HD Truck Maintenance Costs - Wow!

[SwampSurvivor]

A week out, now. Will be interesting to see what else the mechanic finds that has rusted out. The mechanic is an honest guy, friend of mine so if he finds something extra I know it needs to be replaced.

Another confusing thing - I'm used to vehicles where there are not too many options. There is like 10 serpentine belts for the thing. And 5 different wheel bearings.


Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Miller88

The price that people want for these old diesel trucks is ridiculous. http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/5691422484.html It's a CUMMINGS BRO but that thing needs to go to the junkyard. No title, used as a plow truck - we all know those front ends and transmissions are junk.
.


Wow. That's the sucker price, looking to see if anyone bites.


Whatever a CUMMINGS, BRO is worth is about the value of that truck.

 

[TiredTrucker]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Do you have the option of a glider with more simplicity? Or has the EPA outlawed that?

The price that people want for these old diesel trucks is ridiculous. http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/5691422484.html It's a CUMMINGS BRO but that thing needs to go to the junkyard. No title, used as a plow truck - we all know those front ends and transmissions are junk.

Seriously. Even all of the mechanical work is going to be $5K.


No, EPA has not outlawed glider trucks. The only thing coming down the pike will be that new production glider trucks for MY 2021 must have retrofit DPF systems on them. That is being addressed by congress, so it may not fully be implemented. But existing glider trucks will grandfather in just like regular pre emission trucks.

 

[The motor guy]

Up in New York many things have to be replaced due to rust that otherwise wouldn't need to be done in other areas of the country. Also parking a vehicle is the worst thing you can do to it.

 

[jeepman3071]

Many of the status trucks are paid for with credit cards and payments. A friend of mine is really into Duramax trucks. He always seems to have a newer one, and he never has money for fuel. Pointless to have a "nice" vehicle if you can't drive it and enjoy it. People live on payments these days, doesn't matter if they have to pay 3x the amount the car is worth and it takes 10 years. Working in car insurance, it was amazing the vehicles people still had loans on.

 

[wtd]

I agree that some parts for the HD trucks can be expensive. Some years ago I spent about $900 in parts for new Timkin Hub bearing assemblies, rotors, brake pads, front brake lines, and a new front axle half shaft on my 98 Chevy K3500. The hub bearing assemblies alone were $600 for both of them and that was with a discount.

I bought this truck used nine years ago with 94,000 miles and it now has about 111,000 miles on it. We mostly use it around the farm but since gas prices are down, I drive it to work occasionally. The 454 only gets about 12 mpg empty.

Wayne

 

[Alex_V]

Originally Posted By: wtd
The 454 only gets about 12 mpg empty.

Wayne


Same here - best I've ever seen from mine ('85 C3500 w/454, TH400, and 4.10's) is 12.5. And I need to put around $700 in parts into the front end - pretty much everything except the brakes and wheel bearings!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Oi! Another thing with Ford seems to be the random parts with no rhyme or reason.

There are 4 wheel bearings for a 2001 F350 5.4 4x4 - Coarse/Fine lug studs and front ABS/No Front ABS.

The truck doesn't have front abs, so I made the assumption that the front wheel bearing would be the non ABS front wheel bearing.

That is not the case, it has the ABS front wheel bearing. Had to exchange those, but saved a good chunk of change since they are cheaper. And, people tap them and grease them which is nice for a unit bearing!

When this truck was newer, doing a brake job was frustrating. I'd have to take the rotor off and go to the parts store since there were multiple rotors that had different dimensions.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
I don't daily drive mine, mostly tow my trailer, Lowes/Home Depot and the dump.
It is standard GM parts bin, 6.0 LS, easy to maintain and seems to me the only thing I have had to replace were the knock sensors.


Truth!

We do so little to our trucks and rack up extreme mileage in no time with just tires and oil! And if you do need anything it is reasonable and readily available. That's critical for us, can't have a vehicle that can't work...

 

[NibbanaBanana]

I have a 1993 E350 and I would describe it as being exceptionally difficult to work on. I lost an expensive spark plug socket wile trying to get the front passenger side spark plug changed. It's somewhere in the motor, suspension or chassis. That was about 7 years ago. Never found it. I'm thinking about removing the air conditioning system just to make it easier to work on. I pulled the smog pump out and lubed it's bearings up which took me all day. Luckily, I only paid $1500 for the thing with 57K miles. Not too much rust.

I see any vehicle as purely a business expense. It may be a necessity, it may not be. But it's a 100% capital loss either way. No matter how much you pay, and how many options you get, it's going to end up a rusting hulk of scrap metal in a boneyard somewhere. And in not all that many years.