What brand Diesel truck would you buy?

[Skyvalhunter]

Toyota!!

[Malardman]

My 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 CTD Laramie 6" Fabtech lift, 35" Toyo MT's 83,000mi..... Lets start, ball joints every 5-7K uppers and lowers, u-joints rear, Power seat motors, power window motor x2, wiper motor, headliner due to leaking, drivers seat heater, steering gear box due to pissing out fluid x2, front axle u-joints x2, one wheel bearing driver, 2 injectors, rear main seal, 2 tranny's need a 3rd now , heater core, front end recall upgrade, put in a aftermarket track bar by Carli suspension uses heim joints I'm sure there is more I'm forgeting and I'm in the process of SUING RAIRDONS DUE TO F-ING US ON OUR WARRANTY note all replacment parts are Mopar/Cummins Replacment parts. I love this truck but I hate it at the same time!!!!

Yikes that's a lot of problems.  But some of those things you've got to expect in a heavy duty lifted truck with that much power..  U joints, ball joints, axle u joints, and even the tranny and steering issues can be linked to changing drive angles and the added stress.  I've owned lifted diesel trucks and have experienced the same issue.  As for the other stuff..  That sucks and they should stand behind their product.  Hope you get your warranty issues figured out.

I don't have a dog in this fight but nobody with a lift kit should complain about anything wearing out.
Lift kits just kill components.

   Lift kits don't kill all componets, it's usually tire size and I'm only running 35's.... I'm 32 years old and don't hot-rod my crap anymore cause I want it to last. This 05 has had problems since the get go. Rairdons sold it lifted sold me the warranty and now they won't fix it. My warranty company  came out viewed the truck and laughed, were not covering crap on that truck anymore it's lifted void the warranty..... here lies the problem you sold it lifted, you sold the warranty truck is covered till 125k it has 83k and it's broke and they are going to pay for it!!!!
 My 2002 dodge ram had it's fair share of problems but never ball joints, u-joints or anything but tranny and fuel issues, it was lifted on 37's and had it till 140k.
 My 95 F350 over 300k never a ball-joint, tie-rod end, yes u-joints a couple of times and it was lifted on 38'' swampers and I beat the tar out of it I was 19 yes it got wheeled mud bogged and a bunch of other stupid crap.. but it was a DAMN GOOD TRUCK THEY SHOULD ALL BE BUILT TUFF LIKE IT STILL..

[Malardman]

By the way I have no engine mods this truck is just a sure POS! Wish I would of bought it new, lemon law the BITCH

[FC]

Malardman I can't help you with your warranty but I can tell you that big tires don't do any harm to anything other than steering linkage to a full sized truck until you get up around 40+ inches just due to the simple fact that they don't change any of the angles, lift kits change angles drastically and that is where your damage comes from.

[high country]

I suppose if you call increased leverage on brakes, added load to engine and tyranny, added width which increases leverage on bearings....etc, then big tires don't change a thing.

[jackelope]

I just wrote up a 2008 Ram Dually with the 6.7L diesel that has 456k miles on it....... 

The guy hauls travel trailers all over the US and Canada.

Wow.  That's some driving right there.  You know what problems, if any, he's had?

I talked to the guy and asked him what major problems he's had...
-both front axle universal joints
-1 front wheel bearing
-rebuilt rear diff
-we replaced the original alternator today
All of this stuff was done north of 400k miles.
We did the alternator in the parking lot with the 29' travel trailer still hooked up. He said he averages an oil change every 2 weeks.

He's from Ohio,

[FC]

I suppose if you call increased leverage on brakes, added load to engine and tyranny, added width which increases leverage on bearings....etc, then big tires don't change a thing.

Sigh...I don't suppose you are a mechanic are you? NOT. The load additions are minimal concern to the design as all trucks are over built in that respect by a very large margin.

[dewandgin]

I just wrote up a 2008 Ram Dually with the 6.7L diesel that has 456k miles on it....... 

The guy hauls travel trailers all over the US and Canada.

Wow.  That's some driving right there.  You know what problems, if any, he's had?

I talked to the guy and asked him what major problems he's had...
-both front axle universal joints
-1 front wheel bearing
-rebuilt rear diff
-we replaced the original alternator today
All of this stuff was done north of 400k miles.
We did the alternator in the parking lot with the 29' travel trailer still hooked up. He said he averages an oil change every 2 weeks.

He's from Ohio,

We have a local company that has a fleet of Dmax's that they use for delivery and expediting of goods. Their 08 has 190k and they have two 06's with 300k plus. No engine or trans or diff work. A couple of wheel bearings and normal maintenance is all so far. Have seen more than one Dmax with 500k plus. Owned a Cummins for 5 years and it ran great but transmission sucked. We were a Chrysler store until the great take away but our trans guy was the busiest guy in the shop by a long shot.

[high country]

I suppose if you call increased leverage on brakes, added load to engine and tyranny, added width which increases leverage on bearings....etc, then big tires don't change a thing.

Sigh...I don't suppose you are a mechanic are you? NOT. The load additions are minimal concern to the design as all trucks are over built in that respect by a very large margin.
[/quoter

I suppose if you call increased leverage on brakes, added load to engine and tyranny, added width which increases leverage on bearings....etc, then big tires don't change a thing.

Sigh...I don't suppose you are a mechanic are you? NOT. The load additions are minimal concern to the design as all trucks are over built in that respect by a very large margin.

Just remember you are your own warranty station once you start modding.  What you may want to consider there wise one is tire height is a multiplier that is working against you at 6800 lbs......or 21k. You don't have to go through an apprenticeship to figure that out....but perhaps you should.

[jeepasaurusrex]

We did the alternator in the parking lot with the 29' travel trailer still hooked up.

Reminds me of the morning leaving for the '05 Deer season opener. Went out to get in the truck and fire it up at 4am. Wouldn't start. So I jumped it to get going. Once running it was OK. Let it idle for a few min then hit the lights to leave. BAM. Everything shut off. Batteries were dead. So, we unhitched the Cherokee off the tow bar and headed to Wally world to grab a set of batteries. Got back and had the new ones installed at 5:15. Got on the road and went over Hwy 20. By the time we got to Twisp, the volt meter was dipping very low. I knew the Alternator was shot. I went into the NAPA there and bought a new alternator. The guy was going to do the paperwork for the core charge and I told him not to bother, Ill be back in a few. Went out to the parking lot, popped the hood, and had the alternator changed out in 9min flat. Should of seen the look on the guys face behind the counter. 

[wsucowboy]

Growing up we always had Chevy's. My dad got a 05 Powerstroke and it has ran a lot better than the chevys did, pulls better and haven't had any problems.

[FC]

Just remember you are your own warranty station once you start modding.  What you may want to consider there wise one is tire height is a multiplier that is working against you at 6800 lbs......or 21k. You don't have to go through an apprenticeship to figure that out....but perhaps you should.

It's ok man, you can admit that you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to trucks and no one will be shocked. You need to pay closer attention, ALL trucks are massively over-built anymore, I've worked on an awful lot of trucks and when it comes to brakes, wheel bearings etc the lifted ones with big tires really don't need any special attention over the stock ones. Not until you get to the land of the ridiculous anyway, 40 should be considered an absolute max for tire size. Most of the problems that lifted trucks with big tires incur over stock are operator induced.

[CastleRocker]

I don't know what rig I'll buy next, but I'm leaning toward a Duramax.  I've had Ford diesels for about 15 years, and since they don't make the 7.3 anymore, I'm at the point that I need to either do a rebuild or buy a newer rig.  I had great luck with the 7.3's I've had, but most folks did.  My wife's Excursion is a 2000 and has been used primarily for pulling big heavy trailers, long trips, and vacations.  It's been a great rig, but it's getting tired. 

[DRobnsn]

I know plenty of people with stock 3rd gen Dodge diesels that have had to replace front axle u joints and ball joints. I also know people that have lifted ones with none of those problems and some that do. I personally think Dodge screwed up when they went to the AAM axles in 03. Seems to me the best answer is Carli suspension ball joints and u joints of the same quality problem solved enjoy the truck.

I'm not convinced Ford is any better I know people who have had to put ball joints in at less than 50k.

My 01 Cummins has Dana axles w/176k,35 inch tires and MANY 10-20 psi boosted 4x4 launches at the race track as well as off road driving using 4x4 and it still has the original ball and u joints.

PS my truck had 120k on it before it needed brakes.
 

[high country]

Just remember you are your own warranty station once you start modding.  What you may want to consider there wise one is tire height is a multiplier that is working against you at 6800 lbs......or 21k. You don't have to go through an apprenticeship to figure that out....but perhaps you should.

It's ok man, you can admit that you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to trucks and no one will be shocked. You need to pay closer attention, ALL trucks are massively over-built anymore, I've worked on an awful lot of trucks and when it comes to brakes, wheel bearings etc the lifted ones with big tires really don't need any special attention over the stock ones. Not until you get to the land of the ridiculous anyway, 40 should be considered an absolute max for tire size. Most of the problems that lifted trucks with big tires incur over stock are operator induced.

I won't get suckered into your 12 year old game, but if you wanna learn a little some time, open eyes and ears and close mouth. I never disagreed that trucks are built plenty heavy to take bigger tires, but by doing so you are getting into the fine print on virtually every warranty service plan that has been written. I would put my expierience of mechanics against yurs anytime. you may want to research who you call out.