# Anybody out there with an F450 diesel with 4:10 gears?



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Not sure if this will help or not. In June my son purchased a used 2011 F350 with that diesel engine and 20k miles.( crew cab-long bed, 4x4) This is a run around truck for our summer operation in AK as the box van and flatbeds are worthless on mileage. We originally intended to take it back to the states to pull the Featherlite trailers during package delivery runs in April. Not sure if that's still going to happen. Driving the thing this summer back and forth to anchorage from Wasilla got about 18 mpg doing 65. if you drive 55 the mileage cranks up to the low 20's. About the same with or without the trailers behind. 

Did take it up the Parks highway to Fairbanks on a bee check run in mid July and can attest that the thing has the balls of a gorilla when it comes to power. I could pass uphill traffic north of Denali in the hills between Nenana and Fairbanks like a Perigrine Falcon on a gravity driven dive. More power than I have ever had in a pickup ever. From the homework I did it seems like Ford has gotten a lot of the engine problems eliminated with the newer diesel. Cant wait to get a 450 or 550 flatbed with this motor in it. What a sweet ride you will be taking when you get the thing. If your married I bet the wife will want to take the thing to pick up groceries every chance she gets. Keep us posted with pics when it shows up.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Sorry to go offtopic but just curious what you do with the bees in the winter in AK?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have a 2005 F-450 Diesel. Not much difference empty or loaded.


----------



## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

If you are going to go to a 450 or 550 size truck ,just go to the 550. I have a 550 with the 488 rear end ,I get about 12mpg loaded or empty. If you are pulling a machine then you will want the 488 ,it does make a difference. As far as fuel economy I dont see the 410 being much better except that you will be losing your towing efficiency . There not grocery getters ,they are work trucks designed to haul loads and tow allot of weight ,I think the 550 can handle 30,000lbs. Also if you are planing on going with the aluminum bed make sure you keep a bottle of Tylenol with you ,with the heavy suspension of the truck and the light bed it will beat the heck out of you. I know guys that have gone with the aluminum beds and really regret it .

Just my 2 cents.


----------



## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

Not sure on towing weight but GVW on a 450 is 15k, and a 550 is 18k, for the price difference a 450 is much cheaper, and springs are the only real difference.
If its speed and mileage your after, you can regear.


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Trevor Mansell said:


> If you are going to go to a 450 or 550 size truck ,just go to the 550. I have a 550 with the 488 rear end ,I get about 12mpg loaded or empty. If you are pulling a machine then you will want the 488 ,it does make a difference. As far as fuel economy I dont see the 410 being much better except that you will be losing your towing efficiency . There not grocery getters ,they are work trucks designed to haul loads and tow allot of weight ,I think the 550 can handle 30,000lbs. Also if you are planing on going with the aluminum bed make sure you keep a bottle of Tylenol with you ,with the heavy suspension of the truck and the light bed it will beat the heck out of you. I know guys that have gone with the aluminum beds and really regret it .
> 
> Just my 2 cents.





Great things to keep in mind. What year us your 550?


----------



## davidsbees (Feb 22, 2010)

I have a 2011 f450 6.7 4x4 12' bed with 4.56 with added air bags. In a pinch the truck with a load can't get out of its own way. it's the best comprise. I think the 550 the highest speed ratio is 4.88. I also have a 2011 ram 250 6.7 4x4 with 3.73? That I tow a 24' goose neck loaded gets in high 9's empty in the mid 16's the 450 gets 12's empty 11's loaded.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Just get a ram 3500 with the 5.9 or a ford with a 7.3. If your going to be using your 550 or 450 for servicing yards then get ready to pay for fuel. A 3500 will tow a loader with no problems. Add some airbags and you could haul.

IMO its not even worth getting a 450 or 550. The fuel economy sucks on those trucks for the amount of bees you can load. FL70 will get the same economy and haul more bees and a loader. 

If you doing local hauls any 350 or 3500 truck will get the job done. It all comes down to the money.


----------



## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

RAK said:


> Just get a ram 3500 with the 5.9 or a ford with a 7.3. If your going to be using your 550 or 450 for servicing yards then get ready to pay for fuel. A 3500 will tow a loader with no problems. Add some airbags and you could haul.
> 
> IMO its not even worth getting a 450 or 550. The fuel economy sucks on those trucks for the amount of bees you can load. FL70 will get the same economy and haul more bees and a loader.
> 
> If you doing local hauls any 350 or 3500 truck will get the job done. It all comes down to the money.


You may not realize this but it is 2013, Ford hasn't made the 7.3 in over 10 years and Dodge went away from the 5.9 a while ago. For the amount of money you will spend in customizing those older trucks you can get a new one with a warrantee . You will not get any better fuel economy on a FL70 than you will on a new truck . 

You also cant work off a 2 ton you need to drag a machine with you wherever you go ,which is no big deal with that size truck it all depends on the size yards you run.

Honey-for-all ,I have a 2003 and 2013 F-550


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

How do you like the 2013 F-550? What kind of fuel economy are you getting? Is it an automatic? I heard that Ford was no longer making a standard shift. Is that right?


----------



## Chip Euliss (Sep 2, 2010)

I get along pretty good with the 350 since my runs are to local yards where space to maneuver is often limited. I want a little more storage in the cab so plan on a supercab--that will give us a "dry" place to put our bags when the wife and I drive it to Louisiana for our annual fishing trip. I want to use my old bed but I need a 186 inch wheel base to make it work. I get 14 or so empty and 9-10 towing/hauling with my old truck. Based on what I'm hearing from the above discussion, the 450 with a 4:10 should get fairly similar fuel economy. Sort of hate to get rid of the old truck--she runs great but, tax wise, this is the best year to do it.

Thanks for all the input!!

Chip


----------



## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

sqkcrk said:


> How do you like the 2013 F-550? What kind of fuel economy are you getting? Is it an automatic? I heard that Ford was no longer making a standard shift. Is that right?


I like it allot, it pulls great up hills loaded with a Swinger and bees. It gets about 12mpg which is ok considering its 4WD with a 186 wheel base or something like that. It has a 15 1/2 foot bed on it. Ford went away from the manual tranny but the 6speed auto is nice.


----------



## PewHeretic (Apr 21, 2013)

Can't comment on the 450 or 550 but my Dodge 350 dually has a 4:10 and it gets 15 mpg empty or loaded. Pulling a heavy 20,000 lb trailer drops me to 13 mpg. I keep it at 2100 rpm no matter what so I'm typically only going about 65-68 mph. I run standard diesel, #2 when I can find it cheap and 20% bio when I have time to make it.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Trevor Mansell said:


> I like it allot, it pulls great up hills loaded with a Swinger and bees. It gets about 12mpg which is ok considering its 4WD with a 186 wheel base or something like that. It has a 15 1/2 foot bed on it. Ford went away from the manual tranny but the 6speed auto is nice.


Thanks. FL hills or real hills?  Just kidding.


----------



## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Trevor Mansell said:


> For the amount of money you will spend in customizing those older trucks you can get a new one with a warrantee


Customizing?? I added air bags. $300, an extra large trans cooler $100, guages $200, EBPV exhaust brake $20 onto a truck that cost me 10k with 150 miles.

New truck will cost you 70k and will leave you hanging once the warranty is over. The old trucks are known for reliability.

The only reason for getting a new truck is to have it CA certified...


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

RAK said:


> The old trucks are known for reliability.


Not the 6L Diesel F-450s. I've had 2 EGR Valve and Oil Coolers replaced, a bunch of injectors replaced, a fuel tank lining failure causing the need for half the injectors to need of replacing plus a new tank, etc. Not to mention inconvenient downtime. When is it ever convenient? All these 150,000 miles getting 7 miles per gallon. For some reason my truck is now getting 10. Must have just gotten broken in? I got the wrong gear ratio rear end and got told that the cost of replacing it would not be paid for in fuel economy, just before fuel went almost to $5.00/gallon.

All that written, I'd probably buy another Ford. Or throw another enmgine in this one. Never had any transmition problems or repairs. 180,000 some miles on the same clutch.


----------



## gmcharlie (May 9, 2009)

for what its worth, my day job is a repair shop, stay away from the 6.0 ford.....


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Does Ford still use them? I almost wrote "make them".


----------



## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Actually a new 550 cost 50k ,with the bed. Old trucks serve a purpose but they are not necessarily known for there reliability . The new trucks pull better ,run cleaner and are better on fuel than the older trucks. I have older trucks but there is no comparison between the new and the old.

and yes if you want to take bees to Ca that sticker on the side does help.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Must be out of the loop. Which sticker?


----------



## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

CERTIFIED CLEAN IDLE STICKER. On new DEF trucks.

For what its worth I have a new RAM 5500 with the 6.7 and 12 foot bed. I love the truck. Handles great and with 11K of steel for a load I barely noticed it was there. Still handleds great and looking forward to putting it on the road to Ga with bees and a loader. 4.88 gearing and mileage has only been averaging around 10.2 but I only have 2k miles on it.


----------



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is the sticker:








Image linked from: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2011/0...ticker-certifies-you-can-do-exactly-that.html

More info about the sticker from the CA Air Resources Board:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/enf/advs/adv376.pdf


----------



## Chip Euliss (Sep 2, 2010)

Trevor Mansell said:


> If you are going to go to a 450 or 550 size truck ,just go to the 550. I have a 550 with the 488 rear end ,I get about 12mpg loaded or empty. If you are pulling a machine then you will want the 488 ,it does make a difference. As far as fuel economy I dont see the 410 being much better except that you will be losing your towing efficiency . There not grocery getters ,they are work trucks designed to haul loads and tow allot of weight ,I think the 550 can handle 30,000lbs. Also if you are planing on going with the aluminum bed make sure you keep a bottle of Tylenol with you ,with the heavy suspension of the truck and the light bed it will beat the heck out of you. I know guys that have gone with the aluminum beds and really regret it .
> 
> Just my 2 cents.


Thanks Trevor. I'm "rethinking" the gear ratio but may go with the 450 since it has about the payload as my 350 after I beefed it up to haul hives/supers. I hear you about the Tylenol; I drive a friends 550 to Saskatchewan last fall; wasn't the cause but I lost a filling in a tooth and enjoyed blaming it on the truck!!


----------

