D-Max vs Cummins
 

OK so looking for a diesel.

Here is what im looking at

2004-2007 Cummins has to be a 5.9
2003-2006 Duramax

I just want some info on these

I know a few things

Cummins have lift pump issuses. and the interiors are . I hear everybody complain abpout the transmission but think its all about how you take care of it.

Durmax have injector problems. I hear confliction things. once they are fixed they are good right??? haha Also the front end is IFS i have had several trucks with that and they suck. They eat through ball joints, tie rods, and cant keep it aligned.


What are your takes on these. I want a truck that will be my daily driver. But its got to go for a long long long time

I most likly wont modd the truck. Just the usual intake and exhaust.

please help! Thansk!!

D-Max vs Cummins
 

I've never had either model that new, I had a few issues with the computer controlled waste gate on the 05 and backfired through the intake and blew air cooler lines apart. Bone stock. 100k miles and not a dealership could figure it out. My 02 eMac went 260k before egr started sticking. My dads 01 dodge has 305k and eats power steering pumps, never done anyhing else to it.

The cummins from those yrs are great motors some injector problem some tranny probs but it is all how you take care of your tranny, the injector problem to me have a lot to do with the ulsd fuel that the epa and government require everbody to run. The dmax in those yrs are nice as well the early yrs had injector problem if they have replaced under warranty you should be good the 05 dmax had overheating issuses not sure if they have found a permenant fix or not may want to ask the guys in the dmax section, the 06 went to the 6spd auto in the dmax both are great truck ifl your take care of them. Good luck with your search and choice

They all have there good and bad points points. IMO its all what brand you prefer. Im a dodge guy just because of the cummins engine I like chevy's for the way they drive and ride. So its all in what you wanna do

i am the same as scott. chevys drive good and ride good. i like the cummins motor. my brother bought a 03 duramax new and has not had any problems.

I like the cummins motor, since you're not going to mod it, the dodge tranny will hold up:tu:

The Duramax you put as a choice has Excellent all around performance. Those are the trucks that are hard to beat in competition right now. I am sure you will chose whats right for you.
Good luck and scrutinize every truck you get near.

Also, Just a few random questons.

I have heard short trips are rough on diesels. this true. I only drive about 10 miles to work everyday. I dont want to hurt the truck

Also i would do a leveling kit. and would like to fit 35s( i have a brand new set)

With a leveing kit can i fit those on either truck

I know lift pumps go bad on the cummins.

all the ones i have heard of just quite one day and it gets fixed and no problems. But i have heard they can slowly go bad and run the motor lean and BOOM!

Short trips on any motor isn't good.
Probably going to need more than a leveling kit for the dmax to clear 35s.
03-04 dmaxs have injectors problems.
05 dmax have overheating problems, but can be fixed pretty easily.
06 is a good solid motor and better tranny w/ 6 gear.

What are a few things i should look fo in diesels of those years. Any small things i should watch out for.

Most trucks im seeing And want have under 100k and are priced anywhere from 18-25k

i have bought several cars and now what genereally to look for

You know the hardest thing to know about a used diesel Truck is how well it has been broke in. Diesels have to be driven hard, unlike gas you have to wait till after the 2000 mile mark before you beat on it. My advice is find a former fleet truck. they might be basic but they were driven hard! Once you get one of those you can do what ever you want to your truck! If you want to upgrade the basic interior package find a donor wreck truck and have at it. Bombs away! As far ase the little things you need a Dodge guy Or Dmax guy I am a ford guy! :jump: If it were me I would take it to a reputable Diesel performance mech and have him go over it.

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Have you heard of these guys? I don't know much about them. I have heard good things tho. Give them a try if they are neer your area. if not they would be worth a call to get some info on the trucks your after.

I had an 03 dodge added tuner, exhaust, intake and wastegate trying to get it to tow. Traded it in for an 07.5 duramax lifted it and left it stock on the drive train the only thing I didn't like was the payment. I now have a 98 dodge 12v that I have added a cam, ported head, turbo, upgraded pump, injectors, billet converter, custom trans and intake trying to get it to tow as well as my stock duramax and it isn't even close. If I had it to do all over again I would have sucked it up and paid the payment on the duramax.

Lift pumps issue was fixed mid 05 on the dodge. Dodge fixed a lot of trucks under warranty and updated to the newer system. something to check into.

For what your looking at either truck would work fine. But if you think you might ever get into dragracing or sledpulling. You have to spend a lot more money to be abel to compete with a cummins.

As for me i LOVE the Cummins, but i cant stand the truck built around it. The SFA is a good plus though.

As for the IFS in a GM, i had a 99 gaser 2500 and found that roughly every 50k you should go through the front end. Ball joints aren't as important to change that often, but new CV shafts and alignment are important.

I put a new set of tires on my truck, rebuilt the front, adjusted the torsion bars, and got it aligned. Never had a single issue for the next 50k miles.

The other plus, IFS rides and handles amazingly!

Taking all of that into consideration, my next truck will be a D-max.

My opinion....
 

Good advice here!!!

See my comments above. Get the truck you can afford and the truck you like. If you're gonna have it a few years and gonna drive it everyday you oughta like it. Don't buy or not buy based on comments you find here that can't be substantiated. They all have issues of some kind, that's called maintenance.
Stay safe out there.
Ken

Well I will not be doing any sled pulling. Might make the ocasional trip down the 1/4. But just for kicks Will not have it for drag racing.


There are a few trucks here im looking at. but nothing that i cant live without.

So it sounds likie the front end isnt as bad as i thought. My 97 chevy went through ball joints like crazy!!


With what i will do (intake/ exhaust and maybe a chip) what trucks adapts better?

I never would have thought this would be such a hard decision!!! haha

Do either have ccoldt start problems? if any of you are form colorado you know it can be like 5 degrees. at 6am

This truck is going to be my daily driver. Something i dont care about putting miles on. And be my tow rig when i need it. I generally end up hualing 3-4 a month. whether its a car hauler or a 30ft enclosed trailer. But i think either one does fine

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I know about the lift pumps Because two guys i work with have them go as well as my brother in-law. I was in the truck when it shut off too. Im not trying to sound like i know it all. I know that from other people experiance.



The plan is to get a truck that will be great. there are a bunch out there jsut have to find the right one. if any of you know fo any!!!?

Other then that. He is right about everything else. Thanks blacktruck for your posts. And thanks rhurley for your Thread. Keep us posted on what you decide.

Thank you guys!

I have been out there looking everyday.

But like you said it has to be what i want. I am not rushing it. I just gotta find the right one!!!!!
Hopefully its sooner than later. But only time will tell!

I saw a 06 and a 2010 duramax break a tie rod this year with nothing more then a edge. At the 1/8 drags lets just say a good running duramax can't keep the tires straight.

they make HD tie rods and lower CA's for the chevy IFS.

Cold starting...........
 

[QUOTE=rhurley;623663]
Do either have ccoldt start problems? if any of you are form colorado you know it can be like 5 degrees. at 6am

This truck is going to be my daily driver. Something i dont care about putting miles on. And be my tow rig when i need it. I generally end up hualing 3-4 a month. whether its a car hauler or a 30ft enclosed trailer. But i think either one does fine
QUOTE]

This has gotten a lot of good comments here. That's a good thing.
I gotta throw out another comment here. I have an 07 Duramax. The temperatures here in the winter can easily get to 10-15 degrees below zero. The normal is probably 0-5 degrees below zero. My Duramax has never had a problem starting in cold weather. I don't have a block heater installed on it. Most of the time it is parked in the unheated garage but not always. The coldest days last year it was in the carport and it started well. Good batteries and a clean fuel filter and you won't have a problem with a DMax.
That's my experience anyway.
Stay safe out there.
Ken

Coldest I have ever started a 5.9 cummins was -36 below on my 04 I only had the truck a month or two, I didn't know this at the time but the block heater cord became a option. Thats right dodge put in a block heater with no cord :argh: Anyways I cycled the intake heater twice and it started after about 10 seconds of cranking.

I think all the newer diesel's are good starters in sub zero weather, but I would still give the advantage to the cummins because there are no glow plugs to go out

In my experience, cold winters are really hard on diesels... My last set of injectors lasted 40,000 miles before an untimely failure. I attribute this to two harsh winters of battling poor fuel conditions. A winterfront is an absolute necessity. Injectors last far longer down south than they do up north on these trucks.

I think with all the comments there is clearly not a better truck.

I Will Most likly end up with the best i can find.

I have heard the early 2004 Duramaxs are the better engine.

i have also heard the 2004.5 cummins are the way to go?

Is there a vin number or something that will tell me if its is one of those?

I will have around 21,000-25,000 to spend.

SHould be able to get a good truck??

Gotta also keep in mind that Dmax's have lift pump issues too.. which usually leads to the injector failure...
and that issue with the lift pump is that they dont have them!:tttt:
Im running an 06 Cummins and i run around daily with 400 HP and i dont have transmission issues,
and for price, i picked my truck up in good condition with a lil ding in the bed for 18,000 and it ended up to be 20K out the door after taxes and fees:dang:

Lack of a lift pump on a Duramax has little to do with the early Dmax injector failures. No reason you can't buy a good truck in that price range, just don't jump on the first one you come across and keep looking until you find the one for you. For what you have in mind goal wise, a cummins or dmax will be a good choice. Just depends on your taste in trucks.

x2 :c:

to tell if its the 04.5 look on the side of the valvecover it will say 325hp on it otherwise if its an 04 it will say 305 i believe. as for the truck you are looking for its up to you, do whats you like not what everyone else likes. My buddy had an 08 dodge then traded it for a dmax because he didnt like the tranny in the dodge, but now everyday he pulls he says" i love the ride of this dmax but it cant even come close to my old dodge" i have heard bad and good about both. IMO cummins is the way to go you see more high mileage cummins out there than you do dirtymax so go with your gut and get "What you want" and as for winter starting we have 3 cummins and never have gelled up or not started in the winters here and it gets cold. last winter we had - temps almost all winter and none of us ever had problems. Good luck with your decision and let us know what you decide and whatever you decide we will help you BOMB it:rocking:

There all good trucks some have better features than others but all in all if a guy were to build a "perfect truck" it would be a early (95-98) Ford 4X4 1 ton frame with your choice of Chevy body and interior with a nice Cummins hot damn that would be a "perfect truck" all in all as said above you have to drive it, pay for it, and live with it. So no one can make this decision for you the Cummins gets my vote but thats just my 2 cents and dont mean jack....

Brice

Hey guys what year did dodge chagne the lift pump to the one that doesnt have problems. hah 2006??


Found a truck here in colorado im going to go look at 2006 4inch lift. woth 56k on the clock.

I really want a truck that is just stock but il see how this one looks. I think they are asking 25k for it.

Mid 05 dodge changed the lift pump style 06's are good to go

WOW, where do I begin?? I'm new to diesel ownership but an old hand with driving the beasts. AND, I can say I won't ever own another gas engined truck. Not to say I've had bad experiences with gas burners. On the contrary. Every gas engined vehicle I've ever had seemed to drive just fine. Of course, I'm a maintenance fanatic. I bought my 1988 GMC Suburban from a retired Air Force pilot who was a maintenance fanatic as well. Now I've put over 352,000 miles on that gas engined GMC Suburban, never changed the engine myself (bought it with 93k on the clock), had one rebuilt trans (700R4) and a new differential. Other than that, spark plugs, fluids and filters, brake pads and shoes and a set of rotors. There have been no issues except for a small bit of smoke on start up now, which goes away quickly. I figure valve stem oil seals.

My point here is that I just recently bought a 2003 RAM 2500 with the 5.9 H.O. CR, 48RE auto, 4x4, and 4.10s, loaded for only $16,500 plus TTL. I'm betting that if I care for it the same way I cared for the Suburban, I'll probably get similar service.

This is my first Dodge, so we'll see. I love the way it handled on the road on a recent 1600 mile trip. Great fuel mileage and comfort. I know nothing will probably be as comfortable as the Suburban and I've never driven a Ford over any distance to make a comparison.

Treat your truck right and it'll most likely be with you for another 40 years.

Heres my break down

The GM

Pros: much nicer interior and ride than the Dodge, stronger/better auto tranny, overall higher quality truck, good powerband
Cons: Probably slightly lower fuel mileage than Cummins, 01-04 LB7 had injector issues

Did I mention the interior is better?

The Fiat

Pros: Basically bulletproof engine, earth moving torque, probably higher fuel mileage than the Dmax, standard transmission is an option
Cons: Not a fan of Dodge bodies or interiors, its not an Allison (hes not planning on programming or chipping it)

Personally if I didnt mind having an auto I would go for an 04 or up Dmax with either a LLY or LBZ engine. Looooove GM seats.

21mpg in my duramax tuned, basically the same as my 05CR cummins, that point is pretty much moot:c:

Im just going by my personal experiences, and in mine the Cummins usually takes the cake in that area.

Being a previous Dmax owner and a current Cummins owner...

Dmax for daily use with occasional work, get a loaded one with on-star & leather & bose...

Tuning and work use, get a 12valve cummins, they will NEVER die on you !!

Work use and no tuning, get a newer Cummins !

Still Looking.

I cant friggin decide!!! I am freaked out by the injectors on the d-max. and even more worried about the trans on the cummins.

What i have been finding is Most oft he D-maxs out there. Are mostly owned by old guys. haha Its looking like most of them have toppers on them and have never had a thing in the bed.

Cummins. Its really hard to find one stock. They all have exhaust, lift, or somthing. If they are stock. they have been WORKED!!!

As i said... Cummins are more of a work truck as the dmax has better interior, better stereo and is more of a luxury truck...

get a LLY (2004-2006) and you will NEVER have injector problems..

these are very solid... but if you get a 06.5 you might be lucky enough to get a LBZ, these have a more powerful tune from the factory and came with a "manual" feature on the Allison..

All the Cummins trucks here are work trucks, Fords are snobby work trucks and Chevys seldom get used for work but are more of a luxury item...

I'd get a Chevy with the Angry Eyes look...

the LLY had head issues and a 5 speed allison. The LBZ is by far the best motor Duramax has come in. It has corrected the injector issues and made it easier to replace them, then the heads have been changed to fix the LLY issue. The other benefit is it comes with a 6 speed allison. The 06 LLY is the same as the LBZ mechanically but with a detuned program and the 5 speed. 06.5-07.5 are the years to get. and as far as working the truck, there are a lot of guys on duramax forum that work the crap out of their trucks with little to no issues. Just pick the truck you want, do your research and figure out what you would rather deal with.

Just my $0.02 here...
 

Not sure where to begin with any of this reply...Suffice to say, not true at all or at least not enough to base a purchase on or not.
If you're afraid of buying a used truck then just sit on your money and then you won't have to worry about your truck breaking. They all break sometime, I don't care what is on the nameplate. It happens. Get what you like and what you can afford. Stop whining about it and just buy something, if it doesn't work then buy something else. Shoot, that's what we have all done at some point. I'm a GM guy and wouldn't have anything else. Never had an issue at all with my trucks..You'll find Ford and Dodge guys tell you the same thing. Get what you like. It's your money and you will have to drive it for however long you want or can afford to.
Stay safe out there.
Ken