Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab

hasel · December 2003

Stay away from the Rayb Ceramic pads mine started to fail at 10000 miles they where separating from baking plate, also the Rayb rotors are worse than the OEM, am now using Brembo Rotors and put the OEM lining back on, brakes are great.

spike50 · December 2003

At 40K+ or so (can't remember) I too moved to the PowerSlots and Raybestos ceramics. The PowerSlots began to warp a little. I was unsuccessful at "heat-cleaning" them by riding the brakes a bit. An inspection of the brake pads revealed pits (missing chunks) in the pad surface. I replaced the ceramics with the old OEM's that were laying around.

I still feel the warped PowerSlot rotors but its small. It's interesting to me that the significant brake dust problem I had with the OEM rotors and pads has not returned although I'm back to using the very same pads I removed. 90% of the past dirt problem must have been from the OEM rotors.

ronslakie · December 2003

I have to agree with Dusty about the brake pads. I have a 2K Dak with 49K miles and my pads are about half worn if that. Also my original rotors are fine. I have had Kleen Wheel dust covers on since the truck was new so brake dust is not an issue.

Ron

gtownguy · December 2003

Hey Guys hope all is well. I still read from time to time. I have a 01 QC 4.8 auto 4x4, sport. At 29kmiles not many problems just sqeaky front sway bar bushings that dealer replaced last summer. Sometimes hard starting when warm, but I just step on gas and it cranks up. Heater an isssue as my feet get cold sometimes. I drilled additional holes for more air (2) and helps a little. I can live with it vs. the alternative of dealer tech taking apart my dash.
Anyways I was wondering if anybody could help with this question. I've always seen this but never thought to address it. In my front wheel wells I can see the brake lines and into the side of my engine. It seems to be lacking "mud" skirts that my other trucks have had. There are a couple of holes there? Are these to hang some type of plastic sheild?? If so, was this part of another package? possibly SLT? or was this cheapening after the 2000 model year?. Does anyone have part #'s?? Any help or input would be appreciated.
Thanks, Tom.

spike50 · December 2003

gtownguy - I can see the sides of the engine by looking through the top of the front wheel wells. When I go splashing around, I get mud up on the top surfaces of the engine / battery, etc. A better wheel well / engine bay partition might help but it wasn't part of the SLT package as far as I remember.

dustyk · December 2003

I know what you are talking about and I've wondered, too. I have to say, though, that I have never seen curtains on the current series Dakota or at least remember seeing them. Perhaps they were on the first years, on SLTs or 4x4s only. I know the hood silencer pad and front box panel gasket have been dropped, so maybe that's what happened to the curtains.

A curtain wouldn't be hard to make.

Regards,
Dusty

dustyk · December 2003

I just checked my 2003 Club Cab and there are no holes in the inner fender (wheel well) liner for attaching a curtain to.

Regards,
Dusty

ronslakie · December 2003

I have an early 2K Dak (ordered Nov 99) and I have the wheel well curtains. They do seem to provide some protection from the mud as I have pressure washed them to get the mud off from time to time. Sorry I have no idea what the part numbers would be.

Ron

dustyk · December 2003

Thanks! Just knowing the year helps. That's how I knew what to look for when I ordered the hood silencer pad and box gasket from my dealer.

Bests,
Dusty

kingquad1 · December 2003

Just had them put on my 2000 QC.....what a difference...should have done it a long time ago.
Thanks for the recommendation guys!

bookitty · December 2003

I would like to take a moment to wish everyone and their family and friends a happy, healthy and safe New Year. Today I picked up my new FL plate. It reads
"QUAD CAB."

Bookitty

gtownguy · December 2003

Thanks for all the responses. I guess maybe the mud skirts were on the 99 and earlier models. Maybe I'll look in salvage yards for an older model and grab them off one of those vehicles.

Dusty- I know what the hood insulation is, but what is the front box gasket? Is it needed? Does it provide a function? thanks. (also how much was the hood pad and box gasket?)

Happy New year to All
Tom.

dustyk · December 2003

The hood silencer pad is Chrysler PN 55216161-AE. You will need a quantity of PN #6003351 fasteners. The cargo box seal is #55256943-AD and comes with the fasteners.

The cargo box seal (box gasket) is a weatherstrip that attaches to the bottom of the cargo box front bulkhead. This strip closes the gap between the front of the box and the rear of the cab. Its primary purpose is to reduce road noise that gets into the cab through the rear cab vents. It was an SLT item only on older Dakotas.

I cannot find the invoice at the moment, but the hood pad was around $70, I think. The box seal was around $24, if I remember correctly. Your prices may be slightly higher. My dealer gives me a discount on over-the-counter parts.

Bests,
Dusty

quadhog · January 2004

Been a long time since I've been on. Have a 2000 2wd 4.7L that has had a loud wind noise. I've
used the trustworthy blue masking tape and sealed just about everything all around the windshield. Thru a process of elimination I have found the area where the wind noise comes from. Rubber gasket on top and sides. With making tape on gasket to glass not gasket to body, the noise completly disappears. Does anybody know of a service bulletin on this issue. I still have an open RO at the dealer for repair of several warranty items that the dealer rep is working on. The wind noise is an item on the list. Before my discovery, the dealer heard the wind noise but found nothing...surprise...surprise.

Any TSB info you can share with me will be appreciated
Allen

dataguru · January 2004

Allen,

Very interesting discovery by process of elimination on your part...Good work.

I've always wondered why (starting in 2002 and later models) the long piece of rubber moulding between the top of the windshield glass and the body was eliminated. Perhaps, that's the reason? Now, after a rainfall, I notice the water just sits along the edge of the gap. I sure hope a rust problem does not eventually develop because of this change.

Regarding a TSB, I haven't come across one on this subject as yet.

dataguru

dustyk · January 2004

Over the years I have been in a number of older Dakotas and haven't noticed any wind noise from the windshield, so I know they all don't do that. I find it hard to believe for the moment that the full perimeter windshield gasket used on 2001 and earlier Dakotas inherently causes a wind noise.

I would suspect an air leak. Unfortunately, the fix is likely to be in the form of adding sealing material around the windshield. If you can't locate a generalized area you will have to remove the entire gasket and run a bead of material. Not a nice job and not one I would recommend someone tackling if you've never done it before.

I'd work with your dealer. The problem is going to be that the job done there is not one that a lot of service managers will want to take on if they don't believe they have the talent in the shop to do it correctly. Some dealers send all of that kind of work out to a glass shop.

Good luck.

Dusty

kjcdr1 · January 2004

is the question I have to ask about. My '01 4x4 QC with 4.7 V8 and Auto transmission will be 3 years old on March 1. With the 3 yr Dodge warranty I did not believe I needed the extended warranty during this first 3 years. My QC is a low mileage vehicle (17,500 miles at this point). Unless something very unusual occurs, I plan to keep this truck for 7 more years.

Considering the prices quoted in the literature I have received from D/C, I have about decided that the money would be better put aside for correcting any future problems. The full package for 4years/50K miles is about $1300. Going to 7years and 75K is about twice that much.

I have not posted for quite some time, but from my experience over the past 3 years, I know there will be someone in this group with good answers to my question. That question is: Has anyone with the higher mileages found a benefit from having an extended warranty? Or perhaps was there someone who did not have an extended warranty, but had a problem which could have been corrected under extended warranty if you had one? The cost of correcting any problems you may have encountered would be very helpful.

It is decision time for me so any input from your experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks. Ken

livnlrn · January 2004

Ken,
Can't help much with experiance with this, but here are my thoughts. I too have a low mileage truck and plan on keeping it for 7-8 years. I did get an extended warrenty (not from D/C), For the price, I figured that the first time I have a transmission problem it will pay for itself. I figure because I will own the truck for 7-8 years I will recoup my investment and then some from the warrenty. But I got a 100K, 8 years, $0 deduct. for around $1300.

kjcdr1 · January 2004

it was noted 2 to 2.5 years ago that some Q/C owners had obtained Extended Warranty from warrantydirect.com . Just wondering where you all obtained your warranties??? The price mentioned in message #4684 above is much better that that offered by D/C.

Again your assistance is appreciated. Ken

livnlrn · January 2004

You are correct. That is where I got my warranty from. I had owned the truck for about a year. The warranty was a 7yr/100k mile warranty from the day I bought the warranty. So that is where I got the 8yr/100k mile warranty figure from. The price went up the longer you waited and the more miles you had on the truck when you got it. They were also having a "sale" at the time. I have never had to use my warranty though. I questioned how the dealer would accept the warranty and the rep. from warranty direct put me on a "silent" conference call to my dealer and pretended to have a problem and made sure they would accept the warranty payments from the 3rd party warranty company credit card and the dealer had no problems. I also bought a warranty for my girlfriends car. We had that warranty for about 8 months and then traded the car in and got cash back from cancelling the warranty.

ronslakie · January 2004

kgcdr1 - A few years back I did some research on extended warranties and my conclusion was that Warranty Direct (www.warrantydirect.com) was the best deal out there. They have been around for about 25 years and have a good reputation. They also have one unique feature, which I have not found in any other extended warranty company that is that the warranty time period begins the day you take out the contract and not the day the truck was put in service. I took out a 7 year/100K miles contract when my truck was 14 months old which means time wise that my insurance will be in effect for 98 months. Another good feature is that you can go to the repair shop of your choice (dealer or not). They have 3 different levels of coverage; I have the highest level (platinum) with a 0 deductible and my cost was less than half of what the dealership wanted. I have 2 polices with them. Although I have not used either one yet I have heard from others that have and they have been well satisfied. One other note of caution there is another company out there called Warranty Gold that is still advertising as though business is as usual, however, one of their carriers has filed for bankruptcy. My daughter has a policy with them and has been unable to collect anything.

Ron

ford_bii · January 2004

I say don't do it. I didn't buy extended warranties for my 01 QC or my wife's 02 Explorer.

If you stop and think about it, these companies are in business to make money. They are selling you a warranty, and in essence betting you are NOT going to need repairs totaling the amount you paid for the warranty within the given warranty period. This means that YOU are betting that your car IS going to require more than the cost of the warranty in repairs over the term of the warranty, or else you would not be buying it.

The question really boils down to: is your vehicle going to need 1-2k worth of repairs that are not normal wear and tear in the next 4,5,6,7,etc years? I feel the odds are against that. Sure, some vehicles will require that amount, but statistically your chances are low of that happening. How many people do you know that have a car that is 3-10 years old and have needed an entirely new transmission or engine?

Remember too, that normal wear and tear items are not covered by these warranties, and certain items that were covered by the original 3 year bumper to bumper may not be covered, making them less appealing.

My advice would be to take the amount you want to spend on an extended warranty, and put it in a money market account, and draw on it for only repair costs that would have been covered under the warranty. (No clutches, brakes, shocks, etc) I would bet that at the end of the warranty term you will still have some money left in that account.

ferous · January 2004

I have 67K on my 2000 QC Dakota. I didn't spend a penny for the extra warranty coverage and now 4 years later I'm glad I didn't. The truck has NEVER been in for a single repair.

Karen_S · January 2004

...the best advice I ever received concerning purchasing an extended warranty was to put the same amount of money into a money market account. If you need it for a major repair, you've got it. If you don't, you've still got it. :-)

dustyk · January 2004

I have seen the same suggestion from a couple of different auto-expert types. I think it assumes that you start putting away money begining at the time of purchase. Fifty-dollars a month is $600 per year, at the end of three years you could pay for the average transmission rebuild or other major cost expenditures.

And you would get some interest, at least.

Best regards,
Dusty

bpeebles · January 2004

I take that a step further.... pay cash for the automobile and invest a portion of what you would have paid monthly if you purchased.

After 10-15 years of this, there is easilly enough to pay cash for the next vehicle and have some left over for self-warantee.

I started doing this with a $500 vehicle years ago and have worked my way up to purchasing new. The only exception has been when the low financing caculates out to be a better deal than paying cash.

ferous · January 2004

Since 1997 I have been putting money in a "car" account so that I can pay cash for each next vehicle. In March 2000, I had enough cash to buy my QC. The dealer wanted me to finance the truck even after I told him I was paying cash. I agreed to finance the truck at 0% (this was offered on Grand Caravans in 3/00), but they wouldn't go below 4% back then. So I just wrote a check and drove it off the lot. A year later I could have bought my truck with 0% and made some interest on my money. When we buy our new minivan this summer I'm going for the 0% + Cash Back + Interest on my Money.

kjcdr1 · January 2004

for your suggestions and advice regarding Extended Warranty. Considering the miles per year that I have been putting on this vehicle, in ten years since it was new I may just about reach the 67K that ferous has achieved in four years. I will take the advice of the majority and put the funds away to pay for any unforseen problem---should any occur.

I am also in complete agreement with bpeebles and ferous with regard to saving regularly before purchasing a vehicle and making it a cash deal. The interest saved can be used for those unexpected repair problems. The four vehicles I purchased new since 1987 were: '87 Pontiac Catalina, '90 Mitsubishi Montero, '99 Toyota Camry, and '01 Dakota Q/C. All were purchased by saving beforehand and paying cash.

Having the cash and now with the internet to check prices of the vehicle and all options, the buyer is in a better position to get a reasonable deal.

Again, thanks everyone and best regards. Ken

sunburn · January 2004

Does anyone know if it possible to install a passenger side airbag switch in a QC like they have in an RC or CC? I was wondering if the connection is in the wiring harness so all I had to do was purchase a switch and plug it in?

It would be nice to separate feuding children by moving one to the passenger seat. Unfortunately strapping one to the roof isn't socially acceptable anymore and I never seem to have a roll of duct tape around....

bookitty · January 2004

Todd, your comments remind me of a trip we took with our two sons and the dog. The trip was 1200 miles of constant bickering and arguing. When my wife was asked by a friend if she would do it again, she replied, "We would take the dog!"

Bookitty

jhorl · February 2004

Well, the time has come to sell or trade in my 2000 Dakota. This week I plan to special order a 2004.5 Ram 3500 SRW Cummins Turbo with a 6 speed. I've never special ordered a vehicle before and I know some of you have. Any suggestions or tips on how to get the best deal. I have read most of the Edmunds articles and just want some personal experiences. Also I have a choice between a 3.73 or 4.10 rear. I dont plan on doing much towing right now but I'm a little confused on which one to get.
Thanks for any advise.
John

bookitty · February 2004

John, one thing that you might look into, is the Farm Bureau $500.00 discount certificate, if they are still offering it. Next, go to the website for Dodge trucks, and see what is available as far as options, and how they are packaged. Some options are bundled into groups and it may pay to get a group versus individual items. Decide what you need on the truck (LSD, 4X4, comfort/convenience and performance items) and see if there is a Dodge Ram site l9ike our where you can glean needed information. When you order, remember that the dealer will not have to spend money on a floor plan for your truck and let him know that you know. Some of our guys have gone with the Ram, like Rick (iowabigguy) and can be of help. Good luck.

Bookitty

davewarwick1 · February 2004

I have a 2001 DDQC and have 43k miles. Tires are near the end and would like to try another brand vs. the OEM Goodyears. I was looking at TireRack and was interested in the Yokohama tires. Anybody have any thoughts. Good ride with good tread life and pretty decent traction in snow are what I am looking for.

I recently purchased the Edelbrock IAS shocks and do not like the ride. The suspension is too stiff. I did not dyno test them before I put them on but the "hand" dyno tested them as higher low speed compression and at least equal rebound. If I could lower the spring rate (smaller diameter front torsion bar, one less rear leaf spring, or maybe less anti roll bar diameter) it may be ok. Since the ride was "decent" before I put them on, I have to say it is the shocks. I would like a softer ride. The shocks now have about 200 miles on them and I would be willing to sell them. Let me know if anyone is interested.

iusecad · February 2004

I don't own a Dakota, but I do have a '95 Chevy with Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks and Yokohama Geolander H/T tires. I know exactly what you're saying about the shocks; I didn't like them for almost the first 10k miles, but after that they loosened up nicely and the truck rides very well. (They have ~46k on them now.)

I've only had the Yoko's since August, but I was surprised by how quiet they are. I think they're the quietest tire I've ever experienced. Winter traction has only been average though. Better than the Goodyears that came on the truck, but not as good as the Coopers that the Yoko's replaced. Did I mention they're quiet?

bookitty · February 2004

Dave, I am a big fan of Cooper tires, having had good service life and performance. For what it's worth.

Bookitty

mtrialsm · February 2004

davewarwick1,
Glad to hear about your experience with the Edelbrock IAS shocks. My '01 2wd quad shakes
after hitting bumps in the road. Seems to have
gotten worse? But that could be me?
I was thinking about new shocks (IAS) ones?
But now will wait and see?
mm

bpeebles · February 2004

(mtrialsm) My 2000 Dak had developed a dangerous trait of the rear wheels "leaping" to the side over expansion joints and such. The rear "made in Brazil" shocks were totally worn out at around 35K miles. (leaking oil) I am not the only person that experienced this "leaping" of the rear end on their Dak.

Installing the Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks totally remidied the sideways leaping. I am now able to ACCELLERATE over expansion joints and the rear wheels stay glued to the pavement. (Before the Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks, the rear tires would lose traction and start spinning or jumping around)

The Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks also reduced nosedive when braking and lean while turning. Most folks have only praise for the Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks.

I wonder if the folks that dislike the Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks have tried different tire pressures? Just a few PSI somtimes makes a big difference.

2nddak · February 2004

Dave,

I put the Yokohama Geolander AT's on my truck at the beginning of winter. The original RTS's still had about 15K wear left on them but at 44K, they were starting to hydroplane in rain and I didn't want to do another Buffalo winter with them. I got the Yoko's at tire rack and from the reviews, expected them to stick like glue in snow. They work very well on my truck in snow but still spin a bit when it's slippery. In retrospect, I'm surprised at how well the RTS's did in the snow. I expected a dramatic improvement with the Yoko's but didn't see it. Yet, reveiws for the RTS's say they are not good for snow. I can't give you a wear report on the Yoko's but from what I see in reviews, the warmer your climate, the faster they wear. Noise isn't a problem at this point. I'd buy them again because you get a lot of tire for the money. I wanted to get the new Brigstone Duelers that rated the highest but they were back ordered everywhere before winter and a lot more expensive. Hope this helps.

davewarwick1 · February 2004

Thanks for your reply posts on tires and shocks. I will look into the recommendations on the Coopers and Yokos. Kind of funny thinking back to the 70's when a frequent change of tires on my old tried and true Honda CT 70 minibike, that the tires were Yoko's and they are still going strong.

As for the shocks, I will give them a little more time. If I can make an adapter to alter my shock dyno to fit the IAS's and the std. OEM's. I will test them and post the messages. In reality though, it what you like when you are in the seat.

dakowner · February 2004

My friend recently bought a used Ford F250 4wd Super Duty 4 door with V10 Auto trans. He asked me to take my 03 Quad cab out to an abandoned airstrip for a friendly drag race. I had no clue as to how these 2 trucks would compare head to head. My truck has the 3.9 six with auto transmission and 3.55 rearend. I also have the tire/suspension upgrade. I beat him in all three heats. The first one I took him by 2 truck lengths and I was running about 75 before I had to back off for the end of the runway. Other 2 heats I had him by a little less than that. Have no idea how long the runway is. It's just a small private runway that was blacktopped. We didn't check our odometers. If I read the specs correctly, he's got about 2,000 lbs. more weight than my Dakota. Probably not a fair matchup but I really didn't expect to beat him.

blue_truck · February 2004

Just wanted to comment on the Yokohama H/T tires. I have a '99 Dak CC 4WD on which I installed the Yokos last spring. In general, they are a nice tire...quiet, with good dry traction, and appear to be wearing well, but when it comes to wet and/or snow traction, I am very disappointed. So disappointed, in fact, that I bought snow tires (WinterForce) to run during the winter months.
So, unless you live where it is warm and dry year-round, I would personally stay away from the Yokos. BTW...I give Tire Rack a big thumbs up...decent prices and FAST standard shipping!

spike50 · February 2004

davewarwick1 - I've posted in other areas that I installed the new Bridgestone Dueler AT - Revo (Yolander AT-like tread pattern but has more of the finer cuts to improve wet grip)(all 5 of the 31x10.5-15) on my '00 at 52K. I had originally looked at the Yolanders but I was concerned that there was only one store in the area (lack of competitive pricing and will the store still carry them if I have any problems later). I looked at a lot of different tires (Coopers, GY, BFG, Michelin, Hankook, etc.) and the different pricing scenarios (mail order and retail).

I installed the Revos prior to hunting season (Pennsylvania) (6K miles ago) and they have performed great in all sorts of conditions (steep trails in the mud, ice and snow) as well as, at 60-70 mph highway driving to and from. I love'm compared to the GY RTS which had no grip in the wet and hydroplaned at 45+ mph.

Supposedly, there is a softer tread compound that is exposed as the tire wears down so one maintains wet grip. We'll see but so far so go. Several of my hunting buddies have now put them on their Ford Explorers too.

jhorl · February 2004

I just ordered my Ram 3500 yesterday and I'm trading in the Dakota. Bpeebles, I know you special ordered your truck, Do you know the website that I can go to and track the progress of my truck with the VON number.
Thanks
John

bookitty · February 2004

It seems that there have been changes made to these threads. I now had to re-register for my account and change my password. This required updating my profile as well. Is this, "New and improved?" or is it my personal "glitch?" I have been a member since inception, so why throw rocks in the path?

Bookitty

iowabigguy · February 2004

Florida is so flat that if you didn't have rocks in your path you'd never use 4 wheel drive. <grin> Rick

bpeebles · February 2004

(jhorl) Here is the URL for Dakota... it may work for RAM too.

http://www.dakota-truck.net/order_status.html

bpeebles · February 2004

(bookitty) You are not alone. I noticed the "change" last evening.

I logged on as I normally do yesterday afternoon... Later that evening, The "internet cookie" on my computer was not correct. (A cookie is used to remember your password)

I did NOT have to re-register, just re-logon with my password and change my homepage to the new one.

spike50 · February 2004

I'm not happy with the navigational changes to the website. I can't seem to quickly zero in on just the Dakota stuff without getting Ram also and then I need to resort for Dakota only. I guess I'm showing my age by scratching my head at the "improvements" and wishing it just stayed the same. Hey, it worked fine before, like black & white TV.

bookitty · February 2004

Rick, excuse me. I had a senior moment. I meant, "rocks in my head!"

Bookitty

bpeebles · February 2004

(spike50) Dont try to "navagate" to anything.
You should be "subscribed" to the forums that you wish to follow.

Then, when you click on "Message Center" on the left, you will see a list of YOUR PERSONAL LIST of forums you follow.

In my opionion, this is the VERY BEST FEATURE of the Edmunds townhall. I follow many other websites and this feature of the Edmunds townhall stands out as a shining star.

(I thought eveyone was using this neato "subscribe" feature of Edmunds townhall )

Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab

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