[gmascolo51]

I would stay away from that 6.0 liter motor. They either run fine or they are a disaster. At first Ford had a ton of programming issues with the trucks and people were getting them reflashed constantly and sometimes made the problems worse. I think they may have finally worked those issues out but who want to gamble on a 35 - 37K investment. I have read alot that the 6.0 liters will puke coolant as well, as the head bolts stretch, funny part is it has been talked about on stock trucks and modified trucks (i.e. higher horsepower). I think the trannies on these might be decent or at least an upgrade from the 4R100. Ford made a big mistake with that 6.0 liter in that they had to toy around with Internationals engineering parameters, but I guess they do it so they can use lighter duty trannies and meet emissions. I have a 2000 F350 7.3 liter powerstroke that has been good but those motors weren't without their issues either. The Ford's solid front axle chews up front tires and the steering gets squirly after a while. The GMC's and the Chevy's have grown on me as far as looks go, but the engine/tranny combos are pretty good. I would give the GMC/Chevy a whirl as you only need a 350 or 3500 from the title of your post. Good Luck

[Pelican]

I don't know if you've seen the news lately, but Ford and International are currently at war regarding warranty issues on the 6.0 and the new 6.4 liter diesel. A judge has ordered them to play nice together, but each is pointing fingers at the other on who's responsible for the number of warranty claims being made. The latest news is that Ford will design their own diesel for future Super Dutys. This ought to be interesting!

[starsandstripes]

I have a CK2500 chevy. Looking to stiffen up the rear end, should I add springs or air bags. I will be pulling a 753 bobcat in a small dump trailer. Pulled it fine last season but, I just worry about breaking down in the middle of a snow storm late at night. Any Ideas would be great