Hi Guys

I have been on here a few days , every one is more than helpfull ...I like that I am a person that would help every one ...but once I get screwed there dead to me ... and thats how I feel about ford .

My truck is a 2001 F-350 4x4 SRW ... This truck had the best of everything constant maintance and fluid changes , coolers , after market filters , every fluid syns , super clean and lots of aftermaket improvements .

This truck has been back to the dealer 28 times for all big ticket items , I really like the truck in my heart , I would like to keep it , but as a person using common sense I know it must go .

I just have so many aftermarket parts that I most likely have to take off , other wise I'm just giving the stuff away .

As far as new dodge , I can afford a new truck ...I'm a new dodge dealers dream , I really would like a cummins , I'm not sure about the dually or single ... my ford is a single and it's been a part twice , I would figure the dually is a stronger rear ... also I was was looking at the frame design ...it's pretty thin , I understand that with all the new regulations for crush zones , but I figured over 9000lbs anything gose ...

Every thing else seems pretty cool , I will most likely order , I still have yet to see to many 06's .

But I was also considering a used 2002 , the frames look much stronger and looks like dodge was still using dana rears .

I'm not jumping into anything , but I don't want to make another mistake again .

Later guys .

Greg

 

I will just confirm that yes in 03 they went to AAM.

For the most part though most people who I have talked to that work on differential's AAM is not bad. One minus on our trucks is the limited selection of aftermarket lockers but hey.

You have a tough decision to make. I would just add by asking what you plan on using it for? If you are going to pull a lot with it I would just think about the transmission auto/6 speed. If you must have an auto and a dodge think about your first upgrade being the TC. If you get the 6 speed it is bullet proof.
The frame rails on the 2500/3500 are boxed frame rails so I don't know about them being weak??? Here is a link for ya on the frame of this truck

http://www.allpar.com/model/ram/ram-heavy-duty.html

I looked at buying a ford 6.0 when I bought my dodge as I love the body style of ford. I drove the 7.3 as a tow truck for years and despite what many others say about it I always thought that engine was underpowered and just a patch job of bad design. The block weak, turbo was an add on to stop cracking heads and the power was nothing to write home about. I had big hopes of the 6.0 as again I love the ford body. With all the nightmare stories I decided I didn't want to gamble and went with a sure thing called cummins.
Of course buying it I knew I was (in my opinion) getting the best most powerfull meaning the block design and internal parts diesel out there. At the same time I knew I was getting the worse transmission and was willing to deal with that when the time came because I wanted an automatic.

Good luck and remember that a bad dealer can make any manufacturer look bad.

 

Greg,

My truck was delivered on August 15, 2001 and has never been back to the dealer. The sum total of non-routine maintenance is the replacement of a back-up light switch, a 5 minute job that I did myself. The truck is used to pull our heavy 5th wheel - see signature.

No, all 2002 2nd generation trucks are not this reliable, but 100% of the ones I own have been!

Rusty

 

Buy one, and you are going to go crazy ... because you will have a whole bunch of extra time on your hands (that you normally spent at the ford dealer). So look around, I don't think the newer 3G trucks have any real faults and they do ride better than the 2G's.

good luck and happy hunting...

 

Greg,

I thought I'd jump in here to say that even if you buy a new truck and it has to go to the shop, the chances of it going to the shop for repair are WAY WAY less than the 28 times cr@p that you've had to deal with.

I told everybody on the TDR (and have since migrated to the DTR) that I'd own my truck for 10 years minimum. I'm at 6 years this month and still in love with the thing.

The dealer has repaired: 1 Lift Pump

That's it.

The things I have repaired/replaced are:
1 set of front brake pads (did myself, cost was ~ $60.)
2 replacement batteries that I bought today for $73.95 each ($162.69 @ 10% Montgomery tax).
Oil, oil filters @ 5,000 miles
Fuel filters @ 15,000 miles

I'm on the original tires at almost 90k miles. Up until today, all I've spent is for oil changes, fuel filter changes, and 1 set of brake pads (at ~80k miles).

I would hope whatever you buy will serve you well. I got under my truck and tried to see if I have a 53 block. If I do, I might sell it earlier than planned and get a Mega Cab. But I couldn't find anything, and couldn't find the 53 block thread that was on here last week, when I looked for it earlier today. Don't know where to look for the block type. Good luck with whatever you buy.

- JyRO

 

JyRO,

Driver's side, toward the front, under the VP44, down toward the oil pan split line.

Rusty

 

Rusty, that's where I looked, but I'll look again. Thanks! Wouldn't happen to have a link to the topic with pics, would you?

 

http://www.stamey.nu/Truck/Cummins53BlockFAQ.htm

The best site for 53 info I have ever seen.

 

That's what I was thinking of, but didn't remember it was a site vs. part of a thread. Thanks.

- JyRO