Sorry if this is not the right place for this.
I am going to be buying a 1ton dually soon and want to know what 3gen years are best. I will be towing alot of the time. I am going to be hotshoting with it so keep that in mind. What are some problems to look out for and what upgrades will I need to or should do. I have seen some people having transmission trouble but I dont know what years or what can be done so nothing happens. Please let me know what you think. Thanks

 

i would say an 04.5 thru 06 6 spd get gauges and a mild box or injectors better air and exhaust and an exhaust brake and 3:73 rears

 

I would have to disagree with rich a little. I have seen more injector failures and such on the newer ( 04.5's and up ) trucks. Other than that, the trucks are about the same. Don M has also stated that most of the failed injectors he sees are from the later 3rd gens.

 

I agree I have seen more inj. problems with the 325hp motor. LOTS MORE!!

 

Rich I forgot to say I will want to get an auto trans. If I get auto what will I need to do? I dont want to put 5k into the trans but will upgrade some.
Now on the injectors if I upgrade then will that solve things?
So I still do have a good year to look for. More info please.

 

I'd look for an 03 - 04 . Upgrading the injectors will help, but not eliminate issues. Auto trans will hold quite a bit of horsepower stock, but nothing too crazy. Mine has 168,000 miles stock, with about 40K of that with a Quadzilla Xzillaraider, the last 20k with Quad X2 race. I watch the trans temp, and try not to slip the converter. Plan on upgrading the fuel pump on about any that you get. Just my opinion.

 

Thanks for the info keep it coming.

 

I ask this same question 5 months ago and now have an 05 in the garage. It seemed the general concensus was that late 03 up to early 07 was the way to go. Be sure you get the 48RE transmission. Some of the weakness of the 47RE were supposedly corrected. However you can hear horror stories in both camps. Over all these are good trucks!! Cummins is the only diesel other than Cat that I would own.

However, having said that let me warn you of something critical!! Some people like to put mods on these trucks to take them to the next level of performance. They do work. But.......your warranty by Dodge and Cummins is in jeapordy. Mods are not necessary anyway. These trucks have massive torque and power. Turbos, injectors and injector pumps are horribly expensive!!!! Dodge loves to cancel your warranty to save money. This is even more true today due to the sagging auto industry business. Any thing from changing the air filtration system to programmers are a taboo to Cummins!! You can get away with exhaust mods as long as you don't remove the catalytic converter. This can be profanely expensive to you if the government mandates 100% compliance. Right now it is iffy. Some states are tough some are not. But that could change. My understanding is that Dodge can scan your computer and see if you have ever changed the program parameters...........even if you return them to stock they can still tell. Be careful and good luck in your search. I have watched a friend go through all the nightmares mentioned above on his 06. Don't buy anything but a stock truck!!

 

one thing I would love to have is the high idle feature. you arent able to controll it in the 03-04...04.5 can. thats just a small thing though. I would definately make sure I have the 48re though saves a little money on upgrades to the tranny at least.

and if you are towing a lot, wouldnt the 4.10's be better than 3.73's? I know gas milleage would suffer a bit, but I had heard the 4.10's were the way to go for towin heavy.

so my vote is a 04.5

 

If you're going to hot shot and tow often, build the trans now, don't wait. As for determining what year to go with, you can't go wrong with any of them really. My '03 SO will tow with the best of them with the minimal mods in my sig.

 

Another very happy 03-04 owner here! With a little work these trucks can and will pull better than the new ones. You can't go wrong with the 03-07 with the 48re, but be willing to at least do a TC/ valvebody and billet shafts.

 

03/04, All the way!

I am going to buck conventional wisdom about the 47RE being a weak link. If they are built/modded to the same extent as a 48RE, I believe them to be equal.

While in Abbottsford BC getting my tranny done @ DTT, Bill actually stated to me that he preferred the 47RE over the 48RE. When I asked why, he said " less mass ". Other than physical size, I am not quite sure I totally understand his whole meaning, but he said it, none the less, and I respect his opinion. Jess

My point being, if you come across an early SO 03, do not shy away because of the 47RE.

 

with an auto i would say maybe get 4:10's but i have never liked towing with these trucks with them i can tow a lota weight with the 3:73's. As far as an auto i've never cared for the dodge auto seems to be weak when it comes to towing everyday with out spending the $ to get it right. personaly i would stay away from chipping it and just get bigger injectors less trouble in my opinion seems everyone no matter what brand has box trouble with these trucks. mild one might be ok. i dont know much about the newer auto 48 but you might also go to hotshothauling.com and ask around their they are like me and tow for a living and drag a trailer around 80% of the time. they mite be able to help in the auto area. any other question feel free to give me a holler. good luck

 

if you get an early 05, make sure the intercooler is aluminum, not plastic, or you will be spending an additional $1200 for a real cooler.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I think I am just going to look for a good deal and get it.
Are these the only things to look for?(trans and intercooler)
Right now it seems that the 03-05 is what to look at. I am not going to buy new that is why am asking about the transmissions.
Also I have seen someone say that the chassis cabs have diffrent trans. Is this true? Please let me know.