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Update 4500 & 5500

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Axle whine when cornering / cold

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I was at the dealer today looking at a new Duragno and my salesman who knows I'm interested in the 4500 & 5500 called out the sales manager for me who offered to copy a sheet he got from DC



It talked about the new Cab and Chassis program. . and the different size units that they were talking about..... and it listed the 3500, 4500 and 5500.



The new 3500 is to be built in a DC plant that now runs the 3500 but its got a new frame coming... and the 4500 and 5500 are to be built either in a Sterling or Freightliner plant with custom frames by Freightliner..... on a new M2 Class Frame. .



It gave the distance from the back of the cab to the end of the frame... . dimension, and on the 4500 and 5500 its available in 4 lengths..... 60,84,108,120" and will be available in reg or quad cabs... .



Also mentioned was the 6. 7L Cummins engine with a new 6 speed automatic transmission. On paper... .



It will be shipped with dual fuel tanks... .



Nothing was said about if the Cummins would be a 6 or V-8, but all the above is from the printed page he let me have... . my contact stated he thought it would be a V-8 but had nothing in writing, and also commented that an optional MB Diesel might be available... . I asked about a manual transmission but he didn't know... . I told him that Cummins had made its mark with a straight 6 and even in the bigger engines they were a 6... . He looked at me as if he didn't know that.....



He also went on to say he is heading to a meeting soon on this product line and didn't expect to be able to write orders til late Nov or Dec and didn't expect shipments to start til after the first of the year... .



He also said that because of the slowdown at Ford, they have shut down the 06 production line for all F450, F550, F650 and if you can't find one now you won't see it until late fall when it shows up as a 07... ... Not that I'd want a Ford after owning a 2000 F550... so all the 06's are either on the floor at the dealers or in transit... .



Jim
 
I for one am just all up in giggles with the new motor and transmission!! I can't wait!



I'll be picking up a Mega Cab as soon as the 6. 7 and 6-speed auto are available! If any of yall know me, my stuff can't stay stock!



I saw a 2006/2007 (Not sure if the body style is changed at all from '06 to '07), Cab and Chassis on a Passenger vehicle dealer just across the border in Mexico. 99% of the time, if a vehicle is on the passenger vehicle lot, it will be for sale in the America's. Dodge 4500's have been available in Mexico for awhile allready (cab and Chassis) but were only in non-emission certified gasoline motors, so they cannot be imported to the Americas.



This thread is worthless without pictures!!!! :D :D





Merrick
 
Mhannink said:
i thought the mega cab was leaving in 07 for a reg 4 door like the fords
No body changes are scheduled until 09... that's the next full redesign. The MegaCab is a regular 4-door... it just happens to be longer than the Ford. The Quad Cab is longer than Ford's SuperCab, and the Dodge regular cab is longer than Ford's regular cab as well. And, why would DC waste the R&D to make the MegaCab for just one year?
 
jelag said:
I was at the dealer today looking at a new Duragno and my salesman who knows I'm interested in the 4500 & 5500 called out the sales manager for me who offered to copy a sheet he got from DC



It talked about the new Cab and Chassis program. . and the different size units that they were talking about..... and it listed the 3500, 4500 and 5500.



The new 3500 is to be built in a DC plant that now runs the 3500 but its got a new frame coming... and the 4500 and 5500 are to be built either in a Sterling or Freightliner plant with custom frames by Freightliner..... on a new M2 Class Frame. .



It gave the distance from the back of the cab to the end of the frame... . dimension, and on the 4500 and 5500 its available in 4 lengths..... 60,84,108,120" and will be available in reg or quad cabs... .



Also mentioned was the 6. 7L Cummins engine with a new 6 speed automatic transmission. On paper... .



It will be shipped with dual fuel tanks... .



Nothing was said about if the Cummins would be a 6 or V-8, but all the above is from the printed page he let me have... . my contact stated he thought it would be a V-8 but had nothing in writing, and also commented that an optional MB Diesel might be available... . I asked about a manual transmission but he didn't know... . I told him that Cummins had made its mark with a straight 6 and even in the bigger engines they were a 6... . He looked at me as if he didn't know that.....



He also went on to say he is heading to a meeting soon on this product line and didn't expect to be able to write orders til late Nov or Dec and didn't expect shipments to start til after the first of the year... .



He also said that because of the slowdown at Ford, they have shut down the 06 production line for all F450, F550, F650 and if you can't find one now you won't see it until late fall when it shows up as a 07... ... Not that I'd want a Ford after owning a 2000 F550... so all the 06's are either on the floor at the dealers or in transit... .



Jim
This is a fact!! My good freind who is a design eng. for crysler called me tonight and told me he has seen the new 6. 7 cummins. He stated it will be available in the 2500-3500 trucks for 2007 also. coobie :D
 
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Reading that link above with all the new emissions hardware they have to put on that engine reminds me of the '80's when you couldn't see the engine under all that stuff. Mileage went in the toilet as well. I hope they can maintain decent mileage numbers with the new engine or the benefits of owning a diesel is reduced. I'm not saying I'd ever go back to a gasser, but I'll miss my mileage up in the high 19's on the highway. I guess you gotta pay to play!
 
Spooled-up said:
Reading that link above with all the new emissions hardware they have to put on that engine reminds me of the '80's when you couldn't see the engine under all that stuff. Mileage went in the toilet as well. I hope they can maintain decent mileage numbers with the new engine or the benefits of owning a diesel is reduced. I'm not saying I'd ever go back to a gasser, but I'll miss my mileage up in the high 19's on the highway. I guess you gotta pay to play!
Mileage is now going to be from gearing, not as much the engine. It will be all about keeping the engine at its best rpm with transmission and axle ratios. I expect the 6-speed automatic to have double overdrives like the 545RFE to achieve that. It was posted elsewhere here on TDR that AAM is working on a 3. 42 axle for the G56 to get its engine speeds down. And with the 6. 7 Cummins likely approaching 700 lb-ft, low gearing won't really be all that necessary for the 2500/3500 trucks, and will only be needed for the heaviest jobs on the 4500/5500.
 
The 18 wheeler's I used to drive would run around 1600rpm at 65 mph if I remember right. I wonder what the redline of the new engine is?
 
Can't see it being any lower than it is now... 3200 in-gear. But 1600 is still that engine's most efficient speed. At around 1500-1600 rpm, I can get 21 mpg easy with my 05. But that's at 52 mph. At 65 mph, I'm down to 17-18 mpg and ~1850 rpm.
 
Fuel mileage results are based more on speed than RPM, within reason. My guess is if you had a gear for 52 mph and 1850 rpm the mpg would be very simular as 52 and 1500-1600. The loss of 3-4 mpg is more likely the 65 mph, than the increase of 2-3 hundred rpm.





"NICK"
 
WHAT a delima if the "new" Cummins WAS a V8 - after all the ridicule we've aimed at the Ford and GM camps - I guess we could salve our pride that at least it sez "Cummins" on it... :-laf :-laf
 
This must have air ride suspension to peak my interest.





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2000 3500 US Gear Overdrive, PAC BRAKE, 275HP injectors, BD BOX, BANKS Intake, hauling a 40' Royals International.
 
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