Any MDT Owners on this Forum

[jrjones26]

Are there any C4500/C5500 owners on this forum? I have just bought a C4500 Crew Cab and would like to hear the experiences of similar owners.

jrj

[JB6600]

I'm still waiting for some of these p/u truck owners to switch to MDT's Jack.Maybe someday.........JB.
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[matt-max]

i've got a 15000gvw 3500hd but am waiting for 4wd on the new 4500/5500. i have driven a 2wd and loved it but can wait for the right truck.

matt

[jrjones26]

matt-max,

I don't know when the 4WD MDTs will be available from GM but I think you can get one through Monroe Truck Equipment now. I have no idea about the cost. Probably big bucks.

jrj

[matt-max]

yeah, the conversions are sure to be steep and i am positive that the factory job will be a better way to go and cheaper, especially in the long run with parts available more readily.

there are a couple 3500hd's with front drive added to them, one is a city utility truck and i think the other is a fire truck or ambulance maybe. they look wild with the front raised so far up. i considered going that route but the cost and turning radius don't work for me.

hopefully we'll see something in the next 8 months or so

matt

[lineman]

I've been driving a 2003 5500 for about 3 months now.It's a d/max with ali trans,locking rear end and a 38 ft. Hi Ranger bucket on it.It has been a hard truck to learn to drive.In town it is the best turning truck that I have sat in.Turning into alleys and drive ways are a piece of cake.I do have some complaints about the truck though.And it my only be because I have the boom on the truck.But this is the worst truck that I have ever driven on the freeway.It has a very bad Conastoga wagon ride to it.A very bad side to side sway, mostly because of the very touchy steering.Way,way too easy to over steer.Again this may be from being top heavy.The plastic in the cab rattles too much,mostly the flat trim directly in front of the drivers seat against the front windshield.A quick slap every once in a while takes care of it.And I have had a problem with the battery box under the passenger seat sliding open and shut while cornering, making a heck of a hard jolt in the cab.New locking pins took care of this.It runs way better than the 5500 F-%d power stroke that I just got out of and it handles the weight of the boom better.The more that I drive it the more that I like it.But I still use both hands to drive with and I look straight ahead, no looking at seat covers in the next lane.The radio is great, just as is the lay out of all the controls and gages.I just wish the bucket seats had an armrest.

[jrjones26]

lineman,

Do you have the air suspension seats? If so, you can add an armrest to it. My truck came with both driver & passenger air suspension seats. The brochure on the seat implied that armrests were an option. Sooo, I e-mailed National Seating the number that's on the back of the seat base and they offered armrests for $29.95 each plus $10 shipping for both. I confirmed with an upholstry shop that my seats were rigged for armrests then ordered them from National Seating. Had them installed by the upholstry shop for $20 although you could probably install them yourself. As for the white knuckles on interstate driving, I don't understand unless it is just a bad section of I-40. I have only had my truck for 2 months but I drive at 60 to 70 mph mostly on 2 lane roads with no problems. I have a crew cab with 169" WB.

jrj

[lineman]

jrj,I checked the seats on my truck and they are not the air seats.But I am trying to find out if they can have armrests put on them or not.I believe the root of the problem on my bucket truck as far as the steering goes, is the hi center of gravity because of the 38 foot material handling boom.You can just touch the steering wheel to go left or right and you feel an instant top heavy sway the other direction and upon steering back into that sway (knee jerk reaction )you get an instant sway the other way.I have become more used to this as time and miles have gone by.I guess the ford that I drove before I got this truck required more steering wheel turn to make a movement than this one.I know that this 5500 will turn circles inside the turning radius of both the F450 and F550 that I drove before.I am a 100% GM person and although I have some complaints about this truck,I have to remember that it is a bottom line basic work truck that they buy for us to drive.If the ones that did the buying, did the diving in a truck everyday that I do, I know we would get a more upscale truck.The other thing that I didn't like on the truck I forgot about(until I drove in the rain last nite ) are the headlites. They are not as good as I would like them to be.The beams vibrate very badly going down the road because of the fiberglass hood.I hope to improve my vision by putting some fog or driving lites on the truck soon.

[jrjones26]

lineman,

I don't know who supplies the standard seats for these trucks but they may also have the armrest capability built in. You can take it to an upholstry shop & they should be able to tell pretty quick if they will. Then it's just a matter of finding out where to buy the armrests. Does your seats have any manufacturer ID on them?

As for the drivability, I know that many high center of gravity vehicles are hard to control. That problem is compounded when you change to a vehicle with "quicker" steering. I have been used to driving a Dodge 1-ton & the C4500 has quicker steering than the Dodge. Also, I am still adjusting to my wife's Dodge Durango which has quicker steering than the MDT. I am getting better at driving both of them.

jrj

[jrjones26]

JB6600,

You posted on another forum that your new truck would have a LRX engine code. Is this a new diesel that's comparable to the LLY coded engine in the 2500/3500 pickups? Or is it a gas engine? I have checked out the GMC web site and they show the LLY engine to have 310hp and 590 ft-lbs torque. Not as much hp as the f**ds but more torque, I think, and slightly more hp & torque than the last numbers I saw for Dodge HO engines. Surprisingly, they still have the same M74 code for the Allison tranny, which, according to the brochure, is only rated for 545 ft-lbs torque. Go figure.

jack

[03DMAX]

Any solid news on the arrival of the factory 4x4 4500 and 5500 models. Those will be a real F**d killer!

[jrjones26]

03DMAX

A 4X4 C4500 or C5500 would be an awesome truck. However, I'll bet they are at least a year away. If GM & Dodge really want to compete, they both need to have a 4X4 medium duty crew cab truck.

jrj

[03DMAX]

Lets hope it is sooner than later. With the GVW's the 5500 comes with, fleets should go crazy for a 4x4 unit. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[JB6600]

Jack,
I've been trying to find out if this engine has the new injector set-up.I looked up the spec's at the dealer and the only diff. I've seen is the torque rating is max @ 1600 rpm's.......Going to scour the lots around here and see if any one has an '04' built this year.Should bee one around in a few weeks...........JB.

[jrjones26]

JB6600,

The peak torque at 1600 rpm is consistent with the new LLY code for the pickups. I had assumed the DMax in the MDTs was the same as in the pickup but I don't know for sure.

jrj

[JB6600]

I sure hope it is Jack.I'll be dancin' in the streets!.........JB.
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