Dodge Dakota - III

guanner

Thanx for your input. I will go ahead and get one on order.. another ? for you though did you order it prior to your truck arriving or after? and after how long till delivery?

carls5

96g11, thanks for the input. I have no experience with spacers. How hard is it to install/remove the 2" ones? Do you know if the installation of the spacers will void or have any impact on the warranty?

andy_jordan

Oh good - I guess I just got the html code posted because I wrote it - oh well, let me just amend my resume - there we go Internet / Computer Programmer, April 11th, 2000 to Present.

;-)

bja4

I finally got the 1400 pound Northstar pop-up camper on my truck. What a difference it made in the ride. Smooth as silk. I can still hit the drainage dips at 35 mph. I got the 1800 pound package, and the truck road a little stiff before the camper. The truck handles the the extra wait just fine. I can't even tell it's back there. I am very impressed the accelleration and handling. This new truck is a lot better than the old truck (92 Dakota).

96g11

All I did was make 2 spacers out of 2" square stock tubing and use the stock mounting holes. Takes some fabrication but any welding shop can do it for you if you don't have the tools. Bolt the spacers to the frame and bolt the stock bump stops to the spacers. Expect about $40 bucks for a pair if you install them yourself. This should not void any warranty as all you are doing is limiting suspension travel at the rear wheels to prevent the chains from contacting the body. The add-a-leaf idea would work well also but will raise the rear about 1 1/2 inches and stiffen the suspension. If you haul anything heavy with the chains installed, add-a-leafs would be the way to go as the truck would not bottom out so easily. Best of luck to ya.

zonk

I looked at the jetchip site to see about the performance chips some of you have been talking about. The site indicates 13-18 or so HP increase for either 3.9L and 4.7L, if I remember correctly. But the narrative suggests some improvements to torque also, although no graphs or performance tables are shown as they are for HP. My questions, and pardon my ignorance, are: a. does the installation of such a chip void the warranty, b. can the use of a chip only actually result in increased torque and where would the increase be (high end or low), c. if the HP is increased, say for the 3.9L, by 13-18, is there an appreciable increase in its capability, and, d. finally, how much of a MPG penalty, if any, is there if the chip is installed and you do realize the additional HP? I realize the 4.7L is only about $509 additional, but I am just checking things out for my purchase decision.

ozark

andy my LOL in post #417 was meant to be "lots of luck" not "lots of laughs." I guess I'm pretty new at all this stuff too. But I wanted you know that I admire your efforts with the dog placements and wish you "lots of luck" in what is truly a noble cause.

tgr1

Don't forget that you must use 93 octane fuel when you upgrade with any of the chips, e.g. Jet, Hypertech, Mopar, etc. That alone will add about 10% or more to your fuel costs. MPGs are claimed by most to be either identical, or even slightly better with the chip, although I don't see how. Depending on who you speak to chips may or may not affect the warranty. If you are concerned about it, buy the Mopar chip. It may cost slightly more, but no warranty concerns, and it is probably the best one. Im going to wait till after my warranty is up to install mine. By then I figure I'll need a little something extra to keep the honeymoon going.

cmick

Personally I am a fan of the spray on bedliners. The only draw back I see is protecting the bed from dents. However they do provide better rust protection and they are never slippery due to the texture. If you have one put on they can be more expensive than a plastic liner but you can do it yourself for about $100(Herculiner). Installation is really not that difficult and can be done in a day.

badassbob

Picked up my 4.7L,4wd,5spd,LmtSlp,3.55,Sport, Handling Package, Loaded last night(ordered 2/22 and never encountered any restrictions on mine)...I think the whole restriction thing has to do with dealer allocation...I cant see D/C running out of parts...

It hit the Rail yard in Walkertown NC Friday Morning at 5:00am but was told it wouldnt be at the dealershipin Kernersville NC(only 2.5miles away!!!!) for at least a week...Went to the dealer and chewed the ears of the salesman, sales manager, and dealership owner for about an hour and low and behold...it showed up yesterday morning delivered by itself all alone on a 18wheel car hauler....I guess the squeaky wheel gets the oil after all...

Anyway..this truck has got to be the best driving/riding vehicle i have ever ridden in or driven..I went over it with a fine tooth comb and it had no door or bed allignment problem..Also the rear wheels were perfectly centered under the rear end...I checked all of these with a tape measure before accepting the truck...

Has anyone purchased the D/C Service Contracts...I was offered the 7yr/100000mile Added care Ext Waranty for $1095 and have until friday to decide whether i want to buy it from the dealer...After that i will have to buy from D/C at MSRp of around $2500 if im not mistaken...

Will install a Rhino Liner this weekend...Under the rail and inside lip of bed plus the tailgate...

Also will install an Alpine CDA-D855 CD reciver with dancing EQ tommorrow night if i can sqeak out of work early..

Will probably order either the MOPAR module or the Jet Module in the next few months after engine is broken in...BTW..with the 4.7L you replace the whole CPU module under the hood and not a chip.

And last but not least.....will order an ARE Impulse Low-Pro fiberglass tonneu and side steps around Christmas...The Lo-Pro is only 1/2" or so above the rails and is really low profileHeres the link that shows it mounted on a dak ClubCab

http://www.mpulse-caps.com/home.htm

Hope you waiters get yours soon and can promise you that you wont be disappointed in the truck...

Chad

colbates

Thanks everybody for all the insight. I ordered my QC on 4/10/00 through carorder.com First time I've ordered a vehicle over the internet. I hope everything goes well. I ordered a Forest Green 4x4 QC SLT with 4.7 engine, auto trans, skid plates, split rear window, & side mouldings. Can hardly wait for it.

colbates

Ok, the truck is ordered, any suggestions on where to go for a boat rack for my canoe? Today, I realized that the Dakota doesn't have stake hole pockets in the bed rails, so that eliminates a custom wooden boat rack... or does it? Suggestions appreciated.

rsk

I will pass it along to my Father. He is really enjoying his Dakota. His last truck was an 89 Ram 150 4x4. Big different between to the two trucks. The Dakota rides and drive like a car compared to the old Ram. Anyways thanks for the help.

Randy

andy_jordan

Congrats on new truck - I guess that that puts to bed any lasting concerns about cancellations that D/C have suddenly started on the 4.7 / 5sp / 3.55 combo - it obviously can be built.

Extended warranty - well if you want one you can probably buy a cheaper one from a 3rd party, but I have no practical experience that would help.

carls5

badassbob - Congratulations on your truck. I purchased my extended warranty through my Credit Union. Cost $725 for 6yr, 100K coverage, $25 deductible. Because I purchased my truck through the Internet I was offered an Internet buyer discount of $885 for 6yr, 100K, $100 deductible. Naturally I went with the CU because it was cheaper, seemed to offer better coverage and had a lower ded.

tunared

Has anyone used a reliable extended warrenty? I'll have my 4X4 quad cab for 200K or more (if lucky)and am interested in a warrenty for the 1st 100K after the factory runs out. My Quad has 4000 on it and the only problems I've had are from DC a)no explaination for the white crud in the oil filler tube and they would not let me review the contract for the extended warrenty until after signing it. The skid plates are an iritation when changing oil (any suggestions?) Oh one last problem - I let my wife drive it & now I think she adopted it.

steve234

Guys, I love this forum. Too many of them get into badmouthing. For all you Okies out there, I have some really bad news. You cannot get the Farm Bureau $500. While I was waiting on my Quad, I decided to take advantage of the deal. I check with the local FB rep and was told the only one they knew of was on Fords. I called DC and got told that 48 states are participating and two are not...Oklahoma and Hawaii. it depends on the state FB and apparently the OK FB does not like Dodge or wants to help its people. #

knkresort

I also looked into extended warranty(s) for my QC. Found the best deal to be GE Auto Warranty. 6 Year, 100,000 miles, $50 deductible with just about everything covered was $750. You can go to http://www.geautowarranty.com and see the coverage and options.

One note, I found out that as long as the vehicle has less than 12,000 miles you can get the same price. So you can wait to get if you need to.

I will buy mine in the late summer and save the bucks for now.

KnK

guanner

isn't it funny how your dealer will tell you that your truck is on hold due to DC having parts on restriction, and then you give DC a call and they tell you that the restrictins have been lifted but your truck is not on the build sheet due to the fact that your dealer does not have any current allocations... oh yes the wait goes on... I am starting to feel the pain of all thoes who have waited before me.. here I sit and the wait goes on...

zonk

If I buy a QC in Oklahoma, but live in Alabama where I would be a member, could I still get the discount somehow?

tpmiller1

Exactly 8 days after I received a corporate tracking # from DC CS, and 1 day after I called this week, my dealer calls to say that even though I did the right thing by calling customer service, it didn't really matter "as regardless of allocations or lack thereof, they are scheduling builds in order of date received but I (the dealer) did receive a call today and all is approved and you are awaiting a gate date"

DC CS had contacted my dealer and informed him of my inquires. Could all be coincidence but it can't hurt, next time a waiter calls DC, to ask to have them establish a corporate # which in my case was 7 digits.

Course the dealer said if I don't get it gate scheduled within the next week, what with memorial day holiday(s) at the plant and all, I'll be looking at the truck no earlier than June.

carnahan

Dose anyone one have front end alignment problems?
I Have a 2000 Dakota Club Cab 4.7, 5-speed, 3.55, tire and handling group with 600 miles. My problem is it pulls to the right most of the time depending on the road crown. I've taken it to the dealer for alignment twice, and twice they took it to Firestone because the dealer front-end machine was tied up. I talked to the Firestone service rep.the second time, he said it was normal to pull on a crowned road. If the road is slopped down to the right it pulls right if the road is slopped down to the left it pulls left. That is exactly what my truck will do.
I don't believe it shouldn't pull at all on normal crowned roads. I can drive my 93 Sundance on the same roads, it doesn't pull at all and it has 97000 miles. My Dakota doesn't pull hard, but without my hands on the wheel it would be off the road within seconds. It is very irritating at most. I believe their is something wrong here. What do you think?

snowedin

here is a link for ladder racks with a canoe mounted to one of the larger models. hopefully this works......<<A HREF="http://www.ustruckaccessorieswhse.com/ct-moon.html">http://www.ustruckaccessorieswhse.com/ct-moon.html&gt;

bja4

I had the same problem on my 92 Dakota. But this was due to normal wear. The truck had 60K miles on it and started pulling to the right. Had the front end aligned before I put new tires on it. When I asked the alignment shop why the alignment numbers from left to right were not set closer to zero (same from side to side ), they told me that they always leave a little pull to the left in the alignment numbers to counter the sloping roads to the right. What ever? All I know is that the truck drove straight as an arrow after the alignment.
My new 2000 clubcab's steering wheel is not straight with the wheels (it is a little right biased). But it is so minor that I'm not even going to mess with it until I get ready for new tires. The new truck goes straight down the road though - hands free. That's what really counts!

colbates

Thanks for the link. After I posted (I probably should have done this before posting) I went to the truck accessories discussion and found that link. I think my next step will be to contact places that sell canoes and see what solutions they provide. Thanks again for the link.

colbates

In reading past posts, I've noticed that there have been a couple references to not use overdrive. Why? I have a QC 4wd slt 4.7 auto on order, should I not use overdrive with this vehicle?

guanner

Thank you for your info.. I just got home from my dealer.. He informed me that he knew nothing about being out of allocations sence they have only ordered 3 QC's ( including mine ) so I asked him nicely :-) to look into how to speed up the process.. he was on the phone with DC when I left.. I hope that this will all be worked out soon.. paid the last paynent on my 98 ford ranger lease today and will need to return it in approx. 30 days.. think i'll be with out for awhile.. Living my dream through all of your posts.. thanx

slr9589

COLBATES: i plan to use a Thule roof rack for the cab and an extension post off the receiver hitch for my floatilla...ps: thule has not designed the feet for the rack yet.

renegade69

Hey I just want to tell you guys you don't
realize want a great bunch this is. Did some
lurking in some of the other areas, Man! Do
those people kiss their mama's with those
mouths! You know what I mean. Anyway, thanks
for everyone's input.

A fellow QC Owner

later renegade69

gwizz

Any comments on the differences between the three tire choices on the QC?

P215/75R15 OWL
P235/75R15XL BSW
P255/65R15 BSW (tire/handling group only)
Thanks!

bookitty

Hi guys and girls, just heard from "Ernie The Man" @ D/C, that my truck is a go, and looking at a May date. I have been traveling all week working with the young man who is replacing me, and spoke with Ernie via my cell phone. What a guy! He really treats his customers like customers. This is the kind of person who should be in top management at D/C. Ernie, how's your golf game? It looks like I have cleared material restrictions and allotment as well. It is quite timely, as I turned my Exposition over to my replacement. I hope that this time it comes in correctly, as I would not care to go through the drill again. Here's hoping that all of you "Quad waiters" out there receive good news. This is a fantastic group, far superior to other forums I have observed. Thanks to all for your support and subtle humor during my ordeal.

Bookitty

thesandman

I talked to my sales person again. He talked to the load handler in dispatch office of the car carrier company. The load handler said my quad was in the middle of a sea of cars. So their going to bring in a chopper and snatch that quad right out of there. Can you believe that! It's on the next load to Reno. This weekend. I'm hopeful.Ken

andy_jordan

Use of overdrive - I am a big proponent of not using overdrive so it may well have been my posts that you read colbates, but I think we are at crossed purposes, so let me say this once and for all incase I have confused others.

Use of overdrive whilst towing can damage the transmission, you should lock out overdive whenever the vehicle is towing anything. Otherwise use it, that is what it's there for.

Hope I cleared that up.

Tires - well I have the 31x10.5LT on my club cab - nice setup (except for the name on them).

215 / 75 - if you are using your truck like a minivan or station wagon in temperate climes - no problem, anything else and I would want something a little more.

235 / 75 - much better when the weather isn't so great, will stand up to a little more heavy work - I might even venture off road in them. Of course the reason that they win (bigger footprint) is also the reason they lose - less gas mileage.

255 / 65 - yep, they're the ones for me - not much they won't do, but probably not necessary unless you are off road seriously or get some real lousy weather.

Bookitty - great to hear some good news from you finally. I think we need to try and encourage Ernie to join this group - I know from previous posts that he has mentioned reading it, but we need him here - especially when the club gets off the ground (how hard is it to set it up anyway - no more news recently from Meredith). I realize that he is going to be limited with what he can say, but none the less....

I also believe that we should get someone who is prepared to provide a D/C 'corporate' message - after all we are the people who provide they're profits, and Edmunds is starting to become a significant influence in buyer decisions.

Of course I am probably dreaming.....

Front end alignment - well yes it makes sense that the camber of the road will make a difference, and if you are pulling both ways depending upon the slope that is probably the problem, but what you describe sounds a little extreme unless the road has a really significant dome.

colbates

Thanks for the clarification on the overdrive. I won't be towing anything for a while.

gwizz

Has anyone heard anything on next year's QC? What about the 4.7, anything new in the works?

Thanks

wilmar1

Finally! Boy are we glad; we hope the wait is short-short-short so that we can have your experiences driving the truck. Best regards.

bookitty

First off, I was booted forward to an April build and ship. Every little bit helps. In my conversation with Ernie this morning, he mentioned an "email" station soon to be part of D/C customer service. I asked Ernie if he would consider doing that, and he explained that it is not that simple. Candidates for the position must meet certain requirements such as computer literacy, typing skills, etc. He does however plan to interview for a position. I asked if any help from the field would enhance his chances, such as letters attesting to his dedication and such would enhance his chances for selection, but he told me that they would really not count for anything. He does access the forum, but as yet has not posted. It does however keep him tuned to how people perceive the product, dealer network and customer service. Also, thank you wilmar1 for your good wishes.

Bookitty

tpmiller1

Hope you're a quad owner by May.
If Ernie is interviewing for any position remotley connected to Customer Service, I find it hard to beleive DC would not take into account testimonials from previously served customers.
This is, of course, why I am not in management.

mwolak

Don't know if this has been suggested already. How about a Dakota FAQ? Perhaps a locked topic in the upcoming owner's area? The first post could be the index and following posts could be the Q/A.

Possible questions:
- Who is Ernie and how do I contact him?
- What is that ticking from my dash?
- What is that white slime in my oil fill tube?
- etc?

ozark

mwolak - The FAQ is a brilliant idea. It would give our forum a certain kind of class and tone that goes with the informative nature of this group. It is difficult to wade through all the old posts to find these answers and I'm sure some people get tired of answering the same questions over and over again. I'm not sure if this is in line with Edmund's notion of the forum but it certainly sounds good to me. Probably will result in more posts as well because folks will want clarification and/or have something more to add.

Downside---This will take some effort to compile. Forum leaders would have to be able to modify the FAQs if circumstances change. Are there other negatives?

crazycanuck

I just finished test driving my third Quad cab 4x4. This one was a Quad 4x4, Bronze color, 4.7L auto, with 3.55 rear axle. No big surprises here.
Same great impression with the vehicle; some noticeable differences however:

1. Engine noise was somewhat greater....sounded throatier....if that makes sense....more growl?
Not that I minded, I like growl, but some may not.

2. Acceleration....Noticably better from starts. The vehicle seemed to rocket out from a stand still versus the 5.9 which was a bit slower.

3. The engine revs higher at speed. The 4.7 was at about 3500 to 4000 while the 5.9 would be about 2500.....just a rough estimate. Don't know which would be adavantageous if any.

4. Fuel economy....Much better versus the 5.9...Note that the 5.9 had a 3.92 axle ratio and the 4.7 had a 3.55...not sure which to attribute the difference to, the ration or engine? Any thoughts? Whatever, the diff was pleasant.

5. Interesting to note: Dog liked all three equally.....hmmmmm......

Anyway...any one have any thoughts on the above?
I like everything about this vehicle...went a little deeper into the forest this time....about 6" of snow and mud and some decent inclines...no problems....4 hi going up and 4 low going down.

Only decisions I am weighing are the Color and the Choice of engine. I am concerned with the higher rev of the 4.7 and aluminum aspects. I must admit I know nothing of the subject thought. Anyone able to enlighten me of the adv or disadv.

Enough of my .02

Great to see more and more posts.

R.

littlejuan

Well guys, after reading for months, and participating as much as I could, I finally picked up mine today. (6 weeks waiting after order) It is Forest Green, 4.7L V8 5 speed, with the 3.92axle ratio (I tow a 21 ft boat), SLT, with all electronics CD, fogs, etc., towing package, cooling package, etc. It is the baddest truck on the road. It flies off the line, and is comparable to my Volvo turbo v 6 for acceleration. Who cares about gas mielage! I love it. I spent the whole day cleaning out the garage so it won't get bird poop on it while I'm asleep. My wife hasn't stopped laughing at me. I am waiting for a few goodies too, like the bug guard and mud flaps. Then I will get some side rails (kids and wife can't get up and in)and finish off with a leer or ARE cap by the end of the summer. This is what life is all about...boys and toys.

Thanks again to everyone. I will keep you all posted on MPG, etc.

PS - I put a small bat under my front seat. My wife said "what's that for"...I replied " it's to beat off the chicks, 'cause I'm a chick-magnet now"! :-) :-0

YEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

slr9589

well i put the truck up to 106 mph today on the way to work...no effort at all,no shimmy, and plenty of muscle left to go......!
Has anyone noted problems on the fuel gauge? mine was stuck on full for 5 days of average driving....the trip odometer showed 178 miles!!great mpg's....then all of a sudden the gauge dropped to 1/2...
any ideas?
slr

shoepeg

it was very easy putting the boards on. One should start with the bed board first and then the long board this makes it easier to line the to boards up. My kit had four braces 2 long & 2 short ones. The short ones were to short and I had to make longer braces. I sent an email to Starboard that night and explained the problem and the nice fellow called the next day for full details, he said he would see that all future kits had the proper size braces. I found this company to be a great bunch to work with, they care about their customer. On the ERNIE Scale they are a 10.

The QUAD is sharp, with the black two tone paint &
driftwood boards and driftwood flares. No noises other than the great sound of the music and the motor. I am one happy camper.

themacguy

a_j and I've been going back and forth a bit about topics. I'd thought we might put a faq's page together offsite (with a web link) - since I've been working on a Quad web page / site for a while, and I thought some mpeg video might be nice for serveral ideas I've had (and gotten through e:mail as well). We'll rethink it before we do anything, I'm sure.

Keep coming up with the fresh ideas folks, I'm sure we're just about ready to 'ink' the deal - as soon as they're ready for us.

littejuan - you sound like you're quite strange (but then again so are we). Hope you don't wind up hopelessly lost like the rest of us... %-)

spike50

I see now that I really didn't read your post mwolak on FAQ vs. you actually asking. But we ought to make sure that Ernie keeps us up to date on the official phone numbers for both sides of the border.

bigal31

I'm ready for my first oil change any day now. I've decided to go with Mobil 1 synthetic..Anyone else that has,what filter are you using? Seems like there is too many choices.I need to know the way to go..I know Fram is out..

Bookitty, It's good to hear some good news from you.Hope the wait goes by fast!
Allen-

96g11

I have been using fram filters for years and have had no problems. I have an Isuzu 4x4 with 206,000 miles and still runs great, just needed more room inside. Besides the Dakota quad is just a great truck. My question is why not use a fram filer on the 4.7 motor? I have an open mind and am willing to listen to advice.

wilmar1

Guess you must read the site http://minimopar.simplenet.com/oilfilters.html Pep Boys sells the Proline 14670 which is the same as Purolator 14670 for $1.99 & the Purolator Pure One is $5.99, if you really want to filter out almost everything.

themacguy

We've all had our favorites for years. It's been debated (to death) both here and elsewhere in the topics. I assume you're talking about the Fram TG (ToughGard) filter. Some guy did a whole wor-up on filters a month or two back - spreadsheet results / the whole nine yards - came up with what some of us (actually most) have said for a while; Fram's just not Fram anymore. Someone bought the name or something (built oversees and use cheap paper filter media) and the quality is just so-so in comparison to others (especially the cold start performance bypass valve issue). I wouldn't touch em for free now- and I've used Fram for a couple of decades until last year. :-(

That said my personal choice has been the Mobil 1 filter ever since I switched. I hear that Wix, top model Purolator (One?) and others are equally good. I assure you that you won't be disappointed in the Mobil 1's performance. Plus, they are sometimes available with the filters for a discount - I usually buy a case or two of oil and 4 filters at those times. I don't have any Mobil stock (wish I did) - they just have stellar stuff.