Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[RB5]

The low factory horsepower on those 70s and 80s chevy's is why we always used to mod them. I had 2 with MSD ignition, blaster coil, Edlebrock performer intake, a more free flowing exhaust, and I can't recall which slightly higher flow carb than my stock quadrajet. I think one was an Edlebrock. It really made those 350s come alive. Most of my friends did some sort of mods. I had an old E150 van that I did the same thing to. Swapped out the gears fro 2.70 to 3.55 and my friend added a shift kit. The 302 was rebuilt, bored out, higher torque cam, MSD, and new intake. It went from barely able to move to I could not feel my 18' bass boat behind it. It was still not fast, but i would pull anything I wanted. It used to set off my coworkers car alarm every morning as i drove into the parking garage. I often wondered what that motor would have done in a Mustang.

I prefer the newer more modern trucks for performance and reliability. The only problem I have is the government requlations add things like cyllindar deactivation and start stop technology. I also do not want a giant touch screen. Every time I reach for something on one and I hit a slight bump I press the wrong thing. Then I have to look at the screen to see what I did. The old knobs and buttons I can feel and use easily. Plus for those of us that learned how to control skids and drive in snow in an empty parking lot, it's really weird to have the truck do things you don't expect or sometime don't want. I love my electric windows, electric mirrors controls, and other things, but I do not need $10k worth of things that I do not want. There is the problem. I'm not buying a truck to impress anyone. I'm buying it to drive and do work.

 

[WinterDeere]

... really made those 350s come alive.

Trucks were always more of a struggle than cars, as most of the old tricks that improve horsepower tend to wreck the low-end torque. Headers, free-flowing exhaust, high-rise intakes... all great for building big horsepower numbers at higher rev's, but they also remove all the back-pressure required to provide low-rev torque. Guys cared less about maintaining low-end torque in their Camaro or Cuda, than their K10 pickup.

We used to figure 1.0 hp/cid was a good mark for a "streetable" motor, when talking about modding those various small blocks. But by the late 1990's, the DOHC guys were already pushing above 1.5 hp/cid, and today it's common to see 2.0 hp/cid from even the most mild OEM turbos.

Active exhaust is a game-changer, when it comes to building more horsepower without loss of low-end grunt. My sedan has this, and it works great, achieving 1.24 hp/cid while maintaining above 1.2 ft-lb/cid from a totally stock and mild naturally-aspirated pushrod motor. But other than the Dodge 8.3L SRT-10 and the Chevy 6.2L Sierra, has anyone else even offered this in a pickup truck?

 

[Hay Dude]

The low factory horsepower on those 70s and 80s chevy's is why we always used to mod them. I had 2 with MSD ignition, blaster coil, Edlebrock performer intake, a more free flowing exhaust, and I can't recall which slightly higher flow carb than my stock quadrajet. I think one was an Edlebrock. It really made those 350s come alive. Most of my friends did some sort of mods. I had an old E150 van that I did the same thing to. Swapped out the gears fro 2.70 to 3.55 and my friend added a shift kit. The 302 was rebuilt, bored out, higher torque cam, MSD, and new intake. It went from barely able to move to I could not feel my 18' bass boat behind it. It was still not fast, but i would pull anything I wanted. It used to set off my coworkers car alarm every morning as i drove into the parking garage. I often wondered what that motor would have done in a Mustang.

I prefer the newer more modern trucks for performance and reliability. The only problem I have is the government requlations add things like cyllindar deactivation and start stop technology. I also do not want a giant touch screen. Every time I reach for something on one and I hit a slight bump I press the wrong thing. Then I have to look at the screen to see what I did. The old knobs and buttons I can feel and use easily. Plus for those of us that learned how to control skids and drive in snow in an empty parking lot, it's really weird to have the truck do things you don't expect or sometime don't want. I love my electric windows, electric mirrors controls, and other things, but I do not need $10k worth of things that I do not want. There is the problem. I'm not buying a truck to impress anyone. I'm buying it to drive and do work.

Ram Tradesman level truck has all the armrest features you want & more, but a minimized touch screen.

 

[ning]

Ram Tradesman level truck has all the armrest features you want & more, but a minimized touch screen.

I like screens for the camera(s) (my wife's car has a front camera that would be super useful in a truck, besides the obvious backup camera) and maps/navigation, maybe music. I don't want to control anything else from the screen, buttons only.
Also, I want to be able to one-touch make that screen completely dark, when I'm driving in dark areas I don't like any light in the car other than a muted light from the main dash (ideally just speedo/oil/temp).

 

[Hay Dude]

I like screens for the camera(s) (my wife's car has a front camera that would be super useful in a truck, besides the obvious backup camera) and maps/navigation, maybe music. I don't want to control anything else from the screen, buttons only.
Also, I want to be able to one-touch make that screen completely dark, when I'm driving in dark areas I don't like any light in the car other than a muted light from the main dash (ideally just speedo/oil/temp).

I have a Ram Laramie 5500 and you can control all HVAC from old school knobs. Same with heated/cooled seats. Or if you like touch screens, you can control all those features from the screen.
I like choices.

 

[4570Man]

I have a Ram Laramie 5500 and you can control all HVAC from old school knobs. Same with heated/cooled seats. Or if you like touch screens, you can control all those features from the screen.
I like choices.

My ram has knobs and buttons for the hvac but the seats and heated wheel has to be done from the screen.

 

[Hay Dude]

My ram has knobs and buttons for the hvac but the seats and heated wheel has to be done from the screen.

Ain’t that somethin.
Mine has small black buttons under the screen for heat and one for cool. Heated wheel has a manual button, too.

 

[WinterDeere]

Ain’t that somethin.
Mine has small black buttons under the screen for heat and one for cool.

It depends on year. They lept into the touch screen controls like everyone else, but then quickly saw how much users hated it, and reverted back to providing tactile buttons and knobs for controls one might want to use while driving.

My 2015 Ram has them controlled by buttons across the bottom edge of the dash under the radio. But my 2016 Charger with nearly-identical UConnect 8.4 has those functions thru the screen, because there simply isn't enough room for as many buttons on that smaller dash, and they wanted to prioritize things like radio and heating control knobs with the limited space available.

 

[Jstpssng]

Even the vehicles with knobs seem to be controlled electronically. It can take up to 30 seconds after I turn the heat up for the fan to go on. That's a long time when you are driving along at 60 and hit a heat inversion causing your windshield to fog up.

 

[4570Man]

Ain’t that somethin.
Mine has small black buttons under the screen for heat and one for cool. Heated wheel has a manual button, too.

My Ram is 3 years older than yours. The hvac temperature control is buttons which I don’t like either. Ford has a twist knob for temperature which I like better. In the spring and fall when it’s 40 in the morning and 80 in the afternoon it’s a lot faster to go between heat and cool with the dial.

 

[RB5]

I just looked at a Tradesman spec online. For $41k I get less power, less towing capacity, less payload, a smaller fuel tank, and 2 wheel drive with no e-locker. My 2013 F150 STX 4x4 has less junk on it, and is more capable. Once I get above $40k it doesn't matter a few thousand more to get what I would rather have. That doesn't seem like a good option to me. The STX is in my opinion one of the better values.

I used to own a Dodge Ram. I looked with an open mind and did not really like what I see on the Tradesman. The only thing I could see it better on is MPG, and not by enough to matter. I am comparing this to a new F150 with the similar specs to what I have, not my old one. I did not look into what deals are available currently.

 

[4570Man]

I just looked at a Tradesman spec online. For $41k I get less power, less towing capacity, less payload, a smaller fuel tank, and 2 wheel drive with no e-locker. My 2013 F150 STX 4x4 has less junk on it, and is more capable. Once I get above $40k it doesn't matter a few thousand more to get what I would rather have. That doesn't seem like a good option to me. The STX is in my opinion one of the better values.

I used to own a Dodge Ram. I looked with an open mind and did not really like what I see on the Tradesman. The only thing I could see it better on is MPG, and not by enough to matter. I am comparing this to a new F150 with the similar specs to what I have, not my old one. I did not look into what deals are available currently.

A Ram half ton is coil springs in the back and by far the least capable of the big 3 half ton trucks.

 

[RB5]

A Ram half ton is coil springs in the back and by far the least capable of the big 3 half ton trucks.

yeah I forgot about that.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, lets say any one of the big 4, in a 1500 class, moved payload upto 2500#, but also all came with air bags; would you avoid it for the complexity or be intrigued by the added capabilities?

 

[Hay Dude]

I just looked at a Tradesman spec online. For $41k I get less power, less towing capacity, less payload, a smaller fuel tank, and 2 wheel drive with no e-locker. My 2013 F150 STX 4x4 has less junk on it, and is more capable. Once I get above $40k it doesn't matter a few thousand more to get what I would rather have. That doesn't seem like a good option to me. The STX is in my opinion one of the better values.

I used to own a Dodge Ram. I looked with an open mind and did not really like what I see on the Tradesman. The only thing I could see it better on is MPG, and not by enough to matter. I am comparing this to a new F150 with the similar specs to what I have, not my old one. I did not look into what deals are available currently.

I was talking Ram HD Cummins, not 1/2 tons.
A 1/2 ton in MY operation would be useless as teets on a bull.

 

[deserteagle71]

So, lets say any one of the big 4, in a 1500 class, moved payload upto 2500#, but also all came with air bags; would you avoid it for the complexity or be intrigued by the added capabilities?

Me - definitely avoid. Can't beat the simplicity and load-carrying ability of leaf springs. These new trucks are complicated enough without adding air suspension to the mix. I've read of multiple cases of air suspension failure, disabling the vehicle. Don't hear of leaf springs failing!

 

[4570Man]

Don't hear of leaf springs failing!

Actually yes you do. Class 8 trucks break springs all the time. It’s common enough that you’re supposed to look through over the spring packs in the pre trip inspection. Breaking them in pickups is less common but they do wear out. I changed them on my last ton truck because it was riding on the overload spring unloaded. The air ride assist idea isn’t new either. My mom had a suburban in 2002 with air assist suspension. I bought a Nissan armada from a guy I worked with that needed cash and it had the same thing.

 

[Jstpssng]

Don't hear of leaf springs failing!

Is that your final answer? I've replaced many leaf springs and spring sets over the years. I've never had a catastrophic failure, however.

 

[deserteagle71]

Is that your final answer? I've replaced many leaf springs and spring sets over the years. I've never had a catastrophic failure, however.

So what are you doing to destroy leaf springs?? Been through a lot of vehicles in my time...both pickups I currently own are over 20 years old. I have NEVER had to replace leaf springs and don't know of anyone else who had to replace theirs. My 2004 dually lives with a 3000+ lb camper in the bed and has for many years and the springs are still going fine. No sagging.

 

[4570Man]

So what are you doing to destroy leaf springs?? Been through a lot of vehicles in my time...both pickups I currently own are over 20 years old. I have NEVER had to replace leaf springs and don't know of anyone else who had to replace theirs. My 2004 dually lives with a 3000+ lb camper in the bed and has for many years and the springs are still going fine. No sagging.

I’d like to have a pickup with 100 percent air ride like class 8 trucks. There’s no need for springs and air. That’s just more complexity that isn’t needed. The reason I’d like air ride is to air up and down under the trailer hitch. Yes I realize they make hydraulic jacks but it isn’t practical to get every trailer with that.