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Owensville, MO | I'll give my .02 . I'm a ford man so take it as you will.
first thing I'll say is that you need to decide what you want to do with this truck and how you plan on doing it. If it's a daily driver used for commuting with an occational load, get the chevy. They have the best ride and will probably get the best mpg in this case. I don't like their interior controls and their seats are very uncomfortable for me. Their 6.0 is smooth with good HP. I would get the 4:10 rearend. 3:73 might get you a little better hwy milage emply but will be worse under a load and will not pull as good.
Dodges hemi is a good engine but I believe is better suited for the charger than a 3/4 ton truck. Lots of HP but it is way up in the rpm range. put a load behind it and let the tach fall below about 3300 and you better be finding a lower gear. ( Chevy's 6.0 is the same way.) Dodge trucks seam very cheaply built to me. Just my opinion.
Of course I'd go with the Ford, but I wouldn't even consider a 5.4 Chevy's 6.0 and Dodges Hemi will make it look sick under most conditions except pulling heavy loads at low rpm. Their V-10 will only cost about $600 more. It will get the same milage as the 5.4, 6.0 or the Hemi. It will pull much better than the 5.4 . Whether it pulls better than the chevy or dodge gassers depends on your definition of pulling. I'll explain.
My brother had a '05 2500HD with a 6.0 auto 4:10 gears. I've been involved with about 35,000 miles pulling loads with that truck, either driving it, riding in it, or pulling a load beside it with my truck. My truck is a '03 F250 4x4 SC short bed V-10 6-speed with 3:73 gears. My other brother(Daryll haha) has a '06 2500 with a Hemi 4:10 gears. I do not have as many miles with this one. but I have drove it pulling loads, rode in it and pulled along side of it. Most loads we run are between 15.000 and 18,000lbs gross(truck, trailer and cargo). 22,000lbs. is not uncommon and have been as high as 28,000lbs gross. (please don't lecture me I know it's too much weight for a 3/4 ton).
some people define pulling by what it will do. I define pulling by how it will do it. Can I pull these loads down the road faster than they can? NO. Can I top hills and long grades faster than they can? No. So by the "what will it do" they are parctically equal. They can all do just about the same tasks. But when you are talking " how will they do it" The ford is an easy winner. I can't pull loads down the road faster than them, they'll all pull as fast as you need to go. I can't top hills faster than them in most cases. But I can run down the raod and top those hills at 1500-2000rpms less than thye can and not work my truck near as hard. with a GCW of 15-18,000lbs, running 70-75mph down the interstate I can easily stay in overdrive in rolling hills. They cannot usually get to overdrive for very long. If we get into any big hills they spend alot of time at 5000+ rpms, I usually shift down to 4th and run 70-75mph in these situations at 3000-3100rpm up hills and down. That V-10 just produces so much more torque alot lower on the tach. It is impressive for a gas engine. I have always gotten better milage than either of them pulling. empty we all get 13-14. We found metal shavings in the oil of my brother's chevy and it started smoking and burning oil by 75,000 miles. he traded it for a duramax. I just don't think it could stand up to allthe rpms under full load for that many miles. jury still out on the dodge, too early to tell. My V-10 now has 177,000 miles and has not been touch except for plugs at 125,000 and regular oil changes every 4000 miles. It uses about 1/2 qt of oil in 4000. still runs and pulls as good as it did at 10,000 miles. gas milage has not changed. I believe it would easily go another 100,000. I had to put a pilot bearing in the tranmission at 125,000 miles. $6 for the bearing, $300 to put it in. other than that everything on the truck is original except tires and brakes of course.
I will say that if you are just going to tool around on the farm with loads at low speed you probably would be happy with any of the engines. what you want in a truck would be the deciding factor then. if you are going to get out on the road loaded set on a gas engine then the V-10 is the only way to go. My opinion
Merry Christmas all!!!!
Joe
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New truck, which one?
