New Truck

Jonathan · Post by **Jonathan** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 4:52 pm

The reason that I6s are so good is that they are two mirrored 3 cyl engines, basically, and all vibrations cancel each other out. End result is no change of the center of gravity, no horizontal or vertical forces are generated. They run smooth, have less internal friction, and don't require counterweights or balance shafts. That's why they last so long.

I5s on the other hand, have excessive end to end vibration, which results in the need for a balancer shaft to counter that vibration. It's a goofy engine design that is usually the result of cost cutting by chopping off an I6. Same reason that 90 degree V6s aren't great, because they're a chopped off V8 and not a dedicated engine design.

ridr4lif · Post by **ridr4lif** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 6:14 pm

lotas wrote:I know a guy who has been a mechanic for Ford for decades and he told me Fords are built cheaply. (That's not to say Chevy's aren't.)

Maybe we need BMW to start making trucks?

If BMW made a truck, it would be way out of anyone's price range. I dont think (i hope) BMW will ever make a truck. An SUV was a big step for them. It seems full size trucks are only made here in america. Plus, if BMW did make a truck, it would probably be a unibody truck. No thanks. I like to have a frame and solid axles front and rear.

As for any one truck being more reliable than the other, i think all manufacturers have their weak and strong points. I wouldnt say one is overall better than another, just some excel in areas where others seem to lack.

Bwcad1 · Post by **Bwcad1** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 6:29 pm

^ agreed ^

OnYrMrk · Post by **OnYrMrk** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:11 pm

Mercedes is rumored to be developing two pickups. One based off the Gelandewagen, the other based off the ML...kind of a throwback to the El Camino.

BMW as far as I know will not be making a truck, Porsche won't, Volkswagen might, and Volvo won't. Range Rover doesn't have one that I know of, but it definately could make one based off the Land Rover Defender chassis. All of these manufacturers have SUV's, but only Mercedes has one in design, and Volkswagen is developing another bus/truck for the show circuit.

That is as much as I have read and heard from various mags, tv shows, and spy pages.

As for the 5 cyl...the Trailblazer has always had the inline 6. The inline 5 came in the Colorado and now the H3. But the Trailblazer/Envoy/Ascender/Rainier offer the 6 cylinder as standard, and the V8 as an option, although with the Ascender, only the 7 pass gets the v8. Saab has the v8 as the only engine

lotas · Post by **lotas** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:50 pm

Yeah, I dunno, never thought I'd see the day Honda made a truck. And I'm not sure if they had one before but didn't Mitsubishi just come out with a new one? The imports are coming! The imports are coming!

btw that was a sarcastic (The British are coming!)...
oh boy.

ridr4lif · Post by **ridr4lif** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:52 pm

lotas wrote:Yeah, I dunno, never thought I'd see the day Honda made a truck. And I'm not sure if they had one before but didn't Mitsubishi just come out with a new one? The imports are coming! The imports are coming!

btw that was a sarcastic (The British are coming!)...
oh boy.

The Honda Ridgeline looks just like an avalanche. Does anybody know if Honda and Chevy collaborated to make that truck?

OnYrMrk · Post by **OnYrMrk** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 9:08 pm

Honda did it on their own. They noticed the way the Avalanche's were selling, and to copy is the highest form of flattery.

Yea Mitsu is building a full-size with a v8. I would probably wait a few years when they get all the bugs worked out of it.

Jszar · Post by **Jszar** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 9:12 pm

i MIGHT be able to fit an 8" under my back seat. i'll take some measurments. but from the looks of it....it will be challenging.

Jszar · Post by **Jszar** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:25 am

hahaha, i just spent the last 3 hours digging my truck out of the mud...i got it soooo stuck. took 5 guys, 3 hours, and a chevy truck to get it out. i'll post some pics of the after math. i got it on video too, but its pretty dark, and i dont have anywhere to host it. i need to invest in some bigger tires.

ridr4lif · Post by **ridr4lif** » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:35 am

AWESOME!!! Getting stuck can be fun. We've had quite a few off road adventures, and every time we go, somebody gets really stuck. One of my buddie's got stuck so bad we had to leave his truck there overnight so we could get a snatch block and shovels.

Anyways, look into getting some BF Goodrich All Terrains if you want a pretty grippy tire that is still good on the street.