I decided to stop at a local Chevrolet dealer today to pick up a brochure on their trucks (kinda like a covert operation) to get spec's to compare with our Fords. After fending off the salesman, I received permission to go looking around the lot for myself to check out their inventory. A few surprises for me today.

I know I'll get flamed for this, but after what I experienced today, I'm a believer in these trucks.
First off I went around checking underneath the trucks looking for the flimsy GM frames I always read about around here, and I now have to ask you guys, Have any of you actually seen these frames? They're massive! I mean it, they were huge, much more robust looking than the SuperDuty frames I'm used to seeing.
Even the tubular steel cross members seemed much stronger alternative to the stamped cross members I thought they would have. Probably the thing which most impressed me about those frames was that they were completely straight- no bends and curves like those in the SD 250/350, they were straight like the frame rails of a SD450 masons dump, but these were 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.... and they were just as thick at the bumper as they were in the center of the truck,....damn..

The rear axles looked pretty tough as well, the 1ton dually had 8 springs -6 main and 2 extra's. I think you can tell I was pretty taken with these trucks just from looking them over a bit, but I still had no intention of going through the hassle of driving one, esp since I was'int even thinking of buying one. That changed when I was looking at the stickers on some of them and saw a reg cab 2500HD with stick tranny. I talked to the salesman about his "red haired step child", and asked to go for a test drive.

This truck had the 6.0L in it with 4.10 axle ratio, and there is no doubt at all that this engine will definately outpull the 5.4L with any tranny ford sticks behind it. First gear in this thing was a beast, and you could even let the clutch out and it would roll on it's own in 2nd gear. It was only a 5spd as opposed to Ford's 6spd - but with gearing like that, and the smooth shifting pattern it had, it was a dream. I don't esp care for the shifting pattern on the Ford 6spd anyway.

I WAS impressed with this engine guys, and since I've been around here long enough to learn a few things, and also to notice a few contradictions I have to ask: What's so bad about GM using pushrod engines in their trucks? Is it that it's old technology? Is it really a matter of being inferior to Ford's philosophy on truck engines? Is it because Ford no longer offers a push rod engine in any of their truck line ups? What is it?

I mean I've seen posts around here where many have mentioned
the "old" 4.9L I6 as being far superior to the "modern" 4.7L v-8
in terms of "low end" torque and pulling capability. No doubt some of this is due to the I6 design, but did'int that design use push rods? Dos'ent the 4.7L use OHC? But then we are all supposed to believe that the OHC 5.4L can out pull the push rod 6.0? I won't even argue that one-not after what I drove today..I've seen enough already in that 10 min test drive to know that'll never happen.

I still love my Ford boys, it's been abused, over loaded, over worked, and under appreciated, I will NEVER dis my own truck, especially since there have been times when I was just waiting for it to croak, but it never did. I've got a 98' F150 w 5spd manual
4.2L v-6, and inspite of all the associated problems posted about this engine in this truck, all I can say is that mine has always done what I've asked of it without a gripe, it turned over 100,000 miles last week.

When the time comes for me to buy another truck, I can't say what I'll do-I've had good experiences with this one, so good in fact that I'm sure I wont "need" another for at least another 4-5 years, when I do buy -it may be a Ford but it WON'T be that Nissan look alike they call F150 nowadays. Would I buy a Chev?
I don't honestly know, but I do know I was impressed with the ones I saw today, and I do know my next truck will be a 3/4 ton regardless of make, because no 1/2 ton deserves to be put through the torture that I've put my current truck through.


My 2 cents, thx guys.

 

As a firm believer in GM's engineering and long time Chevy/GMC fan all I can say is...I'm glad you came out of the Furd cave of denial.

OK, guys...let me have it!

 

My dad has a friend with a chevy 1500 6.0L and that thing can move. Tows pretty darn good too!

 

Ive got your back StompGo

 

The Superduties will hold up better with solid axle up front and lock out hubs. Less moving parts and leaf springs will hold a plow alot better than IFS. I dont care much for the central axle disconnects and Aluminum front differentials in the GM's. Fords drive line has always been far superior to GM's

 

I sat in and looked at a sheby 2500HD 2 days ago and i was completely unimpressed. the interior was terribly "cheesy" it looked like a 95 sheby reborn! i have also driven my friends avalanche =with the 6.0 and it feels fast but wont pull worth a darn. and being that the current sheby front ends look worse than the titan, i left even more certain that i stand behind the right truck.

 

I had '96 chevy and now a suburban and dont think the interiors look alike at all.

But, both are VERY nice trucks

 

i don't know, they looked alot alike to me, oh well although i am not a fan of the mid-90 chevy's, i will agree with you on the suburban.

 

i have a friend with a 3/4 ton chevy and he pulls heavy trailers all the time without problems. you are right about those frames too. beef! they only thing i don't like about them is the IFS, but all of them are going that way not so oh well. also i have always like the looks of a gm interior more than fords. fords are to bubbley to round and the same cheap plastic, just rounded.

 

On Dec. 6th and 7th we had a Nor_Easter, here in Conn. (coastal storm), some places got 20" of snow here, as I was driving to plow a commercial lot, I noticed 2 town pickups, comming down the road, lights flashing, plows down, first was a new Chevy, man the thing was doing a serious nose dive, bet the front end was 3" to 4" below the rear end, 2nd was a Super-Duty, just plowing away, looking normal,,He,,He, as I drive by with my 9' Fisher, on my F-350, plow up, hardly sagging at all !

Bye what ya want, I know which one handles a plow better !!

Later,,,,,,,,,,,Mark

 

I'd say the Ford running gear will hold up longer, except maybe the engine. I have a v-10 and I'm not at all impressed by the stock output. I had a '72 Mercury Marquis, with a 429. If the engine was still used, with some aluminum parts and a good factory fuel injection system, it would absolutely embarass the v-10. Possibly the PSD, too. Sometimes, I wonder what they're thinking.

 

Chevy makes some great trucks. I loved the IFS in our last 4 GM trucks. That was for sure one of the low points about going back to Ford for me. Lifting, rock climbing and plowing are not on my list of things to do with a truck so YMMV.

The new ones are a little homely up front though so do yourself a favor and go check out the GMC version of the same truck.

 

Chevy really did themselves a huge favor with their recent frame redesign. I think they finally got it right: A ladder frame that is actually decent size. It used to be a Z-frame that was small enough to be under an escort. Too bad Ford has been making their trucks like this for years.

 

"first was a new Chevy, man the thing was doing a serious nose dive, bet the front end was 3" to 4" below the rear end, 2nd was a Super-Duty, just plowing away, looking normal,,He,,He, as I drive by with my 9' Fisher, on my F-350, plow up, hardly sagging at all ! "

What goes around comes around I suppose. That's exactly what us Chevy guys used to say about the old coil sprung solid axles under the '70's and '80's Fords. Put a plow on them and their take an equally big nose dive.

"The new ones are a little homely up front though so do yourself a favor and go check out the GMC version of the same truck."

Doesn't that new Chevy front end just make you want to gag? You are right, the GMC is a MUCH better looking truck.
The F150 is still as ugly as ever. The '04 is a little better but still homely (what's the deal with the big goofy oval on the tailgate...uckkk). The F250 is by far the best looking Ford truck.

 

who plows with a 1/2 ton truck? coil spring, solid axle is probably the best front suspension ever for a real offroad truck. it pains me to admit this but i have to admit that the new gmc is probably the least unattractive of the new trucks. i would never buy one though, IFS on a "heavy duty" truck? yah right. if your list of things to do includes,going to the store, picking up the kid's from school, pick up some 2x4's from home dippo go for the chevy. if you need to haul some gravel out of the gravel pit, haul some wood out of the woods, or do some wheelin go ford. the older the better.