Take great caution with your GM offroad, you might break something. The GM designers didn't design them for offroad use because they figure their yuppie customer base won't ever hit dirt but maybe a gravel driveway.opcorn: Oh yeah...thats a burn...rotfl
To all you GM guys that think that the only reason anyone buys a Dodge is because of the Cummins.... For some, I'd agree, there are a lot of guys that buy them for the motor. I originally did too!.....BUT, after owning a Dodge I relized how nice they really are. If there was no such thing as a diesel option in a pickup I would still be looking for a 2001-'02 Ram 2500, but with the monster V10. Better seats, better leather, IMHO a better dash layout, better suspension (personal opinion) and a MUCH better looking body style. I love my mono chrome Sport Ram.waytogo But it doesn't really matter what I think, we all have our opinions.....a truck is only "best" for each person, Not as a whole. I like the way I sit up and feel I can see way over my hood, some folks like the more "cockpit" feeling of the GM's....it's all personal preference.waytogo
Im not sure who your callin' yuppie, I know your not talking about this farmboy. The only yuppies riding around in my truck are the ones stuck in my front grill. And to be quit honest, the dodge trucks just dont hold up to the hard work we put em through. If your easy on em they will, but put em through hard work and they fall apart. Windows, door locks, handles come apart. Engine will last through any hell you put it through, but the doggy dodge falls apart. I probably have more dirt on my dash than your truck has ever seen:stir:
I don't know what yuppies you are taliking about either. Friend bought a 1996 K1500 put 6 six inch lift and 36 inch tires. We mudded and even JUMPED IT, YEAH I SAID JUMPED IT, a few times. Went up to his cabin quite a bit in the winter. I was jumping a 1985 Suburban 1/2 ton a dozen times. Highest I ever jumped it was about 6 feet in the air. My buddy sold his truck with a little over a 100K on it.
While I was running a wrecker service I towed many a Chevy after the front axel shafts that are the same as a FWD full size car,snapped in two and left them sitting in the mud.
Cool, another farmer.waytogo I love stirring up the GM guys with the yuppie remark. My actuall definition of a yup is one that does a 9-5 monday through Friday and drive a diesel pickup for no reason. No trailer, nothing to trailer, nothing to haul...just want to drive in around in a "big" truck. It seems that the GM rides are severly prefered by these people. You are a farmer, you probably get it. Well, I'd definantly disagree. In my neighborhood (not 5 houses per acre, a neighborhood of 20 square miles of ranches and farmers) you will find many trucks from all three that work just great everyday. I've never really seen a truck that has stuck out as "tougher than the rest." You're probably right, my Dodge is too purdy and nice to use out in the field, I use our beater Chevies and one Ford for the dirty work. They are despensible.....opcorn:
Glad to be talking to another farmer also . I personally dont care if a person drives a diesel pickup and never uses it, just as long as they dont start talking smack about how bad their truck is. If your using for work or pulling boats or travel trailors or whatever, then you have the right to brag!!!! I live in the very dirty and dusty part of Arizona. Growing mainly cotton and alfalfa, our field roads get really bad. ecspecially since we havent had rain in a record breaking 120+ days now. Generally out here though, there a fewer dodges on the farms. I really dont know why. I think its because its a pain in the butt to irrigate and check fields with a manual, and the dodges are just known to have the weaker auto. Not sure if thats the reason, just my prefrence. I really like all 3 brands, just like stirring things up with the dodge guys.waytogo
Yeah, those shafts are so fragile... that lots of guys are running sub 13 second quarter miles with 4wd launches with 33" tires on stock shafts and CVs. Kinda like those "weak" aluminum heads eh? The only ones that I've seen breaking are the ones that are lifted and exceeding the angular limits of the CVs. And as for the comment about being the same as FWD cars, give me a break...
Did you miss what you said a few posts earlier. Not saying IFS is the best set-up, just saying we've wheeled them with no issues.
The HD's are obviously stouter but I have seen a number of broken front ends on 1/2tons. I had a buddy in high school that had a '99 1/2t with a 6" Fabtech lift and 33x15.50 TSL SX's. He did not have the bars cranked, and the lift is supposed to retain factory angles. He broke those front CV's a couple of times. I remember a couple of other guys having problems with the 1/2t's. Some had the bars cranked, and some didn't. I've never seen any problems with the HD setup.
I personally know of 700r4s that failed (including mine). And 47/48REs. Does that make them inherently bad? Do they deserve the bad rap they get? I seem to recall you saying they don't. How is that different? Heck, I even know of a NV4500 that failed multiple times behind a stock (relatively) lightly used CTD. I also know of Allisons, C6s and th400s that failed in vehicles (including cars!) that were basically stock and not used hard. Are they crap too? I know your answers on that Bobby, just trying to make a point. I fully agree that the half tons are weaker and more failure prone, no doubt about it in my mind. And I don't know of a single HD IFS failure that was not lifted and running over sized tires; and that includes 500rwhp+ 4WD drag strip launches with 7500 lbs on 33s. And we’ve had the discussion about expenses and maintenance before. As I recall, the general consensus was that between the modern weak knuckled, unit bearing, CAD, electronic breed of Dana 60s (and hybrids like the silly D50) and the HD IFS, there is not enough difference to make one any better than the other. And speaking of clearance, IFS has MORE clearance in the center due to the elevated diff. SFA is somewhat better near the tires (though many give that up even on SFA with hanging control arms and such), but the center is the more important. I just get really tired of all the misinformed FUD about IFS that gets spewed on the internet… To restate what I’ve said many times, IFS is *FINE* and even *BETTER* than SFA in a *REAL* tow rig. *REAL* towrigs spend most of their time on the street with some time hauling a load. Lifting and adding big tires hurts those duties considerably, so if it IS a *tow rig*, why do it? Only reason I can see is posers and/or compensating for other, shall we say, deficiencies? :stir: So for *real* towrig duties, IFS gives you the “ride” and handling of a 2WD (which BTW is IFS just so we are clear) with the ability to engage 4WD *when needed* to deal with terrain or weather. So, when considering the HD IFS, you don’t need SFA to deal with *REAL* work truck and tow rig duties, so why do so many blindly follow the crowd with the “IFS is for yuppies and posers” drivel? You see, many of you guys have it backwards. The REAL tow rigs and working trucks.can make VERY good use of an IFS which is superior for normal street duties. It’s the SFA trucks that are FOR POSERS AND YUPPIES WHO ARE MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT LOOKS COOL AND “TOUGH” rather than what is best for the job. Stick that in your collective “SFA is king” pipes and smoke it… :stir: :stir: opcorn:
The most stock power...hmm...Im sure you already know this but, the hp wars between the big 3 are simply to lure people who have no idea what to look for in a truck. For example, the chevy c4500 uses the exact same duramax as the 2500/3500, but......they detune it all the way down to 520 torque. Ever dyno a stock duramax? Youd be lucky to get 275hp! also did you know that out of ford, dodge and chevy..only the chevy looses more than 22% of its power by the time it reaches the rear wheels! They rate everything by the flywheel. I personally dont think that the duramax can hold up to really hard use. Isnt the frame gm uses 2 pieces?(seriouisly, i dont know). The duramax just isnt built to be used as the cummins or the 7.3 PSD was. Now, Im not saying the duramax is bad by any means, but as a farm truck....i juist dont see it lasting to long without problems. Its just too sensitive, like the 6.0. IMO, the duramax is at best a highway truck good for light-mid weight hotshottong.
