Ford Powerstroke (NF)

[IHStangFan]

so we're looking at trading in our current truck (an 04 Tundra crew cab) on an F250 Ford w/ Powerstroke in order to be able to tow our horses home from Arizona, and elsewhere. What I'm looking for is EDUCATED discussion on the truck itself, and the Powerstroke V8 diesel. Does anyone own one? Thoughts? Advice? We have one in mind. It's an 07 w/ 17,000 miles, maroon, FX4 crewcab ..and at a decent price....We've looked at the Fords, Chevy and Dodges. MY take on them:

Ford: nicest all around truck for the money, good looking truck, comfortable, nicely equiped for money, LOTS of room in the crew cab.

Chevy: Duramax reputation, I'm a Chevy guy, but don't like the styling, same ole Chevy interior

Dodge: Great engine, but its a Dodge, plagued by tranny problems as I've read and been told/seen videos, etc, virtually NO options as far as interior, theyre all the same inside w/ the exception of some cheap looking plastic wood in the loaded models, and power windows/locks.

[44INAROW]

I certainly won't pretend to have an "educated" conversation about PowerStroke trucks - but I do have 2 good friends in the rodeo business that have Ford Powerstroke trucks and they haul 4-horse trailers with living quarters all over the place - they are happy with the performance

[IHStangFan]

thanks for the input 44!! :)

[CHS_CG]

I am a chevy girl always have been always will be but i dont haul anything either.... If I had the choice I would get a chevy before a Ford... but thats JMO

[X21AAAPlayer]

I say go for it! I have heard nothing but good things about the F-250 series regardless of the year.

[duckbutter]

You won't go wrong buying a Ford Superduty. I have owned a Powerstroke since 2000. I started with the old 7.3 and have had two of the 6.0, currently own 2005 F350 CC FX4 SRW, and love them. I'm getting about 19 mpg on the hwy empty and 14-15 mpg pulling a trailer. I had a 03 F250 and traded it for the one ton with 8ft bed, smoother ride and pulls better. DON"T get a Dodge, there is a reason why they are the least expensive truck and the trade in on them is crap.

[20FAN07]

I would go with the ford. I've had one since 98 and its still runnin like brand new, the only thing i have had to change was the guages. It went out on me for some reason, but other than that its still runnin with 200 thousand+ miles. Yah sounds kinda old but its been nothin but great so im not gettin rid of it till it dies on me. And pullin wise its good to, we pull a 34 ft offshore boat with it everywhere but yah now that you know my life story.................get a ford

[IHStangFan]

thanks guys, keep the comments coming. duck, I agree on the Dodges, in my opinion, they are crap, and I wouldn't own one if it wasn't given to me (just so happens I have two Dodge half tons, one is company truck, one is fiance's truck and both are garbage). Again, in my opinion, the ONLY good thing about a Dodge 2500/3500 is the Cummins engine, but the downside to that is, its got a Dodge truck build around it. In Chevy's defense, I've heard good things about the Duramax, and the HD rides nice, but I am just not a fan of the exterior styling, and the interior is old and tired and needs an upgrade. (I did look at a brand new Chevy 2500 in the new bodystyle, and it was SHARP, but I don't think the diesels are on lots yet as the one ones I've found so far have the 6.0L gas. :( The new 08 Fords are AWESOME, the exterior styling is gorgeous, the interior is even nicer than the exterior, supposedly the new 6.4L twin turbo is strong....just not a big fan of buying ANYTHING in its first year of production...so I'll stick w/ the 07s w/ the 6.0L Powerstroke.

Thanks again guys...keep the comments coming.

[duckbutter]

I must tell you that the up keep on a 6.0 is pretty high.
Oil change $60-70 ONLY use Rotella, Dello foams
Air filter $50-60 I would get the reusable kind, will save you money in the long run. You might want to look at the F350s, I had an 03 250 with the short bed and didn't like it when pulling goose neck trailer, short bed didn't have enough room for all of my crap.

[IHStangFan]

On a diesel, is the rule of thumb 3000 miles between oil changes standard as on gas engines? Kinda curious about that. I've never owned a diesel before, this will be my first. How about the fuel filters? Are the newer diesels still as prone to water in the fuel? Glow plugs? how often do they need changed? Also, w/ the plugs, do you still have to let them warm up before you crank or has technology taken us past that point? These are just some of the questions I have on todays diesels.

[duckbutter]

I go 5000 between oil changes unless I have been driving where it is hot and very dusty. The 6.0 has two fuel filters, one on the frame under drivers door and one on the engine, shouldn't have water problems unless you buy crappy fuel. Be careful where you buy fuel and you shouldn't have any problems. The glow plugs heat pretty quickly, 1-2 seconds, except on the coldest days and then it only takes about 5 seconds or so. What kind of horses are you hauling?? Want to buy a few?

[IHStangFan]

Originally posted by duckbutter
I go 5000 between oil changes unless I have been driving where it is hot and very dusty. The 6.0 has two fuel filters, one on the frame under drivers door and one on the engine, shouldn't have water problems unless you buy crappy fuel. Be careful where you buy fuel and you shouldn't have any problems. The glow plugs heat pretty quickly, 1-2 seconds, except on the coldest days and then it only takes about 5 seconds or so. What kind of horses are you hauling?? Want to buy a few? Thanks for the tips amigo!! We have two quarter horses, and the fiance wants more....she plans on buying and selling, etc to potentially make some money on the side. We have an auction we go to in AZ that you can pick nice ones up cheap...then she wants to trailer them to NY/NJ and resell, as she says people pay rediclous prices for horses on the east coast (thats where shes orig. from) I dont know if that'll ever get off the ground, as we're busy people, but who knows.

[Old QB]

Interesting discussion on trucks. Seems you had your mind already made up on dodge. I've owned dodges for over 6 yrs.. Never had a problem of any kind! Have many friends who rodeo & own a dodge. They would own nothing else. Fords may be prettier inside but their diesel engine can't comptete with the cummins plus ford's body not built as tough as dodge. Also, folks I know have always gotten good trade-in value for their dodge. Just my humble opinion for what it's worth.

[IHStangFan]

Thanks for your input QB. Yes, I pretty much had my mind made up on the Dodges, but the fiance WAS a big Dodge fan, until we looked at them. I've known my share of people, including myself, that have had nothing but problems w/ them. I'll admit, my confidence in them has grown since the merge w/ Daimler, but I'm still not convinced totally. The Cummins IS a great engine though, you are totally right on that part, BUT it is my opinion that the big 3 (Chevy, Dodge and Ford) ALL have dang good diesels. The Chevy is an Isuzu, who has been building diesels for what...80 years? The Ford is an International, again, legendary, and the Cummins has written it's own book, all great engines. It is my expericne that Dodges' interior doesnt hold up, they rock and rattle and squeek, their trannys are junk, and the interior styling is very bland, their gas engines are underpowered and are notorius for getting crappy mileage. I know that Dodge liked to advertise that their Hemi had 345hp when it came out, but it didnt make as much torque as my Nissan Titan did at 305hp....it made all of its 345hp at like 4800rpm...which is useless in a pickup if you wanted to tow anything...... I DO like their exterior styling though. The thing that kills me about Dodge's transmissions is that there was a day when they built the baddest tranny on the market...what happened?!?!? I'm pretty sold on the Fords after comparing them all.

[Old QB]

I've just never had a transmission problem, but that's not to say that I will eventually. I must confess that a close friend recently bought a ford 250 4x4 with the lone star package. I got to admit that it's one fine looking truck. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy.

[BILLYFRED0000]

Originally posted by IHStangFan
On a diesel, is the rule of thumb 3000 miles between oil changes standard as on gas engines? Kinda curious about that. I've never owned a diesel before, this will be my first. How about the fuel filters? Are the newer diesels still as prone to water in the fuel? Glow plugs? how often do they need changed? Also, w/ the plugs, do you still have to let them warm up before you crank or has technology taken us past that point? These are just some of the questions I have on todays diesels.

Oil changes are a matter of debate. The government likes to help
out big oil a lot and the dealerships do not make money unless you come into the dealership. With that said let me explain my position on diesel and oil changes. You definetly stay with the better oils but do your own research for the type of driving you expect to do. However on changes, forget everything you ever heard about 3000 mile changes. While my dad was a mechanic and dispatcher for a dump truck company, we did some experimenting. We sent the trucks out and kept them running and tested the oil at changes. At 10000 miles virtually no change.
The same for 20,000. In fact he ran the rigs out to 47000 and still the oil was viable. Changing the filter every 5000 miles and then adding in a fresh quart to replace the loss is more than adequate with good oil. It would be even better with a dry sump system. But 10000 miles is no big deal. Particularly if you are highway driving. On dodges, the tranny is really not the problem that people say it is. What had happened is the engine is really a medium duty engine built on a light duty truck. The bubba rednecks would pull 20000 pounds and break transmissions right and left and then complain about quality.

As for Dodge resale, remember you start lower so you go further down than Ford. The new dodge is very adequate. Why do you think Ford keeps upgrading the engine. Not for the duramax although they could. The Durmax is an Isuzu Marine diesel tuned down to truck work. Should be bullet proof by now with the Allison tranny.

[duckbutter]

Let's shift from trucks to horses...I went to the Mel Potter production sale in Az couple of week ago and was in total sticker shock. They sold a nice gelding for $40,000 and the average weanling price was around $5000. Tell your girlfriend that she doesn't need to go to Az only to S.E. Texas and I can make her a sweet deal.

[IHStangFan]

Originally posted by duckbutter
Let's shift from trucks to horses...I went to the Mel Potter production sale in Az couple of week ago and was in total sticker shock. They sold a nice gelding for $40,000 and the average weanling price was around $5000. Tell your girlfriend that she doesn't need to go to Az only to S.E. Texas and I can make her a sweet deal. LOL, WOW, I've seen BEAUTIFUL horses go for $300 just because they werent broke. We lived in Tombstone for the last 2 years until moving back to TX. Our delima now is, I have to get some fence built at the new house before we can go get ours, much less buy more. If it comes crunch time, I'm gonna have to throw up some round pens for now.

[sotxrat]

Have been using all kinds of pick-ups, one-tons for over thirty years, 5000 miles is fine for oil/filter changes on diesels. In the last 10 years this line of product put out by our big 3 is in a word horrible. Go with at least a 350 or bigger if you can. The smaller trucks front-ends, alts., etc. just will not hold up over time. It does not matter which brand. In a perfect world, I would take the dodge engine, alllison trans., gmc's front-end and ford's look. Sounds like you will not be using to haul on an every day basis so the ford will probably work but at least get a 350. You will have alignment problems but that is just the way it is. Just for kicks, I now use small Kenworth's to haul what I hauled in the 70's with a 3/4 ton gasoline 350 engine.

Goes to show you that things just are not made like they used to make'em.

good luck

[duckbutter]

Originally posted by IHStangFan
LOL, WOW, I've seen BEAUTIFUL horses go for $300 just because they werent broke. We lived in Tombstone for the last 2 years until moving back to TX. Our delima now is, I have to get some fence built at the new house before we can go get ours, much less buy more. If it comes crunch time, I'm gonna have to throw up some round pens for now. With the horse slaughter houses shut down you will see a lot of $300 horses. Just remember that good horses bring good prices. I also agree that the F350 with 8 ft bed is the better truck.

[IHStangFan]

Originally posted by duckbutter
With the horse slaughter houses shut down you will see a lot of $300 horses. Just remember that good horses bring good prices. I also agree that the F350 with 8 ft bed is the better truck. yup, I hear ya. On the F350 8ft bed thing....keep in mind...my fiance will probably be driving this thing to work into downtown Houston, and she has to park it, LOL. I think for our purposes the 250 will suit us fine. Maybe eventually if we begin to haul more horses, we'll upgrade to the 350

[BILLYFRED0000]

Originally posted by sotxrat
Have been using all kinds of pick-ups, one-tons for over thirty years, 5000 miles is fine for oil/filter changes on diesels. In the last 10 years this line of product put out by our big 3 is in a word horrible. Go with at least a 350 or bigger if you can. The smaller trucks front-ends, alts., etc. just will not hold up over time. It does not matter which brand. In a perfect world, I would take the dodge engine, alllison trans., gmc's front-end and ford's look. Sounds like you will not be using to haul on an every day basis so the ford will probably work but at least get a 350. You will have alignment problems but that is just the way it is. Just for kicks, I now use small Kenworth's to haul what I hauled in the 70's with a 3/4 ton gasoline 350 engine.

Goes to show you that things just are not made like they used to make'em.

good luck

You are right here. Only in the last set of upgrades have they begun to address the frontend issues. But they are beggining to get better. That is why I say that one is really not any better than the other. They have paid attention to power but only Dodge to brakes in their last set of upgrades and all have failed to address the frame and suspension upgrades necessary to prevent frontend problems from popping up in the first 40 or 50 thousand miles. Dodge does say that they have 36000 psi frames from head to toe while Chevy starts at the transmission and back. I am not sure what the new Ford is saying.

[GreenMonster]

Buy the F-250. It's the best 3/4 ton diesel powered pick-up in the market today.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Just from personal preference, I have a Dodge. You can't beat the Cummins diesel. If you want a smoother ride, go with a Chevy, they're a really good product, but for the money, a Ford just isn't worth it. I have 85,000 miles on my Cummins and it's not even broken in good. No problems with the transmission or the motor, ever, and it is all for a more affordable price. Go with the 6-speed in whatever truck you get if you get the chance, you'll be happy you did. Hope you find something you like and lasts you for a long time.

[luvhoops34]

We have had one Ford F350 Diesel and three Dodge 3500 Diesels and one 2500 diesel. Hands down the Dodges have been better pickups. The three 3500's have both been six speeds and they will out perform anything on the road. I am not a fan of an automatic transmission so get a 6 speed if you can.

We used our Dodges in the hot shot business and pulled up to 26,000 pounds with them. All the people that started out with Fords traded them in for Dodges because the Fords could not handle the weight and their fuel mileage was crappy.

Noway would I buy a hauling truck with a short wheel base. You didn't say if you were going to pull a bumper pull trailer or a gooseneck. If it's a gooseneck you really need a long wheel base.

I just came back from the Dodge dealership in Pleasanton and the 07 Dodges come with all the bells and whistles. They have DVD players, sirius radios and navigation.

When we first got our 05' dually, they recalled it and put a heavier front end in it and we have had no problems whatsoever.

Make sure you get the extended service plan on whatever you buy. And consider putting a chip in it, you'll get better fuel mileage and more power.

Upkeep is way higher on the Ford diesel than the Dodge. We only use Mystic oil and fuel conditioner in our vehicles. We usually go 6,000 miles between oil changes. One of our Dodges has over 350,000 miles on it and is still being used to haul cars.

One of my duallys had leather seats front and back, so I don't know why you say that Ford has more options?

BTW, we get 22 mpg running empty.

:D

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by luvhoops34
We have had one Ford F350 Diesel and three Dodge 3500 Diesels and one 2500 diesel. Hands down the Dodges have been better pickups. The three 3500's have both been six speeds and they will out perform anything on the road. I am not a fan of an automatic transmission so get a 6 speed if you can.

We used our Dodges in the hot shot business and pulled up to 26,000 pounds with them. All the people that started out with Fords traded them in for Dodges because the Fords could not handle the weight and their fuel mileage was crappy.

Noway would I buy a hauling truck with a short wheel base. You didn't say if you were going to pull a bumper pull trailer or a gooseneck. If it's a gooseneck you really need a long wheel base.

I just came back from the Dodge dealership in Pleasanton and the 07 Dodges come with all the bells and whistles. They have DVD players, sirius radios and navigation.

When we first got our 05' dually, they recalled it and put a heavier front end in it and we have had no problems whatsoever.

Make sure you get the extended service plan on whatever you buy. And consider putting a chip in it, you'll get better fuel mileage and more power.

Upkeep is way higher on the Ford diesel than the Dodge. We only use Mystic oil and fuel conditioner in our vehicles. We usually go 6,000 miles between oil changes. One of our Dodges has over 350,000 miles on it and is still being used to haul cars.

One of my duallys had leather seats front and back, so I don't know why you say that Ford has more options?

BTW, we get 22 mpg running empty.

:D

Your post made me smile. :D

I love my 6-speed Dodge. :cool:

[IHStangFan]

Originally posted by luvhoops34
We have had one Ford F350 Diesel and three Dodge 3500 Diesels and one 2500 diesel. Hands down the Dodges have been better pickups. The three 3500's have both been six speeds and they will out perform anything on the road. I am not a fan of an automatic transmission so get a 6 speed if you can.

We used our Dodges in the hot shot business and pulled up to 26,000 pounds with them. All the people that started out with Fords traded them in for Dodges because the Fords could not handle the weight and their fuel mileage was crappy.

Noway would I buy a hauling truck with a short wheel base. You didn't say if you were going to pull a bumper pull trailer or a gooseneck. If it's a gooseneck you really need a long wheel base.

I just came back from the Dodge dealership in Pleasanton and the 07 Dodges come with all the bells and whistles. They have DVD players, sirius radios and navigation.

When we first got our 05' dually, they recalled it and put a heavier front end in it and we have had no problems whatsoever.

Make sure you get the extended service plan on whatever you buy. And consider putting a chip in it, you'll get better fuel mileage and more power.

Upkeep is way higher on the Ford diesel than the Dodge. We only use Mystic oil and fuel conditioner in our vehicles. We usually go 6,000 miles between oil changes. One of our Dodges has over 350,000 miles on it and is still being used to haul cars.

One of my duallys had leather seats front and back, so I don't know why you say that Ford has more options?

BTW, we get 22 mpg running empty.

:D thanks for the input! I will agree w/ you guys, I love the Cummins engine, but I just cant wrap my mind around the rest of the pickup. We just looked at the Dodges this weekend along w/ the rest. What I was trying to convey about the Dodge interior is that its the same...same same same in every truck reguardless of options. They are EXACTLY the same as my half ton Dodge, plain and cheap looking. I've had nothing but bad luck w/ Dodge, interior falling apart and otherwise.....to those of you who havent, good on ya, but I personally dont have much nice to say about the Dodges that I own (against my will) On the tranny issue, everyone Ive known that had a Cummins that lasted, had a manual tranny....its their autos I don't like...and a manual is just not an option for me A: Did I mention downtown Houston driving...stop and go...and B: My fiance can't drive a stick shift. The Fords were just quieter, smoother, more comfortable, felt more solid and the craftsmanship in my opinion is just better. I do appreciate the input from everyone though, I'll tell ya what, I wish I could piece together my own truck...I'd take a Ford's interior and body styling, w/ the Dodge's Cummins and the Chevy's ride, comfort and tranny. THAT'D be my ideal truck.

[LHMom]

We just traded an '02 Ford Powerstroke w/ 300K miles. Needless to say, we got another. My husband was always a Chevy man until he got the Ford in '02, primarily because of price at that time. Now he wouldn't go back to Chevy for anything.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by IHStangFan
thanks for the input! I will agree w/ you guys, I love the Cummins engine, but I just cant wrap my mind around the rest of the pickup. We just looked at the Dodges this weekend along w/ the rest. What I was trying to convey about the Dodge interior is that its the same...same same same in every truck reguardless of options. They are EXACTLY the same as my half ton Dodge, plain and cheap looking. I've had nothing but bad luck w/ Dodge, interior falling apart and otherwise.....to those of you who havent, good on ya, but I personally dont have much nice to say about the Dodges that I own (against my will) On the tranny issue, everyone Ive known that had a Cummins that lasted, had a manual tranny....its their autos I don't like...and a manual is just not an option for me A: Did I mention downtown Houston driving...stop and go...and B: My fiance can't drive a stick shift. The Fords were just quieter, smoother, more comfortable, felt more solid and the craftsmanship in my opinion is just better. I do appreciate the input from everyone though, I'll tell ya what, I wish I could piece together my own truck...I'd take a Ford's interior and body styling, w/ the Dodge's Cummins and the Chevy's ride, comfort and tranny. THAT'D be my ideal truck.

Actually, learning how to drive a stick isn't that bad. The stop and go is a non-issue whenever you get used to driving it. I'm not trying to talk you into getting one, but I thought the exact same thing when I started driving my truck. Now it feels foreign to drive an automatic. Also, with the Dodge, you don't have to worry about stalling out with a stick because it feeds itself diesel, that is unless you try to throw it in third gear. But I agree with you on that last part, except I'm kind of partial to the new Dodge body styles, but you can't really beat the interior on a Ford, they've got it right. You can't beat the ride quality of a Chevy, either.

[Da Mules]

I have owned all three, and I happen to be a service manager aa diesel dealership. So for what's it worth:

1) The ONLY good thing about a Dodge is the Cummins engine.
As previously stated, the interior is vanilla, the ride is Freightliner, and the transmission is toast after pulling a horse trailer or RV camper. You will rebuild the Dodge front end $$$ after about 120K miles or so.

2) The ONLY bad thing about a Ferd is the horrible 6.0L Navistar diesel. Ford and Navistar recently had a bit of a spat over warranty costs, and Navistar stopped shipping diesel engines for a few days. And the reports are that the twin-turbo 6.4L is not going to be any better in the early going. Ford's don't ride as well as GM's and also most people feel the interior isn't quite as nice (No standard dual air, for instance.)

3) There's really NOTHING bad about a Duramax. The 6.6L Isuzu diesel does not have a bad reputation like the Navistar, because it has never had nearly the extent of problems. The Cummins is probably slightly more durable in the long run, but this is offset by a narrow torque band inherent to the inline-6 design. The Duramax has gobs of torque, and will pull the tongue right off a 4-horse trailer. The Allison auto transmission is as good as it gets. The ride and interior are better than either Dodge or Ford.

Guess which one I own. :D

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Da Mules
I have owned all three, and I happen to be a service manager aa diesel dealership. So for what's it worth:

1) The ONLY good thing about a Dodge is the Cummins engine.
As previously stated, the interior is vanilla, the ride is Freightliner, and the transmission is toast after pulling a horse trailer or RV camper. You will rebuild the Dodge front end $$$ after about 120K miles or so.

2) The ONLY bad thing about a Ferd is the horrible 6.0L Navistar diesel. Ford and Navistar recently had a bit of a spat over warranty costs, and Navistar stopped shipping diesel engines for a few days. And the reports are that the twin-turbo 6.4L is not going to be any better in the early going. Ford's don't ride as well as GM's and also most people feel the interior isn't quite as nice (No standard dual air, for instance.)

3) There's really NOTHING bad about a Duramax. The 6.6L Isuzu diesel does not have a bad reputation like the Navistar, because it has never had nearly the extent of problems. The Cummins is probably slightly more durable in the long run, but this is offset by a narrow torque band inherent to the inline-6 design. The Duramax has gobs of torque, and will pull the tongue right off a 4-horse trailer. The Allison auto transmission is as good as it gets. The ride and interior are better than either Dodge or Ford.

Guess which one I own. :D

I'll race you and your Dirtymax any day! :p

[SpreadtheRed]

i traded in my 05 duramax for a 07 ford powerstroke and overall way smoother ride and more luxury with the new interiors. The duramax started having electronic problems and wasnt as smooth driving

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I'll race you and your Dirtymax any day! :p

Blue, when you get more, ahem, mature, you'll realize that durability, reliability, and longevity are everything over being 0.1 second faster in the quarter-mile.
I won't "chip" my Dmax. The only mods I make to my rig involve things to increase reliability. For example, I added a 2-micron fuel filter to reduce the amount of debris in the high-pressure fuel system, thus increasing the life of the injectors and fuel pump.
I added a diode to make all four of the headlights and the fog lights stay on in high beam. Things like that.
The Dmax has plenty of power and torque for me just the way it came. and the darn speed limit is 70 MPH. Who needs tickets?

But since you brought it up... here's a link as to who's really the Boss.
Duramax raises the bar... again. (http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/pulloff2006c.htm) :D

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Da Mules
Blue, when you get more, ahem, mature, you'll realize that durability, reliability, and longevity are everything over being 0.1 second faster in the quarter-mile.
I won't "chip" my Dmax. The only mods I make to my rig involve things to increase reliability. For example, I added a 2-micron fuel filter to reduce the amount of debris in the high-pressure fuel system, thus increasing the life of the injectors and fuel pump.
I added a diode to make all four of the headlights and the fog lights stay on in high beam. Things like that.
The Dmax has plenty of power and torque for me just the way it came. and the darn speed limit is 70 MPH. Who needs tickets?

But since you brought it up... here's a link as to who's really the Boss.
Duramax raises the bar... again. (http://www.thedieselpage.com/features/pulloff2006c.htm) :D

I've never had my truck over 90, actually, and that was to turn back home and run away from a hail storm. Pulled it under the shed right before it hit. I don't race my truck, I want it to last as long as I can get it to. I did put a chip in mine, though, thinking about straight piping it and putting a 5" tip on it, and maybe a cold air intake, but I haven't decided yet.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by SpreadtheRed
i traded in my 05 duramax for a 07 ford powerstroke and overall way smoother ride and more luxury with the new interiors. The duramax started having electronic problems and wasnt as smooth driving
Man, I'm going to have to disagree with you there. Not necessarily on the luxurious interior, but GM's are well-known as the best-riding pickups on the road, and that extends to their heavy duty trucks.

Fords are great trucks and do extremely well around the farm or ranch, but my fiancee and I have test-driven the three domestic diesels and the ride of a Ford didn't even compare to the ride of a GMC. As a matter of fact, if you asked me to compare the ride of the three, this is how I would rank them:

1. GMC (never test drove a Chevy, but I'd imagine they ride about the same)
2. Dodge
3. Ford

The Ford has a much stiffer suspension than the GMC AND the Dodge. And it wasn't even close. Amanda and I went straight from the Ford dealership to the Dodge place and it was like night and day, and it was fairly noticeable from the Dodge to the GMC.

The Ford's a great hauling truck, but if you decide to take it on a long trip unloaded, it'll beat you up pretty good. They've never been good-riding trucks and they still aren't, but then again it is a heavy duty truck and wasn't built with a smooth ride in mind.

[duckbutter]

I have a one ton 4X4 and knew is was going to be rough when I bought it, but it is A LOT smoother that the F250 4X4 with the short bed. I wouldn't even think about chipping a Ford that is still under warranty, they are getting VERY picky and you could be stuck with a big bill if something goes wrong. Da Mules, what do you know about the mandatory regen on the all of the trucks? I know the 08 Fords are doing it and read somewhere that it has an exhaust filter that will need to be replaced at 100,000 miles and right now the cost is $2,500 for it. Great website www.thedieselstop.com

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Da Mules
Blue, when you get more, ahem, mature, you'll realize that durability, reliability, and longevity are everything over being 0.1 second faster in the quarter-mile.
:D ROFL! That made me smile! :)

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
ROFL! That made me smile! :)

Yep... applies to more things than diesel trucks, too! :)

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by SpreadtheRed
i traded in my 05 duramax for a 07 ford powerstroke and overall way smoother ride and more luxury with the new interiors. The duramax started having electronic problems and wasnt as smooth driving

I think Ford's 07 interior re-do is pretty cool. I haven't driven an 07 SuperDuty, but can tell you my 06 Dmax rides much better than an 06 Ford demo did. And the dual power heated front seats are much more comfy than the Ferd was. That's important if you're towing for 12-14 hours a day.

But there will have to be tons of solid proof before I could ever consider another Navistar engine. Good luck with yours; I hope they got the bugs outta that new engine.

I would seriously consdering buying a Ford with a Cummins in it, however.

I have had "zero" problems with the D/max. But I probably drive like the little ol Lady from Pasadena, compared to some other people.

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I've never had my truck over 90, actually, and that was to turn back home and run away from a hail storm. Pulled it under the shed right before it hit. I don't race my truck, I want it to last as long as I can get it to. I did put a chip in mine, though, thinking about straight piping it and putting a 5" tip on it, and maybe a cold air intake, but I haven't decided yet.

Pipe = noise, but better air flow. Cold air intake. Good mods. Just don't fall for the gravel-screen K&N air filter though.

Link about Magnaflow from the Dodge TurboDieselRegister: Magnaflow exhaust kit install (http://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179513)

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Da Mules
Pipe = noise, but better air flow. Cold air intake. Good mods. Just don't fall for the gravel-screen K&N air filter though.

Link about Magnaflow from the Dodge TurboDieselRegister: Magnaflow exhaust kit install (http://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179513)

Sounds to me like Magnaflow is trying to screw with you on their product. I have an 2002 24 Valve Cummins, so if you have any suggestions, send them my way, they will be appreciated.

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by duckbutter
Da Mules, what do you know about the mandatory regen on the all of the trucks? I know the 08 Fords are doing it and read somewhere that it has an exhaust filter that will need to be replaced at 100,000 miles and right now the cost is $2,500 for it.

Yeah, the EPA is going to legislate diesel engines right out of existence. They've already added nearly $3000.00 to the cost of an 07 over prior years.

[sinton66]

The only thing better than a Ford is the next bigger sized Ford.

[IHStangFan]

test drove it today....love it.....going to pick it up this coming week if all goes right :)

[Da Mules]

Originally posted by sinton66
The only thing better than a Ford is the next bigger sized Ford.

that would mean the next bigger-sized Ford that has a Cummins in it. :p about an F550 I think :D

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

Originally posted by Da Mules
that would mean the next bigger-sized Ford that has a Cummins in it. :p about an F550 I think :D

That Cummins has a nice, distinct sounds to it. Gotta love it. :D

[LHdog]

A friend of mine bought a new F-250 Powerstroke in 2003 to pull his travel trailer. He has had to replace transmissions twice.