Navistar To Purchase GM Medium Truck Segment

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/071219/gm_navistar.html?.v=2

I guess this a post-Ford Navistar move.

 

I thought GM already sold this off once...?

And what credibilty does Navistar - the "delisted" New York Stock exhange company really have anymore anyway...?

Seems goofy to me.

 

Thats gonna rain on a bunch of duramax guys parades. Why would GM do this with all the trouble they had with the ford powerstroke??? Also now look at the sled pulling and drag racing world. I mean Dodge is still the big dog and most pulling trucks are dodges but the Chevy's are coming up in the world.

 

Looks like it is just the medium duty line so shouldn't affect the light duty units up to 1 ton.

 

Navistar has a lot more than the Powestroke...

And the sledpulling/drag racing world is pretty far removed from the light duty truck market in general, much less the medium duty trucks...

 

I think it could affect the lighter trucks down the road . If Navistar replaces Duramax diesels with International engines in the medium duty trucks will there be sufficient numbers in the lighter trucks to make it profitable to continue Duramax production ?

 

FWIW, in the 80's International put Cummins engines in at least a few medium duty trucks. My Dad drove one for years, said it was the best one he ever drove.

 

the duramax production will not be stopped anytime soon. Theres way over a million of them on the road since they started in 2001.

GM sells much more light duty pickups than medium duties...

 

GM needs the money and 60,000 units isn't making them enuf

 

I read in Diesel Power awhile back that the number of LD Duramaxes is capped by production at the Duramax plant. They are at full capacity (about 220,000/year if I remember right). That's one reason you don't see a 6.6l Dura-burban yet, the LD trucks sell out every year, and they sell plenty of gas 'burbs so there isn't any incentive. So, if navistar pulls the duramax out of the MD trucks and replaces it with the 6.4l, that would just result in more diesel-powered LD chebbies going down the road because more engines would be available, which may cut into the Ford PoSD sales and thus fewer 6.4ls being sold. What a confusing world we live in....makes my head hurt sometimes.

 

The reason I have heard that there are no Duramax Suburbana is because they cannot fit the Allison under the floor pan. The 4L80 barely fits in there as it is - and they pushed that sheet metal change just so that they could equip the 2500's with the 8.1L.

Dry Creek

 

not sure what you mean by that. All of the GMT-800 sheet metal/bodies are the same. ie, nothing is "bigger" about the 2500 suburbans, other than the rear axle/suspension, front axle, brakes, and tranny. I could put an escalade front clip on my truck if I wanted to; bolt on. There are more than a few suburbans out there with duramax's swapped in, and there was no cutting and hacking to the body. also FYI, the 4L80 isnt much bigger than a 4L60. You could put a 4L80 in pretty much any app that a 4L60 was designed for.

GM didnt put the duramax in the suburban for many reasons. Cost vs. demand. Not many people would buy a dmax suburban (now dont say "well me and my brother and his mail man would buy one in a second!!!") because in the grand scheme of things, who buys suburbans? 95% of subruban buyers probably dont even know what a diesel engine is. GM already has enough trouble keeping up with production of the dmax for the pickup trucks, and they certainly dont have any trouble selling suburbans as-is with the gas engines........so whats the point???

second reason. Allison wont fit, as you said. The 2500HD's have a taller and bigger frame, allowing the trans to fit. There is no "body lift" and there are no floorpan modifications on the 2500HD's. 2500HD...not 2500. A 2500 suburban is NOT the same as a 2500HD pickup. It does not have the heavy duty [taller] frame. Putting the 2500HD frame under the suburban would solve clearence issues but its rediculous as far as logistics goes because it adds a ton of weight, makes the overall vehicle height taller, and its completely not necessary for something with an 8600lb gvwr that probably will never tow anything more than 8,000 lbs or so.

and finally...the suburban is an SUV...it doesnt need 650 ft lbs of torque to carry a dozen soccer ***** and some hockey sticks in the cargo area.

sometime next year the suburban will come with the new 4.5 liter duramax as an option. It will probably be pretty expensive and I doubt they will sell a lot of them. Drive around for a day and count the number of gasser suburbans you see to diesel excursions.

ben

 

I don't see many of either of these but I do see a very good number of 2500 and 3500 Duramax trucks in my area.

 

Needed modifications were done here . http://www.fourwheeler.com/featuredv...ban/index.html