buying a truck need help plz!!

T6 hands down

true it not as roomy as a volvo but it should get better mileage, plus they dont look as cheap

a kitty, 13 spd and 3.55 rears..should net ( if tuned right) better than 7mpg average

 

just remember bronc. You have the 3406E cat. these new ones just aint cutting it. EVERY person I talk to with the newer cats is below 5mpg or slightly over.
The ONLY time I could get the cat in my 04 up to 5.5mpg was with a heavy dose of lucas in the tanks. 550 W900 reposrt the same 4.6 or so as I was getting with his truck.

 

Ya, but not all of us can run supersonic and get that air bubble formed around our rigs to slip on through!

Besides arn't you running empty all the time??? I thought they pay you just t drive around with signs on the door

 

I don't know anything about trucks other than what I read from here, but just wondering, most here seem to suggest Kenworth T600 as the most fuel efficient. But the T2000 looks like it's more aerodynamic to me, won't they get better mileage? How about other trucks that are equally aerodynamic (aerodynamic looking anyway!) like the ProStar, Cascadia, Pete 387, etc? They just look so... swoopy!

 

The T2000 and Pete 387 do get SLIGHTLY better mpg than a T600. But comparing a T2000 to a T600 is like comparing a Ford Focus to a Ford Mustang. The T600 is just a much better truck. As for the Prostar and Cascadia; the original question posted to start this thread asked about trucks for less than $50,000. Since the Prostar and Cascadia are both new models introduced in model year 2008, you couldn't buy one for 50k therefor they are not relevant to this discussion.

In regards to the original question about specs; you want a Detroit or Cummins motor, 10 or 13 speed tranny, 22.5 low-pro tires, a full fairing package, a sliding fifth wheel so you can slide it all the way forward to close the air gap between the truck and trailer(if you are going to pull a box). The final important spec depends on you. You need to determine how fast you plan to drive BEFORE you select the rearend gear ratio. You need to match the gear to your cruise speed so that at cruise speed you engine will be running in the "sweet spot". The sweet spot on most 2004 and newer motors is between 1250-1375 rpm and on pre-2004 modelsit is 1300-1450 rpm. For instance, if you have the discipline to drive 60-62 mph all the time, then you want a 3.70 or 3.73 rear gear. If you want to run 63-66, then you want a 3.55-3.58 gear. If for you want to run 67-72, then you will need a 3.36 or 3.42 gear. If you want to run faster than that, buy Brickman's w900 and say "to hell with fuel mileage"...lol

If you spec any aerodynamic truck like I previously stated, never run over 65 mph, and there are no mechanical problems with the truck, you will get 7.0 mpg or better in most normal operations.

 

I have seen guys get 7 out of w9's and 379's by driving them slow with perfect specs, so I don't doubt a bit what you are saying about 6.5. As for the car hauler, there is nothing more aerodynamically ugly than an open car-hauler. 5.2 in a set up like yours is respectable. The fact that the aero sucks on car haulers is one reason why that type of work pays so much better than frieght-haulin'. I was just playin' with ya with that comment, lighten up.lol