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Crew cab. Use it or lose it.

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You could always drop it down to stock height for a 4x4 with some close to stock size tires. Would be the best compromise between mileage and all round usage.

Its why my dodge is stock height with 33s. Gives me the best mileage but have 4x4 whenever needed. Plus its nice being a little lower when its actually being used as a pickup truck.
 
The downside to that is the 4.88's in the tubes. They're about just right with the 37's that really measure more like a 35 or 36.
 
KirsL said:
You could always drop it down to stock height for a 4x4 with some close to stock size tires. Would be the best compromise between mileage and all round usage.

Its why my dodge is stock height with 33s. Gives me the best mileage but have 4x4 whenever needed. Plus its nice being a little lower when its actually being used as a pickup truck.
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This ^^^^^
 
If i ever decided to go that way, probably wouldn't be hard to find some 4.56 axles or do some trading
 
NV4500 question,

is the 2wd version all together different output shaft or throw on a tail housing and call it a day?

Looks like different output shaft and different tail housing.
 
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KirsL said:
You could always drop it down to stock height for a 4x4 with some close to stock size tires. Would be the best compromise between mileage and all round usage.

Its why my dodge is stock height with 33s. Gives me the best mileage but have 4x4 whenever needed. Plus its nice being a little lower when its actually being used as a pickup truck.
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This with 255/85R16's or so.
 
go Cummins if mileage is the issue.. I'd leave the suspension/tires, rig looks sick....
 
ryoken said:
go Cummins if mileage is the issue.. I'd leave the suspension/tires, rig looks sick....
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Thanks for the compliments Ryoken, just finding myself at some what of an impass.

Don't think the mileage would be that much better with the Cummins. With the numbers i've been crunchin, it'd take me 24,000 miles of towing to break even. Considering currently I make one trip a year, maybe two, it'd take me 12 years to make the cummins pay off. Again, all figured off some guesstimated numbers. Numbers I consider reaslistic expectations.

If someone can debunk my numbers with real world experience, i'd like to hear it. The net suggests anywhere from 12 to 25 mpg. hauling anywhere from nothing up to 14,000 lbs. Sure is a lot of variation.
 
Any reference for you with my old 97 12v cummins towing the sonoma to moab at 70-80mph I averaged 12-14mph the whole trip. With my 01 24v cummins I got 11-12mpg the whole trip. Both trucks ran 35s with 3.55 gears and manual transmissions. Sonoma weighed 6200lbs on a 2400lbs trailer plus an extra 1500lbs of extra tools, gear, and spares. Trucks arr both just under 8000lbs.
 
Cummins conversions take a long time to pay off, if ever. While I love seeing them done, I though long and hard about doing it to my stepside, it depends on the trucks usage. If you're going to use it like Zimmer, then its a good fit. If you can find a screaming good deal one that helps also.


My truck will always be a secondary truck for me that I simply enjoy having. So sticking with the 6.5td is the best choice for mine, cheaper too. Plus I have my dodge which can pull more the my stepside can ever dream of safely pulling.

As for mileage, my dodge averages around 17.5 overall, mix of highway and city. When I was pulling my friends jeep/buggy which we figured was around 4500lbs on a 2000lbs trailer plus several hundred pounds of tools, parts, camping stuff, ect. Would get about 13 with the cruise set to 75 mph, 11 running hard at 80/85. Truck itself weights 8000lbs with just me and a full load of fuel. This is going from the jersey shore up to Rausch creek, so running through hills most of the trip.

My truck isn't stock either though. I have Banks six-gun, usually on level 4 of 7 even when towing, 50hp injectors, Arson 2 kit on the cp3, Banks big-head waste-gate actuator. Plus a full trans from Goerend with billet input shaft and flex-plate. I run 305/65r17 procomp xtreme all-terrains. So she'll definitely haulass even with a trailer. I never did much towing with it when all stock nor have I ever towed with a 12 valver but that's how mine runs.

A picture to see what I'm running :D. Mine the silver one. The green one is a another friend, its an 02 24 valve that is at least on par power wise to mine if not even a little more.


 
I don't think i'll be making any major changes. Been pondering it hard the last couple days and in the end, I love my truck as it is. 6" of lift and 37's and 4 wheel drive. Screw it!

Maybe the 6BT will happen someday. That doesn't take away from the truck I really want it to be. Everything else I have been considering will. Just can't do it.

I'll keep working the bugs out and make it as close to perfection as I can.

Alot of things can be done to make it better. Realistically, if I drive it as little as I do now, mileage isn't the bigget concern.

Time to start making a list and knockin' em down.
 
I came to the same conclusion, then have started changing my mind especially after paying the gas bill for BB13, I think I got like 4 mpg.

I am leaning towards just buying a different truck.

I think you should keep yours and keep it for advertisement.

My mind changing is just getting a DD that will do both get better then 12 which my burb 98 gets and can tow and haul crap when needed.

The other thing I found is with it parked all the time you forget all the little issues that need to be fixed until you drive it again and are like crap........
 
kgblazerfive said:
I came to the same conclusion, then have started changing my mind especially after paying the gas bill for BB13, I think I got like 4 mpg.

I am leaning towards just buying a different truck.

I think you should keep yours and keep it for advertisement.

My mind changing is just getting a DD that will do both get better then 12 which my burb 98 gets and can tow and haul crap when needed.

The other thing I found is with it parked all the time you forget all the little issues that need to be fixed until you drive it again and are like crap........
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I got a DD that serves me pretty well. It is currently getting 29 MPG and I haul alot of stuff with it. Its certainly not fancy but that's OK.

I can see getting a different newer truck for some but for me personally, I have to reflect on how little I actually need it and it just doesn't make sense for me.

I'm gona stick a list on the wall in my office above my desk so I can plan small strategic attacks on the problems and get them resolved to the best of my ability.

Let's see, off the top of my head,

Power steering belt broke the other day, AC compressor isn't lined up properly for that belt(just noticed this tonight.) Got to investigate how I want to fix it, simply move the compressor back or possibly find a better location for it all together. Perhaps, switch to the vintage air system so I can actually have cold AC.

Rebuild the power steering gear box
Get the front axle swapped for the HP60.
Front driveshaft and NP241 shifter.
Dash install
New seats, door panels and headliner repair
Fresh air intake
Center console
Tailgate is fubar
Fuel tank is gona get replace with something not quite so huge. In theory its great but it real world practice, alot of places won't let me pump more than $200 in fuel anyway so it kinda screws up tracking the mileage. Stop enough anyway that it wouldn't hurt to just go ahead and gas up. I'm liking the idea of the fuel transfer tank/tool box. These trucks can all use more storage space.

That's a quick list.
 
Its tough when you have done so much work already and then make a list like that. That piles on more work before its "dialed in". I do that alot with my burb. I get all excited that im at the end of a project and then remember all the other projects i still have to do! And more importantly, all the stuff i still need to spend money on! Thats what i love and hate about having my '12. Its something i can jump in right now and drive cross country and have it do everything i want it to that a stock 1/2 ton is capable of. The flip side is it takes a ton of my project money every month to pay for it! It makes my projects slow down, but it makes it not so crucial to finish my projects in any kind of timely manor. Good with the bad i suppose.
 
y5mgisi said:
Its tough when you have done so much work already and then make a list like that. That piles on more work before its "dialed in". I do that alot with my burb. I get all excited that im at the end of a project and then remember all the other projects i still have to do! And more importantly, all the stuff i still need to spend money on! Thats what i love and hate about having my '12. Its something i can jump in right now and drive cross country and have it do everything i want it to that a stock 1/2 ton is capable of. The flip side is it takes a ton of my project money every month to pay for it! It makes my projects slow down, but it makes it not so crucial to finish my projects in any kind of timely manor. Good with the bad i suppose.
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Ya know, time is on my side right now. Not sure how that happened but I really don't need to do anything to it right now. I would like to go ahead and get the belt situation straightened out so it can be moved around without braking the shoulders trying to steer. Outside of that, I could park it and tarp it for all it would matter and focus on more important things for a while. That strategy will probably help me more right now. So many other irons in the fire right now. Just got to not forget about things till a month before BB14.
 
Truck payments suck big time. My dodge has been paid off for years and no I don't miss making payments on it. With what the new ones cost would be like almost making a house payment.

I'm planning a running mine till at least 300k miles. So even if I put a grand or some in parts in it ever year, its still way cheaper then a new one.
 
KirsL said:
Truck payments suck big time. My dodge has been paid off for years and no I don't miss making payments on it. With what the new ones cost would be like almost making a house payment.

I'm planning a running mine till at least 300k miles. So even if I put a grand or some in parts in it ever year, its still way cheaper then a new one.
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Definitely agree with that. Insurance is super cheap for old trucks too.
 
If it were me I would fix it up for now and use it when needed but keep an eye out for a smoking deal on a wrecked donor truck for a diesel swap later on. Friend bought an 8.1 truck for the fact it was $6-8 cheaper than the same truck with a d-max. Its not a daily driver and would take alot of miles to even out on the better mileage vs purchase price difference.
 
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