If you have forgotten what older trucks were like

[dieselcrawler]

No, you're not the only one. I clicked on the link expecting to see a truck from the early 1950's.

As was I...

A little off topic, but relivent to that, my co-worker is currently building a truck for his wife, driver/street rod. '41 chevy body on '95 s10 frame, sbc tuned port v8 and 4spd auto... alot 'not stock', but gonna be sweet when it's done.

 

[aczlan]

For an off the beaten path owner, you can keep those POS disk brakes on the back of pick ups. I am not a race car driver. I keep far back of the guy ahead of me and watch as far up the road as possible. I don't use my brakes much but they cost me plenty of money to maintain. As far as the POS anti-lock brakes go. On a snow covered back road, I might as well not even have brakes if I had to stop in a hurry. GREAT technology!

Plenty of money to maintain? My wife's 2005 Yukon XL 1500 just got its first set of rear brakes at 140k (ish) miles. Rotors had a GM logo on them, they probbaly could have been turned, but I bought all new pads and rotors for all 4 corners. Not sure if the front brakes had been done or not, but they still had some meat on them and I could have reused the front rotors, but I chose not to.
All in all, it was $300ish IIRC for pads and rotors (EBC pads, ACDelco rotors), but it could have been $120 with cheaper aftermarket ( Amazon.com: Prime Choice Auto Parts SMK8345324 Set of 4 Premium Brake Rotors and 8 Metallic Brake Pads: Automotive ), but I want my wife to be able to stop.
As for ABS, if you use snow tires, you will stop faster than with no-seasons and (IMO) its well worth the investment. I have under $400 into a set of snows on rims for the Yukon, thats $100 less than our deductible if we slide into something.

Aaron Z

 

[tcartwri]

I remember my first experience with a modern diesel, a new 2005 duramax 3/4 ton. It was unbelievable. I had lots of seat time with bbc's and idi 7.3's. This new Chevy felt like it was unstoppable and used half the fuel.

 

[jenkinsph]

When I was young and foolish I once pulled my Deere 450 dozer on a single axle trailer without brakes about 10 miles to get it home. The truck was a F100 short bed with 3 speed stick shift 302 1971 model. After getting it home I was about 10 years older and a little smarter. Boy that sure pissed my dad off too.

Never forgot that experience either and is one reason I use my F550 to move equipment today.

 

[npalen]

No, you're not the only one. I clicked on the link expecting to see a truck from the early 1950's.

I learned to drive in a '47 Dodge 1/2 ton. Dad would take the drivers side door off during the summer for "air conditioning" and also made it nice for fixing pasture fence. (Easy entrance and exit)

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I was thinking the same thing. Heck, a 4 cylinder Toyota Tacoma has more guts, stronger frame, better ride, ect than a 1990 anything!

It's progress. Someday we will look back and laugh at a 2017 F-450. Just the way it works!

Yeah when trucks are 15,000,000,000 for a F150

 

[farmer2009]

I hauled a gooseneck cattle trailer once with an 1985 C30, 350 4 barrel(built and swapped in), 4 speed granny low. Not sure on axle ratio, but dually one ton.

Huge gap between 3rd and 4th gear, and your foot was in it the whole time. That truck worked good too.

Growing up I remember a ride to the stockyard. In a '79 C-20 Chevy 350 4- speed. Had a 2800lb. Hereford bull in the bed. That was a long slow ride. Not because of power but the trucks lean changed every time that bull shifted his weight. His nose was shoved into one corner and his tail into the opposite corner. Gates tied on top to try and prevent him from jumping out. He didn't have to stretch to look over the top of the cattle racks. The check from that bull bought a stock trailer. But still made many trips to the stockyard in that truck hauling pigs. That truck would also hold a ton and half of bagged feed if stacked correctly.

 

[rankrank1]

I've been driving a 93 Suburban K1500 for 8 years now... no offense, I like the ride and all, but its no where near as nice a ride as modern trucks. The 350 with the throttle body, while very simple and reliable, is a D-O-G! Woof!!! It can't suck enough air. Not possible.

I also had a 93 G20 3/4 ton conversion van with short wheelbase that had the V6. D-O-G! Woof! Woof! :laughing: It was a nice smooth riding van, but again, no where near as nice as today's vehicles.

Suburban is coil spring on the rear is it not? Never drove any suburbans (the newer avalanches which are also coil spring on rear). As for vans, only drove 1 van of the late 1980's and it was new at the time but not mine luckily. It was a (removed) terd cargo van and nothing to brag about at all.

And as for all newer trucks having nicer rides: I test drove a New 2017 Ford F250 a few weeks ago and that thing had a terrible ride and handling.

Late 1960's to 2002: Give me a GM truck period. Late 60's to 72 give me the GMC over the Chevy or the rear leaf springs upgrade of the GMC. Dad had a 1969 chevy with the coils with a 350. It was okay for light work but nothing I would recommend for heavy work. It was his farm truck well into the 1980's until I replaced it with it with a well abused 1979 c1500 with 305 that I bought for $600. Dad loved that $600 truck. Sure the ones of the 1970's were rust prone but they still drove better than anything else of that era. 1988 GM no more rust problems, and drive like a dream, and EFI.

2003 to 2011: Still strongly prefer GM trucks here too, but I would at east own a Dodge/Ram with a 5.7 Hemi in it.

2011 and newer: I do like the Ford 5.0 and Ford 6.2 but I do not consider either of these motors to be ones to keep for decades and 250K miles. I do like the Ram 5.7 with the 8 speed beginning 2013 especially. I also like the Ram 6.4 gasser 2500 and if I was buying myself a truck today it would be a 2014 or newer version of this, GM are still good too, but I simply do not fit well in some of their newest models as the rooflines are too low for a tall guy. Drove a 2017 Titan XD with 5.6 gasser what a tee total terd.which gives new meaning to the word gutless until you somehow get the motor above 3200 rpm.

All the manufacturuers going to these fully boxed frames for increased strength a reduced weight is going to eliminate the bargain hunters like me buying old cheap trucks and using em. Boxed frames rust out quickly if you live in the salt belt regardless of mfr. When I bought my dump trailer I especially looked for a maker who did not use thin boxed steel to obtain the strength. I preferred bigger and heavier channel to obtain that strength as it not not going to rust away from the inside out like boxed tubing does.

 

[4570Man]

I was thinking the same thing. Heck, a 4 cylinder Toyota Tacoma has more guts, stronger frame, better ride, ect than a 1990 anything! It's progress. Someday we will look back and laugh at a 2017 F-450. Just the way it works!

I'm going to have to call BS on that one. I'll take a 199xs 3500 for hauling any day over a Toyota 1/4 ton 4 cylinder. I've hauled and stopped 5 or more tons on 199xs 1 tons. Let's let the Toyota try! I've driven one of these mighty Toyotas. A 7.3 or 454 has more go. Even the turd 6.5 would win a heavy pull up hill against this truck. The newest Toyotas are better but still not on par with a 1990s 1 ton. Heck my Kubota would win a heavy up hill pull against this truck since all I would have to do is move the load at 1 mph because the back end of the Toyota is on the ground.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I'm going to have to call BS on that one. I'll take a 199xs 3500 for hauling any day over a Toyota 1/4 ton 4 cylinder. I've hauled and stopped 5 or more tons on 199xs 1 tons. Let's let the Toyota try! I've driven one of these mighty Toyotas. A 7.3 or 454 has more go. Even the turd 6.5 would win a heavy pull up hill against this truck. The newest Toyotas are better but still not on par with a 1990s 1 ton. Heck my Kubota would win a heavy up hill pull against this truck since all I would have to do is move the load at 1 mph because the back end of the Toyota is on the ground.

Were talking V8 1/2 tons. Take it all with a grain of salt!