F350, my new wood truck!
- Thread starter BlackOakTreeServ
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mattfr12
The Bulldog
ya ill say the cummins is a bandit of a motor. i had a 2004 cummins but the truck it self just didnt hold up. the tranny went bad on me twice within 50k miles it was an automatic which i have to get so the wife can drive it. and it started getting rust spots when it was 2-3 years old around the gas tank and in the bed. to me that unaceptable. but like you said an f550 with a cummins in it would be the best truck ever.
i ened up going the middle route and picking up an 06 chevy duramax 3500 and i have to say its up thier with the cummins in power. and am really happy with it id say thier neck and neck.
the only reason i ended up buying the duramax wich is my daily driver is when im pulling over 15k my f550 really struggles. i live in PA with lots of steep hills and thiers a few hills around here that if you stop at the stop sign the 6.0 liter wont pull out again. and the duramax does it effortlessly. just like the cummins did.
pictures of my trucks
06 chevy duramax
F-550 6.0
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
nice trucks friends here's My old fords lol
BlackOakTreeServ
ArboristSite Guru
Great looking truck you've got there, I'm definetly a fan of Ford PSD's. I like the way you built your stake pocket racks, I'm currently doing a similar set for my Dad's F-350. What did you do to fill in the space between your vertical stakes and horizontals? It looks like round bar, but is hard to tell in the pics. I was contemplating using expanded metal/mesh, but you may have a better plan here, if possible please advise.
shelbythedog, I used 3/8's solid round to fill it in...Im going to start a new thread on the head rack and staked sides for F350.
BlackOakTreeServ
ArboristSite Guru
After a bit of time with that truck, you'll probably become a Ford fan
I am a Ford fan, but have a Dodge and a Toyotaumpkin2:
You probably right...I had a toyota tundra, but like the f350 better...but still have landcruiser.
sawkiller
ArboristSite Operative
ya ill say the cummins is a bandit of a motor. i had a 2004 cummins but the truck it self just didnt hold up. the tranny went bad on me twice within 50k miles it was an automatic which i have to get so the wife can drive it. and it started getting rust spots when it was 2-3 years old around the gas tank and in the bed. to me that unaceptable. but like you said an f550 with a cummins in it would be the best truck ever.
i ened up going the middle route and picking up an 06 chevy duramax 3500 and i have to say its up thier with the cummins in power. and am really happy with it id say thier neck and neck.
the only reason i ended up buying the duramax wich is my daily driver is when im pulling over 15k my f550 really struggles. i live in PA with lots of steep hills and thiers a few hills around here that if you stop at the stop sign the 6.0 liter wont pull out again. and the duramax does it effortlessly. just like the cummins did.
pictures of my trucks
06 chevy duramax
F-550 6.0
That is interesting I have a friend that drives a f-550 service truck daily and without a trailer the truck is 13k and the trailer he pulls to do pump tests weighs in at another 14k and he swares the only thing wrong with the 6.0 liter is they did not figure out a good enough way to stop it and it will forget it is pulling 27k also did I mention it is an automatic. The funny part is he is a diehard Dodge man through and through and it kills him to be honest about the 6.0 PSD and the tourqeshift automatic.
After pulling several larger loads with mine before the banks kit and some were as high as 15k I have to say mine has no trouble at all and we do have quite a few hills here.
??? eggsplain--
they sure do--esp what he got-----4x4,dsl,f350 single wheel,dualcab, near impossible to find--esp in that shape. i bought earlier this summer...f350,dually,4x4,standard cab,dsl, e4Od, 60,000 actual miles, had fire. try and find one with that miles!!! have spent SOME time rebuilding it--about done--i have a ulterior motive for wanting dually--
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thombat4
ArboristSite Guru
Nice pics ropensaddle...those rigs look fine to me! Beautiful country you're in too. By the way, who lost a shoe in your first pic lol?!?!?
Oldtimer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Not to be a know it all, but you had way too much line on that log. The closer you are, the better...it tends to lift the front of the log as you pull with a short hook. Also, use 4-low...those transmissions can not take the heat, use the gearing to your advantage....and add a 40,000 GVW rated trans cooler to it, right now, today.
Nice truck. congrats!
Nice truck. congrats!
STLfirewood
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had a 1-ton Dodge but I needed a heavier truck. I couldn't afford to buy a New Dodge 550 so I had to find a Ford. I found a 1999 F-550 4x4 6-speed with a Diesel in good shape with 130k miles. I paid $5500 for it. I got a great deal on the truck. It really handles the weight well but I don't like the Powerstroke. My 1993 1-ton Dodge with a 5-speed and 4.10 stock would out pull and get better mpg then this F-550. But the 550 handles the weight a lot better. I think this truck should tow a lot better with 4.88 gears. My dad has a 2002 Dodge 3/4 ton with 6-speed and 3.55 gears and a cummins. We both had dump trailers with 5-ton of rock in them. We hit a big hill and he had to let off so he didn't hit me. His truck with those gears will out pull my powerstroke. His truck is stock. Mine is stock except for an exhaust and a cold air filter kit.
My other ford is a 2000 f-350 super duty with the flat frame rails. It is a 2wd with a V-10. The truck is in really good shape. It has 250k miles. I bought the truck for $750. It had an 11ft utility bed at the time. I am going to install a dump bed on it. I'll have a new Rugby dump system,flatbed,and new tires all the way around. I'll have just under 3k in it and like I said it runs great and the A/C works. I'm not a fan of the power plants in these truck but I couldn't pass up the price on either.
Scott
BlackOakTreeServ
ArboristSite Guru
WRONG,WRONG,WRONG.....its a tow strap, its designed to strech, any shorter would not have rubber band effect...better than chain, dont want to jerk chain, to abrupt.
Post #22 I said I used "4 LOW"
I was being carfull because front tires were on pavment and didnt want to twist a drive line or something else.
Putting bigger trans cooler on next week, stock dont cut it.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
My old ford don't need no cooler and it loves to jerk crap out too<a href="http://www.sweetim.com/s.asp?im=gen&lpver=3&ref=11" target="_blank"><img src="http://content.sweetim.com/sim/cpie/emoticons/000203F2.gif" border="0" title="Click to get more." ></a>
Lol I love the four speed granny combo I think if they would have just kept beefing it up making it bigger etc. it would out do anything built today. I know it out lasts any. What I love in the granny is put it in low lock let off on clutch it will climb straight up without even touching the gas smooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth
sawkiller
ArboristSite Operative
IMHO you are both right to a point. If I would have been pulling in the particular situation he was in I personally would have choked as close as possible to that log for 1 reason in particular. Every pound of downward force that log can exert on the back of my truck for me = traction as far as weight on the rear wheels and simultaneously reduces the drag of the log. Now on the other hand if I can not get close then yes I prefer a strap to a chain and I personally prefer to accelerate hard and let off before I hit the end of the strap so the momentum is pulling the log initially and after it is moving its a piece of cake. That method just seems easier on tranny's and rear ends IMHO! Just my 3 cents (inflation)
mattfr12
The Bulldog
Might depend on my area alot of steep grades. if you live in like kentucky where its all flat a ford fiesta will pull like a donkey.
mines an automatic also. the hill leading up to my house has a stop sign in the middle of it, if i stop at the stop sign i can put it flat on the floor and it wont move with my bobcat with stumgrinder attachement on it. including the trailer its around 12k total.
i know its not the truck becase we have two identical vehicles same year and almost same milleage the oldest one has 17k on the odometer.
once thier going thier fine its that off the stopsign on a hill power it seems to be lacking.
sawkiller
ArboristSite Operative
Do they have the torqueshift automatic? I can stop on the local big hill with mine (our brand new firetruck with a cat diesel can only hit 10 MPH on this hill it is so steep) pulling a bobcat and it has no trouble restarting whatsoever and enough power that it will easily accelerate up the hill with no trouble? I did notice that my workvan with the 7.3 and the older tranny would do exactly as you are saying but the torqueshift tranny has never acted this way.
mattfr12
The Bulldog
ya its a tourqe shift if i remember correctly ill have to look in the manual or window sticker.
dont get me wrong im not knocking the truck i think ford builds one of the best dump trucks on the road and i would buy another. those trucks have been paying my bills since i bought them.
i just think ford could have givin it a little more nuts off the start. as far as suspension and stoping power and everyting else i think thier great.
if i get bored tomorrow ill try and shoot some video of it.
dont get me wrong im not knocking the truck i think ford builds one of the best dump trucks on the road and i would buy another. those trucks have been paying my bills since i bought them.
i just think ford could have givin it a little more nuts off the start. as far as suspension and stoping power and everyting else i think thier great.
if i get bored tomorrow ill try and shoot some video of it.
kudos on the truck i gotta 95 f-350 crew cab with the 7.5l so i get about 10 mpg sweet trucks though.
BlackOakTreeServ
ArboristSite Guru
Sounds like you need an F350 bad, we gota get ya one!!! 97' or earlier!
