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The feels - help me shake em


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So I think I've had this topic once before - accept I was considering a duramax and here I am I find myself with diesel fever.

 

My truck is a 5.3 and I've modded it out, it's nice... really nice and I've put a considerable amount of money into it. However I drive a lot I've put 30kmiles on it and it's a 15 bought in September of 15. I love my truck honestly it's awesome but I just have the itch of wanting a diesel. I don't have anything to haul accept a couple trailers and some atvs or lawn equipment. So I wouldn't be buying the Diesel engine for towing not now at least but more so as the the fact I drive a crap ton.

 

I've looked around and really like the 6.7 powerstroke. I'm not super brand loyal I just want a truck and want to be happy I feel like the only reason I want a diesel is because I want to have the power if I need it.

 

So I am genuinely looking for you guys who have came from bigger rigs to half tons to tell me why I shouldn't or wouldn't want a diesel. Is the oil changes and fuel prices really bad enough to sway you from this purchase?

 

Right now at fill up I put about 43 dollars into the tank.

 

I just need some advice from you guys so I do not drive my wife insane with asking her opinion over and over lol

 

 

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in a lot of places, diesel is cheaper than gasoline right now. oil changes arent as bad as everyone says they are, to be honest. a Duramax only takes 10 quarts. Granted, it's more than a gasser takes, but I think diesel gets its oil change reputation from the big guys, which can take upwards of 11 gallons. Diesel can get you good fuel economy, and if you want, you can easily pour on the power

 

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in a lot of places, diesel is cheaper than gasoline right now. oil changes arent as bad as everyone says they are, to be honest. a Duramax only takes 10 quarts. Granted, it's more than a gasser takes, but I think diesel gets its oil change reputation from the big guys, which can take upwards of 11 gallons. Diesel can get you good fuel economy, and if you want, you can easily pour on the power. I will say, though, that a diesel will wear out faster if you do short trips (less than 10 miles per). And with the newer diesels all having DPFs, id you dont get the vehicle to highway speeds, you can potentially run into issues where the vehicle wont complete regen cycles

 

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I don't know where diesel is cheaper than gas...around here there's a $0.50 spread, unless you buy premium gas, then it's the same. The cost is probably a wash, by the time you talk difference in the cost of diesel, DEF, and maintenance versus the mileage difference. The more headaches I read about the DPF, the less and less I want one again.

 

I pretty much owned one version or another Dodge 250/2500 4wd Cummins from the time they came into the market...the last one I traded on this 2012, and while I miss the power occasionally; I have no regrets in the purchase.

 

If you want one, go buy one...

 

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I drive a f450 with the v10, I think it's a 6.8l? I only get 6.9 mpg on a good day, fleet maintenance says the cost offset with diesel fuel,def fluid, emissions system upkeep,And just general maintenance it's just cheaper to run the v10 and get under 7mpg on a good day.

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Well I just made the exact opposite change you are considering a few months ago after 10 1/2 years in a LBZ dmax I came back to a half ton truck. By no means do I regret having the diesel as it was a great truck and I do occasionally miss it a little but not enough to make me look at another unless I needed one again. So here is why I made the change.

 

1) The ride - I live in a very rural county that the roads suck in and live out in the country. I just got very tired of getting beat to death for several miles until I got to a good two lane highway.

2) General maintenace is more expensive. I realize oil is the same between my old truck and new one at this point at 10 quarts but the dmax required a fuel filter and spin on Allison filter every 10k which was another $40 or so. Also parts for them are just more expensive in general, much heavier duty parts so they cost more. My truck was getting to the point it was going to need pretty significant money in parts in the next few years and I knew it so I cut it loose while it was still worth good money.

3) I just didnt need its capabilities anymore, when I bought the truck in 06 I bought a 28 ft. enclosed trailer at virtually the same time. The trailer weighed in at 4500lbs empty so the power was put to good use towing it and cars around in it. But I sold the trailer to a friend about 4 years ago and just have a 20 foot open trailer now which pulls much easier.

 

So as an added lit bit of advise my buddy that bought my trailer just bought a new dmax a month before I bought my all terrain and having rode in it I was fairly unimpressed to be honest. Granted my dmax had been running a tuner and straight pipe exhaust for a decade and I couldnt remember the last time I drove it with a stock tune but his truck just felt sluggish but that was mostly in my head due to tunes I imagine. But we got to talking about modding his truck like I had done mine and wow does it add up quick on these new trucks since you have to eliminate all the emissions crap on them.

 

So in short would I go diesel again, yes I would but only if I needed the power on a routine basis. While rolling coal on people was great fun I just cant see myself going that route unless I needed it to be able to tow something big all the time. As for the performance side of things I really dont think I lost much going from a mildly tuned lbz to my 6.2L.

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I've heard people mention ride quality a lot. My question to that is - I will end up putting a BDS lift on one if it got it with the fox shocks. Will this not improve the ride?

 

I am assumeing voiding out the egr dpf etc will cancel the warranty? Or is there like a black bear tune you can flash back and forth from stock to tuned

 

 

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I've heard people mention ride quality a lot. My question to that is - I will end up putting a BDS lift on one if it got it with the fox shocks. Will this not improve the ride?

 

I am assumeing voiding out the egr dpf etc will cancel the warranty? Or is there like a black bear tune you can flash back and forth from stock to tuned

 

 

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i came from an 05 LLY to a 5.3 1500. would i go back to one? yes, ONLY IF I NEEDED IT. i used it to tow tractors to fairs for tractor pulls, and needed the GVW ratings, and power to move. ride was stiffer, but it was a good trade off due to the power. i stopped tractor pulling, and i didnt need a diesel anymore. it wasnt practical to have it. so i got what was practical for me. and if i needed to haul a tractor, i can tow a 5500lb farmall M with the right trailer and be legal. is it good for my truck, eh, not really, but she can take it. if i was doing it very often i would buy a diesel, but every now and then, on rare occasions if i HAD to for a buddy or anything, i could.

my father has a 15 duramax. it holds back alot. it needed a tune badly. my LLY would smoke his LML (seat of pants feel of power).

there is tuning to disable the emissions. EFI Live from idaho rob, duramax tuner and other guys but those are the most popular and well known for having clean tunes and being reliable.

2500's and 3500's are torsion suspension (stronger, built to handle weight up front) not coil over like 1500's have. when you level or lift, you crank the torsion keys giving you lift up front. making your ride harder, and more stiff.

 

ill be frank with you and dont take it the wrong way, we are all adults here. i wouldnt buy a diesel to be cool and fit in and to keep up with the jones's. its alot of money and fun, youll love the power of them tuned up. but remember, if your state has emissions, you need to pass them, so a 4" turbo back exhaust with downpipe, no cats, no DEF, no EGR, will fail depending on your state. and then now you need to detune it, put on all factory bullshit and bring it back. DEPENDING ON YOUR STATE. the tuners i mentioned do make a factory emission tunes up to 90-100hp. but now your emission system will work 3x as much to clear up any soot, and in the long run will fail sooner than leaving it stock.

if your looking for power, supercharge the 5.3, or turbo it, tune it. if your looking for a new truck, get the 6.2 and supercharge it with a cam. youll love it. there are alot of videos around showing impressive HP numbers you can get out of these trucks. performancetrucks.net has alot of good info, do some homework.

 

so all in all here, if you want it, do it. but dont do it to be cool, and to soot on people, it gives people with diesels bad names and you look like a total douche bag. get it if you need it for towing and using the diesel for what its made for.

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I've heard people mention ride quality a lot. My question to that is - I will end up putting a BDS lift on one if it got it with the fox shocks. Will this not improve the ride?

 

I am assumeing voiding out the egr dpf etc will cancel the warranty? Or is there like a black bear tune you can flash back and forth from stock to tuned

 

 

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If you keep heavy springs made to take the load assuming the lift is just blocks in the rears and not replacement leafs it will still ride rough. Stiffer springs equals rougher ride end of story. As for the front suspension depends on how the lift is made. If it requires cranking the torsion bars up it will ride rougher, again higher spring rate equals rougher ride. Shocks can help but they just flat ride rough especially if the bed is empty.

I agree with jgreen totally, I would go back to diesel if I needed it. But no way I would buy another with out an immediate need for the extra power and capabilities.

If you keep heavy springs made to take the load assuming the lift is just blocks in the rears and not replacement leafs it will still ride rough. Stiffer springs equals rougher ride end of story. As for the front suspension depends on how the lift is made. If it requires cranking the torsion bars up it will ride rougher, again higher spring rate equals rougher ride.

I agree with jgreen totally, I would go back to diesel if I needed it. But no way I would buy another with out an immediate need for the extra power and capabilities.

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Don't do it unless you really need the towing capacity. I drive a Powerstroke all day long, 1K miles a week for work. Its a great engine, but the ride on a 3/4 ton sucks compared to a 1/2 ton. Also, you will have to mess with DEF and all the problems that come with that. The tables have reversed in my opinion, a gasoline engine will out last a diesel these days, thanks to all the emissions crap they have added to the diesel,

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