Anyone thinking of a GM 1500 with the 3.0 Duramax?

[trail-explorer]

My towing needs are pretty light duty for the TT I own, so I've contemplated the 2019 Silverado or Sierra with the 3.0 Duramax, which aren't available yet.

I don't know when they are going in to production.

Is anyone else considering one?

[Grit_dog]

Nice one mich800!

[ksss]

mich800 wrote:

twodownzero wrote:

mich800 wrote:

twodownzero wrote:

Do you know what a c clip is and how tiny it is? Your while life depends on that tiny surface.

No what's a c clip? Could they make it stronger if they used a capital C clip?

In any case I do not fear using any vehicle within its designed limitations.

Got my morning laugh!

[mooky_stinks]

In my decades long drag racing career, I can't remember one instance when a c-clip failed at the track. Now if you're talking a broken axle that allows the c-clip to fall out? I've seen that more times than I can remember.

[mich800]

twodownzero wrote:

mich800 wrote:

twodownzero wrote:


It was a Ford 8.8 in a Ford Ranger. It was not due to wear, the c clip broke and the axleshaft would have completely exited the vehicle with the brake drum, wheel, and tire, but for the existence of the caliper and brake pad that held the axleshaft in the housing.

It's not very rare and anyone who has ever been to a drag strip has probably seen it happen with far less load than any tow vehicle would have.

Having a full floating axle means that a 3 1/2" tube with a 1/2" thick steel wall, welded to a spindle and riding on bearings is supporting the weight. A semi floating axle depends completely on the axleshaft, one axle bearing, and depending on design, a tiny c clip to hold the axleshaft in the housing.

Others are free to disagree and do whatever they want, but I no longer tow with 1/2 ton trucks, and I don't think you should, either.

I do all my own work on my vehicles. I replaced the c clip and it never broke again. I can't explain to you how it broke because there was no obvious answer to that and it never broke again afterward. But I can tell you that this is NOT uncommon.

Do you tow with rubber tires? I have seen far more tire failures than axle failures.

Do you know what a c clip is and how tiny it is? Your while life depends on that tiny surface.

No what's a c clip? Could they make it stronger if they used a capital C clip?

In any case I do not fear using any vehicle within its designed limitations.

[twodownzero]

mich800 wrote:

twodownzero wrote:


It was a Ford 8.8 in a Ford Ranger. It was not due to wear, the c clip broke and the axleshaft would have completely exited the vehicle with the brake drum, wheel, and tire, but for the existence of the caliper and brake pad that held the axleshaft in the housing.

It's not very rare and anyone who has ever been to a drag strip has probably seen it happen with far less load than any tow vehicle would have.

Having a full floating axle means that a 3 1/2" tube with a 1/2" thick steel wall, welded to a spindle and riding on bearings is supporting the weight. A semi floating axle depends completely on the axleshaft, one axle bearing, and depending on design, a tiny c clip to hold the axleshaft in the housing.

Others are free to disagree and do whatever they want, but I no longer tow with 1/2 ton trucks, and I don't think you should, either.

I do all my own work on my vehicles. I replaced the c clip and it never broke again. I can't explain to you how it broke because there was no obvious answer to that and it never broke again afterward. But I can tell you that this is NOT uncommon.

Do you tow with rubber tires? I have seen far more tire failures than axle failures.

Do you know what a c clip is and how tiny it is? Your while life depends on that tiny surface.

[VernDiesel]

Well hell my international pick up truck still has four rubber tires (with air in them now) and a steel boxed bed. Nobody ain’t hardly made no worthwhile improvements since then anyway. An yeah I’m still salty about them moving from chain drive just when I got the tools to fix it myself. Retired men still rule. Dam fangled air craft carriers too still miss me dam destroyer

[Ralph_Cramden]

Grit dog wrote:


Would be an easier place to get along on this forum if some of the try hards could remember back when the best pickup truck out there would get walked like a dog,

Thanks for the morning amusement. The RV forum.....promoting try hards since 1857 LOL.

[Grit_dog]

blt2ski wrote:
Grit,
Have you driven a 4.3? Not a lot better mpg than a 5.3 ..... Still better.
You probably have 3.42. Other option I've seen is 3.08! Even at that with a 4.10 first in trans, you better off than my 2.48 in trans with 4.10s in pumpkins.
Marty

I have not. But one of our traffic control subs has a bunch of 4.3 Silvys. Their guys say they have plenty of power, but those trucks don't tow much more than an arrow board.
Fuel mileage is relative, most trucks I'm around are not used lightly or gently on the skinny pedal.

[blt2ski]

Grit,
Have you driven a 4.3? Not a lot better mpg than a 5.3 ..... Still better.
You probably have 3.42. Other option I've seen is 3.08! Even at that with a 4.10 first in trans, you better off than my 2.48 in trans with 4.10s in pumpkins.
Marty

[Grit_dog]

^I know, right?
My current work truck is a 2016 5.3 Chevy with a tow pkg, idk what gears are in it. Prolly 3.42s, runs super low rpms at highway speeds if cruising.
I'm constantly impressed how freekin well it tows. And it's not even close to top of the 1/2 ton heap for power, gearing, transmissions.

Would be an easier place to get along on this forum if some of the try hards could remember back when the best pickup truck out there would get walked like a dog, even by the "underpowered" new baby diesels. I'm just old enough that I grew up with the anemic pos 70s-80s model vehicles where the starter motor had more hp than the engine!
I thought I died and went to heaven first time I drove a tbi 350 and 454. Now the big 1/2 ton engines are like having 2 of those under the hood and the chassis, suspension, brakes, everything is better.

[blt2ski]

Grit dog wrote:
Now add them new fangled deezuls to the list! D@mn kids today....a half a ton is 1000lbs. Wut the he!! Are they doing trying to tow 8000lbs? It ain’t a 4 ton truck, it’s a half ton!
Lol

Yeah, and a 3/4 ton is 1500 lbs, and folks is pulling 15-20K lbs with them twucks! More than that with them 1ton/2000 lbs capacity twucks!
What the bloody hail!

I've towed with a 76 20R toyota truck. S10, 81 gmc C2500 with maybe 125hp with its 292 I6. BB motors had 190hp and barely 300 lb ft of torque! That new diesel probably has close to or more power than a BB gas back in the day! if its a 200/400 like the one in the MB Sprinter van I drove. Moves a load out into the 15K range just fine!

Yep, the sky is falling trying to tow with these new half tons! Heck, the GM 4.3 V6 has more HP, and close to the same amount of torque as my 2000 350V8 has, 2 more gears, a lower overall low for better take off, closer splits in the trans, and a taller tall for 25% better mpg......It does have have the payload......Wonder if I can get this combo in a 2500?

Marty

[Grit_dog]

Now add them new fangled deezuls to the list! D@mn kids today....a half a ton is 1000lbs. Wut the he!! Are they doing trying to tow 8000lbs? It ain’t a 4 ton truk, it’s a half ton!
Lol

[Grit_dog]

Vern, realizing your use and experience is not the norm, as you’re well aware, it’s easy for the general population to not accept something “new”. (Even though it’s not new at all. The basic 3liter light duty Diesel engine in automotive applications is what 15 years old now?
What we are dealing with is the grumpy old man contingent though. Think of this forum as the old diner where the codgers who can’t sleep past 5am go gather at 6am to each drink a lot of coffee and complain about....everything from politics to fishing report to the weather!

[VernDiesel]

ib516 wrote:

VernDiesel wrote:

ib516 wrote:
For the money they want, IMO, a 3/4 ton gasser is a much better option.

Depends on how you are using the truck. For those that need and want an HD platform they should buy that. For those that need want a gasser probably 90+ percent they should buy a gas 1/2 ton. For the 5% or so that can really benefit from the small diesel why should we not be allowed to buy one? BTW you can get a December built 2018 Laramie Ecodiesel out the door for less than $40k.

I was thinking in the context of an RV tow vehicle. As a family car for hauling the day's shopping - they are great for that or, with a lightweight RV like mine a small diesel would be great.

If you are actually thinking in context to an RV tow vehicle you might know that practically speaking the 1/2 ton platform properly specked is an excellent & capable choice up to about 8k. Afterwhich a HD platform is clearly a better tool for the job. And their are plenty of people who camp happily in less than an 8,000 pound RV.

The 3.0 liter turbo diesel Ram, Ford, or GM can be quiet, capable, comfortable to tow with & very reliable to that same weight range. No high rpm screaming to get you over a pass like a naturally aspirated gas v8. No single digit towing economy like many gassers. GM specked 282 HP & 450 TQ. Plenty of torque to take that kind of load from a light up to speed & enough HP to move it down the interstate in respectable fashion. And when you can average 14 mpg towing that big box RV at 65 like mine does you can afford to take your family camping to a better destination than the local park.

As to being used as a daily shopper a gas 1/2 ton is much better suited. Thanks to Government overreach & some senseless regulation (and some useful) the emission systems makes diesels a bad choice for daily short commutes & daily trips to the grocery unless you like routine visits to your dealership service department to get things cleaned out & cleared out. Well unless you get it tuned to turn off EGR & better manage DEF etc.

When the small light duty diesel is available in mid range trim levels out the door for less than 40k such as the 2018 Ecodiesels on the lots now how you can say a new 3/4 ton gas truck is a much better option or buy for towing a light weight RV such as yours? This just does not add up to me.