Good truck experiences.

[Fordman1981]

I also wanted to add the most indestructible truck i ever had was a 71 dodge power wagon. I always thought it was funny to name a truck a power wagon sounds like an SUV name to me. Anyway it was a rust bucket but with a 318 3 speed manual it was like I said indestructible. The only thing I had to do to it was put a clutch in it when I bought it. The clutch was easy to replace because the transfer case was not attached to the transmission. There was a little driveshaft between the trams and the transfer case so all you had to do was unhook the shaft and then it was like changing the clutch in a 2wd. I abused this truck to no end because I bought it for $400.00. I was pulling vines out of a weeping willow and had the rear end of the truck so far off the ground the front bumper was touching the ground. After a few ramming speed pulls I just held the throttle down it was bouncing the front end and digging. Finally the vines let go and came out. I loved driving it through creeks over rocks and stuff like I said I abused this truck to no end and it never did quit on me. The only reason I sold it was I moved and didn't have anywhere for it at the time. Sold it of $600.00 too.

 

[D7E]

These guys were hauling wood 25 miles from my place alst winter with this beauty

 

[RobertN]

'65 Ford F100.

Friend of the family worked in a wrecking yard for a bit. He got it there. Beat up, but ran like a top. 292 with three on the tree. AM radio. Bench seat had been yanked, and leather seats from a wrecked Lincoln put in. Filled the cab; no "adjusting" them.

That truck ran great! it got good mileage(we got it about 1980). Speedometer had rolled over a few times; obvious by outside condition of the truck. You could use the oil pressure gauge like a tach; at idle, it was 0. Rev it up, and you'd see the pressure come up. Used oil, but did not smoke nor leak. Kept a gallon jug of cheap recycle 30w behind the seat...

I scrapped drywall for a small company for a year, frequently packing the bed with sideboards, cab high. Used to pick up tape mud and sheetrock when extra was needed.

Also took girlfriends to lake, slid corner sideways, jumped it 10' in the air at construction site a few times. Broke rear diff once hot rodding.

Transmission finally broke input shaft, I think from 500,000 miles, overloading, and hot rodding. Dad gave it to another friend that popped a used tranny in it, and continued to use it as a ranch truck.

My '01 Ram has been a great truck; none of the tranny problems I always hear about here. Hitting 165k now. The '89 F250 before that was a good truck. Growing up, Dad's 76 Chevy 1500 4x4 was ok(350 sucked the gas down though).

Every time someone brings up good trucks, my first thought is the free, beat up, old Ford.

 

[JBourquin]

Had alot of trucks over the years, this one is probably my favorite to date..

2006 Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4x4

 

[Ted Summey]

I've had four or five trucks over the years. The best is my current 2004 Silverado 2500HD with an 8.1 liter V8 gas motor and an Allison 6 speed tranny. It is four wheel drive. It rides great and pulls anything I need to pull. It has about 107k on it. Sure that 8.1 rattles like a diesel when I start it and it consumes some oil, BUT it is a 496 Ci engine! It gets up and goes when I need it to! I'd rather ride in it than my wife's Lincoln.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I've had four or five trucks over the years. The best is my current 2004 Silverado 2500HD with an 8.1 liter V8 gas motor and an Allison 6 speed tranny. It is four wheel drive. It rides great and pulls anything I need to pull. It has about 107k on it. Sure that 8.1 rattles like a diesel when I start it and it consumes some oil, BUT it is a 496 Ci engine! It gets up and goes when I need it to! I'd rather ride in it than my wife's Lincoln.

You sure its a 6 speed? I thought till 06 thet either had a 4 speed or a optional 5 speed Allison. My 05 had a 5 speed Allison.

Chris

 

[Bird]

My current 2001 Ford Ranger, 4.0L engine, 2 wd, and automatic transmission, is about 100 miles short of 95,000 but I had the oil & filter changed anyway day before yesterday. And I may spend more than necessary on routine maintenance, but I had the differential and the power steering serviced, too, this time (changed fluids). Every 30k miles I have the automatic transmission and coolant serviced. At the last service, 90k miles, I new front brake pads, wheel bearings repacked, rear brakes cleaned and adjusted. That was its first brake service, except that I had the brake fluid flushed and replaced at 60k. I know there's some who say you should do that and others who say it's a waste of money. Anyway, I asked for that service; the dealer didn't ask me to do it.

But since the little truck has all the bells & whistles I want or need, I have no intention of replacing it in the foreseeable future.

 

[lutt]

You sure its a 6 speed? I thought till 06 thet either had a 4 speed or a optional 5 speed Allison. My 05 had a 5 speed Allison.

Chris

I bet it was a 5 sp also,my 05 dmax had a 5sp,my friends 06 with a 8.1 had a 5 spd also. I was think the 6 spd come in with the body style change in 07,could be wrong theough. LUTT

 

[lutt]

My best truck so far is my 08 c/c Z71 silverado. It has been a good truck,80000 miles and a few issues under warrenty, but far as the truck goes, it just fits good. Ive leveled it with rancho replacement struts,run heavy duty firestone airbags on the rear. It hasnt been babied,run it pretty hard in the summer,checking irrigation pumps,on the gravel,farm roads, and a lot of mud.Start it in the morning when its hot,dont shut it off all day,gotta keep that cab cool! LUTT

 

[hodge]

I was always a Ford guy until I bought a 94 Dodge 2500 CTD, with 160,000 miles on it. It had been worked, but was a 7 out of 10, and I had always wanted a diesel. It, by far, has been the most reliable, enjoyable, and endearing truck that I've ever owned. It is strong, gets respectable fuel mileage, is simple to work on, and I love the sound and smell of a diesel. I have 212,000 miles on it now, and would drive it cross country tomorrow with no concerns.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I bet it was a 5 sp also,my 05 dmax had a 5sp,my friends 06 with a 8.1 had a 5 spd also. I was think the 6 spd come in with the body style change in 07,could be wrong theough. LUTT

The 06 got a six speed for sure. My neighbor has one with 90K on it that I have done every drop of maintenance on it.

Chris

 

[Ted Summey]

I stand corrected it is the five speed in the 04 - I was wrong once before. LOL! Still it is a great truck and pulls my 6000 pound boat/trailer combo just fine. I believe I will keep it!

 

[Dmace]

2001-early 2005 had 5 speed Allison 1000
2005 and newer has the 6 speed.
www.duramaxdieselspecs.com/allison_transmission.html

As for the Dodge truck transmissions, I find that they don't like fluid changes. Believe it or not but out of all the Dodge trucks I've owned and/or serviced, those WITHOUT fluid/filter changes lasted the longest. Just keep an eye on the fluid level. Even our old 2004 Chrysler Pacifica stated in the owners manual that transmission/transaxle fluid did not need service under normal use. Only extreme use (limo or taxi) required 100k fluid change intervals.

At 120k on my 03 RAM with the 545RFE auto and I will not be changing the fluid or filter. It was only low once in it's life (@80k) and took less than half a quart. A good friend of mine once said auto transmissions are full of ATF and magic, once you open that oil pan the oil and magic come out. You can refill the oil but the magic is loss. :laughing:

 

[herringchoker]

Old Reliable...1979 F-100, a fleet truck I bought in July, 1987 for $2,000. It had a fairly recent rebuilt 300 cu. in. 6, 3 on the tree, manual steering and brakes. In 1991, I bought 2 F-100 parts trucks and rebuilt Old Reliable, adding 2 leaves to the rear springs and replacing the 3-speed with a Warner T-18 4 speed. Around 2001 the motor was totally worn out (piston slap so bad that a piston skirt broke), so I had it rebuilt. At the same time I had the radiator re-cored and I totally rebuilt the clutch linkage as it was also worn out. Around 2003 I added power steering. I have no idea of the mileage - I wore out 2 speedometers and was well along on the third one. I'm guessing close to 250,000 miles. Being an ex-fleet truck, it had the heavy duty bench seat (same as was in an F-750 I had way back then) and by the end of it I was practically sitting on the floor! In the over 22 years that I ran the truck, I replaced the heater core, driver's window operator and vent window, the clutch (twice), one set of king pins and the wheel bearings on a front wheel. Also numerous cab and body rust repairs. At the end of it the cab was so loose that it was like driving in a wind tunnel, but it still just kept on going. I ran the truck until December, 2009, when it got replaced with a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500. I sold it for $500 in the spring of 2010. I figure it didn't owe me anything...I only hope the GMC is half the truck it was.

 

[lutt]

The 06 got a six speed for sure. My neighbor has one with 90K on it that I have done every drop of maintenance on it.

Chris

Tells ya how good my memory is:laughing:,I new my 05 had it,thought his 06 did also.LUTT

 

[lutt]

2001-early 2005 had 5 speed Allison 1000
2005 and newer has the 6 speed.
Allison 1000 Transmission Specs

As for the Dodge truck transmissions, I find that they don't like fluid changes. Believe it or not but out of all the Dodge trucks I've owned and/or serviced, those WITHOUT fluid/filter changes lasted the longest. Just keep an eye on the fluid level. Even our old 2004 Chrysler Pacifica stated in the owners manual that transmission/transaxle fluid did not need service under normal use. Only extreme use (limo or taxi) required 100k fluid change intervals.

At 120k on my 03 RAM with the 545RFE auto and I will not be changing the fluid or filter. It was only low once in it's life (@80k) and took less than half a quart. A good friend of mine once said auto transmissions are full of ATF and magic, once you open that oil pan the oil and magic come out. You can refill the oil but the magic is loss. :laughing:

Thanks for the link Dmace. On tranny oil changes,the 88-99 chevy trucks were like,if you serviced the tranny regular,you were okay,if you waited to long,most of the time,it would get the tranny from a service.Something to due with knocking some of the crud loose inside. Guys at the local Gm shop would even tell the customer after so many miles of not servicing the tranny,you better just leave it alone. LUTT

 

[buck12]

Best truck is easy. It's my 93 f150. I bought it new, used it as a daily driver for 17 years, it's now my hunting truck. In 20 years it has had one fan belt, two sets of brake pads, one set of brake shoes, two fuel pumps, one starter, two u joints, one ac compressor, one window motor, rear main seal, and a two sets of plugs. The transmission has never been touched and the valve covers have never been off. This truck has been used as a truck should be used and has stood up to the test of time and use. When I wanted a new truck (didn't need) I didn't even consider anything but a Ford.

 

[RollingsFarms]

My best truck that I've ever owned is honestly a toss up between a 1995 Toyota 4x4 pre-Tacoma, 1995 Nissan reg. cab 2wd, and a 2004 Silverado Z71 extended cab. The 95 Toyota was my first vehicle ever and I kept it for 9 years. You don't want to know all that truck went through! All I can tell you is I put 129,000 HARD miles on that truck and when I sold it I got $8,600 for it. never had a seconds trouble from it. Replacing the timing chain at 100,000 miles was costly though ($900 job).

The 95 Nissan was my grandpa's truck and when my grandmother passed she still had it so I kept the truck and another family member took the car. I used that truck for years as a back-up truck to my 04 Z71. That little truck would get 25 mpg all day long. Never had a lick of trouble with it either. When you shut the doors on it your ears would stop up. I sold it back in 2007. Wasn't planning on selling it, didn't really want to sell it but this guy who has a reputation for buying folks cars for cheap and then turns around and sells them. Well I knew this going in so I REALLY stuck it to him. $5,500 and I wouldn't budge. He kept trying to offer me $3,000 but I just told him to go away because I knew what he was doing. I said "if you want the truck so bad you have my price, either pay me what I want or stop bothering me about it." He showed up with the $5,500 a day later and acted like I had taken food out of his family's mouth. Riiiight. You wanted it, bud. I ain't trying to give stuff away that I wanted to keep in the first place and you wouldn't take no for an answer numerous times. he was just mad because what he paid for it he couldn't sell it for profit. To this day he won't ask me to sell a darn thing else.haha

my 2004 Z71 was a good truck. I hit 3 deer with it over the 8 years I owned it, had a dash cluster go out in it. never had a bad hub bearing assembly go out and that seems to be an issue with this year model truck. I guess mine was built on a Wednesday.

 

[Paystar]

Just had the best experience ever with my 2007 Powerstroke.....when I dropped it off at the VW dealer and came home with my new Jetta.

 

[timswi]

Thanks for the link Dmace. On tranny oil changes,the 88-99 chevy trucks were like,if you serviced the tranny regular,you were okay,if you waited to long,most of the time,it would get the tranny from a service.Something to due with knocking some of the crud loose inside. Guys at the local Gm shop would even tell the customer after so many miles of not servicing the tranny,you better just leave it alone. LUTT

Neither of my 200K Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4's ever had a tranny fluid change and never caused me any problems either...My bad, I know..

Did change the traansfer case and tranny fluid in the wife's Hummer at 45K...All synthetic and priced accordingly.