The IFS GM uses now is pretty stout. Still not as inherently strong as the solid axle, but strong enough to handle a plow and not bend tire rods and bust ball joints and wear out control arm bushings. GMT800 and early 900 trucks were very weak.

 

I have a 2015 Duramax that I'm trading in for a 2017 F350 Power stroke. Duramax leaks oil from the gally plugs behind the flywheel. Dealer has tried once to fix it. They had to remove the transmission to fix it and broke other stuff in the process. Maybe more of a statement on the dealer than the truck, but why have a truck that the dealer can't fix.

 

I agree with this as well I had a 2006 Gmc 3500 4x4 drw it was a nice truck great ride and strong front end. Also had a 1991 Gmc 3500 4x4 Plow truck and could not keep the front end in that truck

 

Seeing a lot of mixed reviews now from you guys. Some say duramax is bad and some say it's great.

do you guys think the new super duty has a better body style than the duramax?

 

Isn't the 2017 duramax a totally new platform? The reliability is unproven currently.

 

[QUOTE=Chris Crews;16898623]Seeing a lot of mixed reviews now from you guys. Some say duramax is bad and some say it's great.

Hold on there, chevy is a distant 3rd in the American list pecking order. I've had one D-max so I have been there. Any truck can, and will have problems. Over a lifetime of owning 3/4-1 ton trucks, nothing will hold up like the Ford, period. There's always exceptions, but it's like placing a bet, my money's on Ford. I've been around too many trucks in my life and owned a lot of them.

I will say I sure see a lot more chevy trucks in southern california compared to here in Oregon. This aligns with my belief that chevys are much more suited for hwy use, like a car with a bed on it.

 

I had an 07.5 LMM and now have '17 FSD. I can say the Ford's transmission already has a better and more confidence inspiring shift at all throttle applications. The Allison did not always have a consistent/positive shift at higher throttle applications and was not a fan of any tuning beyond stock, even when one would do a tranny re-learn.

 

Who cares? When that steel body rusts away, you will be able to stare at your duramax engine while driving down the road.

I think Ford really out engineered the competitors with the 17 super-duty. GM marketing is making Steel vs Aluminum ads while their engineering is working on Aluminum for 2019?

And just to be clear... I like GM. I have had many of their cars.

 

The Allison used to be the selling point for the gm and the duramax is a good engine. The Ford is just better though, the 6r140 is reliable and capable of lasting longer than the truck itself, it's the best transmission right now.

It does seem that gm is more liberal with their warranty coverage but this can be a dealer issue too, some service writers at any dealer are just not good at their jobs so it's not something to rely on.

The powerstroke diesel is very reliable, I don't know how much more reliable than the others, but I don't think a decision can be made based on engine alone.

Overall I have to say that the way Ford engineers the super duty makes it the best option for a buyer who plans to tow trailers regularly. When considering all the brands who make 3/4 and 1 ton trucks the Ford is made better. It doesn't mean it rides better or is the fastest or has the best stereo, the SD does the best job of being a pickup truck that handles heavy loads. It won't drive funny, wear out tires, weaken the suspension components, overheat the engine or transmission, rattle, or wear out from hauling or towing heavy loads every day. The integrity of the vehicle doesn't diminish from extreme use. You won't be saying "I need to replace the tie rod ends because my trailer is so heavy and we did a lot of travel this year".

The gm might be just as solid, I don't know, I used to have one and it didn't hold up but that was over 10 years ago. Some people just like the gm look and feel, I don't.

It's a tough debate and I just think you should drive both and get whichever one you like, the transmission in either one won't fail but they both feel very different. Drive at least 10 miles in both using the transmission in manual mode, as if you were shifting and choosing your gears with a stick shift and compare it to how it really feels to drive a manual. The Ford comes very close to imitating what it's like if you had a manual and it's my favorite part of the SD.

 

So is this a powerstroke vs duramax thread or a torqueshift vs allison thread? lol

 

The thread starter was told that the Allison in the gm is the reason that the duramax supposedly holds up better than the Ford powerstroke. It's kind of hard to pick that statement apart without referencing the 6r140.

 

Fair enough.

 

Well, since you can't get a 6.7L Power Stroke without a TorqueShift, and you can't get a 6.6L Duramax without an Allison, it seems the topics are very closely related...

 

Well, I guess we actually disagree since your 2006 was a GMT800 truck. My uncle's 2005 had tie rods the size of what you'd find on a Cavalier and in general very small control arms and ball joints. It did not hold a plow very well on the front end; I will say the rear end did not squat nearly like the 2011-2016 Super Duty. I'm not a fan of the torsion-arm front suspension either.

 

2017 Duramax is a new engine - but still a 6.6L with a very similar overall design to the LML. The block and heads, crank, rods, pistons, fuel system, turbo...all new.

Some points I find interesting:

-Still an iron block. No CGI like the Ford.
-New rods with offset bolts just like the 6.7L Ford. Previous generation used bolts parallel to the rod.
-4-bolt main bearing caps. Not sure what the LML used, for the 6.7L Ford uses 6.
-New fuel system by Denso (LML used Bosch, same as Ford)
-Venturi oil separator system (very useful, wished Ford had)
-Revised air and coolant passages

This engine has been design tested to 550HP and 1050lb-ft. Current output in 445HP and 910lb-ft. So extremely similar to the current Ford. It should be a total beast and my guess is that it will be quicker than the Fords. However, being all-new might mean some teething troubles for GM. We will see.