my brother in law builds tow trucks and wreckers out in scenery hill, pa

and 75% of the time people request fords

nobody wants the dodges (even know they possibly have the nicest interiors)

but i will say those ol chevys will run for a looooong time

all in all, i love ford and chevy even know im more for fords to **** my friends off

but i cant see the point in dodges, everyone around here has them for show, ya know the 12 inch round stacks blowing black smoke, bein obnoxious

and they get stuck when they try to pull somethin out, not to mention i personally think they are quite ugly, even know the cummins is a very nice engine

 

Ford's front ends aren't the greatest.

Chebby has made a few good looking trucks, but not many. Ford beats Chebby in the cosmetics department.

 

ya...but looks are not going to get you home when your chevy leaves you stranded. I never even considered a chev when it was time for a truck. Though they used to make some good trucks, I will admit. I think it has been along time since GM has made anything good....IMO One of the Venture vans a previous emplyer had burnt a light in the dash cluster....It cost 800 to replace the cluster. Even though It was not my van, I got some pleasure in telling them what I thought of GM.

Naaa....I'm just misunderstood.

 

Agreed, I think the last good lookin' chevy trucks and K-5 Blazers were pre - 1973. Likewise I think the nicest looking Ford trucks were the '80-'86 models followed by the '04-'08s.

Tim

 

my buddie took out 3 trannys out of his chevy and i drive my ford just as hard or even harder and my tranny is still working good . just about 300 000 km on it and only done oil and filter changes. having a hard time keeping trac loks working like they do when there new. they last about a 1000 km then start slipping or blow apart. im going to be putting my 4th trac locks sometime this week. anyone know why they keep slipping? i put in a bottle of posi additive everytime i put one in... could it be ****ty oil?

 

I think the '92-'96 ('97 HDs) were the best looking trucks anyone ever made. I also think they are some of the best, they had a tried and proven drivetrain. Even the TTB front ends which people bash on so much are not the worst thing in the world. I have been around a lot of these trucks and have never seen a Dana 50 TTB that broke, however I still want a Dana 60 for mine.

As far as Ford's new trucks go, I think they are ugly. Everyone's new trucks are ugly in my opinion. They have huge grills, too much body paneling, stupid big wheels (18s and 20s), and less ground clearance than the older trucks. Manufacturers have made their trucks lower to the ground (look at step-in height) because of safety and ease of getting in. To make the trucks still look tall and tough, they compensate by making the bodies tall and stupid looking.

But thats just my 2 cents, everyone gets their own opinion....

 

I agree.

I want a tough truck. Not a truck that just looks tough. I want something with strong suspension and a good ride height. New trucks sit low to the ground but you need a cherry picker to load and unload them..? What in the world?

That's why I'm so taken by Ranger's (Edge models).

I'm sure someone will come on here and flame me for this. They will say "What are you talking about? Look at the load and pulling ratings on the new trucks."
Well, sure. I'm not saying they aren't good. I'm just saying - they could be a lot better.

 

My father has personally beat a 78 f250 and a 95 K2500 on the farm. The 78 351M finally quit due to lost compression and a cracked valve. The K2500 is going down hill slowly but it still takes a beating. His biggest problem is that he messed up the horn in both trucks bouncing them through ditches chasing cows down with them. My belief is the truck is only as good as the owner. If the owner doesnt repair what they f-up on the truck then it will fall to pieces. If you run it like a dog it will fail at the most inopertune time that you do need it the most, as both have for my father a time or two. So, the whole ford v chevy v dodge v toyota isnt much to me as long as the truck is easy to fix after it breaks. But I have a preference to fords because that was the first vehicle I learned to repair.

 

I would like more information regarding this possible flaw.
"Hard starting: Hesitation, miss, stumble, no-start, or stalling could be due to a short in the wiring harness for the powertrain control module (PCM). (1993-95)"
I have a 95 F150 and I'm struggling with an intermittent stumble / miss.
Is there any Ford technical information describing this harness short in more detail?

 

Our Company just pulled the plug on buying GMC's and chevy's. Making the switch to all fords here within the new year. But I tell ya, whatever sterling does to the bigger trucks, man what a pain in the **** to work on, mostly wiring issues.

 

That sounds quite familiar. I had to drop the TH350 in my old 76 K20 three times in three years. Of course, a TH350 behind a mild 400 SBC being driven by a high school kid isn't going to be pampered. As much as I liked the truck, I was always worried that something would break. Oh, and even back when gas was cheap, 9-11 mpg still hurt...
My next truck was a company 78 F150. This was in 88, and it was a construction company truck that had been worked for 10 years before I got it. Never had any real probs with it, but it was only a 2wd.

Drove Chevy, Dodge, and Ford in between then and now, and while I personally like various trucks from all American manufactures, I tend to gravitate towards Ford for work trucks based on my perception and experience of the ROI.

BTW, I hate the S10s.....Probably the worst Chevy truck ever.

 

That fire hazard recall with the Ford cruise control off switch applies to way more trucks than listed here. Its one of the larger recalls ever. I think various models from like 1990-2004 or some crazy range like that.

The only issues listed that I have had are: ball joints wearing out quick if you get water in them (solution:replace with greaseable Moogs and grease at least every oil change), and both fuel tanks rotted out (solution:replace and coat new tanks heavily in frame undercoat, then move the hell out of the midwest!).

I have also had to deal with pinion bearing crush sleave failure, but that was probably because of, ah, abuse. And of course every front end bushing and every u-joint (all greaseable now, grease rear driveshaft every 1000miles) in the truck. Tie rods are all original with 196k on them though, all tight as ever. LOTS OF GREASE! Oh the rear fender design is ****-poor, holds salt/water and just rots through.

My front springs are just starting to sag, but I disagree that you need to get these trucks aligned frequently. They hold alignments well so long as you don't drive around with junk bushings/ball joints or jump the truck.

An old friend of mine drives/drove (don't know anymore) a 95' Chevy, while that truck never gets worked hard, it has had the least major problems of any vehicle I've been around. Gas, oil, brakes. Last I saw it had around 220k on it, he got it in 02' with about 120k. But if it never tows, never hauls, what do you expect.

 

Ford DID NOT take any bailout money from the Federal Government (ultimately, WE the People). GM and Chrysler did. Ford in turn became much more profitable and rose to the number 1 American Auto manufacturer. GM is STILL and will be in debt to the Government for many years to come regardless what they say.