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Comments
First some history...
In the past, to engage 4WD, the driver had to do TWO things.
1) Select the "4WD lock" on the xfer case selector
2) Get out of the vehicle and twist the center of each front wheel to engage the axle-wheel connection. (It is hard to imagine that one had to get out and stand in muck up to their ankles to engage the 4WD but that is EXACTLY how it worked)
Step2 has been improved over the past several years. Now when step1 is done, an electric signal is sent to the front axles to engage them.
To specifically answer your question. The front wheels are not LOCKED together. There is an open differential (non-LSD) in the front just like in the rear. In other words, the only 'locking' that is taking place is the connection of the wheels to the axle... the differential is NOT locked in any way.
Bookitty
I also have the 4WD, LSD, 3.55, HD Service Group, T&Handling, and 4W ABS.
Heard that bookitty is on "high priority". I think you're doing the right thing. Its America, you get what you want not what they give you.
Bookitty
I also think we should put all our Quad chat
on one topic. How about "2000 Quad Cab Chat"
Johnboy9
Ed
edermar - Deep Garnet Red was one of the new colors for 2000. Originally all of the new colors were on restriction until the official launch date (October 1st), but they soon got pushed further back - take Amber Fire Pearl as an example. As far as I know the Deep Garnet Red hasn't been cancelled as a 2000 option, but I don't know when (or if)it came off restriction.
Bookitty
Quad driving will be on mostly steep hilly highway [I-75] between Las Vegas and Cedar City ,Utah.I don`t pull a trailer,therefore I
would prefer the 3:55`s for better mileage and less RPM`S.
Bookity I`m sorry about your truck,but I think you did the right thing by refusing it.I think
you will be more than happy with it when you get it.It is a pure pleasure to drive and the sound of the exhust is racey sounding.
My buying experience was the best I ever had.I
communicated by email with the dealer in Clarkston
Michigan and made the deal,[Town & Country Dodge]
The truck was clean,gased up and the paperwork was ready.The following day I drove it back to
Nevada.Sweet deal!
Thanks guys. JOhnboy9
Michigan {Town & Country Dodge]
Quad driving will be on mostly steep hilly highway [I-75] between Las Vegas and Cedar City ,Utah.I don`t pull a trailer,therefore I
would prefer the 3:55`s for better mileage and less RPM`S.
Bookitty I`m sorry about your truck,but I think you did the right thing by refusing it.I think
you will be happier with it when you get it.It is a pure pleasure to drive and the sound of the exhaust is racey sounding.
My buying experience was the best I ever had.I
communicated by email with the dealer in Clarkston
Michigan and made the deal,[Town & Country Dodge]
The truck was clean,gased up and the paperwork was ready.The following day I drove it back to
Nevada.Sweet deal!
Thanks guys. JOhnboy9
Wife has a '98 Stratus, Deep Garnet Red and I'm thinking about having the car professionally buffered.
I have seen pictures of 2 garnets in a web site for a dealer in Oklahoma that offers QCs at invoice plus $49.50 (www.autoinvoice.com). All I have seen in my area are red, which is fine with me. BTW, anyone had any good luck purchasing from a site like this or auto-at-cost.com?
Did anyone ever provide the name of the 3d party warranty service where the guyu got a 6/100k ext warranty for $825 (and, if so, what was the deductible?
Does anyone have any idea of the observed city/hiway mpg they have obtained with a 4.7L, 2wd, auto?
The rear differential is completely independent of the transmission (at least in how it operates). What the differential does is translate the speed of the engine into the speed of the drive wheels. The ratio is the factor by which this step down occurs - 3.55 means that the driveshaft rotates 3.55 times for every one rotation of the drive axle, and hence the drive wheels. 3.92 obviously means that the driveshaft rotates 3.92 times for every one axle rotation.
What does this mean, well, the higher the ratio (ironically that means the lower the number 3.55 is higher than 3.92) the better the fuel economy - it takes less revolutions of the driveshaft to turn the wheels through the same number of rotations. Obviously if the driveshaft is rotating less then so is the engine. The transmission obviously factors into this, but lets just assume all other things are equal.
By contrast the lower the ratio (higher number) the more power and torque that is available at useful speeds - on the Dakota both peak over 4000 rpm, so the nearer this number that your engine is running the more power and torque that is available. Where this is noticeable is a quicker pick up, particularly off the line, and an increased towing ability.
Hope that helps,
Andy
Bookitty
I still have time to change my order - no build date yet. When I die - no purgatory for me - I'm doing my penance waiting for this truck!!!!
To answer your question It's a auto 4.7L 4x4 3.55,and I don't tow anything. I hope this helps.
P.S. It might be all that tire spinning I've been doing that has hurt my mileage....Can't help myself!!
Allen
Talked to Ernie today and my Quad is to be built starting on Saturday, 3-25 and get finished on Monday, 3-27. On Sunday, 3-26 I'll pray for everything to go well. Ordered SLT, 4.7L, 4WD, LSD, 4W ABS, 5 sp, 3.55 on 2-16.
BTW - I ordered the Light Driftwood to hide the scratches. Have had a white Caravan for 8 years and I'm tired of that color.
Plan to cover the rails w/ aluminum diamond plate (periodically haul motorcycles), add a PENDA liner, and cover the box w/ a TekStyle tonneau. Since I dropped the factory fog lights, I've been looking at PIAA, PILOT, and CATZ products for daytime running lights, driving lights, and true yellow fog lights. A roof rack for canoes is still an unresolved issue.
One last question. In another Dakota forum within Edmund, people were talking about new exhausts, etc. to boost horsepower. With all of the "wheel-spinning" already admitted to by new Dakota owners, I'm wondering if "more horsepower" improvements translate into better gas mileage if you can restrain yourself?
I have been getin 16-17 mpg on the road (have 1700 miles on truck). I notice a big difference if I use midgrade (19mpg). Also put the K&N filter in.
Jim Buckingham
00 4.7 QC 4x2 3.55
Also, when you are turning the corner, do you feel any feedback from the front tires ie. shaking?
Thanks
thanks,
robert
On restrictions - talked to DC Customer Service today. Found someone other than Ernie who's knowledgeable and helpful. Wish I got her name. Anyway, she said restrictions on the 4.7/4x4 Quads may be coming off tomorrow. Got on the phone right away and told the dealer to get on the District Manager's butt. If they're scheduling this weekend, I want to be on the list. The customer service rep told me to call Monday afternoon; the computers should be updated by then. Don't call Monday AM, it's old info.
I think DC is putting the Quads on restriction so their automated manufacturing scheduling programs don't pick the Quads up when DC wants to build something else. Think about it - the code when we're on restriction say 'Not available for schedule'. Could be nothing more than production priorities.
After a long and difficult battle my Dak is on a railcar. I got a tracking number from the friendly folks ad DC. Does anybody know how to check the status of a railcar? Thanks for your help.
Wolf
Do you have the "standard" or the "BORDER STATES" emmissions package? There is a HUGE difference on the design of the catalytic converter system for these two 'options'.
The 'normal' system has ONE catalyst and ONE 'sniffer'. (Pretty standard setup)
The "border states" setup (Calif, Vermont..etc others?) has 3 catalysts and numerous 'sniffers' that constantly monitor the operation of said catalysts. (It is said that if just one sparkplug misfires ONCE, it will be detected ond logged into the EEPROM / FLASH memory!! )
I lucked out because I was in the market for a good late model 3.9, and everyone wanted more than I was willing to pay for a truck with a limited warranty remaining. So I decided to shop around for a new one. I went to the dealer to test drive the 3.9, but noticed that the sticker on the 4.7 actually claims to get 1 more MPG on the highway than the 3.9. After one test drive I came home and immediately signed on to the Edmunds web site to figure out how much I should pay for this new toy.
I then signed onto the townhall and was amazed at how much good consumer information was here. After spending the better part of one evening reading all dakota related articles in the townhall, I went back to the dealer and worked out a deal - The rest is history.
I now have a 2000 CC with the 4.7, 3.55 and all of the toys except for the infinity sound system. I am still of the opinion that if you want to spend 500+ dollars extra on the sound system, you can do better in the after market.
The gas milage has been the only drawback. I'm getting 13-14 mpg. Most of my driving is around town, back and forth to work. I agree with everyone else, the gas milage would probably be a lot better if I could only keep my foot out of the carb
Keep up the good work guys...
KnK
Allen
This was in the late 1970s when virtually ALL high-school students had cars with big V8 engines.
(1973 Chevy Impala for me!) The musclecars would actually leave RUBBER to the beat of the music.
4-cylinder engines just 'ignore' any pushing on the gas pedal to the beat of the music.
Apparently you 'problem' is well a understood phenomena ;-)
KnK
My Volkswagon front-wheel-drive pickup had enough power to haul my snowmobile anywhere I wanted to go with it. (And loading it was a one-man job due to low tailgate-height) All of my VWs engines have outlasted the body... but never sounded like my OHV semi-hemi V8!!
it is unwieldy to manage, and difficult to use for "newbies". There is entirely TOO much topic duplication, so I will be doing some SERIOUS topic consolidation in the next few weeks, getting us down to not more than 2-3 topics per vehicle type, and ultimately down to 200 topics or less.
THIS weeks consolidation candidates are: F-150's, Silverado's, Dakota's, and Dakota Crew/Quad cabs.
In that vein, please consolidate this Dakota topic to Dodge Dakota - III and continue these discussions there.
Thanks!
Front Porch Philosopher
SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host