Life long Ford owner, I've switched to Dodge

[JasonCzerak]

Your observation and description of driving a Dodge is exactly the observation and comment I made almost 7 years ago when I drove a dually Dodge for the first time. It drove like a sports car compared to the '94 Ford F-250HD I had owned for seven years. I was planning to buy another F-250 with a Powerstroke but drove a Dodge-Cummins out of curiosity. I asked the Dodge salesman to let me drive a Ram 2500 but he only had a 3500 dually with HO 6 speed so I drove that instead. I was amazed at how light and quick the dually Dodge drove compared to my Ford. It steered lighter and quicker, had better brakes, and the torque just above idle laid me back in the driver's seat. I never looked back. The Ford faded into history.



Harvey

years ago I worked for a car show company. . When it was a ford show, ford trucks pulls supplies, GM show, chevy, Chrysler, dodge... So I pulled a gooseneck with all three trucks here and there. . Took each one for a weekend. Combo of manuals and autos for each.



This was back in 04 and at the time, the only bias I had was that I had a Jeep as my first car. Tho, I grew with riding shot gun in my brothers 78 and 73 camaros. And the first truck I remember my dad buying was a 92 F150,, I6 5 speed, learned to drive a stick in that truck. With in the family, I could get A-plan discounts for all 3..... So, as you can see, there was no favoring.



To make a long story short. I had fun with the dodge. I did like how they looked and I recognized "Cummins". My dad did get a F350 7. 3 the year prior for a job and that's when I knew I wanted a diesel, tho didn't really know much about any of them. Didn't even know you could drop a chip and make crazy power until after a year after I got the 04. 5.



As far as driving and handling, the Dodge is what I call the Corvette of the truck world. It was cheapest, fastest and handled freaking good. After 15,000 miles I took the truck down to Tennessee to visit a friend of mine. Ohh I forgot the name of the road but it's one of them curvy roads for 20 miles. Lots of bikers love to cruise it. Well in the end, the side walls were scuffed up on the stock tires, like a sport bike laying into a turn. Friend of was riding shot gun, very calmly asked me to slow down or he's going to well, get out his fire arm I laughed cuz that guy is calling the kettle very very very black Just something about physics and his Ford not able do this kinda driving was really the problem. :-laf



Well, that's why I have what I have Still have the jeep (anyone wanna buy it?)

 

[thashane]

Welcome to the power of I6

There is a TSB out for the 1-2 shift hunt. Had mine in for the repair and it is doing better.

Whenever I try to get my truck to duplicate the shift hunt for the tech I never can. It only seems to happen when I dont want it to. It also stutters at about 25mph as it shifts again from 2-3?

 

[DerekW]

Hey Derek.



That is a 1989 model Ford Dually with the 460 gas/5-speed, has 380K miles on it, rebuilt the engine a couple years ago, bored/stroked/blueprinted 512 in it now. Not common these days, very common a few years back. Still a good truck, just has reached the point where parts can be a problem if something goes wrong on the road.



CD

my neighbor had one. he seems to switch up vehicles alot. dont know why a cop would feel the need to but he does. his old dually is very easy to point out. it appeared to be around a 03 gasser. Diesels are back in popularity, petro makers feel them as a threat to business n raise prices accordingly. but back when your right diesels werent as common as gasser duallys. even less common is the suburban dually i see riding around (Its ugly and I want it, lol)

 

[DerekW]

Another driver at work just killed a 2001 7. 3 Ford cube(150,000miles). Driving at highway speed and the rear-end locks up,he hit the windsheild,spilled coffee etc and stopped sideways across two lanes of the highway---broken drive shaft,locked rear end. Police/fire show up cause of all the smoke from the tires and diff----100-ft of dually tire skid marks. This could of happened to any of the big three or any other car manufacturer,but Ford calls today----$8000. 00 to repair,new drive shaft-$1500. 00(old one is like a hockey stick),new axles-$1200. 00 a piece,and complete carrier/rear diff $3500. 00(old one gernaded)+misc seals/pieces/etc---so over $8000. 00 to repair. I guess there are going to let the dealer have if for some kind of credit towards 2/3 new trucks or something to that effect. My same truck is close to 250,000 miles,but i maintain it faithfully,including all schedule fluid chances,also believe that our trucks last longer if only the same driver operates the same vehicle religiously, some guys drive the heck out of them,i tend to care a little about my company ride even if i really don"t own it,but it is my meal ticket in a way. My 2 cents DW

Can you say ULTIMATE CARNAGE??? wow. im guessing the ratings are down on nascar and people dont know anything about tire smoke other than people doing burnouts. I think i'd be looking for new wheels too!

 

[DWeiler]

Can you say ULTIMATE CARNAGE??? wow. im guessing the ratings are down on nascar and people dont know anything about tire smoke other than people doing burnouts. I think i'd be looking for new wheels too!

:-laf:-laf:-laf

 

[gened4288]

Over the years, I've had Fords, Dodges, and Chevy's... most good, but some not so good! One thing that I've learned is that you can't beat an inline 6-cylinder engine. IMHO, cubic-inch for cubic-inch, they've got more torque and reliability than any other engine, so when my 1991 F-150 (300 straight 6) was due for replacement, the CTD was the logical replacement. Not that the two engines (or trucks) share anything in common except the straight 6 engine layout, but sometimes simpler is better. If the CTD lasts as long as the 300 Ford (which I expect it will), I'll be totally satisfied!



Gene

 

[RVTRKN]

I just had to say I'm loving this thing. And yes, my turbo locked up while pulling our RV, on vacation and over a thousand miles from home. And with only 8,000 miles on the clock at that. But I chalk it up to a bad turbo from the factory, plus I really couldn't have been treated better from a dealership that I didn't even buy from. They moved heaven and earth to get us back on the road in as short a time as possible.



The only complaint I have is the transmission. But it's not like I didn't know before I bought it. I plan on beefing it up to some degree, just as soon as I figure out what I need.



Cheers

Greetings. I too am a Ford convert, right at 2 years now, best change I've made in my life. You will like your Dodge more every day. I still have my Ford F350 dually has a 460 gas engine/5speed. I use it for stuff around the ranch, but the Dodge sees all the long-distance hauling, best ride out there.



CD

Well, I'll admit I've never owned a ford or chevy truck, but I tore into many a truck engine except diesel when I was a kid. The best ford engines ever built was the 289 & 460, and the Chevy is supposed to be the 454. Years ago when I was tearing down engines preparing them for the rebuilder (I was just a kid!) the most wear I saw was the 454 and the 460 was not far behind that, but the Dodges engine's were always in good shape, and if it wasn't for the engine heads needing attention like any engine, they would not have been there and it was this fact that caught my attention. I've owned pre 1st gen (by far the ugliest of them all), 2nd gen, a 92 Dakota with the first ever Magnum engine for Dodge, and now currently own two 3rd gens with the CTD. When I was in the Army I drove the 1st gen as well as repair them.



So its safe to say i'm a Dodge expert and will only buy them. The big three in the seventies were close in quality, but now you couldn't get me in a Ford even at half the price (you get what you pay for) and GM with the Duramax (a diesel, with the aluminum head Jap engine), what were they thinking? IMHO its a no-brainer why you think Dodges seem better than the others. I've known it for a long time, but when Dodge started using the CTD and then finally changed their looks to the point that every manufacture, including the Japs, copied the new look, Dodge started too convert the other two of the big three fans and it just gets better and better every year, and welcome to the heard.

 

[Cummins Cowboy]

Thanks Ray and everyone else for the welcome and the information. I really do like the over all attitude of this site. Much better than where I came from for some reason. And yes, I've learned the above since I've been a lurking member here.



Just a couple of points as to why I switched sides. First thing was the frame. On my 2001 F-250 I'm not sure what they painted the frame with but it was pretty rough had an unfinished look. Then it looked like it has a coating of oil or tar over that to keep it from rusting. Effective maybe but ugly to be sure.



Then last year I crawled up under a Dodge and just couldn't believe how nice the frame looked. Fully boxed in and with a nice power coat finish. My first thought was, this looks like something that came out of a race shop. And to bear this out, when I put my N-Fab bars on, they came within 1/8" of my dooley fenders. I called N-Fab and voiced my concern that they would crack my fenders when the frame flexed. They informed me they had 100's of those bars on Dodge trucks and rest assured, that frame don't flex. And it hasn't in about 20,000 miles.



My Ford came complete with the dreaded idle knock and Ford wouldn't or couldn't fix it. So I went online and learned how, and did. Other than that I have to admit it was a pretty good truck. Just noisy and rode rough.



The other thing was when I popped the hood on a 2008 Ford. I saw a galvanized anaconda but darned if I could find an engine in all that mess. So between seeing that and the 6. 0's track record, no thanks.



Then inside the cab. I know Dodge takes a beating for not being as nice as the other trucks. But for my taste, I had leather put in, I love the Infinity sound system and the limo glass they use really seems to drown out road noise much better than my Ford did. And then the Mega Cab, what more need be said.



The other thing is how this truck handles a load. Plus bone stock and not broke in, I'm getting a solid 17 mpg hand calculated. And it doesn't seem to matter if it's in town or on the hwy.



Sorry to ramble guys. I just thought this might be some relevant information to some other soul who's thinking about changing. If something happened to this one, I'd buy another one tomorrow.



Mark

thats funny all the ford people have always said they can't buy dodges because the frames are weak

 

[DerekW]

So its safe to say i'm a Dodge expert and will only buy them. The big three in the seventies were close in quality, but now you couldn't get me in a Ford even at half the price (you get what you pay for) and GM with the Duramax (a diesel, with the aluminum head Jap engine), what were they thinking? IMHO its a no-brainer why you think Dodges seem better than the others.

HAHAHAHA i think japan needs to stick with the electronics as they are very good with them. I am not sure some of those engineers in japan even know how to open their hoods? probably not even on a Jeep wrangler they couldnt figure it out. They only way I'd take a ford is if it comes with a title. the gf and i would prolly run it down the railroad tracks, take it down muddy hole road and jump it load it up on a trailer and sign the title over to the scrap yard and make a few bucks. titles make the cars worth more. this is typical abuse for the junkers we get and the cars we rent. we get our moneys worth. :-laf

 

[Bill Stockard]

The Ford faded into history.



Harvey

Yep, my Ford did too... in 1992!



Driving my fourth Dodge/Cummins.



Bill

 

[KBalzuweit]

Welcome!!!