Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest banner

Which would you get?

  • 2001-03 Chevy Duramax

    Votes: 36 46.8%
  • 2000-02 Dodge Cummins

    Votes: 41 53.2%

Duramax Chevy or Cummins Dodge?

11K views 109 replies 36 participants last post by  brimy311 
#1 ·
I am in the market for a new truck. I can't decide which one to get. It will be my Daily Driver (only drive like 10 miles a day). I am looking at 2001-2003 in the Chevy and 2000-2002 in the Dodge.
 
#4 ·
i agree with rubicon. me being a chevy guy i can only give a biased point of view to go with the chevy. i have driven one cummins dodge and it seemed fairly decent to drive. my only complaint was the transmission. i've driven a few chevy duramaxs and can't complain at all.
 
#6 ·
The cummins will take anything you can throw at it. It is not a complicated motor, easy to work on, everything is just bigger.
Your only problem will be justifying a replacement because it will run forever. Even during winter months mine reaches operating temp in a couple miles and as far as running rich the computer will take care of that. Put in a kit to increase your transmission line pressure and your good to go.
The weak link has always been the fuel supply pump. Easy fix, lots of info out there.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
The cummins will take anything you can throw at it. It is not a complicated motor, easy to work on, everything is just bigger.
We all know the size on the con rod is directly related to the reliability to the overall truck, so its obvious the dodge is god.

Honestly... for those years I would buy the 2000-2002 Ford 7.3L
 
#7 ·
with those year chevys you will have the lb7 motor thats not for head problems... the injectors was in the head and blowing o rings and warping or cracking heads.. i haev the 05 lly motor and love it.. tje inectors are on top of the heads instead of in it. spend a few more bucks and get a 04.5 with the lly in it
 
#9 ·
with those years, it would be a tough call. however, i wouldnt get one of those years, i would get a 12V, or a common rail cummins. i like the fuel milage of the early duramax, but i hate chevy trucks, they are far to elcaminoish for me. i think the only duramax i would have is an early singlecab long box stickshift. i think your looking at the worst years of diesel trucks. when did the fords finally become intercooled?
 
#17 ·
I am not going to buy a ford and I am not going to try to justify that. I don't like Ford.

As far as operating temp, low distance driving...I will just let it idle in the parking lot if it becomes a problem.

I am just looking for a truck to tow without having to fight a gaser in the mountains. I have always liked chevy's, both of my tow rigs have been chevy's. I have fully researched both trucks and the pro's and con's lists a very close to each other. I would maybe consider a 12v valve truck, but I don't really want an older truck. I like the upgraded interiors and comfort level on newer trucks.

I am probably going to buy one of these trucks in the above year range. They fit my budget and they are not a ford :stan:
 
#26 ·
Honestly from what I hear that generation of Dmax had issues dumping fuel in to the crank case, the 24 V cumins are nearly excessively loud and I know two people with that generation 7.3 ford that have had excessive electrical problems. My 07 Ram 3500 Dullie had the 6.9 and would drop to 65 in the mountains pulling 20,000 lbs and you barely knew it was running. Also ran high 16's in the 1/4 mile.
 
#43 ·
Ok, lets discuss everything this guy did wrong....

I think it might require its own thread, like, why was the ass still in the right lane when he started losing speed? I hate amatures! Ignoring coolant alarms putting that truck on the trailer backwards, running the shit out of a hot engine till the limp mode kicked in. Yah, he was trying to keep up with the Dodge but DAMN don't kill the truck.

I ran my 6.7 Cummins 6 speed auto across 40 from one end of tn to the other at 70 down hill 65 up hill, watching my coolant like a hawk, it never went higher than 10 degrease above average (cant remember what average was on that truck. this is a 8300lb truck pulling a 6000lb trailer with 11,000lb's of freight. My plate was for a gross weight of 26000lbs and I was typiclly 200-300 lbs over that. I almost never used over drive.

word to the wise watch out for recalls on that 6 speed we had it in the dealer for one problem 4 times, part of it was the mechanic part was recalls, started with the pan leak, then they changed either the input on the trans or the rear main on the engine, then the trans sucked the seal around the shifter in and THAT was a bad leak. As far as the motor goes we had a programming recall and picked up an extra 2mpg (12mpg @ a gross weight of 25000lbs running 65 in ohio) pulling something somewhat aerodynamic gets you even better fuel economy.

if you want a top of the line tow rig the Cummins makes a nice motor, and the MegaCab is built to comfortably sit 5 people and still pull a goose neck trailer like its not there.

All diesels are expensive to fix, its a diesel thing. Guys swear buy the Dmax, some guys with Cummins decided to trade the Dmax for the Cummins, and ford guys, well, they are Ford guys.

the Duramax and cummins are pretty close in performance, right now, the 24v are by far the loudest, the 6.7 and duramax you can hardly hear run, and the 6.7 Cummins wont blow black smoke, but, you do have to use the USLD or the cats will get plugged, yes, the 6.7 has 2 catalytic converters, and they have sensors so the truck knows how much back pressure is on the exhaust.

The last big plus of the 6.7 is the exhaust brake, its not adjustable but when you slide it into towhaul and turn it on you don't need to bother with the breaks going down a grade, it WORKS.
 
#29 ·
In all fairness I have three close friends with Duramaxes, newer models. All three swear by them. All three owner successful auto repair faclilities. All three tow a lot. These trucks are not stock and they can afford$$ it. From what I've been told and heard, when a max needs work, it's expensive.

That cummins motor has been around in one form or another for thirty years or more. I spent two months shopping when I bought mine. The dodge felt like a truck, the max didn't. I like a solid front axle.

Go drive a few, with a load if you can, and you'll know what you like.
 
#36 ·
Diesels are fine if your going to use them for what they are built for, towing or hauling heavy loads. But I love the got to buy this one because it's the BEST post! I have worked on diesels for a real long time and they ALL have their problems! Find the one that you like and can afford then deal with the problems. As for the big truck sound (which doesn't make a truck any better than the next one), try working on them everyday it gets old real fast. I like them all but I know were the problem will come from (most of the time) and I'll just deal with them. Right now if I were to buy another diesel it would be the 2007 Dodge 6.7 with the new auto trans. Ok, flame on!
 
#38 ·
Diesels are fine if your going to use them for what they are built for, towing or hauling heavy loads.
The closest place I wheel anymore is the Badlands. That is 3 and half hours away. But I am done wheeling in michigan and I am looking for something that hauls 10+ hours more comfortably. Believe me, I am not Deisel Jocky and have no intentions of being one. I don't like fighting to do 65mph in a head wind, that is why I want a Deisel. Stacks need not apply.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top