this summer i got my dad to buy an 06 crew cab long bed with the cummins and i got hooked on the diesel power.

i found a 94 2wd with 170000 miles and a blown tranny for $2000. from the pictures, it looks like it is in good condition. i plan on going to look at it in a week. my idea was to buy a rebuilt tranny, swap it in, and make it my new daily driver. during the summer i haul cows and hay around, but no more than 7500 pounds. the rest of the year, i commute back and forth to college. other than exhaust, i would probably keep it stock.

my question is, realistically, if the truck is in good condition, with proper maintenance, how long will the drivetrain really last? i have a 2000 silverado now that is quickly racking up the mileage and doesn't quite have the power i would like(it also likes to eat trannys pulling flat wagons). i am not worried about looks, especially if it will get the job done when i need it to.

 

Drivetrain will outlast the truck, except for maybe the tranny. Those have been the weak spots from the get go. If you do buy that truck, you might look at getting an aftermarket tranny now, or at least a torque converter and valve body. As much as we all want to believe you that this truck will stay stock, a good number of members have said that at one point and they turned out to be liars.

 

well how long will the cummins last if i keep it stock? how far have some of you guys taken yours? i know at some point i will do some mods, but i won't really push it. i'm looking for the longevity that a gasser doesn't have. ultimately, the truck will become a farm truck whenever i graduate and get a farm.

 

I know of a few that have broken the 1 million mile mark, and there are many that are over 750K on this site. You can almost bet it will last at least 500K miles.