sold the 04 psd and went back to cummins

[shendren]

yep,



brought home the new quad cab laramie loaded. auto. 4x4. 14mi on it. hope i don't run into problems like i did with the psd.



thanks for all of the help with the 12V's. i still think it's the most reliable truck on the road.



scott.

 

[FATCAT]

What was wrong with the .....

... Ford? Why did you trade it in?



How was/is the Ford front end and steering compared to the new Dodge front end and steering? This is one major concern of mine for when I purchase a new truck in 2006 or earlier.



I have a great machanic friend and shooting range buddy who is a die-hard Ford fanatic. He constantly curses the Dodge Front ends, brakes, and frames ... buts likes the money he makes from fixing them. The Ford's do seem to have quite a substancial front end in components (u-joints, ball joints, brakes, etc... ). I have yet to see the new Dodge Rams up close ... so how do they compare?



I just hope the new Dodges have fix the steering issues especially. My Luke's Link works good, but the steering box is just junk ... on my 2nd one and it clunks like crazy.

 

[CumminsBu]

I like the Dodge over the Ford better also. I have Driven both. The Dodge as my own truck and the Ford as my work's truck. Dodge I think did a better job on the design.

Good choice on the trade.

 

[shendren]

FRONT END !!! ???



hell, i didn't have a chance to crawl under it. it was an 04 not 03. remember the 03's were the first year to have that pos 6. 0L psd.



mine went into the shop for:



new rear main seal - leaking. design problem - they all do it. crawl under 5-6 out on the lot. they ALL leak !



2 new a/c evap's



egr valve replacement.



popping in the front end?



loud thump everytime the a/c compressor kicks on.



wire chaffing. left me on the highway. just shut down.



did the above again. took it in. dealer replaced the injectors. yes all 8 injectors. thousands $. catalytic convertor. transfer fuel pump. god knows what else. ..... i didn't even look at the ticket. truck kept surging at idle. another common problem.



that dodge front end would have gotten me home and i wouldn't have been stranded.

 

[shendren]

ps.



i like the lower speed diesels. the cummins red lines at 3200. the psd relines at 4000.



reminds me of the small high revving 4 cylinder yanmars that hit the marine market 10 years ago. they blow up like the gas engines.



i like the old industrial yanmars. low speed diesels. the ones that last.

 

[GerryDrake]

I realize my PSD was a 95, but I had to take it into the dealer and have them retorque the cross member bolts and such (and a bunch of suspension points in the front end) when it got about 5K on it. I have 16K on my CTD and it is as tight today as it was when I picked it up. Never ANY complaint about the front end on this one. Drives like a Coupe DeVille...

 

[DocDetonancour]

Some front end work is minor IMO, compared to all the crap I hear going south on the PSD. I had the track bar replaced on my 96 and that was it for 70000. Brakes? this truck has THE BRAKES!

 

[KBennett]

Congrats on the purchase Oo.



I have a buddy that just got "a good deal" on a used '03 6. 0PSD Ford.

He tells me about it and I am thinking BUY BACK the whole time. He just chipped it and says it really goes. I guess time will tell.

 

[jwilliams3]

Congrats!!

Glad you bought the Cummins.

You'll like it a bunch.



Justin

 

[curatchko]

I'll make the bold claim that the 04 dodge front end and steering is SECOND TO NONE!!!



This steering and suspension is so responsive it makes many sports cars seem lazy. That ain't no exaggeration.

 

[stevenknapp]

I'm with curatchko. The F250 PSD I drove might have had a tougher front end, but it would have been hard to notice if it was broken. Thing wandered all over the road, constantly needing steering corrections on bumpy roads.



Then I hopped into an F150, nice truck.



Then I drove the Ram again, 2500 CTD, same road. Drove almost as good as the F150.

 

[KHorikawa]

When I was shopping a few weeks ago, I drove the Ford PS and GMC D-Max. I was going to buy the Ford because it was just what I wanted regardless of the 6. 0 PS reputation. It drove nice, looked good, and felt slightly faster than the "600" on WOT. BUT the brakes were horrible IMHO.

The GMC D-Max was the Lexus of the bunch. So many options and a car like ride with a motor that felt slightly weaker than both the 6. 0 and "600". I wanted a truck not a car; however, if the deal was right, I would've went with the GMC D-Max

I honestly was heading to the dealer to buy the Ford but the Fleet Director that was setting up the better than normal deal was on vacation. That was probably the best thing that could've happened for me.

Glad I went with the Dodge Cummins!

 

[HOCummins04]

I also almost bought a Ford because of the problems I had with my 01. 5 HO 6Spd. Thing was a lemon, and I ended up buying another Dodge DESPITE the factory rep, not because of. Smart alek arrogant . . . .



Anyway, my wife summed up the Ford "Sure does not look like a $40,000 truck on the inside. " I realize not everyone would agree with that statement, but even those that like it can not honestly say that Ford is spending much money on designing anything beyond the most basic plain interior you can get in a truck. I understand there is more to a truck than the interior, but you spend more time looking at it/sitting in it than any other part of the truck (unless you spend a lot of time laying under it fixing it )

 

[Bertram65]

Originally posted by shendren

ps.





reminds me of the small high revving 4 cylinder yanmars that hit the marine market 10 years ago. they blow up like the gas engines.



What series are you referring to? I have not heard of too many problems with the Yanmars.

 

[KHorikawa]

Originally posted by HOCummins04

I also almost bought a Ford because of the problems I had with my 01. 5 HO 6Spd. Thing was a lemon, and I ended up buying another Dodge DESPITE the factory rep, not because of. Smart alek arrogant . . . .



Anyway, my wife summed up the Ford "Sure does not look like a $40,000 truck on the inside. " I realize not everyone would agree with that statement, but even those that like it can not honestly say that Ford is spending much money on designing anything beyond the most basic plain interior you can get in a truck. I understand there is more to a truck than the interior, but you spend more time looking at it/sitting in it than any other part of the truck (unless you spend a lot of time laying under it fixing it )

I agree, the Ford Super Duty interior is pretty bad IMHO. It reminds me of the many times of riding in a tow truck with my last Ford Ranger

The new Dodge interior is mid-grade but the seat shape looks suspect to holding up in the long run.

 

[fj40dave]

When I was shopping... . kinda kicking around the idea of getting a Ford... . the salesman kept telling me about how his mechanic shop was where all the other regional dealerships bring their trucks to be worked on when they can't figure out what's wrong with them.....



Ya know - trying to sell me a truck based on having the best mechanic is not a very good sales tactic!



Now... . if Dodge would just figure out how to make one of these '04. 5's in less than three months..... I mean... . they have been at it for a year and a half already... .

I don't think I told my salesman I wanted the last one, did I???

 

[KBertetto]

This steering and suspension is so responsive it makes many sports cars seem lazy. That ain't no exaggeration.

He ain't lyin'... My 1 ton handles so well, sometimes I forget what I'm driving.



Bert

 

[ttreibel]

I have one of the early 3rd gens built 10-2002 and have had one recall and 3 TSB's done to my truck they were all minor issues that never left me stranded. When I bought the truck I knew with a new model that there would probably be issues that would arise so I have been very pleased with this truck, I am just shy of 30K now and feel I have all the bugs worked out and ready to put 250K more

 

[BigDsl]

Just thought I'd contribute my 1 1/2 cents. Buddy bought a new ford and the front end wander was HORRIBLE. We pulled my 30' trailer behind it and went through 6 tires on a 3k mile trip from the trailer swaying all over the road (him driving). Had to pull over 5 times to try to tighten the steering box. Helped somewhat. I, like HO Cummins had a horrible experience with my last Cummins ('01 ETH DEE) and had the same miserable experience with DC. Went back with this '04. 5 because its the best of all the choices out there IMHO. Here's hoping the mileage improves and this motor doesn't poop the bed at 9K like the '01 did. (fingers crossed)

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

my wife summed up the Ford "Sure does not look like a $40,000 truck on the inside. "

:-laf Well said.



We have two company 04 Super Duty V10s here. I've been driving them hard because I want to know which is better on the rough gravel roads.



Candidly, I think they do well handling the ruff stuff. I've always like front leaf springs - maybe I'm ignorant though? The V10s have plenty of umph and the auto seems smooth. Albeit I hate autos, period.



But, on the highway what barges - steering wanders like a Gen2. The interior is, well, the lady said it best. The brakes are puny, real puny. And the turning radius is somewhere in the neighborhood of "give me 40 acres".