Trade your Ford for a Chevrolet? Probably not, but I thought I would get ideas here to expand my knowledge. I currently have my 02 XLT SC 7.3 that is in good shape, and engine-wise excellent condition, obviously well cared for by the previous owner. I am happy with my truck, but I have always wanted a regular cab. Regular cabs in general are difficult to find in my area that don't have service bodies, but this is especially true with Fords. Chevy and Dodge trucks in regular cabs with pickup beds are much more prevalent. I wouldn't mind a Dodge, but it would have to be a Cummins Dodge and those are as much as their weight in gold, as are most Duramax Chevys. If I had to go back to a gas truck, my first choice would be the 8.1 Vortec Chevy, next would be the 6.0 Chevy, then the Fords. I have owned a 5.4 SD before my current truck and it was good with a manual, but the Chevy engines seem to be a bit better, just not in as great a package as the Ford. I also believe that the GM transmission behind the 6.0 is tougher than my current 4R100. I did find a regular cab Chevrolet 2500HD 4x4 with the 6.0 in red (I also want a truck that is not white). It has 127K miles on it and is in as good if not slightly better than my current truck. I have owned an '04 2WD 2500HD in the past, but I have never had a 4x4 Chevy, so I have never had IFS. I know it is inferior to the solid axle, but what else about it? Does it require more maintenance? Also, does anyone know about the reliability of the push-button 4x4 in the Chevys? Is it like the Ford ESOF or is it better or worse, seeing as the Chevys don't have the capability to manually lock the hubs. One thing that scares me about the 03-06 Chevys is the electrical system. The 2500HD I had would have all types of random dash lights go out. The cluster failed and had to be replaced under GM recall, and anytime it got really cold ~20 degrees or so, the ABS computer would stop working so my ABS light would be on along with the red parking brake indicator, along with the cluster telling me to 'SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM', but when the temp heated up, everything was fine. That truck only had 73K on it when I traded it. I was told that the electrical issues I had were not the norm, except for the cluster, hence the recall. I think the Chevy is more comfortable ride-wise and interior-wise, but the Ford is a better built truck, using metal bolts where Chevy had plastic clips. I know people that have put over 300K on their Chevy trucks with no major repairs, but I didn't have the best of luck with the one I had. Either way I was just possibly considering a trade to this truck, and would like any insight anyone has of potential problems or design issues with the Chevy trucks.

 

Chevy 4x4 has its own version of the ESOF woes. If you cross cold water, the front axle will disengage. Strange way their hubs are engaged

The IFS on the 3/4 and 1 tons is WEAK. Offroad Magazine did a decent buildup on their hauler. A late model (99-05) 2500. They broke so many half shafts with just light wheeling


Brand loyalty aside, I'd suggest sticking with a solid axle truck if you actually uses the truck for work. Simple, tough, and easy to fix. So that leaves you with a Dodge or Superduty


Best of luck with whatever you choose. IMO, a Superduty trumps the competition in the work arena

 

HAHA!! I did not know this.

Agreed. I would like to find a SD 7.3 diesel reg cab XL, not in white, with a manual transmission, manual 4wd, crank windows, etc., but I can't locate any. I did not know that Dodge had solid axles either. I thought they were IFS like the Chevy.


Agreed. Reg cab SDs are a nightmare to find. Most of the ones I have found are in the New England area.

 

Did you ever consider a V-10, and a 2005+ truck with the better 5R110W transmission and 3 valve gas engines?

 

I used to work on gm vehicles for a living, and the ifs was troublesome, and yes the front axles (at least up till the mid 90's) were disconnected right at the diff. the actuator was a heating element that would cause a gel like fluid to expand, moving a shift fork. thats why in cold weather or going through water the front axle would dis engage...the water would cool off the heat element. I remember owners of these trucks complaining the front axle would take way too long in cold weather to engage... the only thing i could tell them it was a designed in problem.

 

Short answer, NO!

I wouldn't own a Dodge or Chevy if I was paid too. I'm not just saying that either. I work on trucks for a living. I have more Ford vehicles in my database then GM or Dodge combined. GM is about 35% of my vehicles serviced, but about 60% of my business. Dodge is about 10% of my vehicles services and 15% of my business. Ford is 45% of my service, and 15% of my business.

 

That would be a good combo, but honestly I really dislike the 05-07 front end. I could overlook that if I found the right truck, but usually when I do a search, it is for 2000-2004s. That said, I would really prefer to stick to diesel. I did find a 2007 Chevy Duramax reg cab 4x4, with the 4x4 on the floor, but it is a little more than I was wanting to pay (on top of my trade).

 

I can't speak for any late model Chevys, but as for Dodge, you could not pay me to take one. My previous truck was a Dodge, and the quality was simply horrible. There are design elements that I loved, but the fact that I couldnt keep it on the road for more than 15K miles without a major repair (tranny, transfer case, rear-end, electrical, etc...) forced me to dump it with less than 100K on it. I have close friends that have had similar experiences with Dodge as well. The Cummins and the suspension are great, but the rest of the truck leave a lot to be desired.

 

If I had to switch brands I would go for the Dodge Ram.

Boils down to a couple things.
Solid front axle
And the motor.

But I am sure I would have issues with all the suspension components. Choose your poision.

Better than a weak front end entirely.

You can go aftermarket and fix the Dodge woes.