Re: 'Nother Truck question...'93 Dodge

Posted by jdemaris on March 01, 2009 at 06:52:03 from (72.171.0.139):

In Reply to: 'Nother Truck question...'93 Dodge posted by Casey in Ky on February 28, 2009 at 19:24:11:

I've got a 92 extended cab 4WD with the intercooled 5.9 Cummins, five speed Gertrag, and 3.50 axles. Has 240,000 miles on it and never had a major repair. I had to fix the front steering knuckles at 140,000 miles. When I put brakes in it, I put larger 1-ton style in the rear since it already had the 1 ton extra-wide drums. This truck has been bullet-proof. Doesn't use any oil, starts great in cold weather, shifts great, and has all the power I'll ever need. It does ride like a Sherman tank when empty, though - i.e. it rides like a truck. My 94 Ford ex-cab 4WD rides like a Cadillac, but the 7.3 turbo diesel doesn't have the pulling power, or the fuel mileage, my Dodge has. I hear some silly complaints about the old trucks, especially about the front end. Seems to me it's just as rugged as the newer ones, and 4WD ALWAYS works, unlike some newer ones. I say that since my neighbor has a 1995 Dodge 4WD Cummins that he bought new. He's had problems with 4WD working since the day he brought it home. Seems that just about every time he really needs it, it won't engage. Been kind of a standing joke. He comes here to get hay, and can't get up to my fields. He has the independent front and new body style. Also has the in-line injection pump (mine is rotary), aluminum transfer case (mine is cast-iron), and the New Venture 5 speed trans (mine is Gertrag). He front end got loose at the same mile-mark as mine and cost more to fix. Other then that, there's been no difference in longevity between his and mine. I'll add his sheet metal is rusting worse than mine is. He also bought a Chevy Durmax with the Allison trans when it first came out. He say his Dodge is better for heavy work, and only uses his Duramax for long trips since it rides nicer. His Dodge has always gotten 18-21 MPG on his highway, and his Duramax has never gotten better than 14 MPG.
My 92 is crude by today's standards, but that aslo makes it cheaper and easier to work on. With the 3.50 axles, it easily outpulls my 7.3 turbo Ford that has 4.10 axles. Doesn't seem that's the way it should be, but it is. The Cummins has amazing low-end torque with its long stroke.
I've only got two minor complaints. One is the sideways 30 gallon fuel tank that sits right against the frame. It traps salt, mud, and moisture. My frame rotted out in that area only. So, I cut the frame out and replaced that section, and gave it some extra rust-proofing. The tank straps are no longer available from Dodge and are known for rusting out. So, I made my own heavier ones.
Other thing I didn't like was the single fuel tank. I added a second 45 gallon tank in the rear where the spare tire was mounted, and now have the spare mounted on the front bumper.
I'll add, that even with the 3.50 axles, this truck has such good torque that I feel like I'd like an extra high gear on the highway when cruising at 75 MPH. More overdrive would be nice, or maybe some of those rare 3.07 axle gears for the HD Dana 70s.

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