questions on d max?
 

i have had ford and now a dodge cummins love the cummins.I was wondering how the d max is never hear much other than the truck is kind of soft suspension when towing true? i like the chevy but how is the d max all years?

really the early ones (LB7) had the injectors problems, i think it was the LLY that has the overheating problems, the LBZ im not really sure what the big thing with them was and the LMM is the newest one and it just has all the emissions stuff on it:argh: Duramax guys dont kill me if i got the names wrong :run:

i think the only thing with suspension is the IFS is if ya get into high HP and Torque but other wise its a pretty good truck with a few quirks just like all the other makes:ok1:

All you got to do is get some billet Sleeves that really takes care of the weakest pint in the IFS. Im not a fan of IFS but they do ride like a Cadillac though.

yeah they do it'll put you to sleep when your riding in them

The Duramax trucks are an all around well built truck. I love mine. I have a 3rd gen LBZ. They are very reliable and have hands down the strongest transmission from the factory. I pull a 38' 5th wheel alot.. generally at least once or twice a month. Each trip being over 300 Miles each way. Pulls it real good around 90 or so..:w2:

They duramax is the cheapest of the electronic controlled trucks to upgrade. Since the Allison trans holds better than most factory trans from Dodge or Ford. Its not hard to make 450-500 RWHP with a good programmer, shift kit and exhaust. Our stock airbox's are far superior to the others stock airboxes IMO.

The 1st Gen DMAX 01-04.5 (LB7) has the toughest pistons of the 4 models. Also had a wastegated turbo and 5 spd allisons. Some of the LB7's had injector issues, which were covered by a 200,000 mile warranty. And a some other LB7s had some minor overheating issues. Which there was a somewhat easy fix for.

The 2nd Gen DMAX 04.5-06 (LLY) is a great motor, and exactly the same as the 3rd gen (LBZ) with a slightly different tune in the ECM. The 3rd Gens were available with the ZF-6 or 6 spd Allison. Great Motors. As a matter of fact, there is a Land Speed Record set with an LLY that I believe had stock injectors and stock turbo. Ran 174 mph. The LLY's, often reffered to as a LiLLy, have a variable geometry turbo.

The 3rd Gen DMAX 06-07 (LBZ) is exactly like the LLY. They have little to no problems as of yet that I know of. Available with a 6 spd allison and a RARE handful with the ZF-6 manual trans. The main issue that I know some LBZ's had was some EGR system problems. Covered under factory warranty.

The 4th Generation DMAX 07.5- Current (LMM) is a great motor but has a DPF on the exhaust. Which of course is easy to get around these days.

All in all GM's Duramax is an excellent setup. I, of course, am biased. But with some good tuning, and an exhaust and shift kit.. you would be hard pressed to make 450rwhp out of any other trucks.

Alot of people dont like the IFS (Independent Front Suspension) for whatever reason. Truth be told, unless you do serious offroading, or just enjoy a rough ride, IFS is where its at. Sure, the tie rods can bend if you make over about 400 HP @ the tires, but there are some very inexpensive fixes for that. Tie Rod sleeves are readily available under $150. And several companies offer complete HD Tie Rods for a little more. There are several 1000+ RWHP Duramax trucks running them with no issues.


For more detailed information on the GM Diesels, check this link out>> https://www.dieselbombers.com/durama...tml#post182396

:iws: :D

Hey, gimmie a break.. thats just what I could think of off the top of my head .. lol

:rolleyes2: now your just boasting

my 08 dodge dose not ride stiff or my 05 ford so i not sure but i have not been in a new chevy so there u go so i cant say i agree or disagree:humm:

if you have anyhting 05+ its gonna ride good. IMO even with a lift and 35's my 06 still rides well. when it was in stock form it was it was also a very smooth ride and tha was riding over a straight axle..

All I want to say is, you don't see to many DURAMAX with over 225,000 miles, with-out any engine repaires:humm:

So what you are saying is that you have looked at alot of Duramax equipped trucks odometer to see if that is a fact? How can you say this as fact?

Just curious, not trying to start a brand war, just wanted to see the scope of your investigation. I would imagine that you could find an equal amount of all brands with over 225,00 miles per ratio that are still on the road, not sold but on the road. You cannot consider totaled, flooded, fire, or whatever or base you findings on sold units. It would have to be still driven units. :pca1:

Wow, and you know this from first hand experiance?? I guess I need to sell 3 of my Duramaxes before they internally explode, they are close to their life expectancy.... :ph:


People call our trucks crap because they don't know any better. The Duramax is still called a 'retrofitted gas engine' or still think the 6.5 nightmares are a carryover to the Duramax, but it's all false. Yep, the LB7 has injector issues, but GM is taking care of that to 200k (which according to gunman is 50k away from total meltdown). The LLY will overheat for the 1% of users that work the truck to it's max, otherwise there is nothing wrong with those, the LBZ had some EGR's go bad (big woop), and the LMM is a product of the EPA with the POS DPF that all diesels now have and hate.

The IFS is just fine when the truck stays in stock trim. Add some major power, lift or big heavy wheels/tires and you'll be replacing parts....you have to pay to play, you know. Truly, when was the last time any SFA $40-50k trucks went rock crawling?? Ya, didn't think so. That's the only place SFA is superior to IFS, crawling rocks. They both go through the mud the same, they roll over stumps the same...bla bla bla, but the ride is much nicer on a IFS, plus you can get about 2" of lift for free. :U:

The Allison is bullet proof, rear diff, frame, etc., no worries there. :choochoo:

I tow up to and over my GCVW and never worry about making it from point A to point B. The truck rides well and has yet to leave me stuck in the mud, even with a trailer behind it, but tire make the difference there, too. :5:

In my opinion the duramax is a good compromise of the things I like in a truck. Mines an LBZ, has plenty of power, but I added an edge juice and opened up the exhaust to help pull my big trailer (didn't help much, just gets to hot now:humm:). The transmission works just as fine as any other auto transmission I've had, nothing magical about it for me (not impressed with the manual shift at all) and the tow haul works just like the tow haul in my 06 Dodge did. I like to take my Chevy out in the hills better because it does ride a notch smoother, but there is a noticeable problem in catching the cross members on old two track roads.

I love that it sits lower than my dodge, as it's my daily work truck and makes it easy getting things in and out of it. I like the room the crew cab has, I can take three guys and my dog with me comfortably and then flip the seat back down and load up with tools. While I feel my Dodge has more pulling power and handles trailers better, the Chevy is no wimp at it either, it can get the job done just the same.

Realistically, my only true gripe is the cost of the thing. I don't understand why they cost so much more, it is not any better or any worse than the Dodge. If it wasn't for the fact that I just like having different kinds of trucks, I wouldn't buy one due to the price difference.

If I could only have one, the Chevy might win out for the fact that I don't need the trailer pulling stability that the Dodge has (My opinion here) on a daily basis, so using just the Chevy would be something I could get used to.

Oh, my duramax starts easier than any other diesel I've had in cold weather hands down. I like that for sure.

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The 04.5-05 LLY is not the same as the 06 LLY. The 06 LLY and LBZ are the same with just a different tune. 06 manuals were only available with the LLY, and I don't know if they continued that into 07 or not.

I had a friend that owned one and worked at a chevy dealership, he was always checking the miles on those duramax:humm:

The only difference between the LLY and the LBZ is the different ecm tune and the LBZ has a different block. I have really come to like the Duramax even tho I broke the front end many times from my own personal additions to the truck so you cannot say that it was poorly made. I broke it and yea i bitched but i decided to do something about it and built the front end practically bullet proof like you have to do with any other truck.... I did a 23psi launch a couple weeks back and it held fine it was one wild ride but the front end didnt break. I have done alot of things to my Duramax and one of my buddies has done an equal amout to his Dodge Cummins and when we race we are close i pull him a little better in the higher gears but on a dyno we are no where close. He hits 450-500 and I'm in the 600-650 range. Also seeing that I am a mechanic at a GM dealership i see alot of Duramaxes and 85% are regular maintence and yes i have seen duramaxes with over 300,000 miles on them. yea some of them had some engine work like a new head which in my book is real minor but there is one that really sticks out in my mind. Its a 2001 LB7 that we see regularly and all it ever has done is scheduled maintence and its not even the cleanest truck out there its got its dents and scratches but the truck runs great. I'm not saying one brand is particular to another brand because they all have there quirks but the Duramax is no wussy truck it ranks right dead even with ford and dodge in my book.

Most never take their vehicles to the dealer after warrenty is up. So 100k is about the max a dealer will ever see. Most dealership techs run from vehicles over the 100-150k mark and the service writers don't normally deal with those over the 100-150k mark either. Hell, in all my years at the dealer, I can count on one hand how many vehicles I saw over 150k. As a matter of fact, I can only think of 2; one was an old Suburban 'Ma and Jr.' brought in. It had 300 and change on the odo, no one wanted to touch it. The other was a '79 Caprice wagon with 499,900 that the lady wanted a few things done to it before it hit the 500 mark, because GM was going to take pictures of it. For you Houston fans, it still had a Houston Gamblers sticker in the windshield. :U:

Here where I work now, 150k is just a break in point. Out of my current fleet of 63, I have 1 vehicle over 300k, 13 over 200k, 17 between 100-200k and the rest are fairly new under 100k.

The 3 high mileage Duramaxes are at 220k, 190k, 180k all still running strong without any internal damage or major work performed. The other 2 are fairly new with 100k and 60k respectfully. :U:

Man its so great in a world of 6 cylinders, to hear how great my Duramax is. It seems we always hear how cheap it is to make power with a 12v, or how reliable a 24 v is.. or blah blah blah about a CR cummins.. The cummins guys might outnumber us, but they cant deny out existence.

The Duramax is a GM motor.. can the Dodge guys say a cummins is? no.. can the ford guys say a powerstroke is? no..

Im glad I bought a Duramax, and I love my IFS. Every time a Ford or Dodge diesel owner rides in my truck, they ask if its a 2wd cause it rides so smooth. Thats got to say something.. and I think mine rides rough since Ive cranked my Torsion Bars..

And Pull? oh wow does it pull. My Father in law has a 98.5 Goat.. I guess that makes it a 24v. And when I first got mine, we were going down I-40 pulling the EXACT same trailers.. both empty, and I could EASILY walk off from him from a 70mph PUNCH.. I also got better fuel mileage than he did. Granted, Ive got 6 gears too..:w2:


All in all, I think ya'll will be hard pressed to find very many unhappy Duramax owners. They are great trucks.:U:

And your fleet gets worked more than the average vehicle....to say the least.


When I used to work at the dealer there was a similar policy. With a few exception they would not write up a vehicle with over 100k unless the manager said it was ok. Vehicles over 100k tended to be problematic (often because of the owners) so we just avoided them. We would have never seen anything with 200k or so. In fact, I don't think we ever did in my years there.

Had an 03, it did drive smooth and had plenty of power, but the seats. Your back hurt after a 250 mi trip. It could've been that particular model or if they were better with the 10 way power w/ or w/o leather IDK.

No complaints here, truck has done everything I have asked it to do and more.:choochoo:

Interesting, my ex wife complained about the seats in the Chevy for any trip longer than twenty minutes. But then again, she complained about a lot of things:c:

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The 06 LLY,06 LBZ,07 LBZ, are much different than 04-05 LLY's. Below is the official release, but I'll sum up the big ones. Different block, pistons, rods, turbo, ecm (not just tuning), heads, and injectors.


The comprehensive list of changes and upgrades to the 2006 DURAMAX 6600 includes:

* Cylinder block casting and machining changes strengthen the bottom of the cylinder bores to support increased horsepower and torque
* Upgraded main bearing material increases durability
* Revised piston design helps lower compression ratio to 16.8:1 from 17.5:1
* Piston pin bore diameter increased for increased strength
* Connecting rod “ I ” section is thicker for increased strength
* Cylinder heads revised to accommodate lower compression and reduced cylinder firing pressure
* Maximum injection pressure increased from 23,000 psi to more than 26,000 psi
* Fuel delivered via higher-pressure pump, fuel rails, distribution lines and all-new, seven-hole fuel injectors

* Fuel injectors spray directly onto glow plugs, providing faster, better-quality starts and more complete cold-start combustion for reduced emissions
* Improved glow plugs heat up faster through an independent controller
* Revised variable-geometry turbocharger is aerodynamically more efficient to help deliver smooth and immediate response and lower emissions
* Air induction system re-tuned to enhance quietness
* EGR has larger cooler to bring more exhaust into the system
* First application of new, 32-bit E35 controller, which adjusts and compensates for the fuel flow to bolster efficiency and reduce emissions

On your LBZ's you do have an occasional EGR go bad and the dealership should be replacing that with no questions asked.

yup

Thanks, I forgot to say that it was covered by the dealers.. :c:

hows that?? torsion keys??

Yep, crank the Torsion bars up:U:

yup, lift one side of the front off the ground then put some anti-sieze on the 18mm bolt threads and give it about 3 turns. and repeat on the other side.

My LLY duramax dually is my first diesel but its my second dually. I gotta say its got to be the best truck that ive ever owned. I pull a 25 ft gooseneck with between 6-7 tons evry other day roughly 150 miles a day give or take and havent had ANY problems with it. It rides hella of a lot better then my friends F450.

The only complaint that ive EVER had for any of my crew cab chevys is that the front seats dont go all the way down!

I plan on dumping my wifes 1500 CC for a Chevy 1/2 ton diesel when they come out.

they can go down a bit lower with some modifications ;)

Yep... :5:

So 450-500 hp cummins are running low 12s since a 600-650 hp Dmax will do high 11s?

I mean hell with simple intake, exhaust and tuner modifications. Here is what I got on the Dyno a few months ago with my LBZ.
https://www.dieselbombers.com/show-t...umbers-go.html

i put on 100,000 miles in a year and a half. 95% of those miles where towing a 30ft gooseneck with construction equipment on it. Total weight of my trailer is 8,200lbs and on the qverage of 14,000 lbs of iron{ 22,200} total weight my lbz is hauling everyday. Change the filters and go. I drove 22 hrs straight in the truck i i have a bad back. My ass is sore and my legs got knumb every once in a while. I owned a FORD before this one and i couldn't drive 250 miles before my back was hurting. Just look in truck trader and see what is for sale CUMMINS, FORDS, not to many CHEVY'S. Only problem i had was a tranny leak, rear end leak and the drivers side ac control would stick and blow hot air. That is it. Chevy in my opinion did there home work and got it right? Smooth and comfortable. :c:

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i put on 100,000 miles in a year and a half. 95% of those miles where towing a 30ft gooseneck with construction equipment on it. Total weight of my trailer is 8,200lbs and on the qverage of 14,000 lbs of iron{ 22,200} total weight my lbz is hauling everyday. Change the filters and go. I drove 22 hrs straight in the truck i i have a bad back. My ass is sore and my legs got knumb every once in a while. I owned a FORD before this one and i couldn't drive 250 miles before my back was hurting. Just look in truck trader and see what is for sale CUMMINS, FORDS, not to many CHEVY'S. Only problem i had was a tranny leak, rear end leak and the drivers side ac control would stick and blow hot air. That is it. Chevy in my opinion did there home work and got it right? Smooth,comfortable, and has all the power i need. :c:

It really depends on alot of different factors but yea I can hit high 11s when I do the correct launch and the truck shifts perfect. Lately I have been havin problems with my suncoast not getting any higher then 4th gear before the truck defuels into limp mode. I see that as my own doing and ya gotta pay to play and any other truck could do the exact same thing. I generally run low 12s like a 12.0 something or a 12.1 and I'm happy with that I've gotten the truck to where i want it power wise and realibilty wise. And yea another thing I didnt mention is the ride. When I first leveled out the truck I thought it rode horrible because I was so used to riding so softly but now it with the 3" keys in it its so smooth and rides like a Caddy deville down the highway. I'm not brand biased I'll drive about anything but a freakin toyota or honda but as of right now I'm content with the Duramax its been a good truck and it has alot qualitys that I wish my 2007 dodge 5.9 had. Either way I love the diesels and I love em both!

I have owned all 3 of the diesels and to tell you the truth the dmaxs are nice motors I loved mine and are a pretty stable strong truck the only reason I went ford was customer service in the dealerships around here.

I have an LLY, yes I have overheated it. I was so mad... But the longer I have the truck, the more I love it. Its an amazing truck. I would honestly go with an LBZ if I could do it again. But I love my truck and its going to be around for a long time to come. You couldnt trade it for either of the other two for the year.

I have a cummins because i got a good deal on it. The Duramax is an awesome engine in my opinion though, it makes its maximum torque at 1800rpm, same as the I6 cummins which has always been an argument against the V8 diesels and Chevy stands behind their products a lot better than Chrysler does in my experiences which both have been with lifted trucks and automatic transmissions failing, Chevy went out at 85,000 out of warranty, chevy replaced it anyway for free, Dodge went out at 24,000 because the truck was modified they red flagged the vehicle and no dealer will do warranty work on it so needless to say i'm unhappy with chryslers warranty, but i'm happy with the truck other than that

i agree ive had all three and stock hp dmax blows the comptition away :choochoo: i cant wait to see what i can do when i get it bombed:humm::rocking:

i dont want to call you a liar but with the mods in your sig you would not run that low of an e.t. you would need to be around 630 hp to run that fast. and you cant get that high with any ppe