Duramax Wins Award 2nd year in-a-row

[rdanley]

durmax versus cummins

i think that the durmax is a bunch of hipe. i went on vacation last year to the tetons as i was coming into the teton i had to climb shenendoa pass which is a 6 to 7% grade at 13 miles straight up i had 11,000 pounds on my butt not including what i was hualing in the truck but about a 1/4 way up i came up on two new chevy powered durmax trucks they were just creeping and they half the weight i had on my butt . after being behind them and running at around 20 to 25 mph they finally pulled over and let me thru. i do not see what the hipe is about. my truck 99 24v is completely stock



p. s. stock not for long not since i have found TDR>

 

[Cumminpwr11]

I was looking under the hood of an old brush engine at my fire dept, and it had a 8. 3 cummins in it. Flat out for 28K lb this old beater hauls b@ll$.



On another note



ZMAN



GMC topcat has a durimax option, thats medium duty. Poor thing could get above 15mph WOT across the intersection. Maybe GM should put it it there S10 so it would never have to work very hard, cause it isnt a real diesel. I dont trust a motor I cant hear in the cab.



I think that my next truck will be a ford 750 with a 24V with air brakes. DC is never gonna put there head out of you know where.



Chris

 

[B KIRK]

I know everyone likes to think that what they drive is the best. I know I feel that way. All 3 have thier good and bad points. This thread started about the Duramax being a top 10 engine. Where is the track record for THIS engine. GM is all about hype. They took what should be a good combination with the Allison, and even screwed that up. How many recalls till they, if ever, get the Allison to work right. Stock they may be faster, but put a load on them, different story. Where I live I keep hopeing to run across a Duramax to race it, but they are all sitting on the lots. As far as the Powerstroke, I would own one over a Duramax, but still would be a Cummins as a first choice. And the slogan "there is no replacement for displacement", the Powerstroke guys better get another slogan. With the 7. 3 being replaced with a 6. 0, there is a "replacement for displacement". My truck is a 94, and I tow a 25,000# tri-axle with my backhoe and landscape equipment. In 80,000 miles, (I know, not very many), the only engine problem has been a frayed throttle cable. The Duramax, time will tell.



Brad

 

[JoeyD]

rdanley, Now the GM can't pull 6000lbs up a hill over 25 mph? Even if you don't think it's the best or just don't like it, your story is a load of ****.



As far as a proven product, if nobody bought something untill it was proven in the real world nothing would ever sell.

 

[BILLYGEE]

Not too many D-Maxes Here

Talked last night with an over the road own/opr guy I know here... Runs a KW w/Cummins... Tells me his kid bought a new D-Max Chebby w/Allison. Says it's a beautiful truck, lots of power... When it runs! Seems they must have a computer glitch or something... Truck will be running fine, gets warm and all of a sudden shuts down, can't start it. It's been on the hook 3-4 times in a little over a month... Dealer can't find what's wrong. Dad says kid told him 1 more time and Lemon Law tastes sweet! I love it.

 

[B KIRK]

Most manufacturers will do years of real world testing of a product before releasing it to the public. GM is well known for useing its customers to test thier products, then make fixes from there. If the Duramax was listed as a top 10 engine after several years on the market, that would be different. How can you justify a new product being the best until it can prove itself?



Brad

 

[cbconway]

Originally posted by B KIRK

... GM is well known for useing its customers to test thier products, then make fixes from there...

Brad

Would you say that GM is the Microsoft of the automotive world?

 

[mimprevento]

Validates my choice

Sorry to hear about the guy whose new D'Max will not run- that is what scared me about buying that 01 2500 Chevy- too much too new- general premarket product testing can never duplicate years of nuts like us critiquing and demanding new changes to existing products- years of Cummins Dodge partnership at least gets the new ones to run- lets just say I have legal experience and the guy needs to take it back- most Lemon Laws are the same and this truck needs to be one of the study trucks that GM and Isuzu check out while giving him back his hard earned $$$$$$

 

[baby.driver]

Creeping up the grades doesn't mean anything.

I saw an old codger creeping up Cuesta Grade in his Dodge/Cummins and small TT. Probably just afraid to downshift/don't know any better.

Lots of different driving styles out there. Those D-max owners maybe thought that was the best way to break them in.



Jay

 

[Texas Diesel]

Originally posted by baby. driver

Those D-max owners maybe thought that was the best way [ NOT ] to break them .



Jay

 

[jimnance]

Duramax

I'm a Cummins fan, but in our group of fifth wheelers there are three of us that pull identical fifth wheels. About 13,000 lbs each.



The stock Duramax and chipped Ford Powerstroke (manual 6 speed) run along side each other on the hills. I'm afraid that even with my set up and new 4. 10's they still can out pull me.



I'm sure that I have the more durable rig though, and I'll bet 100,000 miles from now I'll be going strong and they'll be in the bone yard.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

jimnance,

It looks like you have an auto? they should out pull you. your truck makes 215hp at the crank where both of theirs are near 300hp. They also have 5 or 6 gears where you have 4.



Put theirs against my ETH when it was stock. My dad has a PSD auto. Off the line he's faster. After that its all over. Pulling or not.



I've pulled 14k at 75+ mph throug the hills of AK and passed PSDs right and left.

 

[jimnance]

Your point is well taken. I think the horsepower is closer than you suggest, with my EZ and exhaust I should be closer to their horsepower, but still not with them.



The auto has a few advantages, but putting horsepower to the ground isn't it's strongest point. At the time I bought new, I seldom pulled anything over 6,000 lbs.



The Dodge/Cummins is a great truck, and I wouldn't trade mine for a Ford or Chevy, but lets give them some credit for selling a truck that puts out the horsepower out the door. For us we have to go the aftermarket route.



I only have 60,000 miles on mine, but in another 100,000 I know mine will be running strong, - will theirs?

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

even amoug us. . some run stronger than others

 

[mimprevento]

Diesel Evolution

The tremendous sales numbers of diesels will only benefit all of us- my first as a young Naval Officer twenty years ago was a four banger from a tractor in a Toyota pickup- this was their response to the gas crisis- 45mpg- 62HP and slow as a stone with more noise than the Cummins for sure- now we have the choice of several options and the Big Three are scrambling to fight the HP and Torque race- Cummins got the message with the new engine and answered our calls for quieter stronger operation- it will be a buyers market in the big diesel world for quite some time because the focus groups are getting through to the engineers and sales figures talk- I am excited to see where it will end and whether I will have any $$$$ left keeping in the race!!!! My money will be on the six in line as the V8s wear out

 

[me4osu]

I dig my CTD

This is the first diesel I have ever owned, and I like it. I researched each brand, and the Cummins engine is the best. Every day, I can't wait to drive it, and I especially like pulling with it.



I made a '91 F150 with a 302 and Mazda 5 speed last 207k mi. before #8 cyl. gave up. I have every bit of confidence that my CTD will last 400,000 to 500,000 miles. I just don't see an aluminum head engine lasting that long.



Before I found my rig at a used lot (for a ridiculously low price). I looked at new ones, and the Chevys were higher than a Giraffe's sausage wallet. A 2500 4-door 4X4 Chevy with the Duraturd and cloth interior had a sticker around $42,000. 00. A new Ram 3500 6X6 with leather and every other option was still less money on the sticker. The Chevy appeared to be less truck for more money. My $0. 02.

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Even if you ignore the truck its in. The duramax is only used in chevy trucks.



If you take a cummins out of a doge you could bolt it directly into 10,000 different applications at upto 370 rated hp. Not to mention the abilityof the aftermarket to make 370hp look like a childs play.



Boats, tractors, heavy trucks, light trucks, pumps, generators, buses and Phords!! Just to name a few 6bt/ISB5. 9 applications, and then there's the 4BT/ISB3. 9 with all those and then some.

 

[Nordby]

Duramax is a nice truck, my brother has a GMC Crew 4x4 that is quiet, sweet ride, leather, the whole works. He plans to tow nothing huge, knows the new engine/transmission is a risk, but doesn't care because it is covered under warranty.



It is quick and powerful, but we raced empty trucks up a steep hill about 1/3rd mile, rolling 20mph start, and my non-stock first gen ate his lunch badly, 4 truck lengths and pulling. I asked him if he let up, nope, just shaking his head pondering how a smokey 'ol dodge with 165K on the odo left him. I also asked if he wanted a rematch, nope. He now wants to do a 40-80mph race, so I'll report when that happens down in the 1st gen conference. Jim Nance, I'd say something is probably not all right with your rig if you are being outpulled.



my opinions, nice refined rigs, but not for me, I know which engine I want in my trucks from here on out.

jon