new GM pickup questions

[Elevation]

I am thinking about upgrading my 97 F250. I am or was a ford guy but going GM. Looking at 2500 HD. 6.0 auto. all salesmen are pushing for 3:73 gears(its what they have on the lot). I tow about 70 % of the time, it looks to me like for towing the 4:10 would work better, 5th and 6th of the new trans are both overdrive ratios. what do you have and how do you like the gear ratio? Might go diesel but not getting good reviews on the mileage of the 2008's. found some low mile 2006's diesesl are they a better truck?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Mafesto]

Salespeople who are only interested in selling what they have, instead of what you want are worthless tools.

Towing 70% of the time?
Of course you want the 4.10 gearing!

 

[Blu Du]

are you talking about 6.6 diesel or a 6.0 gas the gas is a 4 speed right. if you get the diesel get the 3.73 the 4.10 usally come on the duallys. if it's the gas get the 4.10

 

[Mafesto]

are you talking about 6.6 diesel or a 6.0 gas the gas is a 4 speed right. if you get the diesel get the 3.73 the 4.10 usally come on the duallys. if it's the gas get the 4.10

I believe you can get the good tranny with the 6.0 since they dropped the 8.1

 

[SAWYER]

the 6.0 is a 6 speed. We have one for a shop truck. 6 mpg towing and it's a gutless wonder. Spend the extra coin on a diesel if your gonna tow with it

 

[Blu Du]

I believe you can get the good tranny with the 6.0 since they dropped the 8.1

i did not know you learn something new every day.

 

[Motley Doo]

4.10's with the 6.0 and get 12 mpg driving normal(foot in the throttle). It does tow pretty good, can't remember mpg though! Buddy has a K&N filter and a tuner and gets 16!

 

[masneri]

I got an 06 with the 6.0 and 4:10's. I get like 10 mpg in town. I would buy a 6.6 duramax over the new ones just becuase theres so much more you can do to them for cheaper, but I am pretty happy with my truck for the most part. I used to get better gas milage with my stock tires but I plan on getting an intake and chip later this year and hopfully i can get at least 12 mpg intown.

 

[Barnes]

If your stuck on getting new, its getting harder and harder to justify the price of the diesel engine now that diesel is 80 cents higher then gas. However, you should be able to pick up a slightly used 06 or 07 Classic duramax for less then you can get a new 6.0 with an ally transmission.

 

[T-Bone]

I drive an '07 6.0L/6spd auto as my work pickup. About 11.5-12 MPG unloaded driving only highways 70-75 MPH. Power is really not that impressive. With the 3.73's it shifts around alot. Makes a lot of noise, though. And if you're over 6'2, your almost guaranteed to hit your head on the roof getting out.

 

[Dogmeat]

I drive an '07 6.0L/6spd auto as my work pickup. About 11.5-12 MPG unloaded driving only highways 70-75 MPH. Power is really not that impressive. With the 3.73's it shifts around alot. Makes a lot of noise, though. And if you're over 6'2, your almost guaranteed to hit your head on the roof getting out.

I'm 6'4" ... I've never bumped my head on my dad's 08' 1500 ....

I am a lot more impressed with the current crop of 6.0 motors than I was with them 5-6 years ago...

The 08' 1500 with the 6.0 I've driven and towed with is good up to about 5,000-lb ... tows my parents 24' Charmax acceptably.

Given, it's definatley not as good lugging a trailer as my 8.1 is, but I think this has more to do with it being a 4-speed than anything.

I think the 6.0L combined with the 6-speed should probably tow a 5,000-lb enclosed trailer pretty well ... I think if I was gonna be regularly hauling over 6,000-lb with it however, even with the 6-speed, I'd either put a supercharger on the 6.0 or buy a diesel ...

I would _DEFINATLEY_ tell the salesmen to go f*ck themselves if they're trying to sell you one with 3.73's ... Most definatley go with the 4.10's....

 

[Elevation]

Thanks for your input everyone!

Sawyer

the 6.0 is a 6 speed. We have one for a shop truck. 6 mpg towing and it's a gutless wonder. Spend the extra coin on a diesel if your gonna tow with it

How heavy is the trailer you tow? what is the gear ratio? What year?

In the new 6 speed auto 5th and 6th gears are both overdrive. It looks to me like the lower ratio would be better. I would think they will "hunt" allot when towing Any input?
Thanks

 

[Dogmeat]

Thanks for your input everyone!

Sawyer


How heavy is the trailer you tow? what is the gear ratio? What year?

In the new 6 speed auto 5th and 6th gears are both overdrive. It looks to me like the lower ratio would be better. I would think they will "hunt" allot when towing Any input?
Thanks

Are you sure they have 2 overdrive gears?

Either way, even if you never see 5th gear towing, that still means you've got a lower 1st gear as well as a closer-ratio 2-4 gear ... You would actually "hunt" less with the 5 or the 6 speed.

That's the problem with the 6.0L on the 4-speed, it wants to drop from 3rd to 2nd and rev to 4800 RPM at the drop of a hat ... with a 5 or 6 speed you'd essentially have another gear with a lot lower gap than 3rd to 2nd on the current 4L65E 4-speed.

 

[slyrydr]

pleeeeeze, don't let yourself get sucked into the 3.73 gears with anything other than a diesel.....the 4.10s' are ok if.....your elevation isn't over 5000'....arrival time is not of importance.....you NEVER will be tempted to pass another vehicle.....my good friend just tried the 6.0 after having diesels for several years, he just forgot, and after 3 months, bailed out of that turd at a loss, but he just couldn't go on with such limited capability....bought the duramax....life is good again

 

[Elevation]

Are you sure they have 2 overdrive gears?

Either way, even if you never see 5th gear towing, that still means you've got a lower 1st gear as well as a closer-ratio 2-4 gear ... You would actually "hunt" less with the 5 or the 6 speed.

That's the problem with the 6.0L on the 4-speed, it wants to drop from 3rd to 2nd and rev to 4800 RPM at the drop of a hat ... with a 5 or 6 speed you'd essentially have another gear with a lot lower gap than 3rd to 2nd on the current 4L65E 4-speed.

Here is what I found the 6L90 transmission has these gear ratio's
1st=4:02, 2nd=2:36, 3rd=1.53, 4th=1:15, 5th=.85, 6th=.67

 

[tmk50]

For 2009 you can get a 6.0 or the 6.2 in the half ton with a 6 speed -


http://eogld.ecomm.gm.com/NASApp/do...regionID=1&divisionID=1&vehicleID=6941&type=0

Click on "New for 2009"


Still waiting on the 4.5 diesel...... hopefully next year! I want to stay diesel, but it's getting harder to justify on the new trucks. I hope I can get my dmax to last a few more years before I have to do anything.

 

[Elevation]

I got an 06 with the 6.0 and 4:10's. I get like 10 mpg in town. I would buy a 6.6 duramax over the new ones just becuase theres so much more you can do to them for cheaper, but I am pretty happy with my truck for the most part. I used to get better gas milage with my stock tires but I plan on getting an intake and chip later this year and hopfully i can get at least 12 mpg intown.

What Gears do you have in the rear end? A diesel would be easier to justify if I drove it more miles, I only drive it about 8,000 miles a year. But like I said 70% of the those miles are towing.

 

[AZ800]

My 2 cents would be to get a used DMax 07 or older. The new ones have mixed reports on mileage unless you remove the dpf and then there's a resounding positive milage response (18-20 mpg like the older ones), but your waranty is shot if you do this.
Diesel is expensive, but for the low mi you drive, resale on the DMax, and 70% towing, you'll be money ahead w/ a used diesel.
I was thinking the newer gassers are pretty easy on fuel, got a new 08 F150 5.4, 4x4, company truck and it's getting 15-17 mpg hwy w/ a lead foot in the mtns.................until I hooked a trailer to it. Pulled my boat (5klbs) w/ the F150 and my 2pl enclosed sled trlr, overloaded, prolly 5klbs as well, with the 02 DMax from Albq to western CO at the same time. The F150 pulled the trailer fine, could maintain 75mph on the flats, never saw overdrive though. The DMax had much more wind resistance w/ the box trailer. F150 got 10mpg on 1 tank and 9 mpg on the next. DMax got 14mpg both fillups essentially pulling more of a load.
Your results w/ a Chev gasser will be the same, IMO. Buddy has a new 5.3 Silverado and gets 17-18mpg empty (drives like a grampa) and 8-9mpg towing a 6klb travel trailer.

 

[R J]

It's going to be the sign of the times with diesels as each year the ever increasing emission controls will hamper the mileage. It's fact. Look over the past 4 years. We have had one if not two big changes in terms of diesel fuel and diesel emmisions and with both occasions the mileage on the most recent stuff is worse then what they replaced across the board. Have you noticed it's national average is $4.15 a gallon right now?

For your main question:
If you do tow 70% of the time honestly, the 4:10's would be sweet. If you drive 20,000 miles a year the trailer is behind you 14,000 of those miles? That's a lot of trailering.

 

[Elevation]

Now for your main question:
If you do tow 70% of the time honestly, the 4:10's would be sweet. If you drive 20,000 miles a year the trailer is behind you 14,000 of those miles? That's a lot of trailering.

I do tow most of the time but i only put on 8,000 miles per year. If I drove the pickup 30,000 a year the diesel would be easier to justify. I am leaning toward a 05 or 06 low mile diesel but they want almost as much for them as a new one. We are getting a major spring storm here in central Montana. Seven inches so far and the forcast is for 36 hours more snow.