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diesel newb..2005 2500HD duramax...maybe???

blazin_blazer

blazin_blazer

1/2 ton status
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guys, i have never ever owned a diesel before but i have an opportunity to buy a 2005 crew-cab 2500HD for a little over $9k...i won't get into the full story of how or why, but the truck has been taken good care of and is a clean straight truck, it hasn't hauled or towed any heavy loads, i would say the most it has towed is a 16' trailer loaded w/ wooden cabinets, the guy owned a custom kitchen/bath cabinet business. i will say the reason the bank has taken it from its owner, is b/c he went to prison for a double murder and obviously he quit making the payments & i don't think he's ever going to get out and he bought this truck new in mid 06. i asked my banker about the truck sitting in their repo lot b/c i knew the truck and he told me if i wanted it i could have it for the payoff which is @ $9400 & he would finance 100% of it for me!

i know the guy who had the truck and did the killings, i posted about it awhile back in the lounge, but that's not my topic here, nor do i really care to talk about it. I've seen this truck literally get "stuck" after sitting in the yard over night, on grass that had dew on it, its obviously an open rear diff and it just spun 1 rear tire and he put it in 4x to get out onto the road, when he put it in 4x4 it drove right off the grass onto the gravel w/o spinning a tire, so a rear locker is indeed in order, i couldn't believe it was an open rear-end and i gave him a hard time about his "bad a$$" truck getting stuck on the grass!

i know the trucks history & if I can get this truck for what is owed on it thru my loan officer at the bank, i think i want to try and get it, but i know nothing mechanically about it,..i.e. what rear end it has or hp/tq #'s, etc. i do know it is a silverado w/ a 6.6L turbo diesel engine, Allison auto trans, red exterior w/Grey leather interior, roughly 200k miles on the odometer, a front winch bumper/brush-guard but no winch, a aluminum diamond plate toolbox, factory black wheel well guards, running boards, & he took good care of it(it was his pride & joy)! it has street tires on it and has never had mud grips on it or been off-roaded, i looked up the n.a.d.a. on this truck and it showed the average trade in at about $17k+ & clean retail of $23k, over twice the $9k i think i can get it for.

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...6&y=2005&s=264683&vi=100664&z=72143&mi=210000

like i said i have never had a diesel before but i had a boss who had a, iirc, 1992? 3/4 ton chevy w/a non turbo 6.2 diesel and it was a turd..it never was worth a flip it wouldn't keep head gaskets on it for very long, but it was used to haul/tow heavy loads all the time and just beat on regularly! so, my main concern is, is the 6.6L duramax in the 05 HD a good engine or is it basically a bored over 6.2 or is it an entirely different series of engine? i ask b/c my plans are to put a 4-6'' lift on the 05 and a set of good mud tires and use it as a hunting/fishing truck and a toy to play in the mud!

i have read where the 6.5L and 6.6L engines have been tuned up to 1000ft/lbs of torque! how are they doing this? are they dumping a boat load of money into these engines to get these kind of numbers out of them and make them live or is it fairly easy to tune these engines for that kind of power? i would like to "hot rod" the 6.6L engine some what to make it pull well and take off like a bat out of hell w/37 or 38.5" tires on it, but will the 2500HD front end & engine handle a tire this large and live w/alot of power or should i keep the tire size down around 37'' & the engine stock, or maybe just a performance programmer on it w/35's?

i have no rocks to crawl on, its all mud around here and the taller the tire the better for ground clearance when going down trails where trucks w/44's have been thru, but i don't want to large of a tire that it is tearing up all the time, if that is the case i will stay off those deeply rutted trails! i really think i want to try & get this truck and KEEP IT FOREVER!! i saw on some show where they put a hopped up duramax into an older chevelle (iirc) and they showed it out run a lambo down the drag strip! my wife doesn't want me to get it because we live in a small town & everyone knows the truck and the story that goes with it and she says i will be known as having a murder's truck. i think in time that the trucks reputation will fade & i would have a very good truck at a very good price!:crazy:
 
I would buy in a heart beat, I have the same truck but an o4.5 and my son has an o5. I don't think the front axle would hold up to well with anything over 35" tires offroad but that is just my .02 .
 
The Isuzu built Duramax is about as closely related to the Detroit built 6.2/6.5L diesel engines as a Ford I4 is to a Chevy I4. They both have the same number of pistons, but nothing else is even remotely related.

The 05/06 Duramax engines are some of the best available, they have almost all of the issues of the earlier versions worked out, and have a better turbocharger on them. The power of these engines bone stock will simply blow you away, you likely won't feel the need to chip it or anything for some time.

These trucks can be lifted, but the IFS is not designed to handle any more than the occasional pot hole in the road. They will not handle larger than 35" tires without constantly snapping CV shafts or destroying unit bearings. As far as the rear locker goes, I'd be quite surprised if the truck didn't have one. If dude was just putting the hammer down on the truck to get out, it wouldn't activate. You need to spin the tires slowly and consistently for a second to allow the locker to engage, then hammer on it. If you are taking it off road, you will wreck it in very short order. The sheet metal is also quite thin, and is easily dented, so you'd need to be very careful if the truck is ever near by a tree offroad. My K5 rubs against trees all the time, and the dents just pop right out from the inside, but your truck will not be the same way.

They are great trucks, but simply are not built for the same kind of abuse that our older trucks are good with. A solid axle swap can go a long ways to increasing the capability of them, and allow bigger tires / some articulation, but that is a lot of work, and requires a DS drop axle.
 
Russell said:
These trucks can be lifted, but the IFS is not designed to handle any more than the occasional pot hole in the road.
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I am going to argue this. My duramax is well into the 550 rwhp range. I had nothing but a set of $80 tie rod sleeves for the longest time. I just recently upgraded to a billet centerlink only because I got a good deal on it.

I can't tell you how many boost 4wd launches I have done on the street and on the dragstrip. I also pull the 60,000lbs transfer sled multiple times a year. I have not had any issues with it breaking.
 
That's pretty impressive! My 07 has about 35 000 miles on it, and the front end is already rattling on every bump in the road, my father's has less mileage than that and is rattling too. Neither of us take our trucks offroad, or abuse them in the least bit
 
sandracer799 said:
I am going to argue this. My duramax is well into the 550 rwhp range. I had nothing but a set of $80 tie rod sleeves for the longest time. I just recently upgraded to a billet centerlink only because I got a good deal on it.

I can't tell you how many boost 4wd launches I have done on the street and on the dragstrip. I also pull the 60,000lbs transfer sled multiple times a year. I have not had any issues with it breaking.
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Pretty much exactly what my buddies with Duramax's are doing...6 speed and auto...

Oh and this truck...Right here...Yes...This one...Makes around 900 HP and is running a e-locker in the front with 35's and 4 inch lift...Stock shafts work fine...I got a video if you would like to see it run...

mick5.jpg
 
Here's a couple of websites that will help you out about the Duramax:

http://duramaxdiesels.com/

http://dieselplace.com/

According to the research I've done on both of the previously mentioned sites, the '05 LLY Duramax has had issues of overheating. So that would be something that you will want to look into. Other than that, its a great engine in a great truck. And I think you won't be disappointed in it at all.

Scott
 
Ten_Bucks said:
Here's a couple of websites that will help you out about the Duramax:

http://duramaxdiesels.com/

http://dieselplace.com/

According to the research I've done on both of the previously mentioned sites, the '05 LLY Duramax has had issues of overheating. So that would be something that you will want to look into. Other than that, its a great engine in a great truck. And I think you won't be disappointed in it at all.

Scott
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The truck I showed above is an LLY....
 
Buy it you will love it for that price.
I drive an 07 CC Duramax 4X4.
Wheel bearing are cheap, Steering pieces are to small and weak. There are upgrades that will help fix this.
 
Russell said:
That's pretty impressive! My 07 has about 35 000 miles on it, and the front end is already rattling on every bump in the road, my father's has less mileage than that and is rattling too. Neither of us take our trucks offroad, or abuse them in the least bit
Click to expand...

Have the bearing in the steering column check, chase a rattle for months in mine, to find out it was this.
 
but the IFS is not designed to handle any more than the occasional pot hole in the road
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That statement is just so fn wrong and uninformed.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Jees I hate the SFA is the only thing to have mentality.
 
I've owned way more IFS front ends than solid :D I have something of an idea about what I am talking about!

I don't think the Nevada landscape is anything like the dirt roads and winter crap we've got around here. That stuff is really hard on the front end of these trucks. Constantly going through control arm bushings, busting CV boots and other stuff
 
Wish I had a banker who would screw a debtor out of over $10K and pass it on to me instead of giving the debtor anything recieved above the payoff and any expenses incurred recovering the asset like they should. If it was the other way around and he owed $20K on a rig worth $9k they would keep siezing and selling assets till they got all theirs.
I could be wrong but I think there is a law against this. Don't take this the wrong way jump on this deal immediatly if for nothing else to make a quick & easy $10K I think the bankers a D*CK not you!
 
Russell said:
I've owned way more IFS front ends than solid :D I have something of an idea about what I am talking about!

I don't think the Nevada landscape is anything like the dirt roads and winter crap we've got around here. That stuff is really hard on the front end of these trucks. Constantly going through control arm bushings, busting CV boots and other stuff
Click to expand...

yeah our off road stuff aint nothing like you canucks. As far as temperature goes We only get around -50 F sometimes in a bad winter. I know you guys get colder...The snow does pile up a little bit here in the city.... we get a few dozen inches down here in the low lands... you can get around in the low hills in a very capable 4x4 like my k5.. Up in the mountains you need a snow cat and they even get stuck. Snow, icy roads lasts in the city from Dec to March.
As for our land scape. iTS PROLLY NOTHING LIKE WHAT YOU HAVE UP NORTH.. We only have, hard core rocks, to deep mud, snow wheeling, and hauling ass as fast as you can drive on dirt roads. ( I am talking 60-80 mph) We are lowlanders. our Terrain only goes from 5000 ft to over 11000 ft. Usually a elevation change like that will happen in under 10 miles.
Strange...... We have hundreds and hundreds of IFS trucks beating themselves doing 100s of miles every day on our mining roads. I see none broke down on the side of the road because they hit a pot hole.
I drive a IFS truck. Not uncommon for me to do over 150 miles of dirt thru a hard snow the get my job done. I depend on it.
I have many Friends who drive IFS trucks and they get by day after day driving on our dirt roads just fine. They make their living and depend on them .
I live in a county bigger than the state of Delaware. It is bisected by only 2 paved roads I 80 and US 93. The rest of our major roads/ highways are a combination of pavement and dirt.
Sooo i KNOW A THING OR 2 ABOUT A THING OR 2.... TOO
 
I'll vouch for ya Thunder I used to load horses out at Elko NV & that is some bad a** terain. I just can't believe noone else is mad at that banker!
 
gwag said:
Wish I had a banker who would screw a debtor out of over $10K and pass it on to me instead of giving the debtor anything recieved above the payoff and any expenses incurred recovering the asset like they should. If it was the other way around and he owed $20K on a rig worth $9k they would keep siezing and selling assets till they got all theirs.
I could be wrong but I think there is a law against this. Don't take this the wrong way jump on this deal immediatly if for nothing else to make a quick & easy $10K I think the bankers a D*CK not you!
Click to expand...

the debtor is in prison for life...hows the banker screwing anyone, they took his $175k brand spanking new house he just built also & probably going to have it for awhile b/c both murders happened in it & he said they have to tell any potential buyer about the double homicide that happened there, prolly could get it cheap too? he said he would let me have the truck for the payoff...i should know Tuesday if he gets the go on that deal, maybe Monday evening after the bankers have their Monday morning pow-wow and he tells everyone he has someone to take up the loan..my loan officer is the bank VP..he said they are in the money biz not a used car dealer and it shouldn't be a problem! my fingers are crossed!
 
It doesnt really matter what the debtors situation is the last time I checked it wasn't up to some bank VP to doll out the punishment. If they have a $175K house stuck up their ass all the more reason to get fair money on the D-max the only thing that would make this more unethical is if the VP was keeping the D-max for himself @ the payoff.
I've been in one of these situations before (I'm not a murderer) where they take all you **** & put no effort into liquidating it for pennies on the dollar then collect an assload of lenders liability insurance & wind up clearing about a 50% profit on the whole thing at the debtors & the taxpayers expense.
I guess the only way to look at it is to put yourself in his shoes or his heirs if he has any.
Like I said buy the truck as soon as the say you can and if you don't like it flip it for a $10K profit theres no use in you missing out on a good deal because of an unscroupulous banker.

EDIT: Does it really matter wheter it's IFS versus SFA when he gets to buy a $23K pickup for $9.5K buy the D-max trade it for a dodge later if you don't like it!
 
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