2500HD vs. 1500

While my 2004 2500HD is in the shop, they gave me a 2005 1500 to drive. I was excited about have a truck with the 3.73 to drive for a couple of days during the week for the improved gas mileage. This truck, however, is quite a disappointment. I'm hoping that it's just this one truck, but this thing seems like a piece of junk. This truck only has 7000 miles on it, so it's still pretty new, although it is a rental. I was surprised at how easily it shifted out of overdrive going up small hills while the cruise was engaged. It's got the 5.3 instead of my usual 6.0, so I was expecting much better fuel economy. It doesn't seem any better than mine, maybe even a little worse! I don't like the brakes at all. I'm not trying to bash GM or anything because I think all vehicles from all manufacturers are just a roll of the dice. I've got one friend at work who's had to have more than $2K of work done to his 2004 F-150 (all under warranty) and another with a 2003 F-150 who hasn't had any significant problems at all. I guess I'm just saying that I'm glad my first experience was with my truck, not this loaner. If I had driven this loaner first (a test drive or something), there's no way I would have bought my 2500. Am I just driving a bad 1500 or do you guys who race take care of the issues with your tuners and stuff?

Loaner = different drives who don't care + no maintanence + Not Mine attitude. There will be a lemon on every lot somewhere. You do like the 2500 thogh correct? My tune made the driveing characteristics change like night and day.... There are a lot of 2500 owners who have done a Nelson tune and that made the truck more usable for daily driving and hauling big loads and yet some even race them. Check out the ls1truck forum and see how many 2500 owners have got the tune.

Brum, what engine is in your HD? My wife's last truck was an '02 Tahoe with the 5.3 and 3.73 combo. It too seemed to downshift early as if looking for more power, and bogged after shifts. Real nice rig, (when I could keep fuel pumps and front hub/bearings in it) but it only got 14.6 mpg at it's best when driven the way both of us like to drive. Less than 11 mpg when towing. Not enough performance to justify that kind of milage. The 6.0 in my HD seems a lot different. No engine lag after shifts, no downshifting on grades, etc. Plus with a 4.10 ratio, the milage was the same as the Tahoe.

The factory does a pretty good job with their engine management system working as well as it can with the various components. I thought I'd get better milage when going fron 245's to 285's on my HD with the 4.10, as the effective ratio ends up about 3.80 now. Even after compensating for my odometer discrepancy, my fuel milage has actually dropped slightly with the new effective gear ratio.

Brum, what engine is in your HD?

Never mind. I see now that you have the 6.0.

I prefer my 1500 over a 2500 as I don't require 4x4 around here toting the extra weight and losing a bit of fuel economy didn't appeal to me.

That beind said, I'm pretty impressed with the economy my truck get's on the highway. I average between 16 and 18 MPG with mixed driving. However, I carpool and my 20 KM drive to work is fairly, non-lightish(not many stop and go driving)
The 1500 has a softer ride with the lighter suspension, however that limits me with the amount of weight I can put in the back of my truck. Which I think I may put Air Bags, new springs with extra leaf, in to help compensate for that.

The only complaint I have is when I do have a heavy load in the back, like today I had a yard of Crushed Rock, the Tow/Haul mode seems a bit abusive to the truck. A higher shift and what seems to me a heavy slam into 2nd gear, then from 2nd to 3rd high shift again but, not so much the slam into gear.

My question is this to the fellas who use the "Tow/Haul mode" is the shifting suppose to be like that? Is it suppose to higher rev and work harder to shift? Just want to make sure my truck is doing the right thing.

My opinions on the 1500 vs the 2500 HD are just my :2cents: worth... If I had my druthers I'd find a 2500 without the 4x4....

Evan

While my 2004 2500HD is in the shop, they gave me a 2005 1500 to drive. I was excited about have a truck with the 3.73 to drive for a couple of days during the week for the improved gas mileage. This truck, however, is quite a disappointment. I'm hoping that it's just this one truck, but this thing seems like a piece of junk. This truck only has 7000 miles on it, so it's still pretty new, although it is a rental. I was surprised at how easily it shifted out of overdrive going up small hills while the cruise was engaged. It's got the 5.3 instead of my usual 6.0, so I was expecting much better fuel economy. It doesn't seem any better than mine, maybe even a little worse! I don't like the brakes at all. I'm not trying to bash GM or anything because I think all vehicles from all manufacturers are just a roll of the dice. I've got one friend at work who's had to have more than $2K of work done to his 2004 F-150 (all under warranty) and another with a 2003 F-150 who hasn't had any significant problems at all. I guess I'm just saying that I'm glad my first experience was with my truck, not this loaner. If I had driven this loaner first (a test drive or something), there's no way I would have bought my 2500. Am I just driving a bad 1500 or do you guys who race take care of the issues with your tuners and stuff?

Brumleveb, couple things for you to consider.
1. Difference in brakes between 2004 and 2005 - 05 has drum rear while your 04 had discs front and rear - so you probably do notice a difference.

2. Your 2500 series 6.0 likely has a different sweet spot for torque than does the 1500 you're using. So at the same speeds - you get different results. The two engines have different torque curves.

3. Loaners do have a bit more abuse to them - it likely hasn't been properly broken in as yours likely was - it can make a big difference in drivability and gas mileage.

The 1500 has a softer ride with the lighter suspension, however that limits me with the amount of weight I can put in the back of my truck. Which I think I may put Air Bags, new springs with extra leaf, in to help compensate for that.

Evan

Air bags DO work wonders. (That's what I do for a living)

However, on the '99-'05 GM 1500's, you are limited to a 2000 pound outboard mounted sleeve type bag, due to the somewhat weak hydro-formed half ton frame. (Don't take offense...the '97-'05 F150's have the same limitations) The larger 5000 pound under frame mount bags will allow you to carry heavy enough loads where you will actually break the rear section of frame off. We would rather have our air springs fail in extreme situations than your frame. GM makes a replacement frame section to splice in, so this is not that uncommon.

This being said, if you occasionally carry very heavy loads like crushed rock as you had stated, you will probably need the spring upgrade as well as the air bags like you plan.

On the tow/haul mode question, it is a normal situation. If something was wrong, it would trigger a warning lamp. This mode increases line pressure, and delays the shift for later, firmer shifts under heavy load. You don't want your clutches slipping at all while towing or hauling heavy loads.

If you ever are really in the market for a 2WD 2500HD, there are actually plenty of them out there. They are very popular with the RV crowd. The look about the same as the 4WD as they sit up high. When I was in the market for my truck, I was fooled more than once, not realizing that I was not looking at a 4WD.

you know now that you say it i semm to notice a wierd little thing with the 5.3 to it seems liek the 4.8 is a little more powerful although not true it seem like theres somthing funny with the 5.3 there nothing like big block power but for me ots a 98 350 witch actually has more than the 4.8 right now its pushing about 300 and it gets about 15 average city highway it gets about 20 on the highway pulling itself wothc isnt bad for a 98 lifted 33s and ext cab