Hey,

Like the title says, I may be buying a 5.9 Cummins (auto or manual, not sure yet). It will be a daily driver and will not likely see heavy towing, maybe a few atv's, but nothing extremely heavy. It will plow in the winter as well. Please help me out by answering the following questions.

What are the revs in top gear for auto and manual at 80mph?

How reliable are these trucks? I used to be a chevy fan (hence the username) but I just hate the look of their new trucks and I am NOT a fan of the previous years. Everyone I knew that had a Duramax had big trouble at some point down the road.

I will add mods to this truck - programmer, exhaust, intake (maybe just filter depending on how restrictive the air intake is). Maybe a tranny?

This may sound stupid, but I have only driven manual gas engine cars/trucks. Is there any difference other than a much lower red line?

Thanks

 

Rolling down the road in 6th at 80 I'm around 2400rpm. As for reliability, I own a Dodge and it's treated me very well. I have friends who love all makes and each one has praises and complaints for each respective brand. Shifting to me is the same other than the power band is a bit different (not enough to notice to me). I think you'd be more than satisfied with Dodge or Chevy.

 

Depends on the gears. Most of the time, they stick 4.10's in the manuals, and 3.73's?? in the autos. I'm @ 2000 running 75.

Choosing the auto or manual is a personal preference. If it's your daily driver, go with the auto, and IMHO, a Smarty JR for the programmer.

 

Mine has 3.73's and it's a manual. Running 285's too.

 

you ll be very happy with a dodge for plowing (solid front axle) but you ll want a auto if your serious about plowing. let us know what you get when it happens

 

My uncle just bought an 06 dodge, automatic with 4.11 gears and it turns about 2600 rpm at 80mph

 

Come on in the water is fine! I was a died in the wool bowtie guy and made the change from Chevy to my current Dodge after staring at window stickers on Duramax powered Chevy and GMC trucks. I just couldn't come to grips with the prices. I thought I'd have a look at the Dodge/Cummins. A test drive produced a nice set of four tire marks (I drove a dually) on the pavement, and I was hooked!

I now have 91K on my truck and its been trouble-free. I pull a 34ft 5th wheel toy hauler (19,000 lbs) in the summer months, a car trailer every now and then, and use it as a daily commuter. Again, its been rock solid dependable in sub-zero temps and hot summers. Its been awesome!

I do regular oil changes, filter changes and in general take care of the truck to keep it nice. It puts down 21 mpg regularly and its a 7,000 lbs, 4x4, automatic trans, dually. The best I ever got in my Chebby diesel was 18 mpg.

 

If you didn't mention plowing I would have definitly suggested the Manual, but all the forward/reverse back and forth you will be doing with plowing it might get to be a little much, unless your just talking doing a little plowing with the truck...

Another thing to consider is the manual trans in the different year trucks, the shift pattern and gear ratios are different, and I could see the G56 being easier to keep going back and forth while plowing then the NV5600 (left and down right next to second gear vs right and up Next to fifth gear) which would be a long throw back and fourth...

As for RPM @ 80MPH. I am just about 2000, but I also have 37" tall tires so that helps...

 

plowing you say? i dont know if you can plow with a cummins.. to much weight o nthe front axle.. least thats what i heard. but the mods sound good. i have a gasser dodge and love it. drove a couple of cummins and loved them even more. talk wtih alot of owners and they love them too. drove a ford, 7.3, wasnt bad. but did have some problems. very nice truck too, but my heart lies with dodge/cummins..

 

I love plowing with my cummins just need to be in 4 wheel drive all the time due to lack of traction on the rear wheels, you do not want a chev to plow with been looking at a few 1yr old 1 tons with broken frames in the front around the bracket for the plow,the front diff brackets broke off the frame and the frame itself broken of behind the front motor mount ,never seen one break on a dodge or a ford