Cummins VS DMax???????????????
 

Well I have somebody interested in my truck (12v with some mods prolly 400hp). I had been thinking of trading it anyway in the spring. I had a 05 dodge 2500 a couple years ago which I really liked and sold it to lose a big payment. I am thinking like a 05 06 dodge (manuel tranny only) or a 06 Duramax but I thought I would ask yalls opinion I have never owned a D-max and i love a Cummins but the Dodge part of the truck is what I don't like. Whatever I buy I would like to stay in the same pulling power range as my 12v it is not uncommon to pull 17 18k on a gooseneck regularly sometimes more we have two big tractors we use for hay one weighs like 16k without any attachments. I know I will prolly put a programer, exhaust, and intake on my new truck that being said the Dodge will need a $1k clutch right away (will the allison survive the beating in a D-max?) what do yall think would be a better ton truck Chevy or Dodge I picked those year models because from what I know these seem to be the best years to get one I am thinking at best 70 80k mile trucks maybe even 150k or more I would like to get out for less than 30k. :pca1:

IM a Rancher and I would never take a Dmax over a Cummins. Dmaxs have good power till it comes time to pull heavy weight espicially over mountain passes. Some D Max Lover gonna call BS on me which is fine this is my oppinon. Cummins are reliable and easy to maintain. I had a friend who had an 05 d max and hated it for pullin but loved it for racing other diesels he ditched it for a Cummins. I live where the Temps fall below -20 F Dmaxs do not like the cold. Allisons are the best Auto tranny for a diesel thats proably the best thing in the Chevy. Ford has the body, dodge has the Engine and Chevy has the Transmission. Only if they would put them all together guess Ill just have to do it my self. Id take a Cummins all day long before a D max and I take a powerstroke before I take a Dmax. Just my oppinon.

I don't like the GM IFS:nope:

I have to agree dodge engine ford chassis and the Allison is hard to beat unless you are like me and prefer a manual to an auto

the only cold start issues for a DMAX that's been properly maintained is gelled fuel. unless you don't plug it in and use thick oil at -40f the 06 uses glowplugs and grid heaters, and has a factory programmed elevated idle (with turbo brake), takes mine about 5min or so to warm enough to start blowing heat from a start in single digit temps

no intake or exhaust needed for a programmer to do what you want it to do it's all able to support close to 500hp in stock form, but the allison won't like it.

the dodge preference for towing comes from the ever present overly stiff like a rock suspension. great if all you do is tow. but other than that the DMAX and cummins are pretty comparable in power and torque curves.

which tows better comes down to gearing, a 4.10 geared cummins will pull a lot harder than the 3.73 or 3.42 geared dmax. from experience being on both sides of that fence, the dmax trucks pulling bigger loads always flew right by me on grades with huge 5ers etc.. so thats what I bought :jump:

in my experience i wouldnt own a d-max unless it was an LB7. seems to be a way more reliable set-up and cheaper to own. Allisons are awsome trannys becase they shut down when they sence a problem. they make upgrade kits for them like any other tranny.

The common rails are pretty sweet too. a smarty and an exhaust turn these things into animals. its a draw between and LB7 and a common rail and a common rail over an 06 chevy.

LB7? What year did these come in? All my friends that have common rail trucks have had injectors fail when they got up around 150 170k that bothers me cause injectors are not cheap for newer trucks! I may need to just keep driving the ole 12v :argh:

the first gen of the duramax was the LB7 engine model. i have had several friends with the newer 6.6L models and have horrible luck with the injectors and computer system??? new truck are nice but dont last like the old ones.

LB7 01-04
LLY 04.5-05
LBZ 05.5-07 - IIRC start of the six speed Allys
LMM 07-10
LML current.

I might be a little off on the years but should give you an idea. LB7s actually are prone to injector failure due to the placement of the injectors in the head IIRC. LLY and later actually have more reliable injectors. LLYs can make meltdown issues and LMM and LML have DPFs and all the emissions crap.

IMHO I would get a dmax in a second, based on the UOAs I have read they are some of the best wearing engines out there and have a large aftermarket community to support it. If I could have found a 2006 LBZ that I could afford I would have purchased it. :c:

They are very smooth, can make great power and get very good MPG...you just gotta be smart about it.

Imho the LB7 has the worst injectors out of all the duramax

im not trying to argue but out of the 3 LB7's we own and the many miles they have aquired we have NEVER had a problem from the injectors or really anything for that matter. think there are just lemons in every batch.

LBZ is currently the best choice in dmax for reliability as far as i'm reading. pre emissions, start of the 6speed ally, VGT turbo which is air/water cooled and needs no cooldown time. all the lb7/lly bugs worked out and internals upgraded.

fyi: the dodge and chevy CR trucks both used basically the same injection pump and injectors and both had issues in that time frame.

not to mention it wasnt anything to do with the lb7 motor itself, but only bosch's shitty injector design which no longer will exist or happen againt once replaced.

Another factor you want to think about is if you work on your own rigs. Because a dmax is a B**** cummins are easier. But a cummins can do what a Dmax can do with only six cylinders. Dmax is more expensive to repair. A Dmax stock injector is in the 400-500 dollar range. I know the 12V and VP44 24V cummins you can get all six for 400-600. Bosh 40hp injectors are $450 for all six. I love my cummins. It may have been made in Brazil but an american created it and designed it to be simple, and reliable. On the other hand Duramaxees are Izuzu engines. Japanese have tiny hands and make things pretty damn complicated. each engine has the pros and cons. Each truck also has it pros and cons. Drive a both trucks and see what you like best. Cummins has be around a lot longer than powerstroke and duramaxes. There in Peterbuilts and Farm equipment. Cummins has pretty much had the same block since dodge introduced the engine. Id take a cummins all day long before a Dmax.... Just my oppinion.

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Plus cummins is emiision free till 2007.5 when they swithed over to the tractor 6.7L cummins that New Holland used for a while.... Now its some Fiat engine :dang:

The B series (5.9l) was created by a joint venture between Cummins and Case, called consolidated engine co was first introduced in a backhoe mid-1980s...dodge didn't pick it up until 1989. Also the 5.9 wasn't emissions free, it had EGR and cats in California models dating back to 1996. The 2004.5 engines all have defacto EGR due via the retarding of the third injection event and if your comparing apples to apples a ISBe injector is in the same ball park as a dmax.

Also, who cares that Isuzu designed the Dmax....Isuzu is one of the largest manufacturers of diesel engines in the world and the Dmax is made in Ohio. Also the 2003+ 5.9s and all Dmax share the same fuel system, Bosch CP3 based so they are both plenty complicated.

Fiat engine? Last I checked dodge was still running the 6.7 ISB...

2012 Ram 2500 & 3500 Powertrain | Engine Performance | Ram Trucks

Ok I stand corrected about a cali diesel I just wish cali would split off so we can get rid of carb and the epa. It would make my day... Cummins has been around since the late 70's if I am correct. What I ment about the 6.7L Cummins was that new holland tractore or Massey Furgeson ran them in there windrowers for a number of years and now they use fiat diesel because fiat cheaper to buy. thats what I was saying. I do care that a diesel engine was made or designed buy a asian/ jap company because it means they are complicated, and guaranteed to be a pain in the ass to work on. Yes i am being Biased and maybey slightley prejudice tell me something I dont know. Any how we all have our own oppinion on what is better. I like Cummins others like the maxipads. I will admit Duramaxes are GREAT for racing, and moding the living crap out off. I dont care for modding a diesel heavily. If I need a 500 hp diesel engine Ill go buy a peterbuilt because at that point its proably the same mpg... Just my oppinion... I my truck not a toy it another tool.... It works.

Believe or not, the fed have had diesel emissions since the early 90s but it still up to the states on how to test the standards. IIRC Case and Cummins started work on the B series in the very late 70s and it hit the market in 1983-84 as a 75-90hp backhoe engine. Gotcha, I thought you were referring to dodge getting a fiat diesel.

Whatever floats your boat man.:c: IMHO, all three engines are close to each other now that they are all pretty good and all have their flaws. I don't have any brand loyalty and to me if your comparing apples to apples (eg. a dmax vs. a CR cummins or a VP44 cummins vs a 7.3 OBS PSD), they are comparable in complexity. Of course a newer engine is going to be more complicated but that is the way technology is moving.

Ok I will quit beating a deadhorse....:rake:

You aint beating a dead horese haha! i agree everything has there flaws, and pros and cons. I am brand loyal because of experiences with each trucks; I have driven them all. I just much preffer the cummin's. Fed did have emissions on diesels but it was more with fuel systems rather than having cats, egrs, ect. Ill let it go but I agree evrythings has there flaws. Its all oppinon and prefference. Get what you like and dont give a damn about what anybody says. If i could I run a cat in my truck. I preach to much I appologize... haha take care and have a great day. Get what you like man sometimes you will find what you like over time.

DMAX all the way. Dodge's are prolly great trucks and I dont care how reliable or powerful, I wouldn't own a dodge simply becase it is a Dodge.:moon::yeah::choochoo:

I prefer my Dodge cummins, so simple to work on and makes the torque nice and low in the rpms cause of the inline 6 design. But im not going to knock any other brands but when people say they dont like the dodge bodys I fail to see why, I live in new england and we get plenty of salt and snow and rain. I bought my 96 dodge and the frame and body looks better than my dads 2001 chevy. One of my good friends has a 96 f350 that looks good for its age but the body on my truck and frame looks just as good, never been repainted or coated. So im not sure where this dodge has bad bodys is coming from :humm: And this aint just me, my brother and law owns 2 dodge pickups also 2nd gens and they all have nice frames and bodys. Are we the only people that spray all the salt off after every snow storm?

Luckily for us where I live we dont use salt... For that exact reason we cant wash it off. Its to cold well frezze our selves outta our rigs.. lol

Hahaha I hear yeah man

I prefer my chevy, apparently it's hard to work on but since it's a chevy I never have to :tttt:

I guess dodge being easy to work on is a plus since that was an every few week thing on all the ones i've owned :argh:

Haha better go knock on wood really fast I think you might have cursed yourself! I liked both of them, the cummins seems easier to work on but the dmax is just as friendly once you learn the zippers in it, sure it takes more time but it just gives me more time to get to know her lol

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already done my looks around. just did my first oil change since it let me know it was time.. still a lot of life left far as i can tell after 10k, so i'll just do a UOA after 10k on this change and see where i'm at, the massive skid plates it has covering.. well.. everything underneath may make it a pain in the future but all drains and filters are accessible through it..

gonna upgrade tie rods come spring, only 80k on the truck but I figure since I like to get rough i might as well start with fresh stuff. it was govt owned and full of desert in odd places before i got it so i'm assuming it took a beating and it's held up quite well.

I've seen 1200hp Duramax's getting 21 mpg. Diesels aren't like gassers. You can add power and still get great fuel economy...not to mention be street legal.

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My uncle has a 01 dmax 4x4 all stock, used just for pullin his dozer, bk hoe, and skidsteer on a gooseneck. Has over 200k, no probs and still gets 20mpg. The only issue is if and when they do need work they're very expensive to work on, both parts and labor. I've had bad luck with chevs so I shy away from them. The dmax is deff. The quietest and smoothest running of the big three though, but I'd still stick with the cummins

nothing personal here but, most of the dodges in my neck of the woods rust after 4-5 yrs. the wheel wells are gone and the rest is right behind. i agree you should wash the salt off every week or so but my buddie has had 2 in the last 10 yrs with regular washing and terrible luck with the bodies. i had a v-10 dually dodge back in the 90,s. hated the truck. i guess i,m a chevy guy.:tu:

Waxing also does amazing things :) Keeps paint from peeling and help prevent rust but dodge sadly does have crumy paint in humid places.