test drove the duramax today
 

thanks for all the opinions on trucks guys. I went to the body shop today to pull the rims and tires off, got kinda teary eyed looking at her sitting there. I climed behind the wheel for the last time (interior smashed to hell) to say my final goodbye.
then i drove over to the local chevy dealer and took a silverado for a spin. She was a crew cab long bed duramax/ allison. Man that baby is sweet, tranny is awesome. Driving slow thru the parking lot it felt like a manual in first gear. Had that wining thing going like it was ready to shift but just held it there. This one had 3.73 gears and really moved when i gave her the test. My question is should i go with the 4.10 if i plan to put 33 or 35 on it? I'd like to go directally to the 4x4 shop and get it lifted before my wife sees it. The gm's sit to low for me. Especially comming from a dodge with 33's. Another thing what are your opinions on the electronic 4x4 buttons or the lever action. (especially when adding the lift and bigger tires).
I dont have the big boat to tow (yet) but when i get one i'm sure this beast will do the trick.
For all you ford boys i'm going to take the psd for a ride on monday and compare the two. I'm passing on the dodge due to the fact the crew cab wont be out until Aug. and i need one now. I've always preferred the straight axel suspension but i wont be wheeling in this truck. Just need the lift to look cool.:cool:

had the push button 4wd in a 2000 1/2 ton chevy , it worked great no problem at all. just a fading memory though just got a good deal on a 2001 gmc extended cab, 8.1 motor and allison trans, 4.10 gears a real hauler. gas isnt too bad and same towing cap as diesel. gmc/chevy rocks fords are nice as well but had to stick with gm product:D

The Dmax-Allison is a great ride. The tranny is super smooth. It just pulls and pulls, hard to tell when it shifts. I don't think you can get the 4.10 with the diesel from the factory, but that may have changed since we bought ours back in October. Either way, the truck probably won't be able to tell what size tires are under it. There is that much torque.

I do know that there has been quite a bit of talk on the Chevy diesel board about reprograming the computer for bigger tires. From what has been posted, it appears that the dealerships are not allowed to change the programming and/or Chevy has not made any programs available that support larger tires. Therefore, the tranny may be "confused" and the speedo will be inaccurate. There has also been talk about Chevy not honoring warranties when larger tires are fitted.

We have the pushbutton 4x4 and I would have preferred the lever, but I don't think the LT can be rigged that way. That is just my preference though, the buttons have given us no trouble in 12,000 miles.

Always a Ford guy, but the Chevy ain't bad.

If your going to put a lift kit on the truck and go for the bigger tires and still want to tow a 33+ foot boat comfortably, I would go with the 4:10's (or what ever is available).

Is that true you cannot get any higher than 3:73's with the Duramax ? Maybe they have a higher ratio in the trany ? Any of you GM guy's got the details on this ?

There's a guy that owns a 4x4 shop by me and he has a lifted duramax. He also has a lifted excursion but bought the chevy to draw more customers in. It worked cause it caught my eye. the main problem with gm trucks is they look little next to ford and dodge. Anyway im going to go there monday and pick his brain as to what needs to be done and what options to get on the truck (gears, 4x4 engagement etc.) If it takes too much $ then i check into the ford.

Dono the 3;73 gears is all you can get with the diesel. it will pull hard even with bigger tires.

Dono,

A late model GM is expensive to lift. You will have to buy a new front drive line w/ the Auto 4x4 option. I think these run around $600-$700. Add that to a lift that is already in the $1,500-$2,000 range. That's parts only, no labor.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer the GM myself. But the Ford will be cheaper to lift.

I've had several customers price lifting the Duramax, but no one has bit the bullet yet. Price usually scares them off.

Let me know what kind of pricing you get and what brand they offer you. I'll check that with what I can get and see if you're getting a fair price. FWIW

Good luck.

Buck
#183

my neighbor has a superlift 6" on his 2002 chevy 2500hd. He had this same 4x4 shop as i mentioned earlier do the lift. I'll find out all the prices on monday as well as drive the ford. The fact that the duramax hasn't been around very long concerns me, i hear lots of talk about the aluminum heads.(usually PSD guys) Just wondering what the most milage on a duramax anyone has heard of so far. I've heard of a cummins with over 500k and still towing 10k with out a problem.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by buck183
[B]Dono,

A late model GM is expensive to lift. You will have to buy a new front drive line w/ the Auto 4x4 option. I think these run around $600-$700. Buck
#

so the manual shift is the way to go. (transfer case that is)

there is a local shop here running a special, 6'' superliift for hd's installed for 1900 +tax,as for the axle ratio, I think 373's are enough

dono check this web page, they will answer all d-max questions.http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/forum1.htm

I have the push button in my S-10 and it's great. You start getting in trouble and you just reach over and hit the button. No fumbling at all. The only gripe that I have is that it doesn't engage the front axel fast enough (still way faster than anybody with the lever though) but I believe that there is a kit out there to speed it up. It was some sort of a module that plugs in-line.

Dono,

I wouldn't say it's THE way to go. I like my push button myself.

It's just that the Auto 4x4 option will make it more expensive to lift.

Let me know if you need any info on anything. I own a Truck Accessory store. I may not be able to get the parts to you, but I can tell you if you're getting a fair deal or not.

Someone replied and said that there was a shop doing the HD 6" lift for $1900 installed. That's an awesome price. I couldn't even begin to touch that in my store. That my not include the front drive line though.

Here to help.

Buck
#183

Buck,
any recomendation on the best manufacturer. My neighbor went with superlift, but now pro comp has a kit and also fabtech, rancho and i'm sure many others. As always i want the best bang for the buck, (no pun) sometimes cheaper is not better in the long run. Could you give me a ball park figure for the total job. Parts labor and whatever else. Do i need a speedo recalibrator If only going up to 33's. Just looking for a rough estimate to the nearest grand. We talking 2k ,3k ,4k I would consider in the 3k range but any more than 4k is a little too much. Thanks

almost forgot regarding the push button. I had one in my gmc and it worked fine. I just didnt want to buy a truck and then find out it cant be lifted or it may cause problems.

We went from the stock tires to the 285/55's. I think this is about a 1.5" taller loaded height. Checking against those unmanned radar guns on the side of the road, we are under by about 6-8%. I mean we are going faster than the speedo says we are. I don't "speed" too much anymore.

Dono,

All the companies you mentioned make a quality product. I wouldn't be afraid to use any of them. You will find that Superlift tends to be a little more expensive. Their product is pretty nice. I always like it when a customer spends the extra $ on a Superlift. Their product always seems so well built and easier to install. I feel they do have a slight edge over the competition.

Yes you will need to recalibrate the speedo for those tires. The Hypertech Programmer should be able to do that for you. You can also go to your local GM dealer. I'm not sure about the Duramax though. I haven't lifted on of those. Don't know if it's as easy as the gas motor to calibrate. Might check on that.

I'll check first thing Monday AM on the Superlift pricing. Been awhile since I've quoted one on a new rig. You'll hear from me Monday night.

Buck
#183

Buck,
thanks for the reply. I'm also considering a ford psd. I loved my cummins but the fact the crew cab wont be out until Aug. dosent do me any good. I know the ford is cheaper to lift and i like the solid axel front end but i heard a rumor ford is replacing the psd in the near future and i dont know if i want an out dated motor in my new truck.
The other problem with the chevy is finding one. My local dealer only has one and not the options i want. It's a long bed and i think i want a short. I cant order one due to the fact i need wheels asap. Thanks again

ps I'm finding my adavar rather annoying.

The programmer will work for recalibrating the speedo,it will also firm up the shifts,alittle better fuel milage, and better power,especially on the diesel

I read somewhere that the lager tires throw off the Allison shifting points. GM built the truck to only run on the 245's. Also there is an issue of voiding the warranty.
http://forums.vmag.com/ptsilverado/messages/2233.html

The Speedo can be changed but not the shift points.
Dan

I added 285's to my 2500 Hd with Allison trans and the 8.1 and checked mine with a GPS, my speed was off 5 mph at 70, I was really going about 75. With stock tires(245's) I found that mine was off the other way, not going as fast as it said I was foing, I GPS'd mine both ways. Shifting has never been an issue, as well mine has been to the shop twice for service, no problem, it needed a cam sensor. i love my Chevy except the gas mileage, I would buy the diesel if I had it to do all over again. I have friends with the diesel, they claim 20 mpg highway, and awesome power.

Dono,

Got some numbers today on the Superlift for the HD Crew Cab.

My cost on the 6" Superlift w/ front drive line is $1,885.00. Keep in mind that I am not factory direct. I buy through a warehouse at a small dicsount off jobber pricing. I'm quite sure my cost is about what you could buy it for out of a magazine. Bastards!

Anyway, hopefully that will give you some idea of what to expect to pay to have it done. I generally charge $600 labor just to put an IFS lift on.

I need to check w/ my buddy at the Chevy dealer about the speedo calibration.

Good luck!

Buck
#183

Buck,
thanks for the info. They want $2600 for the kit and $600 labor.:mad: looks like a little mark up to me. Also the way i understand you dont need the extra driveshaft( $600) unless you have the auto trac 4x4 system. Thats the one with the all wheel drive setting. Theres another shop that i'll check into and compare pricing. The guy at the first shop has the diesel allison with a 6" kit and 33's. he let me take it out for a spin. (awesome) didn't seem to have any shifting issues and he claims he had it in for warrenty work and never had a problem. He also has the bull dog chip and dual exhaust. It almost sounds like a gasser when you get on it.:D :D I'm just waiting for my insurance to cut me a check and i'm going to get one. :D I'll keep you posted and post some before and after pics.