I recently traded a 2004 Duramax 2500 SRW for a 2004 Dodge Cummins dually. Both truck are automatics and 4x4.
The dodge seems weaker when pulling my 4 horse trailer than the chevy did. I thought the Cummins was supposed to be this amazing work horse? I read many posts saying how much better the Cummins is than the Dmax but I do not see it. I kinda wish I had not traded. What am I missing?
"6 in a row to tow"... Not so much...

 

what gears does you current truck have? And what gears did your previous truck have

 

I have never heard anybody say that before.

Could be the shift point on the two different trannys?
The Duramax's are good pullers but don't have the low end grunt of the Cummins.

 

Dmaxes are all 3.73's.
Wouldn't surprise me to see the LB7 move out a little quicker with a load given a better trans and lighter truck with about the same hp/tq rating.
Give the Dodge a 6speed and single rear wheels would be more comparable.
Presuming this is stock to stock.
Turn up the power on either of them and they'll pull the hitch off your trailer.

 

This does not surprise me.

 

Grit dog, how much can I "turn up the power" without
killing the tranny?

 

not too much. say 50-75hp

 

1. Ever see a 'Vee" configuration in a semi?
2. If you wanna tow you gotta shake the stick. That auto is useless and if you take a close look it is not much (if any) physically bigger than a 1/2 ton tranny. Too much power for too little metal in my opinion. The Alison is a great tranny but god help you if you have to repair it $$$$$$$$$$$. Friend of mine with a 2001 6 spd has 700,000 (450K miles) trouble free kms on the same tranny and clutch and tows 10k loads.

 

I'm not defending the 48RE, but you gotta go back and compare the two... 48RE is noticeably larger than my buddie's Hemi 545RE.. at least to me, his appeared tiny... his transmission that is..

 

Yes, plenty... Marmon is first that comes to mind.

 

I bet the dodge will do it on less fuel and for twice as long!!
Adding power/fuel will make the difference. The duramax is peaked up now, the Cummins is not.
Just build the trans and drive the wheels off of it.

 

That's the point. The Cummins may be less impressive in stock form, but it is easier and cheaper to get more power out of, and you can get more of it. There was a post on here over the weekend about a Cummins that had passed 1 million miles- I doubt a Duramax will do that.
In my humble opinion, you have to look at more than the engine and transmission. I know that General Motors builds good stuff, but comparing apples to apples, I think the Dodge is built heavier. I worked on a job last week, where the homeowner had an 03 Duramax. I slid under it to take a look, and the first thing I noticed... my Dodge sits much higher. I could slide under the Chevy, but had a hard time getting my arms and hands up, as if I were working on it. I like my Dodge- I don't have to get it up on ramps to work. I personally prefer the solid front axle over the IFS. I know that the Dodge's steering leaves less to be desired, but I still prefer that axle. I do like the external filter on the Allison transmission, but I would much rather work on my inline 6 than that cramped up v8/engine compartment. And, I like the ground clearance I have. The cross member for the transmission/transfercase sits as low as the bottom of my axle pumpkins. That is low, for the middle of the truck. It would hang up much quicker than my Dodge. I did like the interior, but all in all, I wouldn't chose one over my Dodge.
If you prefer your Duramax over the Cummins, I wouldn't fault you. Everyone marches to different beats. But, I would say give the Dodge a chance. That Cummins is a formidable engine, in its own rights.

 

Hodge,
For me this is not about impressive or not impressive. I bought the Cummins based on reputation and a test drive or two and they frown on test driving while pulling a 4 horse gooseneck trailer.
What would you suggest to bring the Dodge up in performance without destroying the stock tranny?

 

You aren't going to be able to do much without paying attention to the transmission. For what its worth, you can't up the power on any of them and not worry about the automatics in them, even the allison. Of course, a lot depends on how you drive. If you up the power with a tuner or injectors, and drive it with sense, you probably can get along ok with what you have. Some people can break an anvil, without trying.
I am not the experienced voice that you need, when it comes to an 04. Hopefully someone will chime in.

 

Is this the early 04 or late 04 truck? Isn't there a HP difference? What is the gearing on your new Dodge? What was the weight of your Chevy compared to your new Dodge?
As somebody who drove a d-max for years (company vehicle) the two trucks drive incredibly different. The d-max was more like a gasser, always in the upper RPM ranges and the Allison always seems to be in just the right gear.
You now have one less gear, and pulling hard, there is a bit of a "torque hole" in the automatic gearing..
Luckily the Cummins will pull thru it. Thats something my D-max never would do..