buying a 2006,what are thier weak points?

[AH64ID]

The 08+ conversion is for steering linkage, all the joints are the same.

All of the big 3 have fast wearing front ends, its the nature of a 8K lb truck.

 

[captainmike]

The ball joint problem seems to relate to 4Wd trucks. Mine is a 2WD '06 megacab 48RE. I tow a 13,000 5th wheel about half the time no ball joint or transmission probes to date. 98,000 miles. I'd stick with the 5. 9 without all the emission stuff the 6. 7's have. Better mileage too. About 20 mpg truck alone and about 11 mpg towing. I'm never getting rid of this truck.

 

[AEdelheit]

i`m surprised that the isses that were common among the 2nd gen trucks hasn`t been fixed yet,surely there has been enough knowledge about 2nd gen troubles, transmission issues and ball joints,wheel bearings,lift pumps, i was really hoping to be told that an 2006 was a much much more reliable truck than my 2001 ,but i`m not convinced,maybe i`ll reconsider. Especially the transmission , i can put ball joints,wheel bearings in myself and most other repairs but a common guy cant repair a auto transmission these days. i dunno!

Im not exactly sure what you want to hear if you start digging into the problems of any truck, I dont care who builds it, what engines in it nothing is perfect. The Trannys as previously stated are fine stock but if you start putting twice the power through it that it was designed to handle then of course its gonna give, just like any Allison or Furd transmission will. The front ends are a notorious weak point, but with some high quality ball joints, track bar or track bar bushings and steering all those problems will be solved for a long time. The Front wheel bearings are another weak point but most failures seem to be from lack of grease, if you do a little research your will find threads about how to grease them. The seats ya there not great, I don't feel fords are much better and Chevy is probably the comfiest but if you want to pick apart every detail then I think a Honda Ridgline or Prius would be your best choice.

I have 110k on my 06 and wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[GreggNoble]

the most common reason to buy a 3/4 ton diesel is to pull things behind it and it seems that even guys that have totally stock trucks ae having transmission problems if they tow very much. does an 2008 have a differnt/beter transmission? thanks

 

[AH64ID]

07. 5+ trucks have a different auto trans, it seems to be better but still limited to nearly stock power.

With the proper care the 48RE isn't a bad trans, and is better than the 47RE.

 

[GreggNoble]

so eventhough a 2006 has 60 more horsepower than a 2003 it still has the same transmission?

i know with my 2001 the torque will only lock in high gear,but is that the case with the 48re? once the torque has locked am i correct is thinking that it easier on the transmission because there is nothing slipping?

 

[AH64ID]

The converter locks in 3-4 when in Drive/OD and 2nd when 2nd is selected.

 

[Ben S]

The A/C recirculator door failure issue is something to consider and for all the noise the fan makes the air flow is weak. This can be bad in the hot humid summer temps. Had mine fixed right after I bought it and has held up since... 67K... fingers crossed. Expensive to have fixed by the dealer... I want to say 700 bucks or so.



Still, I love my truck, but need some extra tow capacity and am thinking hard on the new HO 6. 7l Ram.

 

[cerberusiam]

so eventhough a 2006 has 60 more horsepower than a 2003 it still has the same transmission?

i know with my 2001 the torque will only lock in high gear,but is that the case with the 48re? once the torque has locked am i correct is thinking that it easier on the transmission because there is nothing slipping?

The lockup algorithms are much more aggressive on the 05 and newer trucks, they spend much more time locked and with the TH the locking is much firmer for longevity.



Still doesn't negate the fact the max input TQ of a 48RE is quite a bit less than the engine ratings. The engines are managed to keep things close in a stock setup. Once you mess with the TQ management and fueling it has exceeded the OE build capabilities.



Actually, fluid coupling is easier on the transmission component parts because ther eis slippage in the fluid coupling. The first things that will slip when power is added is the direct ltuches then the TC. You will feel the TC slip as a shudder, 99% of the time the direct clutches will burn completely out before any indication is given.

 

[steved]

Wasn't the 06 the one with the resettable trailer light circuits that need a dealer reset?

 

[AH64ID]

Isn't that true for all 06+ trucks?

 

[steved]

The OP was asking about an 06... I have no idea what trucks it affects, just remember some have that "problem".

 

[AH64ID]

I think thats how they all work with the TIPM.

 

[steved]

I think thats how they all work with the TIPM.

You're talking to someone running an 04. 5 with fuses... like I know what you're talking about with the TIPM...

 

[AH64ID]

I have an 05 thats the same as your 04. 5, but dad has an 06. . whole different can of worms.

 

[lmdieselman]

I just bought a 06 mega cab the first time I actually checked the fuel milage I was shocked 13. 5 mpg hand calculated and all stock . I started doing some checking and found out the 2004. 5 to 2007 has a different emissions cam in the engine and its one hell of a big job to change it. other than the mpg the trucks great and pulls like a freight train.

 

[GreggNoble]

so there is a difference in the milage between the 06 and there other 3rd gens , there is more power too i guess. is the 2006 transmission made stronger than any earlier 3rd gen trucks?

 

[cerberusiam]

so there is a difference in the milage between the 06 and there other 3rd gens , there is more power too i guess. is the 2006 transmission made stronger than any earlier 3rd gen trucks?

There is a difference in mileage, generally to the neative with the 600 series engines. Not only do they make power but the emissions changes impacted them more than the 03 to early 04 trucks. Add to that 06 was the 1st production run with CAN communications in the computer portions they just did not mileage as well and could possibly have more issues.



The 2006 transmission are stronger in the areas the 2nd gens trucks lacked. A lot of the electrical interference problems have been totally eliminated and the shift\lockup routines are much more aggressive and constant. Under most conditions the TC never unlocks like it used to and the addtional Tow\Haul algorithms make shifting much more positive.



Unfortunately the NVH protocols are in full force and that tends to negate a lot of the strides made in transmission relaibility. The trucks are heavier and more powerful yet pressures and shift timing is little changed. Fortunately, thats an easy fix readily available parts.



The 48RE is still not rated to the input TQ the engine is rated at, its almost 100 ft\lbs short. Therefore, power transfer is heavily managed to keep things in check. If you remove the safe guards and increase power it will NOT hold even with conscientious driving habits.



The trans is solid with stock power and decent driving habits. You thrash it though, and its a crap shoot how long it will last.

 

[thomasrmmr]

my 06 has 95000 miles n orig [no play in them ] balljoints n front ends all original

 

[GreggNoble]

still, is the same transmission in the 2003 model and the 2006 model? was the transmission improved when they moved from 250hp in 2003 to 315 in 2006?