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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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.

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