I would have took 35k and bought a true cummins, bout 2000, but thats me, we recently bought a dodge 3500 2006, it blew up, runnin along about 70 mph, and it dropped a valve. we bought a new duramax and we love it.

 

Free oil changes is a big deal... With 3 gallons of oil every time you dump it, that gets expensive quick. Do not do teh chip thing... it blows your warranty, and they have ways to see of it was tampered with now days. Now once the warranty goes, you are good to go... Definitely check out ATS for Cummins mods. I think 315's are the biggest you can go with stock suspension without hitting the frame. On my 4x4, it is the front frame that rubs first when turning hard. Check with Nathan at utilityoffroad.com. He runs another website that specializes in Dodge Cummins... some really good stuff out there...

 

We put exhaust and an intake on our 2004 3500, blew it up (something to do with stock injectors) and when we got the 2006 they told us put a single aftermarket part on it and they will void our warranty so fast it will make our heads spin. Also do not let them catch you with a big gas tank in the bed, they will void your warranty on that to. I prefer the old cummins anyway, our 1999 cummins has 427000 miles on it and it is bone stock and will out pull a new dodge so bad it is not funny. the duramax we got for 33K, it is impossible to put aftermarket performasnce parts on, it screws with the ecu, if you chip it shuts down when it cleans the exhaust filter, the tranny has to be stock because aftermarket confuses the ecu, the aftermarket exhaust screws with the ecu also, but stock it will get up to 100 faster than the 6.7 cummins, and we pulled out of a gas station on dry pavement and accidentaly white smoke them, we hardly got into it, and it out pulled a new powerjoke and a crummins up a steep grade and we all were loaded at about 23000 (dont tell the dot) and we got out there and just left them in the dust. and the certified torque is b.s. it has 688 ft/lbs torque.

 

Hmmm, after reading what must be at least of million stories of Cummins owners, I have to admit yours is the first that I have heard that contained a complaint. I guess there will be one once in a while. Law of averages I suppose. For the most part though, I have to agree that there are two kinds of diesel owners. Those that have a cummins, and those that wish they did.....

Jeffin, if you really want to go wild, why not bolt on some 10 bolt conversions and go with real Alcoas from the big rig world. Not as expensive as you think, and will really increase the milage and fill the wheel wells, which is what you wanted to do in the first place. You can even bolt up a set of duallies if you are currently running single wheels.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Jeffin, if you really want to go wild, why not bolt on some 10 bolt conversions and go with real Alcoas from the big rig world. </end quote></div>

You know, I kicked around converting to dually or to 19.5's so I could handle a big 5er without overloading the rear tires, but the problem is it doesn't change the gross vehicle weight rating or axle weight rating on the door...

I'm not too stoked about getting a 6.7 (or paying for a new one) so I've been kind of shopping 5.9 laramie/stick duallies...

 

I hear ya on that. You can upgrade springs too... but that doesn't get teh sticker changed.... Does anyone here know how a person can upgrade and LEGALLY change the rating on the sticker?

 

I'm not sure if that can be done, but if so I don't think it's easy.

 

not to go against what yall are saying but i think the 16s are nicer, and around here alot easier for tires.

 

16" wheels, you mean?

In 03 Dodge and most other trucks switched to 17" and 16" wheels won't clear their larger brake calipers. Choices and prices on 17" truck tires seem to be getting better, but load range E is the heaviest thing out there in a 17. 19.5 wheels are used on class 5 and 6 commercial, and are available in much higher load ranges.