2500-3500 New V8 Pickups

[AirgunSavant]

And 250-350's etc.

If you were to buy a new gas V8 in a new heavy duty truck which one would it be and why?
Diesels are out. I loved mine but for many reasons I don't want to go that route. I have owned
trucks from the big 3 and not interested in brand bashing.

 

[daman]

Always GM and a 3500, why? because I use it as it was intended for, towing and hauling.

 

[Kuato]

Ford. Their HD pickups with the 6.2 gas is proven, and for 2017 gets the F150 interior. Plus you can still get a manual shift TC.

 

[53' Stude]

Chevy 2500 with v-8 as I like power and torque

 

[horse123]

Originally Posted By: daman
Always GM and a 3500, why? because I use it as it was intended for, towing and hauling.


Agree. The 6.0 has been the most bulletproof in the class, and even the transmission used is generally unheard of to break down. They also drive better and tow better than the competition. See TFLTruck on youtube.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: daman
Always GM and a 3500, why? because I use it as it was intended for, towing and hauling.
+1

 

[itguy08]

Ford F-350. Why? We's like to upgrade to a 5th wheel some day. The 6.2 is near bulletproof, trans is good and the interior is great. I've driven the 2017 and it drives smaller than it is and is very quiet inside. There is a reason they sell the most of them. Runner up would be the Chevy/GMC. After that I'd walk.

 

[Tomioka]

Whatever looks good. My bro is looking at a brand new Chevy K2500HD gasser since he likes the bodystyle and front end to replace his 04 Lexus LS430.

 

[horse123]

Don't ever let anything convince you to buy a 6.4 2500 or 3500 btw, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeWhXy_ciuM

Just look at how terrible that thing is. It has all the power it needs, but the trans has no idea what the [censored] it's doing, nor did the engineers that made it.

 

[carviewsonic]

My work truck is a 2013 F250, which I have driven from new. Four years and no issues with it at all, just routine maintenance. Mostly gravel roads, but working in pipeline construction means lots of off road and mud too. No interior rattles so far, even on washboard, which is pretty good.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
And 250-350's etc.

If you were to buy a new gas V8 in a new heavy duty truck which one would it be and why?
Diesels are out. I loved mine but for many reasons I don't want to go that route. I have owned
trucks from the big 3 and not interested in brand bashing.


Drive all THREE brands, Over a weekend would be ideal to get the feel for each truck, Write down all your pro's & con's & hopefully you will share them with us.

If this is going to be a 4x4, I would buy a GM truck because the IFS drives & handles so much better than a solid axle set-up!

 

[double vanos]

My last chevy (2005)was plagued with intermediate steering shaft failures. And rattles. And ground issues.
I left trucks until 2009 when my wife bought her first F150. She drove it for 60k miles with zero issues; no rattles or anything else. Since then we've become a Ford family. They've all been good cars/ trucks. So no more GMs for me.
So I agree with caeviewsonic, go with the Ford.

 

[redhat]

GM... the LSx/LTx motors are probably some of the most reliable engines on the market. Simple OHV cam-in-block goodness that keeps proving you don't need timing chains as long as a jump rope, four camshafts or 32 valves to make great horsepower and torque. The 4L80Es were excellent and the 6L80E/6L90Es are great transmissions as well.

There's a reason that one of the hottest platforms for aftermarket performance/racing is the LSx. Tons of guys go either stock bottom end LQ4 6.0 or even build a cleaned up 6.0 with a stock crank, forged rods and pistons, couple of turbos and a built 4L80E and make 800-900RWHP.

 

[Need4racin]

compare the front steering/ axle shafts/ knuckles on the 4x4 super duty to an IFS front end. They have the best axle setup of any truck, most of us use the axles for off road/ rock crawlers etc. They are a beef setup. With IFS you will be replacing ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods every 100-150k.

The 6.2 is near bulletproof has the rare valve spring break. But low labor fix compared to other major fails of other engines.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Don't ever let anything convince you to buy a 6.4 2500 or 3500 btw, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeWhXy_ciuM

Just look at how terrible that thing is. It has all the power it needs, but the trans has no idea what the [censored] it's doing, nor did the engineers that made it.


Yes, three years ago it was programmed to save fuel and theoretically, excess wear. People complained, and these days it is allowed to run to it's capability. As seen here:



I'm not telling anyone what to buy, as I've owned and worked on all three of the big-3 brands, and I've seen problems with all of them.

That said, I'm still seriously considering a Diesel Pick-up.

 

[SteveSRT8]

I'm with clinebarger. Drive all three. I can tell you without a doubt the 3500 GM drivetrains are super stout and last as long as you will want to keep them. IMO they are the most "truck like" in the biz now. But the others are good, too. I just have no experience with them because in our biz with the van loaded to 9000 pounds every single day and hours of stationary operation it's the only brand that still has factory warranty.

That may tell you something.

 

[Doublehaul]

F350

Solid front axel and the 6.2 is the best of the big truck mills. It's also the only gas truck that gets the big trans...the fiat and the gm both use weak transmissions in the gas rigs.

 

[Doublehaul]

Please note however post 2016 fords are aluminum. This is a deal breaker for me so I'd buy the Chevy.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I like the aluminum bodies, they won't rust out like steel ones. I'm not a fan of the boxed frames, those will rust quickly. Instead of the bodies on the Ford trucks falling apart in 10 years but the frames lasting forever, it will be opposite; the bodies will last better than the frames.

I am not, at all, a fan of independent suspension on a HD pickup. So Chevrolet is out. If they would get a solid axle under the chevy trucks I'd be on board for one! Not a Chrysler fan but at least the Dodge 3500 uses a solid axle.

Apart from the fully boxed frame, I think the Ford wins for me. Manual hubs instead of vacuum disconnect axle (dodge) or vacuum hubs (GM). Solid axle.

I think I would get a 6.2 gas 350 with 4.30 gears and call it a day

 

[Doublehaul]

Frames have been boxed for a long time. The aluminum oxidizes much sooner than steel will rust. Aluminum is nothing new...it's been used for 20+ years in cars. Very problematic...I've seen a bunch of 150s come in for warranty issues relating to paint adhesion due to oxidation. They use the cheapest aluminum they can...it can't even be welded...and many body shops won't tech it. Ding central!