Hey guys, I am looking to get back into a full size by december. I had just sold my 97 12V for something smaller with a back seat, but it's too small and has no payload. So I'm going huge. crew cab long bed. Like the dodge the best. but since the family will be in it now and again the bigger back seat of the ford isbetter. I had an 05 6.0L and @ 4Kmiles EGR failure and twisted the 1,3,5,7 bank head and they bought it back. Left a bad taste in my mouth.

I have been doing my research, and was considering an 07 Pre emissions 6.0L as it seems they worked the kinks out, but i'm gonna have this truck for a good 10 years, and the new interior is much nicer.

So the 6.4 looks good. I know the 6.7 will be coming out soon, but the first 2 years is going to be awful and don't want to wait 3-4 years to get another ride.

So an 08-09 6.4L is my choice. Now I what i need help with.

1. AUTO OR MAN. Personally i love shifting gears, less maintence, less to go wrong, and better MPG. CONS are it's sometimes annoying to shift a short geared diesel in traffic and what not. anyone have the hand shaker? What do you think?

2. Rear end. I'd normally go with 3.73 good all around gear, 4.10 is too high and never tow more then 12K, 3.55 seems like a nice option though. Even at 12K the PSD puts out more then enough to get a load moving. and unloaded ill get slightly better MPG.


So let me know what you guys thing. Im gonna hit auto trader and start the search -

imo 1. 3.73 just in case run bigger tires or end up pulling alot in the future
2. if you can find the one you like go manual they will probably be more collectable being there are very few of them -

Have you went to the Ford site and tried to build a truck with anything but a Regular Cab? Seems every time I tried, it booted the manual trans option out and stuck me with the automatic trans. As a matter of fact, seems like just about every option booted the stick. Copied this from another forum:

Hand shakers with PSD engine are available in XL, XLT and Lariat trim, but several options are not available unless you order automagic tranny.

Seats? No captain's chairs and console - you're stuck with the bench seat (which I prefer, BTW).

Adjustable pedals? Nope.

Driver's Memory Pkg (for mirrors, seats, and pedals)? Nope.

Fancy trim such as XLT Sport, King Ranch or Harley Davidson? Nope - all require automagic tranny.

Do you need the 4.30 rear axle in the TowBoss pkg on a dually? Sorry, Charlie, but the TowBoss pkg requires automagic tranny in your Dooley.

Even the Tow Command pkg requires automagic tranny. (You can order the Tow command brake controller, but not the Tow Command pkg which needs the "tow haul" mode of the automagic tranny to work right.)

So if you tried to add one of those options to your truck on the build website, it probably added the automagic tranny for you whether you wanted it or not.

Unfortunately, Ford seems to be going the way of GM and eliminating manual transmissions from their full-size trucks altogether. -

dieseldude03's Sig:

2003 Ram 2500 Laramie 4x4, QC, long bed. Cummins H.O., 6-speed, 4.10 axle gearing, Jake Brake, Bully Dog RFI intake, Summit Racing 4" SS exhaust, Edge "hot" Juice w/ Attitude, HTT HTB2 62/12/65, 305-65R17 (33 x 12.50) ProComp Extreme All Terrains, South Bend Con OFE, fuel tank vent mod, various other gizmos. Member - NRA

"Some people are like Slinkys. Pretty much worthless, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs!"

Yeah, I checked out the 2010 F250 and manual transmission's not even an option.
BTW 4.10 is a lower ratio than 3.73, not higher... -

K50's Sig:

2003 Chevrolet 2500HD Duramax 4x4 extended cab long box. No cat, 56 gallon Titan tank, Bully Dog Tuner installed on Tow mode.
Changes to come soon: 2" Cognito front lift, MBRP 4" or 5" exhaust.

True North Strong and Free

it can go either way. 4.10 is lower wheel turns! haha, but I get ya. I drove the 3.55 this week and it's awesome. but i can def see how it might be slow going with a huge load. So im sticking with 3.73, the 4.10 is great for bigger stuff, but for the occasion that i tow real real real heavy ill just take it easy off the line.

doesnt really matter anyway, can't find a damn stick anywhere. the ford guys said that they are few and far between, that you can get those other pkg with it, but for the most part, ford sells 6spds with very base trucks, anyone shelling out that kind of money wants to drive an auto. Which i can see, and there are becoming less and less people that actually want to switch their own gears.... -

i would go with an auto and 3.73's if you do alot of highway, open road driving

but if not go to a lower gear, but def stick with the auto YOU CANT BEAT the durability of these transmissions. they are holding up better than any other stock transmisson on the market. i know of at least a dozen people puttin 570-600+hp @1000+ftlbs thru them for 30,000 miles and no issues

these things are just S T O U T -

Superstroker10's Sig:

Early 99 CCLB Phantom II'sX4
What im Running: DP-f6,Terminator Engineering HPOP's, Built Trans with Billet T/C
350cc Bcodes
NEED: MODDED H2e- IF you have one pm me

2008 F250 Reg. Cab Long Bed
4WD sittin 20's
16.01 @ 84mph BONE STOCK
New: SCT performance tune 14.92 @ 88 mph cuttin a 1.90 60FTW/ 20's and 35's
18's and 33's-waiting for track time

I had the manual in my lariat with captains chairs. Loved that tranny. I didn't have the brake controller but my cousin has it with his manual. What about the mega cab longbed? Its only 6 inches longer than the ford. I saw a new ford ps with the 6spd in Mt this summer....it was an XLT. -

Captain Call's Sig:

IT SHAKES RATTLES AND ROLLS

I used to be a stick shift guy, BUT bumper-to bumper traffic is murder, if you hurt your foot, leg, arm, or hand you can't drive, you can drive & talk on your cell-phone !!! I won't go back to stick shift I'm an AUTO guy from now on !!! -

gunman41mag's Sig:

MEMBER- BLOWIN' SMOKE GANG
2008 F250 6.4PSD SUPERCAB LONG-BED 2WD
2007 ARCTIC CAT 400 4X4 FIS

haha aint that the truth -

I won't deny auto is convenient. But don't pawn it off on "traffic". As someone who averages 60k+ miles a year in city "traffic" for the last 15 yrs I still won't buy a slushbox. It all boils down to personal preference. My dad is like me (or I'm like him) no auto. We'll order and wait rather than settle. The only thing that I hate is when the light turns green and I'm putting a dip in hahaha. -

i seen the only loaded down 6.4 in this months diesel power mag. the guy had to order it loaded with the 6 speed man and go from nebraska to indiania to pick it up my choice would be 6 speed manual with 4.10 and go 33 or 35 tires to knock it down to round 3.91ish the best gear ratio out there -

i would base it on your needs.....if you are a big tow guy (i mean heavy stuff) i'd go manual, and like mentioned the manual isent even guna be available for '10 model year so snag them up if you can.....if your accident prone, there was a good point made there too, however with some finese any one can drive a stick injured.......and for HP purposes, your pretty much guna need to build a tranny at any rate. i like the auto, but that is ust what i prefer. -