Posted 2010-05-21 8:49 AM (#4973) Subject: Diesel Horsepower Ratings
Posts: 4
Why do the truck makers drop their horsepower from duallies to chassis cabs? Examples Dodge (2011) 350 to 305 hp, (2011) GM 397 to 335 hp and (2011) Ford 390 to 300 hp.
Posted 2010-05-21 1:48 PM (#4974 - in reply to #4973) Subject: RE: Diesel Horsepower Ratings
Location: Colorado
This is my theory, but it is just that- a theory. I've made my living with and around commercial trucks for the last 30+ years, and sold them for 12 or 13 now. A cab-chassis is primarily a commercial vehicle, and goes into a lot of fleet and employee driven situations where the use and the load carried is usually more than a consumer-owned and operated pick-up. The pick-up buyer is probably buying for himself to drive- he wants bells and whistles, and when he is pulling whatever kind of toy hauler trailer he's got, he wants to be able to outpull anybody elses pickup trailer combination. That means Horsepower!
If you are buying something to make a service truck out of, or a dump truck, you want to give your employee(driver) enough power to get the job done, but any more than that is a waste in many ways.Fuel consumption and extra maintenance costs are the first things to come to mind.
I don't know that these are the reasons for the differential in horsepower, but I think they are at least part of them. I was also going to say equipment and engine longevity probably play into it, too.
Posted 2010-05-25 12:24 PM (#4977 - in reply to #4973) Subject: RE: Diesel Horsepower Ratings
Posts: 176
That is the reason 100%!
But on a good side, my Dodge c/c has a much better transmission than the regular trucks have. That is why Dodge offers a 3 year 180-k mile warranty on the c/c trannys and only a 3 year 36-k warranty on the regular trucks. The makers will always include better warranties and stand behind the better product!
Diesel Horsepower Ratings
Why do the truck makers drop their horsepower from duallies to chassis cabs? Examples Dodge (2011) 350 to 305 hp, (2011) GM 397 to 335 hp and (2011) Ford 390 to 300 hp.
