I'm trading in my 99 ford350 xlt dually 7.3 93000 miles and getting a white 07 Silverado3500 LBZ LT3 dually. Price is $27,000 with the ford. Sticker $44987; got stealer down to $38500 with running boards and $11500 for my truck. What do you think?
I plow with my ford and plan to with the new chevy. Any probs plowing with the chevy diesel drw?
Is the truck overkill - ya but I like them - and the price for a smaller truck is about the same. I tow a 2 horse gooseneck and like the stability with the drw and the power of the diesel. Comments?

Plowing has always been the weak link for the GM's. They're noddle front ends are a little on the low side from what my plow friends say. Also the reverse gear is quite slow. Towing, they're the best.

You'll be fine with a plow. All you have to do is crank up the torsion bars(5mins) and your set. I would love to challenge anyone who says an ifs front end can't stand up to plowing. I have never changed a front end part on any ifs truck and i have ran them since 88, the 1st year ifs came to chevs 4x4s. I used to drive fords(when i worked for someone else) and i imgine you are all too familiar with the wheel bearings, ball joints and u joints being changed. You'll love it for plowing, and when the plows off, you've got a nice comfortable driver.

i agree.. you'll love the ride...and put the timbren suspension helpers on the front if your worried about plowing.

You'll love it. Traded my 99 F350 CC, DRW, LB, 4x4 for the same 07 GMC. Loving it. Its quiet, has better MPG, sweet trans, doesn't have silly extra fender for dually (like teh new one piece GMC PU bed).
Things I'm not too pleased about:
Man, you can really see the frame of the GMC
No rear swaybar
Back to steel rims, have to order nice ones again
Bed is a lot smaller than my Ford which makes loading my camper way more difficult

I'm trading in my 99 ford350 xlt dually 7.3 93000 miles and getting a white 07 Silverado3500 LBZ LT3 dually. Price is $27,000 with the ford. Sticker $44987; got stealer down to $38500 with running boards and $11500 for my truck. What do you think?
I plow with my ford and plan to with the new chevy. Any probs plowing with the chevy diesel drw?
Is the truck overkill - ya but I like them - and the price for a smaller truck is about the same. I tow a 2 horse gooseneck and like the stability with the drw and the power of the diesel. Comments?
Only problem with plowing w/the dually is that wide back end, an 8ft plow full tilt barely covers a srw. Might get hung up. And then you got to look aroudn that bubble butt all day.

I'm a ford convert too, I love my lbz. Very few people with problems around here, much different from the 6.0 powerstroke.

The lbz, and 6.0 arent even in the same ballpark. :eek:

Hey,

I agree. I know quite a few people who have been plowing with GM's since IFS came out back in 1988, and have not had problems. Like everything else, regular maintenance will be your best friend.

truckbabe, check with "blizzard plowman " as he has your rig & plows BIG TIME with it!! Howard

You won't regret it. Very nice truck you have commin. What type of plow you currently have and will you just be transfering it over to the chev or you getting a new one?

Check out http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109587
Post with d-max plow trucks.

I would love to challenge anyone who says an ifs front end can't stand up to plowing. I have never changed a front end part on any ifs truck and i have ran them since 88, the 1st year ifs came to chevs 4x4s.

I'd love to know how you guys do it? I've snapped front cv joints on both sides, wheel bearings, ball joints, you name it on my '92 3500 and that's in the last two years. Not to mention all the problems with have with that damn 4x4 actuator on the front axle. Plowing, like anything else, is all relative. We stack snow as high as it goes, push huge loads and over rough terrain to store the snow. My cost per winter on maintanence is much lower on my '86 Ford F350 6.9 Diesel than my '92 3500 Chevy. I still reach for the Chevy every time it snows because the ride is 10 times better and make one of my guys drive the Ford. I think what we do with plow trucks goes way beyond the average user.

After looking over my new 2500 Dmax I wouldn't dream of strapping a plow to it. Give me a straight front axle with more ground clearance any day. I'll drive and tow with the Chevy, but I'm not interested in plowing with it.

Kind of silly, isn't it, to post here regarding Ford vs. Chevy? I mean, not many Ford positive comments will be received. :D

You'll love the truck, especially for the towing characteristics. As far as plowing is concerned, the torsion bar front suspension isn't the optimum setup for that activity but I don't believe you'll have any problem.

You will love it. I traded my '01 Dodge 2500 in for mine. I don't regret it. I liked the milleage from Cummins that was about it. I won't trade my DMAX for nothing.

Thanks for all your input! I have a 9' fisher plow that I plan on putting on my new truck. I know I have to get a new "set up" for the front end of the new truck. I only plow my driveway - 700' so I'm thinking that I do not need to add anything to the front end ?

I think that I'm spending too much money cause the truck is way overkill for what I need (the practical side of me is coming out). I'm thinking of trying a 2500. Do you think I'd be happy with the 2500 duramax srw or 2500 V8.1 srw instead of the 3500 dually. I'm used to pulling my horses and not worrying about power or stability. The ford is a piece of ..... but it does pull nice and holds the road. The trailer never moves no matter the weather and I can take fast corners with the dually like a sportscar (without the trailer). Thanks for helping me!!!!

Thanks for all your input! I have a 9' fisher plow that I plan on putting on my new truck. I know I have to get a new "set up" for the front end of the new truck. I only plow my driveway - 700' so I'm thinking that I do not need to add anything to the front end ?

I think that I'm spending too much money cause the truck is way overkill for what I need (the practical side of me is coming out). I'm thinking of trying a 2500. Do you think I'd be happy with the 2500 duramax srw or 2500 V8.1 srw instead of the 3500 dually. I'm used to pulling my horses and not worrying about power or stability. The ford is a piece of ..... but it does pull nice and holds the road. The trailer never moves no matter the weather and I can take fast corners with the dually like a sportscar (without the trailer). Thanks for helping me!!!!

Anything you can do in the Ford will be 1,000 times easier with the Duramax. You are looking at two different animals and two different generations of engines. The Chevy will not wander all over the road. The Chevy will ride like a truck but not an empty railcar. Buy the Chevy, you will not be disappointed. I pull a 4,000 pound camper 70+ MPH on the Interstate in overdrive, you won't do that with anything other than a Duramax. Just my $.02 worth.

I'm definitely not considering a ford again. Definitely buying a chevy, just not sure if I should get the 3500 drw or a 2500 srw.

Buy the Chevy..drive it, pull your horses with it.

Buy an old beater straight front axle chevy or ford , put the plow on it, park it out back :D

I have pulled a 13K 5th wheel trailer at 70-75 in OD with a 99 Ford, 01 Cummins, 03 Cummins, 04 Ford, 06 Cummins, and now the 07 GMC. The Cummins holds the OD gear like a pitbull. It refuses to give it up. The 99 Ford towed great...it was a DRW truck with 4.10's. The 04 Ford left it's lowend guts somewhere other than under my hood, but it would honk the trailer up anything after 2K was reached. I never experienced any front end problems with any of the trucks...all 4 wheel drive...all well over 100K except the 06 Cummins. The straight axle trucks have a higher front axle rating and are better suited for plowing. That doesn't mean the IFS can't do it.

I like the GMC just fine, I would have bought one instead of the 06 Cummins if GM could stock some crewcab longbed trucks. They still don't and I for the life of me don't understand it. Trying to find a longbed, crewcab, 4X4 is FRUSTRATING!!. They simply do not exist. I went back to a DRW truck because the SRW could not be found. Visiting a Ford or Dodge lot will net you dozens in any color you want. Why not GMC??

Thanks for all your input! I have a 9' fisher plow that I plan on putting on my new truck. I know I have to get a new "set up" for the front end of the new truck. I only plow my driveway - 700' so I'm thinking that I do not need to add anything to the front end ?

I think that I'm spending too much money cause the truck is way overkill for what I need (the practical side of me is coming out). I'm thinking of trying a 2500. Do you think I'd be happy with the 2500 duramax srw or 2500 V8.1 srw instead of the 3500 dually. I'm used to pulling my horses and not worrying about power or stability. The ford is a piece of ..... but it does pull nice and holds the road. The trailer never moves no matter the weather and I can take fast corners with the dually like a sportscar (without the trailer). Thanks for helping me!!!!
I don't plow with my Duramax but I have a friend who traded his F250 in for a Chevy 1500 gas job with a plow, he plows only his driveway (2500') and he says he will never go back to Ford. He has had his Chevy for 6 years and he is still happy so I would think that a 2500 will make you happy and if you are going to tow with it I highly recommend the Duramax, you won't regret it.

Oh yea, I forgot, if you have drw now I don't think you will be satisfied with any one's srw.IMHO. Goog luck.

I have pulled a 13K 5th wheel trailer at 70-75 in OD with a 99 Ford, 01 Cummins, 03 Cummins, 04 Ford, 06 Cummins, and now the 07 GMC. The Cummins holds the OD gear like a pitbull. It refuses to give it up. The 99 Ford towed great...it was a DRW truck with 4.10's. The 04 Ford left it's lowend guts somewhere other than under my hood, but it would honk the trailer up anything after 2K was reached. I never experienced any front end problems with any of the trucks...all 4 wheel drive...all well over 100K except the 06 Cummins. The straight axle trucks have a higher front axle rating and are better suited for plowing. That doesn't mean the IFS can't do it.

I like the GMC just fine, I would have bought one instead of the 06 Cummins if GM could stock some crewcab longbed trucks. They still don't and I for the life of me don't understand it. Trying to find a longbed, crewcab, 4X4 is FRUSTRATING!!. They simply do not exist. I went back to a DRW truck because the SRW could not be found. Visiting a Ford or Dodge lot will net you dozens in any color you want. Why not GMC??

Cobra is right on the money on the ford end of the truck comparison. I can assure you that any benifit the 6.0 ford front end may have for plowing, will be negated by the fact that they have no power until they hit 2k rpm's. Doesnt exactly seem ideal for plowing unless you have a 4.30 rearend. By the way, cobrajet, I was grinning from ear to ear when I found my longbed, it was the last one around in the charcoal color. :cool:

Made that move last year... its the BEST thing you'll ever do ;)

Picking up my new truck today. 07 3500 4x4 ext Duramax LT3 Dooley!!! I'll post pictures in new members when I get it. Thanks for all your help. This site is great!

Picking up my new truck today. 07 3500 4x4 ext Duramax LT3 Dooley!!! I'll post pictures in new members when I get it. Thanks for all your help. This site is great!

Truckbabe---You made the right choice big time.Pulling a horse trailer,you want as much stability as possible,thus you really should have duals.Your 9' Fisher is the perfect size for the dually--you'll cover your footprints--that's what you want.I've plowed with 2 IFS--Chevy's,and commercially--NEVER had a problem,and serious snow--lots of stacking too.Guys that are breaking things routinely are banging into the snow,NOT pushing it like you should be.These are not Oshkosh trucks with 6' high blades.A 700' private driveway? You'll wear out your blacktop before your truck.When you send those pics of your new ride,make sure you are in some of them because 99% of all horse women are hot--wandering minds--you know.:) And good luck.

I went from a ford 6.0 to the duramax... ford was a great truck other than the motor. The D/A is alot better set up. You will be very happy.. I go to RV.net alot and when people ask about the for 6.0 I tell the truth and about get my head chewed off.... Boy what them ford 6.0 drivers are missing...If they really knew, or they are just too diehard.

UT-OH---I either scared off Truckbabe or she's out playing with her new ride.She has'nt posted pics yet.:rolleyes:

Very wise decision to switch to the Duramax. :grd:

Oh my god that thing is awesome! I couldn't be happier!! I'm in NH and it is below zero- truck starts right up in 4 seconds. Today it goes in for the plow; tuesday for the gooseneck; and thursday for molding and bug shield.
I'll put pics up as soon as I can. Don't worry tuney, you haven't scared me....yet. :-D

Oh my god that thing is awesome! I couldn't be happier!! I'm in NH and it is below zero- truck starts right up in 4 seconds. Today it goes in for the plow; tuesday for the gooseneck; and thursday for molding and bug shield.
I'll put pics up as soon as I can. Don't worry tuney, you haven't scared me....yet. :-D

I'm not worried--tortured would now be the word.I'm sure I'm not the only one waiting with bated breath for those pics.:)

I plow with my 95 k1500 with the bars cranked up a bit and have not had any problems with that in 6 years. I do not do commercial work and just take care of the family mostly.