Dump Truck recommendation

[jjeff]

I like a 4.10 or 4.30 in a small (1-2 ton) dump truck with above average power if hauling is the main goal, which it should be in a dump truck.

kind of depends on the engine also gm example , 5.7, 6.0 or a 7.4 all gassers. I believe my old 5.7 dumper had 4.10s take the cover off and count the number of teeth. I recommend or would do it myself on my purchases, changing the gear lube and kind of inspecting the rear differential anyway on a used up purchase like a dump.

 

[Fishin-4-a-Livin]

Whatever you end up with, my advice is to put a back up camera on it.

Help keep you from backing into ditches…..

 

[nisaacs]

kind of depends on the engine also gm example , 5.7, 6.0 or a 7.4 all gassers. I believe my old 5.7 dumper had 4.10s take the cover off and count the number of teeth. I recommend or would do it myself on my purchases, changing the gear lube and kind of inspecting the rear differential anyway on a used up purchase like a dump.

Agreed, also depends on the transmission. Is it direct drive, one overdrive or two overdrives, standard or auto. Low rpm diesel needs higher gears v/s a high rpm gasser, they need lower gears. Short local hauls, low gears are good. Going down the big highway, high gears are good.

 

[Jason280]

I'm a little late to this, but I can give you my experience with dump trucks. I have a mid-80's GM70 medium duty with a 14' dump bed, 366ci gas V8, and 5spd with 2spd rear. First of all, it has absolutely zero creature comforts. No A/C, minimal heat, and rides like, well, a 1980's dump truck. I've used it to haul 16' logs and gravel up to just over 8 tons (max total weight around 30-31k lbs), and it would average right at 5 mpg. It absolutely hates any sort of hill with a load, but does OK on level ground...you're just not going to get anywhere fast. It does OK empty, but it rarely goes anywhere without a load in the bed...so you really have to use the 2spd rear. I'll admit, it isn't that much fun to drive if hills are involved. It simply doesn't have enough power to maintain respectable speeds, and if you lose momentum on any incline, you're rocking 2nd/3rd gear at 20mph until you reach the top. Don't get me wrong, its been a fantastic addition for my needs. Bed height is perfect for my Kubota L48 backhoe, and it has been dead solid reliable for the last 5-6 yrs I've owned it. But there is no way I would want to work out of it day in/day out with a load.

Comparably, I've pulled similar weights with an '07 Ford F550 6.0L diesel (total weight w/ trailer 32k lbs) and a '14 Dodge 2500 6.7l diesel (30k lbs total weight). The F550 averaged just over 9mpg, and the Dodge would do 12mpg. The Dodge had, by far, the most power, but the F550 felt the most stable (and had the better brakes).

Short of a newer gas truck with a big block, I wouldn't want any older dump without a diesel. Mine would be absolutely perfect with a 12v Cummins shoehorned in and turned up to 275-300hp.

 

[aircommuter]

I'm a little late to this, but I can give you my experience with dump trucks. I have a mid-80's GM70 medium duty with a 14' dump bed, 366ci gas V8, and 5spd with 2spd rear. First of all, it has absolutely zero creature comforts. No A/C, minimal heat, and rides like, well, a 1980's dump truck. I've used it to haul 16' logs and gravel up to just over 8 tons (max total weight around 30-31k lbs), and it would average right at 5 mpg. It absolutely hates any sort of hill with a load, but does OK on level ground...you're just not going to get anywhere fast. It does OK empty, but it rarely goes anywhere without a load in the bed...so you really have to use the 2spd rear. I'll admit, it isn't that much fun to drive if hills are involved. It simply doesn't have enough power to maintain respectable speeds, and if you lose momentum on any incline, you're rocking 2nd/3rd gear at 20mph until you reach the top. Don't get me wrong, its been a fantastic addition for my needs. Bed height is perfect for my Kubota L48 backhoe, and it has been dead solid reliable for the last 5-6 yrs I've owned it. But there is no way I would want to work out of it day in/day out with a load.

Comparably, I've pulled similar weights with an '07 Ford F550 6.0L diesel (total weight w/ trailer 32k lbs) and a '14 Dodge 2500 6.7l diesel (30k lbs total weight). The F550 averaged just over 9mpg, and the Dodge would do 12mpg. The Dodge had, by far, the most power, but the F550 felt the most stable (and had the better brakes).

Short of a newer gas truck with a big block, I wouldn't want any older dump without a diesel. Mine would be absolutely perfect with a 12v Cummins shoehorned in and turned up to 275-300hp.

We had a lift truck with a 366 which is big block Chevy like 396 and 427. That used eat rocker arms.
I had a mid 70s Ford but all they made was the cab and frame. The engine was a 14 liter or 855 cid Cummins. Known to be the workhorse of trucks at the time. It had Jake brake and it ran and held back too. Backed up by 13spd Fuller and Rockwell axles. Great truck except the cab was starting to rust on the inside when I retired. Paid $12k with bed, had to make a new tailgate and install the PTO and mount the bed, ran it fir 23 years and sold it fir $10k.

 

[Komrade]

FYI, there is a group on FB called "Single Axle Dump Trucks", it's nice to follow to see what folks recommend there.

I paused my search as until fall, as at this point I'd have no time for tinkering with it nor doing projects I want to do, plus car/truck market conditions for buyers are expected to improve.