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Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab
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Comments
Bookitty
All the vehicles I drive at work have 4 wheel anti-lock brakes!
My wife and daughter both drive cars with 4 wheel anti-lock brakes!
For standardization if nothing else I wanted 4 wheel anti-lock on my Quad. I figured in a panic situation I didn't want to have to try to remember what type of brakes the vehicle I was driving had!
Other members of my family also drive the Quad and it is easier to tell them to just stand on the brake pedal and steer around the situation (if possible) than have them try to remember to pump the brakes and keep them on the edge of lockup!
I have a hard enough time making them check to see the tires are still round before driving off.
I drive either 3/4 ton Chevy Suburbans or a 1 ton GMC crew cab at work. All have 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel anti-lock brakes as well. The Dakota anti-lock is far superior to the General Motors anti-lock in my opinion. The only time you notice the Dodge brakes is when the anti-lock kicks in, none of the weird sounds when you first start off like GM.
As crazy as people drive around here and the crappy weather in the Midwest I personally feel the 4 wheel anti-lock brakes are a extra little bit of insurance and well worth the additional cost.
As an aside if you buy a Ram 1500 Quad Cab with a Hemi the anti-lock brakes are a required addition. Rick
How were pick-up trucks driven before the advent of anti-lock brakes? If people know how to drive a vehicle safely the lack of anti-lock brakes is irrelevant.
Now maybe the 2-wheel system on the Dakota is better. But my 4-wheel systems all gave me trouble. My wife and I went through a stop sign once that came up on us very quickly (dry pavement). The ABS brakes on her Avalon would not let me stop the vehicle. Any other car without them would've stopped. That's just as dangerous as any situation where anti-lock brakes might provide a benefit. Our GM cars sometimes needed what seemed like a thousand pounds on the brake pedal to stop on dry pavement.
And, oh by the way, the supposed feature of anti-lock brakes working in such a way to allow one steer is also not without exceptions. One afternoon a friend of ours drove into a icy church parking lot and promptly hit a pole because the car still went straight even though the wheels were turned.
Dusty
Thank you Gentlemen for your positive feedback & helpful comments. It's only from real life experiences that one can truly appreciate the full value of either Having or Not Having this option.
As of 2003, I understand that most Dakotas models (over a certain GVWR weight) now come delivered with 4-wheel disc brakes and rear-only ABS as standard equipment. This fact only should render much improved stopping with disc brakes as compared to the previous front discs/rear drums combination.
Personally, this is my first vehicle with any ABS system as my 2001 QC has the front discs/rear drums with standard rear-only ABS. I'm usually in the habit of pumping my brakes whenever I plan to stop regardless of road conditions. However, on one occassion, I had to make a (stand on it NOW) panic stop in wet slippery road conditions and discovered the rear-only ABS was of no help in stopping within a reasonable distance. At the time, I was carrying a full tank of gas and approx. 200 pounds of cargo. I, too believe that I could have stopped in a shorter distance with no ABS system whatsoever.(but who knows) Thank goodness I reacted in time to avoid an accident. Based on that experience, I'm now of the opinion that ABS (both, rear-only or 4-wheel ABS) is only valuable for panic stops where room is available to steer around the obstacle and not too helpful for very slippery/icy conditions (black ice) where steer around room is not available and skidding is going to take place regardless of lockup/release. Things may be different in deep snow. ( just my opinion )
I do agree, that with good driving habits (no tailgating, no speeding, good awareness of road conditions, alertness, knowing how to brake/steer during panic stops, good tires, etc etc) one should be able to get by with only the standard equiped rear-only ABS. (especially, given that 4-wheel disc brakes are standard equipment for most Daks) However, one may consider having 4-wheel ABS as additional insurance only if used appropriately. In Canada, the extra cost of this option is listed as $290 (CDN$), so I will likely not order it. I sure hope it's the right decision for overall driving conditions here in the Pacific Northwest. (rare snow but often wet/slippery/icy conditions)
Thanks.
dataguru
Dusty
Thanks,
Raven
Don't know how I got a double post. Must be that "age" thing!!
Dick
Thanks for alol your help,
Raven
Good luck, Dick
Thanks! I'll give it a go.
All the best,
Raven
1-800-992-1997. You will need the VON (Vehicle order number) from your dealer, and then your order can be tracked.
Bookitty
Thanks guys! I called DCX and the individual gave me the scoop. The only thing he didn't know was the rail car number, and he apoligized for that.
Great service and great "Buds" on the net. Wow, this was a great move on my part.
All the best,
Raven
I am currently a ford ranger owner and am seriously considering buying a 2003 Dodge Dakota Quad SLT for my next vehicle.
I like everything about it so far and will probably have it special ordered from the factory.
I had a question though and appreciate any help you can offer.
I want to get a Quad 4x4, I was told NOT to get the v8 engine because it tends to 'search' to much in 4x4. Has anyone experienced this problem? The dealer that I test drove one at this weekend said that all tranny problems were taken care of in '99, and that a v6 would not be enough power for a quad.
I'm not going to be doing heavy towing, I just like to take my trucks out into the dirt and up into the mountains, My ford has a v6 and it has no problems with power. so do I really need to spend the money on a v8?
Thanks in advance for any input!
-Glenn
You do not HAVE to spend the xtra money for the 4.7L V8... but it will not cost any more to run it and will still be worth more when it comes time to sell it.
As for "tends to 'search' to much in 4x4".... WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN??? I have been following 4 different Dakota websites since 1999 and have never even HEARD of this. Perhaps if you explain what you mean by the term "search"...
Let me make some guesses:
*)With 4X4 engauged, The tires tend to follow the ruts in the road.
*)You have to look really hard (search) to see the road?
*)You cant predict which tire will spin next?
Seriously though.... Your salesman must not know what he is talking about when it comes to the transmissions. The Dakota did not even OFFER the 4.7L and associated tranny in 1999!
1st of all.... each engine comes mated to a DIFFERENT tranny. The 4.7L V8 auto tranny has seen some 'teething pains' since introduction in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has gained another forward gear and now has synthetic fluid from the factory. All in all, it has matured quite well and is no worse than any other DC tranny. (I still like my MANUAL tranny!!)
I special-orderd my Dakota too. (I wanted the manual tranny with the V8 and LSD.) It took less than a month from ordering to delivery. It was pretty cool seeing the window sticker that said "This truck built for Bruce Peebles"
I do own a 4.7 V8 Dakota with the 545RFE transmission and can tell you it is the most responsive, reactive and smoothest transmission I've ever driven, bar none. And that includes our current '99 Toyota Avalon which might be one of the worst auto transmissions I've ever driven.
As far a gas mileage, I think more conservative drivers do realize better fuel consumption with the 3.9 engine, but more 'youthful' and impatient drivers might not see that much of a difference. The 4.7 has plenty of power! In a Dakota Quad you might be happier with the 4.7.
Like the previous recommendation, drive a few and see what you like.
Regards,
Dusty
I will outline what I felt were strengths and weaknesses of the dakota:
Strengths
*Robust engine design 4.7L was a smooth revving and tough piece of work! It beats the 318 in every measureable performance criteria. And as bpeelbes stated, it gets better MPG than the v-6 Sparkplugs were a challenge and the skid plates limit easy access to the oil filter but otherwise, its a honey of a motor.
*Very well laid out climate control and other controls and switches. Excellent displays esp. at night.
*Decent ride for a pickup. I understand the quad cabs ride a bit better.
*Nice towing and hauling capacity w/o having to spend a fortune in upgrades.
*Good looking tires but traction in snow with the Goodyear eagle 31x10.5x15 RTS tires leaves much to be desired.
*Rims were sharp and drew lots of compliments.
*my unit was carefully assembled and well finished.
*Strong, rigid frame....like the big 94-2002 Rams
*Good old fashioned manual 4WD....and it worked very well for me with no problems.
*Torsion bar front suspension....IMHO....the finest concept of suspension design ever bestowed on a motor vehicle.
*Liberal use of Denso USA components...DENSO is very highly regarded in the industry as making the best electrical components.
*MPG I hit 19.4 on the higway with the 3.92 axle at 70MPH and the AC on.....ran about 13.5 to 14.1 in the city....a little less in cold weather.
Weaknesses
*Brakes....they work but watch out for severe rotor warpage...aftermarket (which was where I was headed next until I traded the rig)is the way to go. Others on this board will testify to this.
*A/C drain plug known to clog however I never had this problem.
*Leaf spring clips can and do come apart and I had to have mine replaced.
*Watch the rear drums too....like the rotors, they were for the 2000 model year sourced from Bosch of Mexico.....and believe me it showed!
*PCM MAY need to be reprogramed to cure excessive spark knock and/or poor idle along with stalling after cold start. I went thru this 3 times before Chrysler got the coding right.
*Headlights, esp on high beam are a bit weak. Not sure if anyone would agree but this is my statement.
*Watch the "mayo maker" oil filler tube. ITs plastic (a truly dumb design here)and thus stays cooler than the rest of the engine which allows condensation to build up and create a not so attractive "goo" I would estimate that frequent observation of PCV performance is a MUST in cold climates.
*Not necessarily a weakness here but be advised the fan clutch will roar on cold starts until the silicone fluid warms up....lots of complaints on this board and others on this and mine did it too but I never found it to be a problem. Rather, it was a sure fire indication to me that the fan clutch was working!
*Heater a bit slow to warm on the cold days but once warm, generated good heat.
SO there you have it. Good luck with your decision....I from time to time miss the Dak but I don't miss the problems I had. Be advised that others here have stated no problems or issues at all. So it really is then a crap shoot.
BTW.....Mine was built on a Friday, December 19, 1999! At 5:45 p.m. no less!
I'm going to go with the V8 but with a manual transmission. The don't think the price difference is enough to sacrifice power/mpg etc to warrant buying a V6. I also really don't like automatics anyway, I thought it was great when I saw that they would offer the V8 with a manual transmission. It looks like if I want that I'm going to have to special order it though, all of the dealerships around me only stock automatics.
and yes the 'searching' description was about the automatic transmission, sorry I didn't clarify that properly in my first post
Thanks again for eveyones input! I'm going to order my new Dodge Dakota in a couple of days!
Take it easy!
-Glenn
Dusty
Bookitty
Other than the klunks reported above and a bad CD player that was replaced under warranty during the first month of ownership, I have had no problems with this truck.
With the 4.7 auto, poor gas mileage is a factor. During the first 5900 miles I averaged 14.86 MPG. This increased during the last 5940 miles to 15.58 MPG. In general highway driving averages just under 17 MPG and my short around town trips seem to average between 14.25 and 15 MPG. During the past year several tank fulls have only gotten about 13.75 MPG.
I do like the truck and barring any drastic problems I expect to be driving it for a long time.
Best regards to all. Ken
I have a 2001 Quad,2x4, auto, 4.7, lim-slip. Just turned 2 years. 22K miles. I love this truck.
I have not been back to the dealer. I do have the
front-end pops etc. The occasianal clunk from the
rear, a little stumble when cold. Turn signals stopped woking twice (intermitent), might be "clock spring" in steering wheel? I replaced spark plugs with Bosch +4s at 15k, installed a "2-panel"hard bed cover (it's great), build a pvc bed extender. Use synthetic oil (Amsoil),changed ever 7500 miles. Gas milage is around 16 to 17, a long trip might get 20. Purchased a 7/75k extended
Chrystler extended warrentee last month. Plan on
keeping this truck for a long time.
It's white/silver with wheel flares.
I'm making a list for when I take the truck to dealer for above items.
mm
I'm very happy with my QC abd still enjoy the comments after a good wash/wax, since the clearcoat looks good as new after McGwiers (sp) polish/wax treatment.
Ok thats my update..
Some of those beaches (Montauk, anyone?) are lumpy with rocks, and the Dakota has nice ground clearance. I'll get a cap and a pass-through window; it's nice to keep 11' surf rods indoors while you sleep, waiting for a tide to change. (Mostly I'm alone, so the rod can go cattycorner from one side of the truck to the passenger's seat.) Luxury is interior rod storage and a captain's chair that reclines enough for easy sleeping. Otherwise this truck is a commuting vehicle to the office, so mileage is somewhat a concern. I don't need a high torque axle or towing package, but do want a low range for soft sand and a locking differential is good security. You can't have too much available current, so any options for larger battery and alternator will be exercised. AC and a single CD-radio unit are fine. Now .... can I get by with 6 cylinders or is the small v8 a better pick? I gather that the Dakota has, ummm, "issues" with brake rotors and heating vents, and gas mileage isn't going to thrill me to death. Have I missed any obvious gotchas? And I'll take any suggestions as to caps, too.
GET THE 4.7L V8... it has better MPG than the 1960's based V6 and has proven to be very reliable.
You already mentioned it but it is worth repeating get the LSD rear end. (Dodge calls it "trac loc")
DO NOT get the "fulltime" 4wheeldrive. The standard xfer case costs less has all of the features you seem to be looking for (including crawl) and does not impact MPG when in 2WD mode as much as the "fulltime" system does.
For sand, consider the larger tires. The 'floatation' that larger tires provide will be welcomed.
As far as I am aware, the ALTERNATOR on the 4.7L V8 is ALWAYS the higher-amprage unit. No need to spend extra $$ on "heavy duty" stuff unless there is somthing else in that package that you desire.
(Like the power-steering cooler)
You also mention the axle-ratio... If you are not towing, certainly get the LOWEST numerical value you can get... better MPG will be the result.
BRAKE ROTORS...I understand these issued have been resolved since 2001. There have not been many 'complaints' in these forums since that model year.
I have the ARE fiberglas cap. I like the SINGLE handle to lock/unlock and open the rear end. My wife and I have even slept on a futon mattress in the back of my truck... the mattress fit PERFECTLY and the 'passthru' window allowed me to pipe in the power for our 12V flashlight as a bedside lamp. (Do not forget to order the sliding rear window so the "passthru" will work!!)
QUESTION: (since you mention that you are ALONE most of the time) Why are you considering the QUADCAB instead of Xtended cab? Do you realize that the QUADCAB has a smaller bed for your surf rods?
(Don't walk but should; but then I wouldn't be able to respond to fire calls)
http://www.rodrack.com/anglers/index.html I also have an ARE cap and there is something you can do as a fisherman when ordering it that can be helpful. One of the options with the cap is to order a fold down clothes hanging rack which is mounted on the roof (inside the camper), if you order 2 of these one behind the other you can use them as rod holders. I did this and it worked well but I don't think it would work with the quadcab because the bed is too short. The ARE site is
http://www.4are.com/ Hope this helps.
Ron
Springfield, VA
I sometimes wonder if you guys ever drive your trucks. I bought my 02 2wd Quad Cab 4.7 man. trans, heavy duty, towing, 3.55, LSD, T&H, the end of December 2001 and have already put 24,000 miles on it. No mechanical problems including the brakes and rotors. My truck still has a slight pull to the right that goes away every other tire rotation. I have therefore assumed (rightly?) that it is a tire defect (I regularly balance and rotate and my last alignment was within spec.) Does not really bother me any more. I regularly get 18 mpg city (17 when running the A/C I live in Indialantic, Fla. Brian) and have gotten 20 highway. Just returned from Miami last night and was doing between 70-80 mph on I-95 and got 19 mpg. Red Line Synthetic in the LSD and Mobil 1 in the engine. Plan on switching out the manual trans. fluid to Red Line synthetic soon. No need for 4wd here in Fla. and I am quite happy with my current set up. I find it quite odd here in the Fla. flats seeing all these soccer Moms and Dads with there 4wd's. Gotta keep up with the Jones's I guess. My "longest" board is a 6'6" for those rare overhead days and it fits diagonally in the bed just fine. I highly recomend Line-X. Beautiful and functional. The ride of the Quad-Cab is fantastic. I get in my Dads Ext. Cab Ranger and feel like I am in a tin can! I needed the Quad for my two boys. If no passengers the longer bed would be more functional especially if you ride a fun shape or long board. I am a major Rock-N-Roll fan and still can not believe that I find the standard single CD player w/changer control adequate! I will upgrade the stereo when the stock unit dies. For me it came down to the Dak vs. Taco. The Dak won due to available man. trans., more room, better looks, more power and similar gas mileage, cheaper based on my desired options ( I could special order and not have to pay for undesired options and dealer add-ons), and not having to pay Toyota premium price. You might want to wait a little longer for the next gen. Taco to compare if you are not in a hurry. The 04 4 Runner sounds sounds and looks pretty nice. I assume the next Taco will be the same platform, body style, engine etc. Only gripes with this truck is a barely adequate air conditioner and paint (graphite metallic clearcoat) seems to scratch easily. I am going to to do the A/C mod. soon. Summer is just around the corner. As for the paint my detailer says it is very common with modern clearcoat paint jobs: very thin coats (True or False anyone?). Did I mention I love this truck?
Aren't you the one that 1st posted pictures of your PVC bed extender project? I built mine looking at those pics, but made it out of 1" pipe
and with more rear sections for support. I was gonna post my pics, but just got lazy. It's great
for hauling grocies, now I have a Advance 2-panel
bed cover!
mick
to the steering wheel as a kit from Dodge?
if so do you know where I can find them?
Thanks!!
I would really like to see your "brew"... and I even have had several people ask me to make them one... approx $25 vice the >$200 for a store bought one.
Lepore, the similarity in gas mileage between the QC and the Tacoma is surprising. I scratched that one off the list because it felt so bleepin' small when I sat in it, like getting into underwear two sizes too small. DEFINITELY designed for Japanese behinds. bpeebles, that Dakota shifter into 4WD - is that automatic/push button or manual? I ask because twice, in the ten years I've had the Explorer, I have gotten out of a nasty skid in mid-skid by punching that dashboard button and engaging 4WD. I know the trucker cognoscenti sniff at anything but manual hubs but I got 135K out of the originals on the Explorer before they needed replacement, and if they're available on the Dakota, I'd like that. An ARE or Jericho cap will go on the bed. I'll put a rod rack on the front and a ski rack on top (for rods) and stick the cooler in the cargo bed. Hey, maybe I'll get a cap with a solar panel on top, keep a trickle of current available! Any recommendations for Dodge dealers with good service departments in Suffolk County, NY, are appreciated.
My 2000 Dak has the REAL Shift-on-the-fly lever that is connected directly to the xfer case. I beleive that starting in 2001, the xfer case was changed to some dash-mounted, electronic gizmo.
The factory foglights were a disapointment to me. They are cheap, plastic lenzes that dont even TRY to focus like a foglamp should. They do not even have a TOP and a BOTTOM... the light splays EVERYWHERE with no sembalance to being 'focused' down underneath the fog/snow. They are very poor quality. They can ONLY be on with the low beams.
If I were to order again, I would consider somting aftermarket that would be FARR superiour... and I could turn on when I want them on.
Driving at night in a snowstorm, where the headlights are useless.... using JUST quality-focused, yellow foglights will allow one to see 30 yards... (Fog is not a big issue in Vermont.)
Gee... when we go night-catfishin.... we PURPOSLY have a coleman lantern on the beach... to draw in the catfish. (Bullpout)
Vehicle EPA Hwy MPG My Hwy MPG
1988 Mazda 323 GT 28 30-32
1990 Toyota 4x4 PU 21 22-23
1994 Subaru Legacy AWD 27 27-28
2002 Dakota QC 4x4 18 15-16
With the exception of the Dakota, every vehicle I have owned has meet or exceeded it's EPA hwy MPG number. When they first came out, the EPA numbers were way over estimated. But, after enough complaints, the EPA revised the test to make it more realistic. This happened in the mid to late 80s (I think). Based on my experiences, the Dakota is a bit disappointing. My neighbor claims that his Toyota Sequoia, with 4.7L, has yet to break 16 MPG on the hwy. Maybe it's just par for the course.
As far as the next gen Taco is concerned, it probably won't share the 4Runner chassis. I remember reading that the new 4Runner chassis was developed exclusively for the 4Runner. I would, however, expect the Taco to be larger in its next incarnation. My complaint also was that it was too small.
The new Tundra 4-door looks nice. How about that? It's not much bigger than the Dak, but is bigger on the inside and has a 6'-3" bed.
The mileage on the odometer stays low because I am an old Navy flyer. Taught my wife how to fly many years ago and most trips over 100 miles we do by air. It's safer.
During the summer I do more frequent 50 mile one-way trips to get to the areas where I hunt woodchucks. That probably helps get the MPG average above the 15 level.
The software change, update or whatever the dealer did at the 12K maintenance to get rid of the occasional transmission clunk has had a positive effect on the operation. There had also been some slight hesitation on the first start in the morning. This is also gone.
Best regards to all. Ken