You wouldn't be refering to MY truck would you? [:-]

Oh, that's right.......mine was built on the Friday and Monday of a 4 day weekend.

 

yours and alot of other guys that have had issues with their rigs generalyhave that in common.

 

Are you serious? If so where and how can I check that information. would be interesting to know.

 

you can look on the drivers door. . .there will be a sticker with the VIN # and the DOM (Date of Manufacture) the engine also has a date code on it.

 

well, here we are a couple years later and I still have the beast. The front end is total toast. Once I figured out what I needed and the cost, I just decided to keep driving it until one of two things occur; the front falls off or I manage to get up the cash to replace the parts. Fortunately, I haven't experienced any serious death wobble yet although it will shake the steering a little at times. It seems to have reached a level of wear and hasn't gotten much worse for the last year or so, I just hate driving it now.

I will be rebuilding the entire front end this coming summer (so far I am up to about $2500 in needed parts, not including a few tools to do the work or wheel bearings (hoping those don't need to be replaced too)). $1100 of that though is for the upper and lower Carli ball joints. I don't care that they are crazy expensive, but these things are monsters and Carli claims you'll never have to replace them again.

I haven't traded the truck off because we just moved into our new home a bit over a year ago on 15 acres and I need a tractor, so I'm keeping the truck so I can use the money to buy the tractor, lol. Sooo, I guess I need to spend the $$ and get it back in good shape and hope like hell it isn't going to nickle and dime me to death over the next few years.

She's pushing 104K on the odometer now, still gets 21 MPG, still has leaks (although the rear u-joint and seal was replaced and a set of Bilstein shocks) and rides like a freaking 18-wheeler on a washboard, but it gets me to work and back.

I was really tempted to trade it in last summer, but I can't afford the payment on a new truck and a tractor. I really need the tractor, so that helped make the decision.

It's just been this crazy love/hate relationship thing with it.

Oh well, I'll keep you guys posted as all this plays out. It'll be interesting if nothing else.

 

Two items I hate about a 2500 heavy duty ram, I own a 06 2500 hemi.

Poor ride and handling can be addressed with better tires, over time the BFG R/T don't hold up and the Micline(sp) tires are garbage, a new set of rubber will help, also the bolt's, clamps on the tie rods (alignment) tend to become lose every 6 months or so.

Non serviceable front U joints, Kinda bites, when the Front u joints go, truck is dead.

My 2500 rides on rails and handles like a 3/4 ton sports car, and I bet if dodge had stayed with danna axles, a 2500 would be a stronger truck.

I hate to admit this, but all trucks are gonna have issues any where along the road, its almost a guarantee some thing is gonna break now, or later, my 06 has been breaking left right and center of late, I still have some warranty left, fix or move on, its all you can do.

Moving to a Ford or Gm out of spite, stick with the devil you know, or the devil you don't, could get you into more trouble, on the + once you truck is fixed, it could be trucking along for 10 years with out any issues.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the stance I have on it now. I'll just spend the money and re-do the front end and see how it goes. $2500 or so for parts beats another truck payment for a few years. If it hadn't got to this level of wear and tear until it reached 80-100K on the odometer, that'd be fine, but it was starting to deteriorate at around 40K.

I would disagree on the Michelin tires though. Well, at least as far as the stock tires were concerned. I got 90K out of those. No traction off road or on snow/ice, but dang those things just ran and ran. I threw some Cooper studded snows on it last winter and then the Terra Grapplers when the snow was gone (which are now bald at 18K...won't get those again).

In addition to the front end parts, going to be shopping for tires again soon, so going to look for some A/T's that'll last at least 40K or so.

 

I bought nitto dura grapplers, thier a highway tire, not truly made for off road, but thier better than the bfg R/T T/A off road, for towing and light off road, thier a outstanding tire, I get by in 2wd where I would need 4x4 with the bfg tires.

 

As for the front end issues my 2000 gasser has only had the U-joints replaced at 150k. I replaced them with the greasable ones. Some say not too but thats not a job I want to do again for a while.
As for trading trucks..... Well you can see by my sig that I am not really brand partial. I do love my Ford, but after seeing the 2010 Dodges I will be going back when the stroker wears out. If I were you I would hold out for another newer Dodge. That said I can't dog the Super Duty. I have 70k on it currently with the only problem being passenger side ball joints. It had been a great truck. I would just hold on a little while. My Dodge is about to roll 160k and it has been abused, but it just keeps ticking. Btw, What kind of tractor are you getting? (I'm a farmer, I had to ask).