What not to get?

[mudcat]

Thinking of trading my truck in on a new family car and buying an older diesel pickup. Maybe early to mid '90s. Any models that stood above the rest? Are there any particular yrs/make/models I should stay away from?

 

[Spark_man]

My sons have had 3 Fords Diesels - two F350s and an F250 - both of them have had transmission problems (1 4-speed stick, 1 5-Speed stick and 1 O/D Auto)

I drove a 98 Dodge for about 6 months and know a bunch of people that have them - the interior isn't much to speak of but the Cummins is hard to beat. The only mechanical thing I am aware of on some of the early ones is a problem with the differential bearing seals.

I currently drive an 04' GMC Duramax with the Allison transmission and I wouldn't trade it for anything but a new one.

 

[InlineDieselFan]

I would stay away from the non-DuraMax GM diesels. Either you had a terrific no problem 6.5 turbo diesel or it was in the shop every other week. My mom's was great my brothers stranded him in almost every state west of the rockies and western Canada. If you go old enough the 6.2 GM diesel was gutless.

The Fords had some tranny problems but any truck can have that depending on how they were treated.

the Dodges had some automatic tranny problems, especially if they added some extra power. going with any Diesel I would try to get a manual transmission unless you get the Allison in the GM's. If you go with a 24 valve Dodge/Cummins they have lift pump problems, but if you leave it at stock power you are most likely okay, though.

For me I wuld find either a Ford or a Dodge in those years, and I hate to admit it but I would lean towards Ford, ONLY because too many of the dodge owners are very proud of thier trucks and they price them that a way.

I think that you could find a good deal on a mid 90's Ford, maybe even a Dodge.

the Dodge 12 valves are awsome on reliability and ease of repair if there is a problem.

steve

 

[DieselPower]

Take my advice (as a previous GM diesel mechanic) and the previous advice and stay away from 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesels. Hand grenades just waiting for the pin to fall out.

6.9 and 7.3 Internationals in Fords and 5.9 Cummins in Dodge are both safe bet's. Both have had their problems over the years but they are both good dependable engines. I sold a Ford p/u 2 years ago that had a 6.9L International diesel in it and it had close to 300,000 miles on it. Engine still ran fine, body was about to fall off though.

Both Ford and Dodge have had some serious problems with automatic transmissions over the years. If the truck has had a fairly recent high quality rebuild installed or a good performance trans installed you should be ok. Your best bet is to go with a manual transmission though. Ford has had better manual transmissions then Dodge over the years IMHO. I have rebuilt way to many Getrag Dodge transmissions and very few Ford ZF transmissions.

The B series 5.9 Cummins engine found in older trucks is the most durable engine and has the largest amount of aftermarket parts available. I have a friend that has a 5.9 in a pulling truck that Dyno's just a little under 1500HP. Yeah, it's blue printed and balanced with a aluminum head but the crank and block are factory stock with only blueprinting done to them. Try to get 1500HP out of a International 6.9/7.3 or Detroit 6.2/6.5 V8 engines. Not going to happen.

 

[bx23barry]

X2 stay away from 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesels.
The 5.9 Cummins in Dodges is the best diesel ever in a light duty IMHO and I think dodge makes the worst truck out there.
None of the autos (no allisons in the 90's) will hold the diesel under load for long. If you don't tax them they will hold up ok but I would get a 5 speed.
I think the 7.3 Fords are the best all round package. Good engine, good 5 speed. good truck

 

[rback33]

X2 stay away from 6.2 and 6.5 GM diesels.
The 5.9 Cummins in Dodges is the best diesel ever in a light duty IMHO and I think dodge makes the worst truck out there.
None of the autos (no allisons in the 90's) will hold the diesel under load for long. If you don't tax them they will hold up ok but I would get a 5 speed.
I think the 7.3 Fords are the best all round package. Good engine, good 5 speed. good truck

And I just sold the truck you are looking for last summer... '94 F-350, 7.3 Powerstroke with a 5 sp.... new clutch but only 2wd.. I wanted newer and needed 4wd... it had to go...

 

[RobertN]

I think dodge makes the worst truck out there.

Curious on your thoughts there. I was previously a Ford guy, but got a RAM/Cummins in '01. I still really like Ford trucks, but so far my Dodge has done very well all around. I had heard stuff about cab ergonomics, seats etc, but have found my truck well laid out and very comfrotable. The only thing I would really change on my truck is 3.55 gears instead of my 4:11's, and a manual instead of auto(I got the auto for ease of driving at the time, due to an injury).

 

[bx23barry]

Dogde just seems to have light frames/body panels along with cheap interiors. they rattle and the paint falls off. At least from my experiance. The running gear might be the best but the rest of the truck is worse than chev/ford. I think ford has the best body/frame/build quality (most heavy duty) but maybe the worst engines (the desiels are navistar) while chev is mid-pack body/frame/build quality (nice driving/riding though) but does have the best gas engines. I have worked with/on them all in a large fleet and this is my opinion. They all work and they all break. Just some are better than others in different areas.

 

[RobertN]

Interesting. I know Dodge did have some issues with paint a few years back. However, so did GM; I had friends with Chevy Trucks and Camaro's that got new paint because it was so bad.

I am afraid I don't understand the cheap interior; at least in my expierience with my '01 2500, and my wifes '04 ram1500, the interiors are pretty nice. We have cloth, mine with mostly power options. I'm at 90k miles, with 0 issues(although the front brakes wear fast...).

I was a little concerned when I went from my F250 gasser to my Dodge; I always liked Fords and still do. I have'nt found the Dodge, at least in my case, to be behind in any areas.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I wouldn't go any older than 94/95 on any of them.
and if you want a diesel, the chevy's are out of it until 99. The pre-duramax chevy's are just junk.

So, that limits us to Dodge and Ford.
The Ford 94-98 body style is pretty unkillable, but it's steering radius is AWFUL. If you don't have to do tight turns, you can beat the **** out of this year's ford. It's 'got the 7.3L PSD which is a great motor and really has few flaws. HOwever, the auto-transmission can't take the torque of the PSD, ti's a known weak point, all the way up until the torque shift in 05. So, 94-98 Ford's with a stick shift are pretty good. very work truck.

The new Dodge Ram came out in 94, thus I would go with a 95. Same problem with the auto (actually all Dodge autos are LTO), but they sold a lot of stick shift Cummins Diesel. The Cummins gets by far the best mileage of the 3 diesels and the same amout of power. The dodge steers the best. It wears out front brakes quickly (20 to 30k if you aren't careful) and is going to feel a lot more modern than the 94 Ford. It's a much physically higher truck esp in 4wd versions than both Ford and Chevy and that can cause some problems towning.

there are lots of Dodge's out there from the mid90's, no major issues. That's where I would look first. I think 95's with diesels go about 10 grand up to about 15 grand in a 2000 or so.

HTH

 

[Highbeam]

Good post lonecowboy. Seems to be the general consensus.

 

[jmt1271]

Dogde just seems to have light frames/body panels along with cheap interiors. they rattle and the paint falls off. At least from my experiance. The running gear might be the best but the rest of the truck is worse than chev/ford. I think ford has the best body/frame/build quality (most heavy duty) but maybe the worst engines (the desiels are navistar) while chev is mid-pack body/frame/build quality (nice driving/riding though) but does have the best gas engines. I have worked with/on them all in a large fleet and this is my opinion. They all work and they all break. Just some are better than others in different areas.

I just bought a new trk. Wanted diesel but couldnt justify the expense. I tow a couple times a month, and the trk is the wifes daily driver, alot of short trips. So gas was the best for me. I drove all of the American makes and the Nissan Titan. Dodge was on the bottom of my list. Until I drove one. I dont know if Daimlers take over has anything to do with it or not, but Dodge has changed alot. I was all set to buy a Ford F-150 when I went to the Dodge dealer. The only negative I found was the back seat of the Quad Cab was a little smaller than the Ford. What sold me was the looks and Very impressive Hemi. I thought that was just marketing BS, but the Hemi was EASILY the best engine of the bunch. The 5 speed auto is sweet as well. Needless to say, I am now a dodge owner. BTW, Chevy finished a distant 4th in my decision. Dodge-Ford-Nissan-Chevy, IMO.

 

[jayhaitch]

I just test drove a 97 Dodge Cummins 2500 ext/long box manual. Loved the engine/trannie combo. The truck has 235,000km. Paint isn't great. Previous owner did install a jake brake and idle control, so must have towed a lot. Local used truck dealer is asking Can$16,900, and they do sell pretty quickly around here. I'm tempted. But it has a home made plywood "box liner", and mismatched tires. Decisions, decisions......

 

[Dmace]

I was all set to buy a Ford F-150 when I went to the Dodge dealer. The only negative I found was the back seat of the Quad Cab was a little smaller than the Ford. What sold me was the looks and Very impressive Hemi. I thought that was just marketing BS, but the Hemi was EASILY the best engine of the bunch. The 5 speed auto is sweet as well. Needless to say, I am now a dodge owner. BTW, Chevy finished a distant 4th in my decision. Dodge-Ford-Nissan-Chevy, IMO.

That was me last year almost to the T. I test drove the Dodge, Ford, and Nissan. I found that the Nissan was too weak and had too much going on in the dash. It just didn't feel like a truck. The Ford looked good inside and out, but the throttle-by-wire system felt like it had way too much slack in the line and again it just felt weak. All three trucks were V8's.

I wasn't quite sold on the HEMI based only on marketing, but at 1 hp per cubic inch, it did sound impressive. The day I drove one, I bought it. The interior is simple yet very functional. It has all the features you need (heated mirrors, AC, overhead console, cruise, etc...) and none of the ones you don't need. The throttle-by-wire system feels right on and is very responsive. The engine feels and sounds so powerful and it is. The ride was better and the tranny felt strong on full throttle shifts yet smooth with easy driving. The big changes in the new Dodge trucks are the more reliable drivetrains. This is were Daimler stepped in, the rams have the same tranny as the Mercedes SUV class and the rear ends were designed by Daimler.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I just test drove a 97 Dodge Cummins 2500 ext/long box manual. Loved the engine/trannie combo. The truck has 235,000km. Paint isn't great. Previous owner did install a jake brake and idle control, so must have towed a lot. Local used truck dealer is asking Can$16,900, and they do sell pretty quickly around here. I'm tempted. But it has a home made plywood "box liner", and mismatched tires. Decisions, decisions......

run away!!!!!!!
seriously, doesn't sound like a deal to me.


to the guys with the Hemi's, I hear stories of pretty horrible gas mileage. What kind of mileage are you seeing? towing and not towing. 1500 or 2500?

 

[Dmace]

to the guys with the Hemi's, I hear stories of pretty horrible gas mileage. What kind of mileage are you seeing? towing and not towing. 1500 or 2500?

My truck is a 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 auto, with a mix of 70% city and 30% highway unloaded I get between 16-17 mpg. I haul around my race car at 3200 lbs on a 10k gvwr trailer (1500lbs +/-) and average 13 mpg - 80% highway. Not bad if you ask me. I also have the posi - limited slip rear differential with lower gearing. I beleive it is a 3.73 which doesn't help the gas mileage too much. Plus it's tough not to get on it at every light I stop at. I love the look on the guy's face driving the V6 mustang or pimped out civic when he loses to a full size truck with 10 bags of concrete in the back.

54,000 miles now and haven't touched a thing (except rear tires, that is ).
4CE-FED - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

[rback33]

Plus it's tough not to get on it at every light I stop at. I love the look on the guy's face driving the V6 mustang or pimped out civic when he loses to a full size truck with 10 bags of concrete in the back.

54,000 miles now and haven't touched a thing (except rear tires, that is ).
4CE-FED - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Gee.. Wonder why you had to replace the rear tires...

 

[roxynoodle]

I drive about 90% highway and on the highway get anywhere from 17-18.5mpg not towing. This is after the engine was broken in, before it was like 14mpg and I wasn't too happy. I haven't checked the mpg towing because I really don't want to know! I watch the gas gauge go down a lot faster though. My truck is a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 quad cab. It was built in June of 2003, which I believe was the first month for the hemi. It has the 5 speed automatic. On transmissions, I rebuilt the one on my 95 Ram with 202,000 miles on it. Turned out the torque converter was breaking loose but my mechanic friend told me to rebuild the whole tranny due to the mileage and towing ($1500 to do all of it, torque converter by itself would have been almost $1000). Well, the transmission place called my friend and said, "This is the nicest, cleanest transmission we've ever seen in a vehicle with this kind of mileage, we're taking pictures of it. We think it belongs in the Chrysler museum!". So, on the one hand, it sounded like they didn't think much of Chrysler trannies in general, and on the other hand I apparently spent an extra $500 that wasn't necessary. But, were it not for the torque converter looks like I had an exceptional transmission. I think though you will need to expect possible tranny issues no matter what truck you buy. I doubt many people buy a diesel truck and don't tow with it. They buy them because they are towing and towing is just plain hard on a tranny. I have also been warned against old GM diesels by several people, so I would look toward Ford and Dodge as well.

 

[jmt1271]

My truck is an 06 Quad Cab 4x4 Hemi. 3.92 posi trac rear end with 5 speed auto. It is NOT yet broken in. 60/40 mix (hwy/city) I average 16-16.7 MPG. I towed my 7K Wagon 100 miles round trip, mostly city, and averaged 10 MPG. Was making no effort to maximize fuel economy and this isnt far from what I expected while towing. Hopefully it will get a little better, but I can live with it. If I was towing much I would get a diesel. On a side note, the Hemi is VERY impressive towing. I really feel that the HP and torque numbers are under-rated. I love this truck. If someone wants a little "more" from it, spend $360 on a Superchips programmer. Best $360 I have ever spent to add power/economy.

New Dodge convert.

 

[jayhaitch]

Right now I'm checking into a 91 Dodge Ram Cummins 4x4 auto. Anyone have any comment on these first generation Cummins'?