Dodge's plan for next engine?

[Dieselhed]

I work for a major trucking company and all of our Volvos have Eaton-Fuller transmission's in them. I was talking to one of our mechanics who talks with the E-F folks quite a bit and he's says rumor has it that they are planning a joint venture with Cummins.

 

[JStraw]

With Chevrolet and Ford taking a pounding in the stock market and projecting to lay-off thousands of workers due to foriegn competition, I can see Dodge as becoming Americas leading auto manufacturer. We got nothing to worry about unless Toyota makes HD diesel trucks for our applications.



The big three need to do a serious wake up and start competing with the Quality and fuel efficiency of the foriegn market instead of squabbling amongst themselves.

 

[BMullican]

I was reading on the Montana owners (5th wheel campers) website and ran across this post. For what it's worth:



Just got off the phone with my zone sales manager who just returned from the dealer announcment show in Las Vegas that was held last week. I was supposed to go but I couldn't get away. Anyhow, he says they revealed an 07' Ram 3500 chassis cab with a 6. 7litre Cummins and an Aisin 6-speed auto transmission. He did not have any specs or power levels but said that this would be the combo offered for all ram truck for the 07' model year. He was told the cab&chassis would be offered in regular and quad cab(no Mega) and in a 60" and 84" c. a. with a standard 34" wide frame rail. The rumored 4500/5500 was not unveiled but he says it is expected in the next 18 months as well. He said the cab on the C&C looked the same as the 06' model rams we are selling now, just a powetrain change.

The 6. 7 will be a 375 hp at 2500 rpm and 750 ft lb at 1450 rpm using a CP4 and a Holset VGT. mbg. Redline will be 3500 rpm in all six gears manual or auto.

This is from a Dodge Dealer, not my dreams.

 

[rbattelle]

First he says:

He did not have any specs or power levels

Then, 3 sentences later:

The 6. 7 will be a 375 hp at 2500 rpm and 750 ft lb at 1450 rpm using a CP4 and a Holset VGT. mbg. Redline will be 3500 rpm in all six gears manual or auto.

This is from a Dodge Dealer, not my dreams.

I'm afraid I've got to raise the BS flag on that one.



-Ryan

 

[Coolslice]

I'm not thinking it will be a 6. 7.

 

[JesseJ]

I want to know when the power wars are going to stop. 4wheel & Off-Road magazine has a write-up about the Duramax/Allison in their latest issue. They say the Allison is being upgraded for future levels of 400hp & 800ft/lb torque. I don't know how in the world they're going to make that pile of Duramax that powerful but it seems to be getting a bit ridiculous. I agree with others, I would prefer reliability and MILEAGE, especially considering the price of diesel now. But I guess we'll have to see what comes down the pipe before I get a new CTD.

 

[Pourinthecoal]

Nah, mostly POWER then mileage and reliability...



Actually this is my list in order of importance: reliability, power, mileage.



And yes it will be 6. 7, not saying how I know!

 

[MCrossley]

that is very interesting considering my boss just got back from the same convention and did see the 07 cab and chasis however he said there was absolutly no info regarding drive trian and could not get close enough to get under the hood, he was specifically instructed by me to check out anything related to Heavy Duty trucks so I wonder how this guy got in so close?

 

[Coolslice]

To the best of my knowledge, the dealers shouldn't have a clue as to anything specific about the new engine. It is still HIGHLY classifed to everyone except those close to it that are working on it. You can bet if the dealers knew anything, we'd ALL know it by now. . The dealers don't know $#!?..... What is it? Like once a week some guy claims his dealer told him that the 07 Ford will have a Cummins, you go ahead and listen to the dealers!! :-laf



You can bet that DC doesn't want Ford to know anything about the new engine while they are still developing thiers right now. If Dodge came out and said ours will be 375, you can bet Ford will make sure theirs is 380. GM has already folded. I'd say it's a safe bet that they will be #3 in a matter of months. .

 

[mlewis73]

With Chevrolet and Ford taking a pounding in the stock market and projecting to lay-off thousands of workers due to foriegn competition, I can see Dodge as becoming Americas leading auto manufacturer. We got nothing to worry about unless Toyota makes HD diesel trucks for our applications.



The big three need to do a serious wake up and start competing with the Quality and fuel efficiency of the foriegn market instead of squabbling amongst themselves.

Absolutely, agreed!



I've been driving Ford trucks for the past 10 years. 5 of those years in 1991-year half tons and diesel one-ton duallies. I love them.



BUT... my '91 F-350 diesel is just not powerful enough to do what I do nowadays so I am going to replace it with a Dodge. When I started looking at trucks a few weeks ago, I was blown AWAY by the leaps Dodge has made in quality. I have a crewcab Ford now, but the Quad Cab Ram 3500 is adequate for my needs. My wife is short, so our kids will probably ALWAYS fit in the back seat comfortably.



I sat in the back seat of both the extended cab Ford and the quad cab Dodge and the Dodge has more room. Before comparing, I set the front seat to a comfortable position for my legs in driving position so I could compare apples to apples. Ford's back seat stinks. Dodge's is large enough to be considered a seat. Dodge has lots more innovations with respect to storage, and the overall quality of the interior was great. The wood trim in the SLT models is an excellent touch, as is the textured dash material.



If Dodge keeps selling their trucks for less than Ford and GM, and continues to win in the quality department as I think they are now, then they'll be the leader in diesel pickups in VERY short order. I never thought I'd jump from Ford to Dodge... now I don't think I have a choice.



As far as power goes... it sounds like the manufacturers are already tapping the limit of what folks REALLY need. Heck, my '91 pulls 10,000 pounds all day long with 250 turboed horsepower and 505 turboed foot pounds of torque.



Hills get to it, but usually have to back out from EGTs before lack of power kicks in...



I'd say it is more important to design durability into a truck than give it mondo power. We're already paying WAAAAAY too much for these trucks for them to last as short as they do. I want 15 years out of my Ram... not ridiculous power.

 

[BHolm]

I'd say it is more important to design durability into a truck than give it mondo power. We're already paying WAAAAAY too much for these trucks for them to last as short as they do. I want 15 years out of my Ram... not ridiculous power.

Most regular consumers have no desire to have a personal vehicle last that long. I know what you are talking about though. I have a couple big rigs for short hauls at my business. One payment left on my 2000 Mack and under 200k on the odo. At that rate I can get another 10 years easy. the other one is a '92 Pete with a 14L Cummins, right around 500k on that one. It is getting old and is rated for less hp than my pick-up but still has plenty of life in it. For smaller loads I run Dodge trucks. I am lucky if I can get five years out of them. It isn't the engine, it is all the light duty stuff it is bolted too. Thats the market though. For $40k I can buy a pick-up and get 5 years from it. For $80k I can get a class 8 and get 15 years from it. Of course the Mack doesn't have leather seats, dvd player, sattelite radio... ... .

 

[abranz]

Unfortunatly, the extensive use of a corrosive chemicals such as mag, calcium, and sodium chloride in the northern states literally destroys a vehicle within about 5 years if driven during winter. So keeping a vehicle 15 years simply can't happen. What a shame, no, actually a crime that the transportation dept's do this. In the name of safety? I call bull----. All that salt on the road only encourages others to drive 75mph during winter thinking the road is fine. I better stop ranting, just a major issue for us in states which use this **** for 6 months a year.

Anthony

 

[rbattelle]

So keeping a vehicle 15 years simply can't happen.

It sure can! Just takes some HARD work, that's all. I owned a 1985 Bronco II driven exclusively in NY through winters until 2000. Every spring I had to regrind the rocker panels and repaint. From a distance it didn't look bad.



-Ryan

 

[JRMora]

Try getting big rigs and big duallies into some of the small campgrounds on the parkway in NC. .

Sorry Cumminz - couldn't resist. Same trailer - bigger truck!