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2000 Ford F-550 Build
- Thread starter 06h3
- Start date
I remember you posting on another thread but can’t find ir. Did it make a big difference?
Cover everything.
Huge difference! The thing that sucks is the roof. You can only get a layer of the 80mil noico stuff between the ribs. The headliner fits to tight. Cuts the noise pretty well but insulation could be better. I also stuffed the pillars and cavities around the roof with fiberglass insulation. Now you almost don't notice the shitty tires howling down the highway.
Did a layer of this.
Covered with this.
The most noise I have coming in now is through the stick shift boot. Not sure what to do about that.
aczlan
Good Morning!
How far up the firewall did you go? Did you end up pulling the dash?
Aaron Z
Aaron Z
Idk if bdkw1 did but I am. With 4.88s and 33s I’m always at 2500 rpm or higher. I need to cut down as much noise as possible up front. I’d be curious what he did
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
I'd run the exhaust as far back as possible since that's the easiest thing to make a difference. Muffler may or may not mack much difference with it ran so far back. I'd bet most of your noise is engine noise at that rpm.
I did not, my blend door still seals by some miracle. If that needs replacement then it will get done.
GLTHFJ60
Stupid is as stupid does
4.30s made the biggest sound difference for me.
On my old '97 Dodge, there was a inner and an outer shift boot. I stuffed a bunch of poly fill (think stuffed animal filling) in between them, and it helped quiet down the rattle.
I'd guess that most of the noise is from the engine, unless its got drone. But adding a straight through muffler or resonator shouldn't hurt the EGTs. But with that long of a straight section of pipe, there may be some drone.
BillyBronco
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 22, 2020
- Member Number
- 1138
- Messages
- 113
Here’s an update and I’d say it’s more of a review and not an update.
During my last trip (where I was unloaded) I had bike issues mid trip and spent 2-3 days in a 2020 Ram 2500 SRW cummins with 3.42s while we searched for parts. Then this past weekend I spent a lot of time in a 2012 Ford F450 pick up with 4.30s.
I drove the ram for about 200 miles and was passenger for hundreds of miles. The ram is the quietest truck I have ever driven. It’s insanely quiet. I kept saying “quietest truck” and eventually I realized I need to say “quietest vehicle” because I can not think of another vehicle I have personally spent an extended period of time in that is quieter then that truck. I have a 2019 Chevy equinox as a company car and that truck is 10x quieter than that POS equinox. I have rented many SUVs for work and none of them are that quiet. The owner kept saying it’s the tires, it’s the tires. They are Dean Backcountry AT2s (brand owned and sold by Les Schwab, made by Cooper) so I do know that tires play a big role in noise but even my work car has all seasons and the car isn’t nearly that quiet. So whatever Ram did to the cab I say A++++. They aced it.
It’s tough to judge power because we drove around unloaded but with 3.42s it got great mpg and would be an awesome dual duty truck.
Steering and suspension were ok. Nothing to write home about imo, was it bad? No, it was fine but nothing to rave about like the interior noise. I think the steering felt a little twitchy but I have felt that way on other mopars before as well. I drove my F550 immediately after driving that and I think ride quality is better on my truck, people probably ask, how can an a F550 ride nice? I’d say normally it probably doesn’t and I truly think having a 238in wheelbase is what makes it nice. My steering components need some replacement but steering still felt more “predictable” than the ram imo.
So this weekend, I sat passenger, drove unloaded and drove loaded at 34k lbs a 2012 ford F450 pickup. It’s a friends truck and we had a recovery mission on his M35A2.
Driving and sitting in that truck still has a truck feel when compared to the ram, the ram is a car. Granted, I have to remember the 2012 ford is still 9 years older than the ram. I am not sure how the alumiduty is compared to the older body style 6.7 fords in terms of comfort and noise. This ford also is not a bottom trim level. It’s got heated/cooled leather seats so it’s not some cheap pile like mine
Anyways, I was kind of shocked at interior noise. I couldn’t hear wind noise on the ram. I could wind noise on the ford. Then I think it is a 19.5 thing too. They are loud. My engine is so loud you can barely hear tire noise. His engine is so quiet all you hear is the loud 19.5s pitching a high pitch noise. Is it quieter than my truck? Yes, but there’s still more for improvement on the 2012, you can definitely hear wind noise, tires, and even the engine. It’s tolerable though. I’m probably being picky.
Ride quality is good. I think the front end suspension was probably the best riding of the 3 (ram, mine, 2012 ford) but you definitely feel the rear and it’s probably because it’s a 450 and the axle isnt 20 feet behind you like mine.
In the end, it’s a truck that feels like a truck wrapped with luxury.
Power unloaded is fine, I feel like it’s all irrelevant. They all can get out of their own way unloaded. If they can’t you have bigger problems because they are designed to haul heavy weights. Mileage was 13 unloaded. I think 4.30s, and heavy 19.5s just throw mileage out the window.
So most importantly, towing! As said earlier, it’s a 2012 ford F450 pickup. 400/800 on power. He has a banks tuner which is “up to 72hp and 148TQ to the wheels” on a level 6 tune, it makes 376/809 to the wheels. He was level 4 when towing. I have never dyno’d my truck but others with similar injectors and t4 turbos make in the 350-400 and 750-800 at the wheels in usable tunes (not just all out Dyno only tunes) so I’d say power is probably similar to my truck, his is probably more but we’re in the same ballpark. The difference is the usability of the power which I’ll get to later. You can definitely feel the truck pulling 34k and I think people are probably dumb as fuck if they say “I don’t feel a thing.” (Seems like a popular thing to say) My buddy drove up the one grade we had. Tehachapi pass, going up the cal city side over the hill and down into Bakersfield if any of you know that spot in CA.
He got down to 45 mph in one spot. He said his foot was on the floor and it had no more to give. EGTs were only like 900 in that scenario.
It was 55-60 outside, so nice and cool, Elevation at that moment was probably 3500, he said when it’s hot out it will run hotter EGTs at lower weights but I was impressed at how cool it stayed.
That is probably what I was so impressed about. The duty cycle on cooling is unbelievable. The trucks power it makes is usable power basically everywhere. With the VGT and 6 speed trans it’s got a wide powerband. The air to water intercooler seems so damn efficient. EGTs just don’t get hot.
In comparison to my truck, no VGT and a 4 speed trans, I feel like I have to work in a very narrow powerband to make similar power. If I’m out of that powerband I need to let out and find the another gear to get me in that powerband again and that is what dictates my speed.
My buddy asked me how did it compared to when I was driving? It’s tough to compare. The 6.7 was at 34k, the 7.3 was at 29k (heaviest weight) the 7.3 was in 100* heat at 4500 ft elevation, the 6.7 was at 0-250 ft elevation when I drove it in 55* weather. I was doing 70 mph in the 7.3, the 6.7 was doing 55-58 mph (in CA with a trailer)
So when I actually drove it the conditions were very very different. Given the passenger experience when he was going up hill, I stand by the usable powerband is 100x better and is what made it haul 34k up and over that hill. I wish our drives had more grades to go up and grades I have done to give a better comparison. Also, 34k is quite a bit more than 29k….but I also think 12-15mph slower at half the temperature and drastically elevation differences play big roles too.
So, there’s my review, coming from a guy who never towed a damn thing until 2020 and came into the world in an ole 7.3.
I think each truck suits each owner nicely. The guy in the ram drives it daily. 3.42s give nice mileage, wonderful DD interior, will tow 2 jeeps just fine, anything more id assume the SRW gets squirrelly (just a guess)
The 2012 isn’t a daily, but gets used 1-2 days a week for about 100 miles, then your long trips, tows heavier setups. Good interior for its use case.
Then me, sits for 2-3 months at a time, by far the smallest investment but given its use case, I can probably endure the old crappier things because I don’t use it often.
From a my truck update, it hasn’t been started since I turned it off after ending my last 1500 mile trip at the end of April. This summer I hope to knock out the springs and pushrods and do interior deadening.
And no, I’m not selling my truck after driving in some new ones
During my last trip (where I was unloaded) I had bike issues mid trip and spent 2-3 days in a 2020 Ram 2500 SRW cummins with 3.42s while we searched for parts. Then this past weekend I spent a lot of time in a 2012 Ford F450 pick up with 4.30s.
I drove the ram for about 200 miles and was passenger for hundreds of miles. The ram is the quietest truck I have ever driven. It’s insanely quiet. I kept saying “quietest truck” and eventually I realized I need to say “quietest vehicle” because I can not think of another vehicle I have personally spent an extended period of time in that is quieter then that truck. I have a 2019 Chevy equinox as a company car and that truck is 10x quieter than that POS equinox. I have rented many SUVs for work and none of them are that quiet. The owner kept saying it’s the tires, it’s the tires. They are Dean Backcountry AT2s (brand owned and sold by Les Schwab, made by Cooper) so I do know that tires play a big role in noise but even my work car has all seasons and the car isn’t nearly that quiet. So whatever Ram did to the cab I say A++++. They aced it.
It’s tough to judge power because we drove around unloaded but with 3.42s it got great mpg and would be an awesome dual duty truck.
Steering and suspension were ok. Nothing to write home about imo, was it bad? No, it was fine but nothing to rave about like the interior noise. I think the steering felt a little twitchy but I have felt that way on other mopars before as well. I drove my F550 immediately after driving that and I think ride quality is better on my truck, people probably ask, how can an a F550 ride nice? I’d say normally it probably doesn’t and I truly think having a 238in wheelbase is what makes it nice. My steering components need some replacement but steering still felt more “predictable” than the ram imo.
So this weekend, I sat passenger, drove unloaded and drove loaded at 34k lbs a 2012 ford F450 pickup. It’s a friends truck and we had a recovery mission on his M35A2.
Driving and sitting in that truck still has a truck feel when compared to the ram, the ram is a car. Granted, I have to remember the 2012 ford is still 9 years older than the ram. I am not sure how the alumiduty is compared to the older body style 6.7 fords in terms of comfort and noise. This ford also is not a bottom trim level. It’s got heated/cooled leather seats so it’s not some cheap pile like mine
Anyways, I was kind of shocked at interior noise. I couldn’t hear wind noise on the ram. I could wind noise on the ford. Then I think it is a 19.5 thing too. They are loud. My engine is so loud you can barely hear tire noise. His engine is so quiet all you hear is the loud 19.5s pitching a high pitch noise. Is it quieter than my truck? Yes, but there’s still more for improvement on the 2012, you can definitely hear wind noise, tires, and even the engine. It’s tolerable though. I’m probably being picky.
Ride quality is good. I think the front end suspension was probably the best riding of the 3 (ram, mine, 2012 ford) but you definitely feel the rear and it’s probably because it’s a 450 and the axle isnt 20 feet behind you like mine.
In the end, it’s a truck that feels like a truck wrapped with luxury.
Power unloaded is fine, I feel like it’s all irrelevant. They all can get out of their own way unloaded. If they can’t you have bigger problems because they are designed to haul heavy weights. Mileage was 13 unloaded. I think 4.30s, and heavy 19.5s just throw mileage out the window.
So most importantly, towing! As said earlier, it’s a 2012 ford F450 pickup. 400/800 on power. He has a banks tuner which is “up to 72hp and 148TQ to the wheels” on a level 6 tune, it makes 376/809 to the wheels. He was level 4 when towing. I have never dyno’d my truck but others with similar injectors and t4 turbos make in the 350-400 and 750-800 at the wheels in usable tunes (not just all out Dyno only tunes) so I’d say power is probably similar to my truck, his is probably more but we’re in the same ballpark. The difference is the usability of the power which I’ll get to later. You can definitely feel the truck pulling 34k and I think people are probably dumb as fuck if they say “I don’t feel a thing.” (Seems like a popular thing to say) My buddy drove up the one grade we had. Tehachapi pass, going up the cal city side over the hill and down into Bakersfield if any of you know that spot in CA.
He got down to 45 mph in one spot. He said his foot was on the floor and it had no more to give. EGTs were only like 900 in that scenario.
It was 55-60 outside, so nice and cool, Elevation at that moment was probably 3500, he said when it’s hot out it will run hotter EGTs at lower weights but I was impressed at how cool it stayed.
That is probably what I was so impressed about. The duty cycle on cooling is unbelievable. The trucks power it makes is usable power basically everywhere. With the VGT and 6 speed trans it’s got a wide powerband. The air to water intercooler seems so damn efficient. EGTs just don’t get hot.
In comparison to my truck, no VGT and a 4 speed trans, I feel like I have to work in a very narrow powerband to make similar power. If I’m out of that powerband I need to let out and find the another gear to get me in that powerband again and that is what dictates my speed.
My buddy asked me how did it compared to when I was driving? It’s tough to compare. The 6.7 was at 34k, the 7.3 was at 29k (heaviest weight) the 7.3 was in 100* heat at 4500 ft elevation, the 6.7 was at 0-250 ft elevation when I drove it in 55* weather. I was doing 70 mph in the 7.3, the 6.7 was doing 55-58 mph (in CA with a trailer)
So when I actually drove it the conditions were very very different. Given the passenger experience when he was going up hill, I stand by the usable powerband is 100x better and is what made it haul 34k up and over that hill. I wish our drives had more grades to go up and grades I have done to give a better comparison. Also, 34k is quite a bit more than 29k….but I also think 12-15mph slower at half the temperature and drastically elevation differences play big roles too.
So, there’s my review, coming from a guy who never towed a damn thing until 2020 and came into the world in an ole 7.3.
I think each truck suits each owner nicely. The guy in the ram drives it daily. 3.42s give nice mileage, wonderful DD interior, will tow 2 jeeps just fine, anything more id assume the SRW gets squirrelly (just a guess)
The 2012 isn’t a daily, but gets used 1-2 days a week for about 100 miles, then your long trips, tows heavier setups. Good interior for its use case.
Then me, sits for 2-3 months at a time, by far the smallest investment but given its use case, I can probably endure the old crappier things because I don’t use it often.
From a my truck update, it hasn’t been started since I turned it off after ending my last 1500 mile trip at the end of April. This summer I hope to knock out the springs and pushrods and do interior deadening.
And no, I’m not selling my truck after driving in some new ones
pennsylvaniaboy
make fullsizes great again
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2020
- Member Number
- 2192
- Messages
- 1,061
And no, I’m not selling my truck after driving in some new ones
But what truck does your dad want to see you in?
Good comparison, I think it really comes down to how much money do you want to spend to get the job done.
He isn’t a car or truck person so he doesn’t give a shitBut what truck does your dad want to see you in?
Good comparison, I think it really comes down to how much money do you want to spend to get the job done.
Levigarrett76
Zeus of the Sluice
I would spend a big chunk of change to have a properly controlled 6r140 in my 2001 7.3
FordFascist
Ford Bigot
Depending how you load a 5th wheel or gooseneck can make a lot of difference of how much it pushes your truck around. Playing with the tire pressure helps a lot as well. I had to put bags on mine because of the vast difference in how much weight I carry with it - because the pin weight of my toy hauler was about 4000lbs.
I can definitely feel my 5er when it's windy out, and stopping and accelerating. When I'm going in a straight line I can barely feel it back there.
As for cab quietness, the aluminum Fords are really quiet. I had a 2011 and it was quiet, but the 2017+ are even quieter. My 2018 F350 DRW is the quietest vehicle I own. It's 63 dB when driving. My buddy's 2018 Ram 3500 DRW is pretty damned close in cabin noise.
I can definitely feel my 5er when it's windy out, and stopping and accelerating. When I'm going in a straight line I can barely feel it back there.
As for cab quietness, the aluminum Fords are really quiet. I had a 2011 and it was quiet, but the 2017+ are even quieter. My 2018 F350 DRW is the quietest vehicle I own. It's 63 dB when driving. My buddy's 2018 Ram 3500 DRW is pretty damned close in cabin noise.
Levigarrett76
Zeus of the Sluice
I agree with Fascist, I had a 2012 dodge and 2017 f350 and own a 2022 f150. Much quieter in cab than my 01 f250.
Remember the 11-16 is still based on the old cab design.
Remember the 11-16 is still based on the old cab design.
If there’s one thing I can say about my F550 is that it doesn’t matter how I load it, what tire pressure it has (within reason) or the weight. The chassis and suspension don’t care. Crosswinds, headwinds, tailwinds, it has never cared.
No air bags and honestly, probably blown out shocks.
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
One thing to remember about the 2012 is that cab is the same as a 99, where the 2020 ram is new for that year. So aerodynamically it's a 21 year difference.
Obviously the 12 has tons of updates over a 99. But I do think the aluminum cabs are quieter. The only thing I can hear in our 15 F150 is a bit if tire noise (cheapest at's)
What you said about "can't feel it back there" is funny. But I will say I have legitimately forgot about a trailer in 2 different trucks. One was a 2011 6.7 F250 towing a Toyota on an 18 foot trailer and the other was a large but lightweight bumper pull camp trailer behind my father in laws 2017 6.7 F350 drw.
Anyone saying they can't feel a 20k lb trailer behind their truck is just retarded. Even my buddies with 10 wheeler dump trucks say they can notice their large skid steer on the trailer.
Obviously the 12 has tons of updates over a 99. But I do think the aluminum cabs are quieter. The only thing I can hear in our 15 F150 is a bit if tire noise (cheapest at's)
What you said about "can't feel it back there" is funny. But I will say I have legitimately forgot about a trailer in 2 different trucks. One was a 2011 6.7 F250 towing a Toyota on an 18 foot trailer and the other was a large but lightweight bumper pull camp trailer behind my father in laws 2017 6.7 F350 drw.
Anyone saying they can't feel a 20k lb trailer behind their truck is just retarded. Even my buddies with 10 wheeler dump trucks say they can notice their large skid steer on the trailer.
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2021
- Member Number
- 4387
- Messages
- 3,598
Hell I forgot about a fire trailer I was pulling..... until I smoked the side of the chevy while backing up
Mighta been in the sun a lil to much that day
Mighta been in the sun a lil to much that day
Chicken Corners
Red Skull Member
Don’t even know it’s back there crowd. Comfortably numb, must be how they live life?
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
It's supposed to be them bragging about thier truck. I always figured it was bs until I experienced it
Like 06 said, some people will say it about ridiculous loads.
arse_sidewards
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2020
- Member Number
- 71
- Messages
- 8,555
The people who leave the line like they've got places to be, get up to traffic speed before the merge lane ends, don't get stuck trying to take a left across traffic tend to notice when they've got an extra 10-20% over their normal curb weight.
It's the sluggish and oblivious drivers that tend to make the "can't even feel it back there" claims.
It's the sluggish and oblivious drivers that tend to make the "can't even feel it back there" claims.
Having done some long KoH roadtrips in both of Pinzguy 's super duties, (one is a 2014 ccsb f250 and the new one is a 2022 cclb f350 drw)
The noise difference between the 2014 and the alumaduty is very apparent. The sound deadening is really good in the newer trucks.
The other thing we made note of is how nice the newer truck rides. The fact that a truck with as much tow rating as that F350 has can ride that good is nothing short of amazing. Driving around unloaded in that thing feels like the average SUV from the early 00s.
Tl;Dr: Newer truck do the new truck thing gooder
The noise difference between the 2014 and the alumaduty is very apparent. The sound deadening is really good in the newer trucks.
The other thing we made note of is how nice the newer truck rides. The fact that a truck with as much tow rating as that F350 has can ride that good is nothing short of amazing. Driving around unloaded in that thing feels like the average SUV from the early 00s.
Tl;Dr: Newer truck do the new truck thing gooder
arse_sidewards
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- May 19, 2020
- Member Number
- 71
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What really amazes me is that they can do that shit without any sort of dynamic suspension (e.g. air springs or dynamic shocks)
YotaAtieToo
Thick skull
Ram is doing an air suspension now. Full air bag on the 1500/2500 and air leaf deal on the 3500.
CDA 455 II
ANFAQUE2
We're almost halfway through June; updates please....