What diesel truck is better?

kickinassrt-10

kickinassrt-10

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Now that I have the 10 up for sale I am doing some research for the next truck. It's between 2003-2007 Dodge Ram 2500 With Cummins or a 2000-early 2003 with 7.3L or 2005-2007 Ford F250 with late model 6.0L.

For around $10-15k I can get several options for Ford with a pretty well equipped package and engines with less than 150k miles on them. Same price range the Dodge Cummins is limited on options and all have around 200K miles plus. I know the cummins are supposed to be amazing but the thing that really scares me about Dodge are the sh*tty auto transmissions.

I used to have several F350's and a F550 with the 7.3L and that engine was a true workhorse and the transmission was also solid in every one of the trucks. I had a personal 04 F250 with the 6.0L and I will not buy an 03-04 6.0L again, as they are the biggest hunk of crap metal. However the 05-07 6.0L got added head bolts to fix the early model 6.0l problems and that is a pretty sweet engine.

Question is go with less mileage, more options Ford or higher mileage Cummins 2500 with less options and pray the transmission lasts?
 
You have to not even consider FURD! I work with these trucks daily and Ford hasn't been a good Diesel since the 7.3 Powerstroke:dontknow:
They have been thru about 6 or more different engines since then!
Dodge really has the Diesel market sewn up for sure.
Now if you get an 05+ Duramax, they are Powerhouses for sure!:D
 
I had the 6.0L before. It was a sweet sounding engine but not reliable. I love the cummins bc of the straight 6 but their transmission has left me with a bad opinion so that's the only thing I am scared of.
If i went with Ford it would be the 7.3L bc I have seen these engines in actions and used to tow 30,000 lb's behind them and they were ready to work everyday. We used to own a rental yard and we towed anything from skid steer to front end loaders to huge Lull's and pavement rollers.
I love both trucks but the Ford you get more options, less miles and a better transmission, with Dodge you get better engine more pull, higher mileage but you can also tell the Dodge diesels hold their value well due to how little are on the market compared to fords.

Chevy is not even an option I can't stand bow ties
 
I also plan on modding either truck I get. Definitely turbo back exhaust, tuned and upgraded turbo. I would think in this aspect the Dodge is better for power and reliability with mods but again back to the transmission.
 
if you are looking at modding i say buy the dodge and build up a better tranny. actually what i was planning to start looking at as soon as my 10 is paid off this summer need a decent winter vehicle up here and if i can get something i can plow and tow with besides i consider that bonus's so reason i was looking at a 2500 diesel myself :)
 
Although the cummings is probley the most awesome motor availalble it is still bolted to our POS 48RE so IMHO Id go for the ford 250/350 with the 7.3 you dont want that POS 6.0 motor neither unless you dont mine spending thousands of dollars on injectors and problem after problem. My first choise with be a duramax but in the price range your looking it aint gonna happen lol. My buddies 06 is awesome and he has never had a single problem for the past 100k miles.
 
I've seen plenty of 6.6L Duramax diesel but they are such unappealing truck. I don't like a single thing about them.
You are very right about the POS 48RE, probably one of the worst built transmissions I have ever seen. The 6.0L got a bad wrap from the 03/04 first year in production. There was 10 head bolts and then the 05 on they leater added 2 or 4 more head bolts, I forget. I had to get my early 04 6.0L new heads bc they warped and blew the EGR cooler plenty of times. Never one transmission problem though with countless hours of towing 2 machines.
I now the Cummins is such a great base engine to build on.
 
Make it easy for ya, keep the 10!! Or ask more for it at least, your killing us asking that price for it.
 
I would go Dodge for sure, I've had an '98,'03,'06 and now a 2011 and I've had zero tranny issues with them, keep the maintaence up in them and bands adjusted and mine held up great and I drove them all like a race car!! The issue with the tranny's is there isn't enough line presure to clamp the bands and clutch pack hard enough to prevent slippage,change the valve body, change the bands and the clutches, put in a stainless basket from a 727 tranny , change servo and solinoids and swap out plastic bushings for the aluminum ones and you will have a solid tranny for years!!
www.htstransmissions.com and talk with Dusty Hawk, very reasonable prices and be won't over sell you on stuff you don't need!! He sold me all my parts for $1000.
 
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I had an 06 2500 dodge quad cab and it was awesome. I had mods and never had any tranny issues. Remember although it's a 48re the internals are different than what we have in the 10's. I'd go dodge for sure. The motors can handle the upgrades better than ford or Chevys trannys. I've had friends with same exact upgrades on their dura max with Allison's and they had tranny issues. My other friend with his f350 Dually blew his motor but didn't have tranny issues. Also when I went up to Suncoast trannys all the techs and workers there were driving 2500 and 3500 rams with serious modds and when I asked them about tranny issues verses the 10 they said none although all were built to handle the modds they had.
 
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I just don't like chevy trucks. They are ugly as hell and to me they remind me of cheap built trucks, they all look like rental cars to me.

Yellow Venom I can tell you have dealt with a few Dodge transmissions before from what you have described but there is no way I would ever attempt to take a transmission apart.

Ontario I'd love to keep the 10 as it will be paid off soon but I just can't keep putting miles on this truck and use it as a hauler for the boat. I feel bad doing that to such a rare truck. I didn't think I had it priced too low bc of the mileage. However if I should boost the price up I will.
 
only thing is with powerstrokes is if you have a head issue, you have to pull the whole cab off to work on the engine, LOL have fun with that.

my friend has 2 strokes, loves them. older body style and newer king ranch.

if you get a dodge you could get a venom hood :D
 
RAMDUDE said:
only thing is with powerstrokes is if you have a head issue, you have to pull the whole cab off to work on the engine, LOL have fun with that.

my friend has 2 strokes, loves them. older body style and newer king ranch.

if you get a dodge you could get a venom hood :D
Click to expand...

Yep had to do that with my 04 6.0L King Ranch, the whole cab gets lifted into the air and the truck stays on the floor with chasis, engine and bed. I still think highly of the 7.3L but you could drive a cummins through a lake, run it into a wall pour piss in the gas tank, cover it in dirt and it will still fire right up.

I like your thinking on the Dodge...may be a deciding factor.lol:elefant:
 
i have had every diesel known to manmy 05 5.9 liter only got 100k motor was shot needed a long block...was sellin it here then found out it was junk and scrapped it


my 07 5.9 got 83k miles and had to replace the long block...traded it in at 106k because it was burning not leaking 4 quarts every thousand miles.....

i now have a 2011 6.7 ...now major issues just had the pcm replaced and it does not run anything like my buddys dmax and mind you they are both stock!!!
 
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