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Do you need a Diesel?
Do you need a Diesel?
The right diesel can dramatically out pull a gas
engine. Ever see a gas powered semi-truck? Diesels will
generally last longer and get better fuel economy. At the
present they have better resale. It's easy to become addicted to
the power of a diesel. Diesels have more torque at lower RPM's than gas engines.
The down side. Diesels can cost over $4000
more. If you keep them a long time, or pull trailers constantly, the
cost of the diesel option will be minimized. You know diesels are
louder than gas engines. If you buy a diesel with a manual
transmission, it will require more skill to shift. In very cold
conditions you will need to plug in block heaters and be sure you
are using blended fuel, #2 and #1. And the ever popular if you get
diesel on your hands while filling your tank you will smell it for a
few days option. Oil changes will cost twice as much or more
than gas trucks, and in area's where you are required to have an
emission test on trucks, the diesel costs more.
Which transmission?
Which transmission?
Transmissions have come a long way since
the 80's. With the invention of the lock up torque converter, the
better made transmissions today can stand up to the torque put out
by diesel engines. Practically all of the buses and more big trucks
are going to automatic transmissions. Folks who drive mostly in the
mountains like the engine braking they get with manual
transmissions. Manufactures generally will give you around 3000
pounds more towing warranty on the automatic tranny in 1/2 tons.
This is because of the lock up torque converter, which locks up
mechanically like a clutch and pressure plate, the absence of
asbestos from clutch plates, the torque converter doubling the
torque coming from the engine, and the manufacture having more faith
in the computer knowing when to shift verses us.
1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton?
Rear Axles Explained
1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton?
Rear Axles Explained
The size of the truck you need depends of
course on your needs. ½ tons and light duty ¾ tons are for light
duty work, loaded part-time. Heavy-duty ¾ tons, 1 tons and above are
designed to be loaded all of the time. They have twice as many
tapered bearings in the rear axle. It’s called a full floating axle,
similar to semi-truck eighteen-wheelers. While ½ ton pickups have a
semi-floating axle similar to a car, with just 2 bearings. ½ tons
and light duty ¾ tons will have a flush axle housing matching the
wheel. With the heavy duty ¾ ton, 1 ton trucks and larger, the rear
axle housing will actually stick out past the wheel and have an
additional 8 bolts on the end of the hub holding the axle into the
wheel hub with the axle "floating" between between the wheel hub and
differential. Rolls Royce invented the "full floating" axle before
WWII.
 The
"Semi-floating axle" has the wheel studs
attached to it, carrying the trucks weight directly
on the axle shaft and bearings. Differently on a
"full floating axle" where the axle shafts only
provide power to the wheel hub from the
differential. The wheel hub is attached to the axle
housing with two tapered bearings on each side. On a
full floating axle you can pull the axle out and the
wheels are steel attached to differential axle
tubes. This puts the load carrying capacity on the
axle housing not on the axle shaft as with a
semi-floating axle. |
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This
Full floating axle provides a more even
weight distribution over the axle than a
semi-floating axle. By removing a rear axle hubcap,
you can determine if the truck is a ½ ton, light
duty, ¾ ton or a heavy-duty ¾ ton, 1 ton or bigger.
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Long box or short box?
Long box or short box?
If you are pulling a fifth wheel trailer I recommend a long bed.
Sometime in RV parks or corrals you will need to "jack knife" your trailer.
(Your truck and trailer at 90 degrees.) Your trailer is generally attached
to your truck 5 inches in front of your rear axle. This gives you steering
weight and a level trailer. If you have a short box and you "jack knife"
your trailer may kiss your cab!. Full pieces of plywood or sheet rock fit
into a long box with the tailgate closed. Short boxes are popular today
with the mini- garages and those famous drive-up windows. You can buy
a sliding fifth-wheel hitch for a short bed to allow you to move the
hitch back for those tight maneuvers.
Duals or Single Rear Wheels?
Duals or Single Rear Wheels?
 I
eventually went to duals, mostly because I pulled my trailers on
dirt roads. Dirt roads are hard on the magnets on the trailer
brakes. I soon discovered not to count on the trailer brakes. And
duals on the truck will surprise you on their ability to stop you.
On a factory dually the inside tire matches the front tire. When the
snow got deep I would take off the outside duals and they would
track fine. On a factory cab and chassis the rear duals splits the
front track. With duals you also need to carry your hammer or bat
just like the big boys to check the air pressure more often. You
won't be able to look a duals to see if they are low unless you're
loaded. So get in a habit of tapping the tires before you roll. If
you have a flat on one of the duals they can loosen up the lug nuts.
Should You Buy New or Used?
Should You Buy New or Used?
We all know how nothing stays the same. Markets change, economies change, my weight changes. With the recession of 2001 and that darn 0% financing on new trucks that seemed great at the time, we now have too many used trucks. This year, 2002 we can hardly sell any new trucks. Free money, 0% interest, took folks way into the future out of the market by buying early. And you can only go so low on a new truck and then you have one of those bankruptcy sales. Used trucks get churned over and over at the dealer auction when things get slow and finely some dealers gets great bargains. One year old trucks are still too close to a new truck but 2 years old and older trucks are way down there. Now of course you know what I say about used 4x4's, they need a great extended warranty Click Be sure to check or have checked a used truck over carefully. I'll be coming out with a list of what to look for soon.
We have all heard how much you loose when you drive a new car off the lot. Cars drop like a rock no matter whether they were used or new. The people you hear this saying the most from are the USED CAR SALESMAN.
They make more money on used than new. You don't have an invoice on used vehicles and you have no way of knowing exactly how much they traded it in for. Very few people pay full retail for new vehicles and then there are those rebates. It would surprise you how close the actual sales price of a new vehicle and a one year old one are. And you know the new one wasn't raced to the airport by 100 different people. I actually know people who trade every year and never change their oil. Some of the used vehicles make it all over the US that have come from the last hurricane. You can see the water damage on the starters and exhaust systems. Some manufactures, especially Ford have different settings from the factory by the altitude too.
Now in trucks, since they have better resale value and generally last longer, can priced even higher at one year old than new. I have seen that happen often. To see a significant difference, you need to go back 3 years in trucks. The 3/4 ton's also hold their value better than 1/2 ton's and extended cabs or crew cabs 4X4's are the kings. In 4X4's used, can be a whole new experience. Since you won't know how much off road use it had, a 4X4 can create it's own payment! It seems that every part on the bottom of a 4X4 costs $2000. If you are the first owner of a truck, especially a 4X4 or diesel and you take care of it can last you decades. I see a lot of people buying diesels that don't know anything about how to take care of them.
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Courtesy of Mr Truck
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