Adding to the Fleet

[AgDieseler]

2003 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax/Allison, Crew Cab/Short Bed.

It get's picked up this weekend, so I'll add some pictures then.

Toys to add include:

Intake
Gauges
Boost actuator
Ditch the crappy Firestones
Smoke a few Powerjokes and CTDs :D

[Fredo]

sweet....congrats man.

[davido]

Got my vote. :D Is this yours I'm guessing? If so, congrats. Looking forward to seeing what you do with it since you know so much about them.

[Chadnutz]

I'm pretty sure his dad was looking for one crappy diesel to replace one of their crappy 6.2/6.5 whatevers. :flipoff2:

[aggielr]

2003 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax/Allison, Crew Cab/Short Bed.


Smoke a few Powerjokes and CTDs :D
[/list]

I'm your Huckleberry.

EDIT : forgot the :flipoff2: :beer:

[davido]

So what all have you done to ruin your warranty Landon?

[mudtoy67]

Sounds sweet! Congrats!

[aggielr]

Warranty is long gone, I've got 41K on the odometer. Don't guess you saw my dyno post?

http://tamor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5698&highlight=dyno

[uglyota]

awesome david...now you can tube out the burban for "trail only" :D

[Jackasic]

cool, congrats.

[AgDieseler]

The truck is my dad's, but I still get to tune and play with it while he drives the company car. :D

[AgDieseler]

This thing flat out pulls. My folks just got back from NM pulling their 34' Airstream. Total combined load should be in the 17,000-18,000 range. My dad was passing "everything" going up 6+% grades, 75 mph, in 5th, and without too much effort. The 1400 mile round trip yielded 14 mpg.

I'm driving the truck right now while the burban is getting some attention. The 5 speed takes some getting used to, but it's a lot of fun. She scoots. :D

[Graystroke]

welcome to 21st century diesel technology...

[redcagepatrol]

welcome to 21st century diesel technology...
no joke - about time you drove a truck that can actully pull going 75mph... That would be a big step for you :flipoff2:

[fbronco86]

no joke - about time you drove a truck that can actully pull going 75mph... That would be a big step for you :flipoff2:

easy scott some of us kids have diesel's without turbos

[AgDieseler]

Truth be told, we haven't had any difficulty pulling the Airstream at 75 mph with the suburban. The difference is that this truck does it effortlessly, and we have had to make improvements to the 6.2 and 6.5 to reach those kind of performance levels. 21st century diesel technology is great.

The 2006 Duramax will have 360 hp & 650 lb-ft. :gigem: 2008 will see the first diesel powered suburbans in nine years on the GMT900 platform.

[uglyota]

ugly truck gets a little squirrely behind the chevy at about 80 :D

[Sharpe]

ugly truck gets a little squirrely behind the chevy at about 80 :D
Ugly truck is a little squirrel. :flipoff2:

[jerryg79]

what kinda milage do you get outta this thing around town?

[Graystroke]

my Dad's gets 17-18 mpg around town/hwy. His is an auto, 4x4, long bed crew cab. Most he has got is 22 mpg on the hwy running about 75 mph to Houston. Gets 16 mpg pulling the boat @ 70 mph

[AgDieseler]

what kinda milage do you get outta this thing around town?
18 in and around town. Highway is 21 or 22 typically.

[jerryg79]

Eggselent! Just what I want to hear!

[jerryg79]

Oliver what are the faults/problems to look out for on these trucks? (come on you know there is at least one :flipoff2: )

[AggieTJ2007]

do you have any pictures of the truck. Inside and outside

[AgDieseler]

01-03 LB7 Duramax is an awesome engine. There aren't flaws to avoid in hard components, but rather subtle changes of which you may want to take note.

Some 01s and 02s had issues with busy downshifting from 5th to 4th when towing. The problem was fixed in 03. Previous years can have new programming uploaded. This was the problem with Higg's 01. A free trip to the dealer is the fix.

A few 01s had issues with injector grounding, but 02+ got the fix.

California emissions gets you a cat = soot trap.
04.5+ LLY Duramax has an EGR with a cat - no bueno.
2500 HD comes with 245 tires; 3500 come with 265s
03+ have a cool center console
Bose sound is awesome
ZF6 speed manual is a good tranny, but is nowhere near as strong or as capable the Allison
The leather is real nice.

My opinion on the best deal is exactly what Dave O and I have - 03 2500 HD crew cab short bed. You get all the significant benefits of the later model upgrades without any of the pesky little problems common in earlier year models.

That's all I can think of for now. Like anything else, look for low miles, right color, and the right interior.

Our truck:
http://www.oliverdiesel.com/vehicles/dmax.htm

[Graystroke]

I would make sure it has the 3.73 gears vs 4.10s. aren't '04 autos 325 HP and the 6 speeds are 300 HP?

[bburris]

I personally don't like the fuel tank capacity on the short bed models, and I think DaveO might agree...

[AgDieseler]

I would make sure it has the 3.73 gears vs 4.10s. aren't '04 autos 325 HP and the 6 speeds are 300 HP?
All Duramaxes have 3.73s. There is a power difference between manual and auto with the second generation LLY motors - 300 hp, 520 lb-ft / 325 hp, 605 lb-ft repectively.

Interestingly, the LLY uses the same VVT turbo that the Ford 6.0L Powersmoke uses.

[AgDieseler]

I personally don't like the fuel tank capacity on the short bed models, and I think DaveO might agree...
It is a little on the small side. 475 mile range isn't my favorite thing about the truck. We're looking at a 60 gal transgo tank.

[jerryg79]

It is a little on the small side. 475 mile range isn't my favorite thing about the truck. We're looking at a 60 gal transgo tank.

you're kidding right.....475 miles on a tank, do you know how many times i would have to stop and pee in that distance so who cares about stopping for gas. :flipoff2:

I'm looking at a couple of '02 crew cabs leather alison, around 60k miles. I want long bed but can only find one and its not leather :( Oh yeah and there all the same damn color as davidO's :(

[AgDieseler]

you're kidding right.....475 miles on a tank, do you know how many times i would have to stop and pee in that distance...
No, how many times does a geriatric have to pee in 475 miles? :flipoff2: :laughing:

[jerryg79]

No, how many times does a geriatric have to pee in 475 miles? :flipoff2: :laughing:

That's Jerryatric, and approx. 2-3 depending on the amount of mountain dew ingested an hour previous to the trip. :D

Oh yeah and coffee to stay awake and drive farther in one day, is counter-acted by having to stop and pee upwards of 3 times an hour :rolleyes:

[AggieTJ2007]

that must suck, I would just pee in a bottle and throw it in the back of the truck.

[stinger7401]

I'm glad you never came on trips with us Jerry, unless DaveO was along, we would only stop when had to. The Arizona trip, made it from Phoenix to El Paso and El Paso to San Antonio, but that was with the 100 gallon in the bed and a 30 on the bottom side.

Damn your like my dad Jerry :flipoff2:

[jerryg79]

I'm glad you never came on trips with us Jerry, unless DaveO was along, we would only stop when had to. The Arizona trip, made it from Phoenix to El Paso and El Paso to San Antonio, but that was with the 100 gallon in the bed and a 30 on the bottom side.

Damn your like my dad Jerry :flipoff2:

It's all about the training and conditioning. No drinks in the car, no more than half a drink if we stop to eat, and a truck with only about 350-400 mile range at 85. Believe me I learned my lesson the hard way back in the scouts! :D

[uglyota]

...Oh yeah and there all the same damn color as davidO's :(
that's the universal dirt color! Almost never needs washing!

dehydration is one of the primary causes of drivers falling asleep at the wheel...

[bburris]

475 miles??? Sh!t. I think I average about 350.

[tigweld]

Oliver what are the faults/problems to look out for on these trucks? (come on you know there is at least one :flipoff2: )

IFS, enough said!!! has no place in a heavy duty truck.

[uglyota]

that can be fixed...

[jerryg79]

Ummm I dont plan on using the 4wd that much that the IFS would be a big deal.

I dont know Fords that meet my criteria are alot easier to find then chevy's/GM's or Dodges.

[tigweld]

i'd have one if they were D60 front.

[AgDieseler]

IFS, enough said!!! has no place in a heavy duty truck.
Lift and tires aside, it works just fine. The suburban has gone 215,000 miles without any problems, and I would expect this truck to perform the same.

[AggieTJ2007]

how does the truck ride?

[AgDieseler]

It rides like a 3/4 ton pickup. It's a little rough unloaded, but no big deal - by comparison it's much smoother that my suburban :laughing: . Loaded, the truck is very smooth.

[uglyota]

I just carry my leaf spring collection around in mine...rides like a dream :D

[Shaggy]

damn i get nowhere near 475 in mine... i hardly ever get 300... and mine is a 2wd with a 21-22 gal tank... i put it to the floor almost half the time though... i miss having a big v8... i need to get the one in the garage going :)

[StevenAg03]

i can get a cool 400 out of my 20 gall tank and thats with the a/c on and cruisin at 80....i can get closer to 425 with the a/c off and speeds between 70-75 :flipoff2:

[aggieblazer07]

I get about 200 around town, and up to 300 on the highway

[agjohn02]

i'd have one if they were D60 front.


yeah, because everybody should be able to wheel the piss outta their $43,000 truck.

[Graystroke]

long beds get the bigger tank Jerry, I think Pops gets around 600 mi w/ his. I get about 520+ in my burb (42 gal) w/ a 454. long bed/crew cabs ride better too.~longer wheelbase

[jerryg79]

long beds get the bigger tank Jerry, I think Pops gets around 600 mi w/ his. I get about 520+ in my burb (42 gal) w/ a 454. long bed/crew cabs ride better too.~longer wheelbase

I've only found one long bed and it was cloth interior, and i wants the leather. Plus its private owner which means i'd have to sell my truck instead of jooing the dealership on the trade-in.

I got a second interview with a different company in the woodlands so depending on how that one and the beaumont one go, i may go look at trucks this weekend.

[agjohn02]

long beds get the bigger tank Jerry, I think Pops gets around 600 mi w/ his. I get about 520+ in my burb (42 gal) w/ a 454. long bed/crew cabs ride better too.~longer wheelbase


i heard the longbeds ride rougher. they hit a resonance on the concrete freeways and bridges and buck a lot.

[Sharpe]

My crewcab long bed rides awsome normaly, but I think you are on to something John. When I am driving over an area with a bunch of small bumps, it start making a wierd ass vibration.

[Graystroke]

I think there is a huge difference between 90's model PU's/Suburbans vs. new PU's/Suburbans. My Sub defintely rides like a 3/4 ton. My Dad's rides like a Cadillac.