouldn't even think about putting one on my 6.0 Chevy gasser.

 

[CJONE]

In the R4100 world the lockup can be controlled by the program, that is the route I went along with the BTS trans/v10 oil cooler. No more heat issues or any other trans/converter issues of any kind. CJ

 

[handirifle]

Is there a danger of overpowering the TC with all that torque? Seems I've read of guys getting special TC's with multi disks to overcome that. Or is that only necessary when really upping the HP numbers?

 

[CJONE]

Is there a danger of overpowering the TC with all that torque? Seems I've read of guys getting special TC's with multi disks to overcome that. Or is that only necessary when really upping the HP numbers?

Uh yea, that is the problem with the 7.3 auto's is the converter not the trans. When you start getting into the 300hp range the lockup clutch in the converter does not have enough surface area to handle the torque. To get a unit that does 1k is about right. Cant speak for the dodge, their autos have been crap for awhile now. The new ones are alot better. The GM I think 3rd gear clutch pack is the weak spot in the allision, been awhile but I think that is correct. CJ

 

[sacmarata]

Is there a danger of overpowering the TC with all that torque? Seems I've read of guys getting special TC's with multi disks to overcome that. Or is that only necessary when really upping the HP numbers?

If yer gonna be pushing a lot of torque...Triple disk low stall converter and dont look back.
My factory 47RE Tranny was fine for factory specs, but as soon as I started pushing more hp/torque it was quickly apparent that I need a beefy TC.
You will hear guys bad mouthing the 47RE all the time, but it was never meant for 300+ horse power, neither was the TC. It was designed for 160hp.

Theres guys out there with over 250,000 miles on a stock 47RE that haul campers, they just arent pushing big numbers, so the TC and tranny hold on.

On a budget, a 12 valve with the free mods and a manual TC lockup switch is a WHOLE LOTTA truck for the money.

There will be guys telling you that you need 4" exhaust, bigger this, bigger that. If you find one with upgraded TC and tranny that has free mods, triple guages, and manual lockup thats been taken care of...JUMP ALL OVER IT! LOTTA TRUCK!!!!

 

[sacmarata]

My father and I developed an automatic unlock or failsafe if you will for when the TC has been manually locked. what it does is measure speed to unlock the TC at low speeds and not lug the engine even if it was manually locked. It's a life saver on a tranny.

Before that I cant count the times I manually locked the tranny, drove 20 miles, forgot about it and when I went to stop the thing stayed locked and lugged the engine so bad the whole thing was about to shake apart. The auto unlock failsafe fixes all that

 

[Peacock]

If yer gonna be pushing a lot of torque...Triple disk low stall converter and dont look back. My factory 47RE Tranny was fine for factory specs, but as soon as I started pushing more hp/torque it was quickly apparent that I need a beefy TC. You will hear guys bad mouthing the 47RE all the time, but it was never meant for 300+ horse power, neither was the TC. It was designed for 160hp. Theres guys out there with over 250,000 miles on a stock 47RE that haul campers, they just arent pushing big numbers, so the TC and tranny hold on. On a budget, a 12 valve with the free mods and a manual TC lockup switch is a WHOLE LOTTA truck for the money. There will be guys telling you that you need 4" exhaust, bigger this, bigger that. If you find one with upgraded TC and tranny that has free mods, triple guages, and manual lockup thats been taken care of...JUMP ALL OVER IT! LOTTA TRUCK!!!!

The 47RE does kinda suck in stock configuration, but it incredible when built.

 

[handirifle]

So, if I get an an 06-07 Dmax with the 6spd, and figure up to a 10k trailer, other than the Tcase pump, is there a weak spot to worry about. I really don't want to buy a used problem.

I know a used anything is a gamble, but I know odds are usually good if its been well cared for I am concerned with built in problems.

And on the Fords, do you guys say the 06-07's are fairly bug free as well? I am referring to the 6.0 issues.

 

[Peacock]

So, if I get an an 06-07 Dmax with the 6spd, and figure up to a 10k trailer, other than the Tcase pump, is there a weak spot to worry about. I really don't want to buy a used problem. I know a used anything is a gamble, but I know odds are usually good if its been well cared for I am concerned with built in problems. And on the Fords, do you guys say the 06-07's are fairly bug free as well? I am referring to the 6.0 issues.

The '06 and up 6.0 trucks are better. Some have had good luck with them. They still suffer a very high failure rate compared to the DMax and Cummins in stock configuration.

 

[sacmarata]

I think its obvious by now that Im a Cummins guy so...sure...Im biased...take it with a grain of salt but, if you want the best diesel buy a Cummins. Some may disagree but industry wide Cummins is the no brainer and has the reputation they do for a reason. Thats why I bought a Branson tractor. It has the Cummins 3.3.

 

[handirifle]

Sacmarta
I have nothing against the Cummins, at all, but I read and know of friends with too many tranny issues in the older models. Are there certain years like the '06 + model of Dmax (example) that are basically problem free? Keep in mind I'm looking at $20-25K tops. Like I said I don't want to buy a "project" truck.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think its obvious by now that Im a Cummins guy so...sure...Im biased...take it with a grain of salt but, if you want the best diesel buy a Cummins. Some may disagree but industry wide Cummins is the no brainer and has the reputation they do for a reason. Thats why I bought a Branson tractor. It has the Cummins 3.3.

I agree, its just the wrapping it comes in. The newer Dodges are much better but the ones I have been around from say pre 08 were just always needing something.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

Sacmarta
I have nothing against the Cummins, at all, but I read and know of friends with too many tranny issues in the older models. Are there certain years like the '06 + model of Dmax (example) that are basically problem free? Keep in mind I'm looking at $20-25K tops. Like I said I don't want to buy a "project" truck.

Nothing is perfect. In had a 05 Dmax thst was so bad I sold it after 9 months and bought a 06 F350. Took a major bath.

My neighbor had a 07 Dmax classic. Never a engine or tranny issue except one sensor that sent it into limp mode. Rest of it was crap. Wheel bearings, transfer case, dash lights, leaks, 6 u joints, carrier bearing, power seats, door locks, interior panels, ect. Just traded it last week on a new truck with 101,000 miles.

Chris

 

[SPMMD]

My 2007 2500 duramax crew cab Sierra SLT now has 157,000 miles. Oil changes, diesel fuel filter changes, initial tire replacement at 107,000. I haul everything from my tractor to my wife's Yukon XLT on my 20' trailer frequently crossing the Berkshires on rte 90 and have been happy since I bought it in 2007( new body stile). No rust, just replaced mixing door actuator for driver's side heating/AC. Did Titan upgrade to 55 gal fuel tank ( Stock 24 gal was a joke!). Everything else remains stock. Drivers seat raise/ lower height adjust broken in "up" position. Replaced 4 burnt out headlights. Mileage 16-24 based on use, mostly speed!. Most dependable vehicle I have ever owned. Just my experience, hope you can do as well or better with your next truck.

 

[handirifle]

I have no doubts there are lemons, like Diamonds neighbor. I bought a new GMC Sierra, in 2006. Worst vehicle I ever owned. It went back to GM on the CA lemon law. Got my money completely back and bought the Tundra. By comparison the GM was in the shop 12 times in the 8 mmonthsI owned it. Got the Tundra in late '06, and it has never been to a repair shop. Never needed to.
seriously if Toyota were coming out with the rig Nissan has announced, I would probably figure out a way to buy a new one. No way do I want to go gas again. I want the power without going to 4000 rpm to get it.

So, used diesels it is. What I don't get, is with the HP race in trucks why someone doesn't get honest and build a stroker engine, with HP in the 300+ range and torque well above 400, but starting at say 1500 and peaking at 3000 rpm or so. Maybe 3500. It can be done, but I think the numbers strat sounding sexier with higher rpms and thats what the ad companies use to sell. Very sad.