So when does stuff wear out? Mostly original with high miles

[BobsYourUncle]

OK, when does my truck wear out?

Just wondering how long this thing is going to last before I start putting a lot into it.....
TV in sig, 07 LBZ/Allison GMC Classic 3500 Dually.

ThIs is my work vehicle, and I tow with it too. Mileage is getting up there, 339,125 Kilometers or about 210,722 miles on it. I don't baby it, if I want to I stomp on it.

Easier to say what has been done to it rather than say what's original. Engine has seen one glow plug until 300000K when I had to put an injector pump in it due to P0087 code - fuel rail low pressure. Oh, and I blew a belt off right after the pump was done. Aside from that, all original.

Aside from usual maintenance stuff and a couple sets of batteries, one front and 2 rear sets of brakes, this thing is ALL original. Yeah, 200,000K on a set of front brakes. Factory front end, all of it, original shocks, exhaust system, wheel bearings, differential etc..... Trans has never been touched. U-joints, everything, all original from when I bought it in August of 2006.

Leaks oil out the Ally, front seal or gasket or torque converter. $2600. to fix it at the stealership. Oils cheaper....

I'm on my 4th set of tires. I run Michelins, first set after I wore out the factory tires gave me 127,000 and somethingK or a little short of 80,000 miles

I change the oil, throw an air filter at it once in a while, grease the thing and drive drive drive it.

And I hate to admit it but I frequently go way past the maintenance intervals. It just keeps on truckin!!

October 18/12, drunk driver turned left right into my path. Nowhere to go, I T-boned him real hard, totally destroying his Mazda. Truck took a $20K hit to the front but I drove it away after taking out a cordless recip saw and cutting the right front sheet metal and stuff from the tire. They suggested writing it off but I refused to let them. Such a good truck, no way I want to part with it.

OK, it doesn't feel quite so tight any more, but it still goes straight and true. Kinda rattles and clunks a bit if I hit rough road bumps, but gee whiz, what an awesome truck it's been!!!!

I almost feel guilty, maybe I should start changing stuff because of all those miles.... yeah maybe I should put some shocks on it. That might tune up some clunks when I go over rough tracks.

I tow a variety of trailers and it still really hauls a$$ when I jump on it. Gets up and boogies it does! No problem keeping up with traffic even with a 10K pound trailer hanging off the back. And I have those big honkin tool boxes and rack with ladders and crud all over it. That's 2000 pounds right there.

Soooooo, when does this thing wear out?

[noteven]

FishOnOne wrote:
You may want to consider installing a new set of shocks. You maybe surprised how the rides improves.

I like the yellow and blue ones that start with B ... almost makes the front end of the Dodge smooth enough you don't wear your coffee most of the time 🙂

I said almost...

[noteven]

There is a GMC 3500 nearby me with 14,000 hours on a Duramax/Allison that hasn't needed a whole lot of fixin considering the "easy life" it had in the oilfield prior to becoming a ranch truck. The company did maintenance on schedule...

Local light freight guy ran a Cummins over 1million km in a Dodge. Had to replace a head gasket at 850,000km - liners were still cross hatched...

Towing outfit I'm familiar with ran a GMC gas 3500 500,000km with ignition tune up only, plus normal maintenance, and a zillion $ worth of gasohol...

Common denominator seems to be maintenance 🙂 None of the above trucks are worn out. Still driving around today...

A guy told me Ford will be selling a hundred thousand dollar pickup truck in Canada this year. I thought ya right. So I went on Ford.ca and spec'd a F450 Super Duty all options I could get to stick. It was only C$98,387.00 so he was wrong.

[FishOnOne]

You may want to consider installing a new set of shocks. You maybe surprised how the rides improves.

[Ductape]

Never, if you maintain it enough. Costs will escalate but seldom exceed cost of new vehicles.

[Camper_G]

It'll go as long as you want it to. If you put enough money into it. It's really up to you. I'm glad it's given you such good service. It sounds like a great truck. Hope it continues going good for you.

[Threebigfords]

Right about now .....now that you jinxed it by reminding it how you've abused it! 😉

Just kidding, sounds like it's been a great truck....put $10k into it and drive it another 200,000 miles! WAY cheaper than buying a new truck.

I was in the same pickle last year, 300k on the old 2003 7.3L F350....truck was in immaculate shape cosmetically, mechanically it was way past due for SOMETHING to fail....original fuel system, water pump, glow plugs, injectors etc....but it still ran perfect....which is the best time to sell.

Disclosed everything done and not done to the buyer, and still got $13.5k for the old beast. Only paid $28k in 2004.

Only reason I didn't sink $10k into it and shoot for 500k miles was that I wanted more towing capacity.

If the truck does everything you need, keep it going. $10k beats $50-$60k any day of the week.

[1320Fastback]

Not sure when they wear out. I just put 2,500 miles on mine with trailer in tow.