well here lately I've been thinking that I need some more room, & I really don't like the back seats in a 4-door dodge, & the mega cab is just not an option, & the 6.0 Powerstrokes are just (in my opinion) JUNK!!!!! , so that leaves me with the GM products & a Duramax, don't get me wrong I Love a Cummins as much as the next guy, but the GM's are Soooooo...... comfortable, & I really like the Duramax/Allison combo, the truck I'm looking at is an 04' crew cab dually, LS w/43,000 miles & it's loaded with every option but a sunroof, leather,onstar, steering wheel radio controls, etc., & I can buy the truck for about $30,000 probably a little less, but definatly no more, so what do you guys think about the brand change as well as the price, & if anyone is interested the truck in my sig. will most likely be for sale in the near future, it's in the shop now having the gears changed from 4:10's to 3:55's, but will likely be for sale as soon as I get it back, thanks, Dusty

 

if u like it, go for it!!!

your the one spending 30k not us. i went from a gmc to a dodge so i know a lot about the two. my last truck was an 03 2500hd with a 6.0.

the dmax/allison combo is sweet!!! but i noticed other things about it that i didn't like as much as the dodge. granted u will be going from a 97, not an 05. but the dodge has stiffer suspension (front and rear) so it squats alot more than the dodge. also the brakes on the gm's feel really squishy.

but other than that i loved the gmc, (well except the gas mileage)

brand loyalism aside, it's a nice truck and if u like it then buy it.

 

I work @ Cheby dealership and you see what I drive.
I have 2 technicians, 1 drives a new 06 CTD, and the other a 99 powerstroke
Office manager, bought a new 04.5 CTD. 1 of the the salemen owns a CTD. My brother bought a new 04.5 CTD, even though I could have got him a killer deal. None of the employees drive a duramax, even with the awesome discount we get??? Don't want to say anything negative about them or steer you the wrong way, but, there may be a hidden message.

Tye

 

I have had 4 Duramax's. They were incredible except the last one, a 05 LLY wich was built 04.5-06. It sold me on the cummins. For all of the info read about them on dieselplace.com. The lb7 01-04.5 is the winner unless you get the new LBZ. So just make sure the 04 is the older LB7 .Also only give him around $28

 

If you like it then go for it. I have ridden/ drove many duramaxes in my day and I can not think of anything bad to say about them other than lower ride height than dodge. I have a lot of friends who have the duramax, and none of them have ever been in the shop for motor problems.

Edit: Ditto what buddy said about makin sure its an 04 not an 04.5, everyone that has a duramax says they like the 01-04 motor the best.

 

If you like the low end punt from your current Dodge, then I suggest you put window tinting over the tach on the GM... If you don't look down, the power is impressive. But once you see that the engine only shifts in a 500 RPM window to keep the power up, it looses its luster IMHO... Good V8 HP, but that comes with limp V8 torque.

Be sure to get the Allison. If you have to shift the 6 spd manual like the Ally does, you would have arms like Hulk Hogan...

My biz partner has an 01 DM LB7 with a 70/120 Van Ayken box on it.. And with my minimal mods, I leave it behind and get 2 MPG better mileage.. FWIW...

 

I have both, love both. Both 06's. I use my Dodge for work and GM for play. Here are the biggest differences which are mostly minor preference things.. The Allison tranny is a big plus. It is really at another level in evolution. Especially towing with the trans braking and extra o/d. The GM is quieter, sorry gang, it really is a tad quieter all the way around. The GM is more comfortable at higher speeds. Seems to labor less and float more. The Dodge has more torque down low. The Dodge has more leg room up front. I much prefer the feel of the Dodge brakes. The Dodge sits much higher. The Dodge gets a little bit better MPG. I like the better support of the Dodge seats. I seem to get sucked into the GM seats.
Also I prefer the ride of the Dodge over the GM. But I am installing new shocks on the GM next week so hopefully that will help.

 

Am I the only one who has seen various Allison rebuilds? At my uncles transmission shop I've seen 3 or 4 go under the knife in the past 2-3 months. Some were a year old and some a couple years old but nonetheless there is often one being rebuilt. I'm sure one or two were woods trucks and the other(s) just typical haulers. Of all honesty that worries me but who knows... I could just be in the right place at the right time... ?

Mike

 

The Duramax is a decent engine, and so is the tranny. But on the new LBZ engine do not cycle the glowplugs twice, could be fatal.

MikeyB

 

You will love the Dmax/Alli. Personally, I like the sound, driving character, and "status" that a Cummins provides, but the Dmax/Alli is an excellent combination. Good luck.

 

I'm surprised nobody has posted this, but, go over here,

http://dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

and check out what the owners think of them. There is lots of info from the guys that own them. BE CAUTIOUS! Not everybody over there is nice & courtious like here on the DTR.

 

I think it's overpriced. I gave $24K for an '04 Dodge Quad with 35,000 miles.

I don't really like the front end of the Chevy, (looks like Chinese eyes to me) but I'm not buying it.

I have a '99 Silverado and I'll admit, it's more refined than my Dodge. But then again the Dodge it more of a truck. I hate the way Chevy has lowered the 4X4's so the soccer moms can get in and out easier. The whole point of a 4X4 is ground clearance. I guess most people don't take their 4X4s off road anyway, so it doesn't matter.

 

I already know there's things I'm gonna miss about the dodge & the 12-V especially, but it's the room that I'm looking for, my sis & brother in law & I do alot of team roping & at any given time there's at least 4 people in my truck for more than a couple of hours at a time going to ropings & rodeos, so that's my main concern. I'm gonna take the truck I am looking at & do a little pulling with it before I decide on the auto., if I decide that the auto is not for me then I'll definatly be going back to a Dodge crew cab, I just like the fact that there's more room in the chevy & they are definatly one comfortable ride, & the reason I was wanting the auto is so just any of us can jump in & drive,on some of our long trips I just can't do all of the driving,& with my truck the way it sits my mom can't even take it to the grocery store because of the DD clutch, I just thought that for my needs the auto would outweigh the 6 spd. I love my truck it's (in my eyes at least) a beautiful truck that runs like a scalded cat, pulls like a freight train, & is probably as reliable as anything on the road, I pretty much have it setup, with the exception of a couple things, exactly the way I want/need it, but there's still the precticality of the crew cab/auto that catches my eyes, I'll let everyone know the outcome of this little dilemma whenever I decide what I'll do, in the mean time, what would a truck like mine w/my mods be worth??????? thanks, Dusty

 

Too much Cash $$$. I sold my 03' Duaramx, crew cab dually, with about $3,000 worth of accessories, when it had 18,000 miles on it and it was about 8 months old for $30,000.

 

not sure about the price, but they are very nice. i know the new LBZ motor is very very fast, considering how little i actually tow ( mainly dirtbikes and a 360 sprint from time to time ) a d-max could be an option when it comes time for a few ride.