What is the best year for the CUMMINS?
11-22-2006, 08:45 AM
#32
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As far as 2WD versus 4WD. I think I would enjoy driving / towing with the 2WD just fine. Maybe even better than 4WD, becuase I could get a little better mpg. But there are 3 facts that make me always buy a 4WD.
1) Re-sell timing: A 4wd will sell, and 2wd will sit with a for sale sign much longer. And when I want or NEED rid of something, I don't want to wait and sweat wondering how much I'm going to have to drop the price to get rid of the thing. I don't trade in ... that's worse then selling something for nothing in my opinion.
2) Re-sell value. A 4WD will recoup a large portion of its initial cost. This (#2) is good in my opinion, but I value #1 above even more. I want it to move, #2 helps me not to have to "give" it away.
3) 4-LO - This thing is a friggin tractor. Wanna pull? Holy cow. For example - when I lived in MI., my dad was at my house and The Warden wanted some ugly bushes removed. My dad had a tow strap and hooked his 2WD Chevy gasser to hit. Now I'm sure he had enough power. But even with the strap wrapped around the base of the bush (lower than where the strap was on the truck of course) the truck would only spin. Those bushes literally didn't budge. So we decided to 'try' my truck. I figured I'd break the strap before pulling the bush. But the strap held. I put it in 4-LO and not only did I NOT come close to spinning a tire, but I could not even let the clutch out all the way. I had to slip it and the bushes would come right up and out of the ground. I've used 4-LO backing trailers. I've used 4WD a couple times where I may have gotten stuck with 2WD (some snowy situations come to mind). The fact is, I would have not done what I did with my truck with a 2WD because there was a good chance I would've been thumbing it and paying to get winched. And even one time after a heavy snow, I went to a high school parking lot and did some low-speed barn door type drifting. Just messing around. I would not have been able to do that with a 2WD (and I knew that to start with). Why? As I would slid sideways drifting, the snow was so deep that I would slowly come to a drifting stop. I could let the rear tires spin and would get out and walk to the rear of the truck and watch it spin
. I just slap it in 4WD after getting back in the truck, get going again, put it in 2WD and drift some more.
The point is - 4WD's are a worthwhile investment IMHO. But I have no beef against a 2WD. They are more efficient.
- JyRO
1) Re-sell timing: A 4wd will sell, and 2wd will sit with a for sale sign much longer. And when I want or NEED rid of something, I don't want to wait and sweat wondering how much I'm going to have to drop the price to get rid of the thing. I don't trade in ... that's worse then selling something for nothing in my opinion.
2) Re-sell value. A 4WD will recoup a large portion of its initial cost. This (#2) is good in my opinion, but I value #1 above even more. I want it to move, #2 helps me not to have to "give" it away.
3) 4-LO - This thing is a friggin tractor. Wanna pull? Holy cow. For example - when I lived in MI., my dad was at my house and The Warden wanted some ugly bushes removed. My dad had a tow strap and hooked his 2WD Chevy gasser to hit. Now I'm sure he had enough power. But even with the strap wrapped around the base of the bush (lower than where the strap was on the truck of course) the truck would only spin. Those bushes literally didn't budge. So we decided to 'try' my truck. I figured I'd break the strap before pulling the bush. But the strap held. I put it in 4-LO and not only did I NOT come close to spinning a tire, but I could not even let the clutch out all the way. I had to slip it and the bushes would come right up and out of the ground. I've used 4-LO backing trailers. I've used 4WD a couple times where I may have gotten stuck with 2WD (some snowy situations come to mind). The fact is, I would have not done what I did with my truck with a 2WD because there was a good chance I would've been thumbing it and paying to get winched. And even one time after a heavy snow, I went to a high school parking lot and did some low-speed barn door type drifting. Just messing around. I would not have been able to do that with a 2WD (and I knew that to start with). Why? As I would slid sideways drifting, the snow was so deep that I would slowly come to a drifting stop. I could let the rear tires spin and would get out and walk to the rear of the truck and watch it spin
. I just slap it in 4WD after getting back in the truck, get going again, put it in 2WD and drift some more.The point is - 4WD's are a worthwhile investment IMHO. But I have no beef against a 2WD. They are more efficient.
- JyRO
11-22-2006, 10:14 AM
#33
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I've dealt with all of them, the '97 is the best. As long as you don't mind an auto it should be easy to find. 5 speeds are much harder to come by.
11-22-2006, 03:25 PM
#36
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it was pretty well stripped - nothing real fancy to break that i could not live without.
with ~$1k worth of mods, it would have been very reliable (esp if I had did the mods BEFORE the lift pump let go and took the Inj pump with it)
it was 4x4, and i only used it once in 4x4 for "not getting stuck"
i played in 4x4, but never got my money out of it.
the 4x2 i just bought is easier to get in, easier to wash, easier on gas.
picked up ~2mpg around town from 04 4x4 to 06 4x2
an 04 is last year without a Cat & no emission stuff, strong engine, with a box, it's as much HP/TQ as the later motors.
11-22-2006, 06:12 PM
#38
It's my pot and I'll stir it if I want to. If you're not careful, I'll stir your's as well!
After skimming thru this thread it looks like the ultimate truck would be a 2003 and drop a 97 or 98 12V with the P7100, ported head and new pistons into it. Tranni type optional. Or am I confusing things?
11-22-2006, 11:51 PM
#41
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12v's are great motors, but let's not get misled. I think 12v's get more hyped up in these threads. The thing that sets the 12v's apart is the solid injection pump and the fact that it is not computerized. I think I personally like the thought of it not being computerized more than what it actually is. That makes it a loud, dirty hog that will eat anything you throw at it. If you want to do a direct comparison, I'd say the new 24v's are better because it gets more hp, less emissions, easier to upgrade, new body style Ram, etc. Can't beat new technology. But I still love my 12v. And whenever I want to get more hp, I actually have to fiddle with the engine and turn some screws instead of plugging in a chip. That itself has a good feeling. Something about computerized engines just tells me I can't mess with them. However, in the future when I get a better job and can afford it, I would get a new, computerized Ram CTD.
If you want to do a direct comparison, I'd say the new 24v's are better because it gets more hp, less emissions, easier to upgrade, new body style Ram, etc. Can't beat new technology. But I still love my 12v. And whenever I want to get more hp, I actually have to fiddle with the engine and turn some screws instead of plugging in a chip. That itself has a good feeling. Something about computerized engines just tells me I can't mess with them. However, in the future when I get a better job and can afford it, I would get a new, computerized Ram CTD.
11-23-2006, 12:14 AM
#42
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K.I.S.S. Simple hand tools and you can get significant gains from the P pump without too much hassle. I have seen flow numbers on massaged 12V head that are darn near that of a fully ported 24V head without all the valves...LOL.. More metal in the head to shave.
11-23-2006, 05:35 AM
#43
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totally love my 97 4x auto LB, but do wish I had a 5sp.
good to see your comments about liking your 97 better than 04.5
if I was to go with a newer CTD, would head for a 2003-2004.
instead of buying another 97 or 98.4 CTD to get a 5sp. may just upgrade my current TC and valve body instead.
good to see your comments about liking your 97 better than 04.5
if I was to go with a newer CTD, would head for a 2003-2004.
instead of buying another 97 or 98.4 CTD to get a 5sp. may just upgrade my current TC and valve body instead.
11-23-2006, 10:14 AM
#44
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very good points on the resale timing and value...
but it's not so bad down here in TX... a lot of people down here prefer/desire a 2wd. BUT, you pop a rust-free TX 4x4 on TDR/DTR/etc. and you've got guys from up north banging at your front, back and side doors!!
but it's not so bad down here in TX... a lot of people down here prefer/desire a 2wd. BUT, you pop a rust-free TX 4x4 on TDR/DTR/etc. and you've got guys from up north banging at your front, back and side doors!!
