School me on dually's

JBuck · Dec 20, 2009

I decided to get a long bed for using for work and the best deal I found was a '08 Ford F350 Dually. I was looking for a SRW but I couldn't turn the deal down. I now own my first DRW truck. As well as my first FORD.
So what the benifits and drawbacks. I tow alittle, but haul alot and sometimes alot of weight.
Now for tire chains do I need two sets for the rear or just one? If just one do I chain the inside set or outside? Anything else someone wants to chime in about.

Also I am going to try and free up some funds for a tuner (probably Sparten) and DPF delete. As my mileage sucks ass. Went from getting 23hwy with my cummins to 16 or so with the PowerStroke. But the gears are taller at 4.30 now vrs 3.73 with the dodge.

Rhodge · Dec 20, 2009

you can just chain the out side, If you want to chain both wheels they make chain for drw, but there $$

JBuck · Dec 20, 2009

forgot the pics. this is the only one right now.

hwcurtice · Dec 20, 2009

We can also comment on what a nice looking rig it is too, right? :drooling1:

Even if it is a Ford....

Damnyankee · Dec 20, 2009

16 mpg?

something isn't right.

I get 20=22 in my 02n (on the highway that is)

Lucky Jeff · Dec 20, 2009

Damnyankee said:
16 mpg?

something isn't right.

I get 20=22 in my 02n (on the highway that is)

totally different beast.. Emissions is a wonderful thing

uke:.. But I'd still be damned impressed if you actually got a hand calculated 20-22 out of your truck, that's not normal.

Great truck! I've never been a powerchoke fan. But they are doing some pretty damn impressive things with those 6.4's Thanks to Spartan and Elite. The Tranny is the best of the big three. Congrats on the new truck. Towing/hauling is so much better with a dually.

JBuck · Dec 20, 2009

Thanks for the compliments. Yeah my cummins gained 5mpg's with a dpf delete. I hope for similar results with this. That regen is a mpg killer for sure. Was looking at the Sparten tuner and possibly a package deal with a dpf delete. I just wanted to know if there is anything out of the ordinary to look for are keep a eye out for. I do miss the 6sp though, as I am at 2K RPM's at 60mph.

Jaydog · Dec 21, 2009

Duallys are a lot more stable with a camper than a SRW as well :awesomework:

Not Jobless · Dec 21, 2009

Real trucks have DRW's, no Q&A required :redneck:

samicrawler · Dec 21, 2009

If you get 20-22mpg then you must have the lightest foot in the world. I get a combined average of about 12 mpg with my '02 f-350 dually powerstroke 4x4 but I can't ***** foot around. I don't do much freeway driving when I'm not pulling and then with a cvw of about 17,000 I get around 8-9 mpg when I go to the dunes in Oregon. That is a nice truck I would like to get '08 or newer.

Murkman · Dec 21, 2009

My F350 dually Powerstroke empty gets 15mpg or slightly more. It weights with all the gear and toys 21000+lbs on the way to Moab and gets almost 12mpg. However that is with a really slow crowd of gas burners and we never go over 55mph. With the wanna get there sooner crowd and running 70+ mph the truck gets between 9 and 10 mpg.

Torrance · Dec 23, 2009

is that the twin turbo truck?

Lucky Jeff · Dec 23, 2009

Torrance said:
is that the twin turbo truck?

yes...

zig80toy · Dec 23, 2009

Be careful squeezing that thing on the ferries...:awesomework:

Jaydog · Dec 23, 2009

zig80toy said:
Be careful squeezing that thing on the ferries...:awesomework:

And get used to walking from having to park in BFE because there are no parking stalls that are big enough

JBuck · Dec 23, 2009

What about the front locking hubs. Is it ok to run in 2wd with the front hubs locked? Or do you have to lock them in only when you want to switch into 4wd. As in

KarlVP · Dec 23, 2009

Nice rig.

Run with the front hubs unlocked. Saves wear and tear on your front end.

I've had my dually for aboot 2 years now. You learn to drive it. Say bye bye to going through drive throughs. I prefer to back it into parking stalls. Or just park out in the boonies away from everyone else.

With chains on it, you have options. You can only chain up the outer wheels, some guys bring blocks of wood to put the inner wheel on so they can easily put the chains on the outer wheels. Or you can get chains called "triples" that cover both of the rear wheels.

In the snow, the front tires plow their own way, then the rear inners follow the fronts and the outer tires have to plow their own way. Duallys kind of suck in the snow unless you have chains on.

Rotating your tires is mandatory, it really saves on wear and a set of tires will last you MUCH longer. The outer tires wear faster than the inners so rotating really helps.

Towing with a dually kicks ass. I can barely feel the trailer back there when I am just towing my jeep. (around a 6500lb load). Biggest load I have hauled was probably about 2500lb load of concrete, it road like a Cadillac. I have also hauled a buddies toy hauler and it hauled it just fine.

Watch out going in and out of rocky parking areas or dirt roads. Getting a rock stuck between the duals can ruin your day.

MPG's suffer a little with the DRW, but it is only like 1 or 2 MPG.

I know with the Duramax crew with the towing mirrors the saying is "If the mirrors can fit, so can the dually fenders." :awesomework:

Duallys are fun. As Joop said. "It's like a big fat ass sports car". :awesomework:

Jaydog · Dec 23, 2009

KarlVP said:
Watch out going in and out of rocky parking areas or dirt roads. Getting a rock stuck between the duals can ruin your day.

Or at least the person behind you in traffic:haha: I chunked a 6" quarry spawl in Tacoma once, you shoulda seen the traffic behind me :redneck:

JBuck · Dec 23, 2009

I wasn't thinking running with the hubs locked all the time. just on days when I am going to know I will be needing 4wd. Like when I am working on my property hauling stuff out. I'll need 4wd to get in and out, but do I have unlock in between loads?

Jaydog · Dec 23, 2009

JBuck said:
I wasn't thinking running with the hubs locked all the time. just on days when I am going to know I will be needing 4wd. Like when I am working on my property hauling stuff out. I'll need 4wd to get in and out, but do I have unlock in between loads?

No, you can keep them locked in all the time, or unlocked all the time, just make sure you don't try and shift into 4wd on the fly unless you are sure the hubs are locked in, makes a terrible sound with lots of grindage