DODGE DAKOTA QUAD CAB

bpeebles

What C OLOR do you mean?
How about BOLD , ITALICS and underline?

bpeebles

(macey)
Unfortunately, company's will market anything that people will spend money on. If the marketing people then put a good-sounding 'spin' on it, people will come flocking to buy it. The technical capabilities of the product is not too important.... Microsoft has been making a pretty good living using this practice for several years.

BTW... I am not saying that the FT4WD system will get "stuck" during a rainstorm. One would have to loose ALL traction on one of the wheels to become stuck. This does not happen during a rainstorm. People do not get 'stuck' during a rainstorm... they may slide off of the road. However, FT4WD system DOES NOT offer any benefit over RWD when it comes to sliding sideways. This is a matter of driving too fast for conditions.

macey

First, I missed your sig line, sounds like you have some engineering backround, what do you do for a living (won lotto like I hope to do or sell T-Shirts on the beach?)

I'd probably say you don't own a DAK with the NV244HD (was NV242 in 2000, now called NV244HD for 2001)...right?

I got a contact at New Venture Gear in Troy MI who is gonna try and get me the specs and SOP on the system, he was heading out early for the holiday weekend...in a AWD DAK QC non the less.

All I could get out of him was the NV244HD has the ability to split torque 52% Rear/48% Front in certain conditions...certainly better than 2WD would do in rain or slushy condition, right?

BTW, today in the NE was another crappy rainy day (figures, had a 30 day draught now Noah says build me a ARC..rain for too many days to count)...had a A.R.E. LSII tonneau cover with sport wing installed on my new DAK QC (666 miles)...and floored it from a stop light with pouring rain...no wheel spin at all, got thrown back into the drivers seat...bet ya a 2WD NV233HD system if lined up against me, would have been admiring my new sport wing, while spinning it's tires!

BTW, I totally enjoy our conversation on this subject!!!

Now re: those colors, you aren't doing some fancy cutting and pasting are ya me son?

bobs5

I hear ya. We had to cancel our annual memorial day weekend camping trip due to rain. Sorry, don't camp in the rain anymore.

fosterpup

He- I'm sure it's been asked but for the sake of reading through 955 messages I'll ask it again. I'm looking at the QC, AWD, 4.7 l. What kind of mileage is happening in the real world?

bpeebles

Paul

I am not familiar with the NV244HD (As available starting 2001) My BOB only discuses the NV242 xfer case.

If the NV244HD has some kind of LSD within the xfer case itself, then this would be a far superior design than the ol' NV242.

Perhaps your contact at New Venture Gear in Troy, MI can enlighten us all. I am always interested about new 4WD technologies.

Here are a few URLs about 4WD for your reading pleasure.

http://www.4x4abc.com/

http://www.eskimo.com/~eliot/awd.html

scottieeck

John,
I have the 4.7, "multi-speed" auto, 3.55, F/T awd 4x4. I drive it in a suburban area, (you know, traffic lights are a quarter mile apart but always red when I show up and leave me there idling for a minute or two ) and I get about 12-13 MPG. I don't stomp on the gas very much on account of that Jiminy Cricket that is the "current fuel economy" shown on the overhead console. Overall, I'm pleased with the truck, But when I hear the gas mileage that the "shift on the fly" fellows get, I wish that there had been more choices on the lot. (there were about 30 Dakotas, and none but this one had all the stuff that I wanted. Ordering was out of the question due to financial constraints, but I still love 'er!)
The area where you live may have some bearing on your decision, but from what I've read on the board the part time 4x4 has several benefits (mileage, reduced tire wear, horsepower directed to the rear) and the full time has few real advantages (still awaiting word on the Peeples-Macey debate). When it snows here, I lock up the hubs, I can always disengage them if the road becomes clear. Hopefully you'll get more, and better educated responses than mine (I Know nothing about elementary physics).
Good luck, and drive safely.
scottie

scottieeck

As TXQC2000 (Sean) said, have a good Memorial Day.
And let us remember what it's for.
Godspeed all.
scottie

timm25

I'm about ready to go ahead and purchase my 01 QC 4WD V8, 5 speed with 3.55, cruise, tire and handling, power and some other good stuff. There are two issues I haven't resolved yet: tow package and limited slip. I'd be content with just a tow harness and know I can tow light items off my bumper(the dealer said they could install one separately), but I figured I might as well spend a little more and get the whole thing which includes the Xmission oil cooler, larger radiator, heavy duty alternator, and heavy duty battery. Is it worth it to get these items when I'll probably only be towing light equipment in the future such as a dirt bike or small boat? Are these heavy duty items maintenance costly and do they add alot of unnecessary weight to the vehicle? The invoice for the entire tow package is $348. After reading some of the recent messages here I realized that I had failed to look at the LSD option. I'd like to take this thing off road and have fun with it. Will LSD improve it's off road capability? And could it effect MPG(thought I'd ask)? I really do not not know much about it and it's a $251 invoice option. I get out of the military in about a year and I'm not sure whether I'll be living north or south. I'd appreciate some advice on this matter, thank you. -And by the way, why didn't they put storage compartments underneath the rear seats of the quad cab, I really enjoyed that on my 94 club cab!

macey

bpeebles: hope to get some tech and spec write up on the NV244HD soon, and will either post that info or a URL if NVG provides one. If there is the same type of info on the NV242, a stare and compare between both should indeed highlight the differences.

Rain: Yuch!!! Still coming down in the NE, at least it's gonna be off/on today, and hopefully both the Indy 500 and Winston Cup 600 mile races go on as scheduled...at least I changed the oil in my wife's van before it started coming down again...and I'm still impressed with that DAKs stop light launch in the rain at about 85% full mash of the go pedal...no wheel spin at all!

MPG: now have around 680 miles on my DAK QC 4.7/Auto/AWD/3.92/Limited Slip/T&H...did a 80 mile round trip combining heavy stop and go traffic with some open highway cruising betweeen 60-65 MPH, trip computer (reset before trip started) showed 15.9-16.1 MPG...no too bad

Happy Memorial Day (weekend) to everyone!

biglucy

More excellent info from the Master!

From - Bolivia Bob
Gotta have 4x4? Have I got some great pictures of one lane roads with thousand foot dropoffs and no guard rails in the Andes! Gotta get a scanner!!!

Have a Safe & Happy Memorial Day Holiday Everyone!

txqc2000

My recommendation is to get them both. The HD option will come in handy in the summer even if you don't tow anything. For example, during my drive from TX to CA a few days ago, the ambient temp hit 106+F. I had a full load in my cab and bed (not towing anything). Going on a long uphill grade @ 80 mph with a/c on, temp gauge was past 210 degrees (more like 230). I'd say that a larger radiator would come in handy under these circumstances.

LSD - definitely worth the $90 or so it costs. No question Will help you out of slippery situations.

mopar67

of this forum.

txqc2000

I forgot to mention that I have a 180 degree T-stat. So I was a little bit surprised that my 5.9L engine was running so hot when I hit the CA desert where the temps shot up to 106+F. Again, I'd recommend the larger radiator that comes with the HD group. And definitely take the "anti-spin"/LSD option as well.

timm25

Thanks for the info. Ive decided to go ahead with both -why not? I just hope that I dont have to special order, I dont want to wait 10 weeks or so. The anti-spin option is actually $251 invoice, but not even a car payment.

egaquaman

I have about 8000 miles on my 01 QC SLT 4.7 5 speed, 4x4 power everything blah blah blah
My driving is about 25% highway, 75% city about 50/50 stomp on it/don't stomp on it.

I get on average 14 mpg and in Canada gas prices are now $3.20 gallon and the gas companies love me.

antony

I agree with bpeebles that a transfer case with an open diff
should not be called "AWD". I note that the part-time xfer
case in the Dakota DOES have a 2wd position. Does anyone
know why the "AWD" Dakota xfer case does not have a 2wd
position also?

macey

I'm still waiting on NVG getting me some technical data on the NV244HD, I got to the voicemail of their Product Manager for Transfer Cases, if no call back by Thursday, I'll call him again.

In the meantime, with the NV244HD (and probably the NV242), on a nice sunny day with plenty of traction on dry pavement, which wheel(s) are getting all the torque?

Thanks

david174

Hello,

I just found this list and it looks great. I have a 93 Dakota and am looking to replace it with a new truck. I have been eyeing the 2001 QC for quite a while and finally went out and test drove one.

The only thing keeping me from writing a check is the lack of headrests... the ones in the current seats hit me mid-neck.

Is this a problem for other tall drivers on the list, and are there alternatives. I have not yet through all the 950+ posts, so if there is a good resource for this that someone could point me to, I'd sure appreciate it.

I'd love to get the QC, but driving around hoping to not get rear-ended is not a good thing.

Thanks!

rm13

I like the QC but have not driven one. Are you saying the headrest is not adequate for the front seat passengers or rearseat (both)? I have an F150 Supercrew and there are 3 "generations" of 2001 trucks. All three have adequate front seat headrests for me in the front seat (I'm 6'2), but only the current (Gen 3) have rear headrests. I agree with you that this is a crucial safety consideration for buyers and I wish my rear seats had headrests. If I frequently had rear seat passengers, I would have had to found a different truck. Rearend collisions are probably the most (by far) common type of multiple car crash and there is no way to avoid being "rear-ended". Unfortunately, manufacturers will only make safer vehicles if consumer's demand it or the government requires it. Headrests seems like common sense to me, but most folks don't worry much about 'em.
Good luck shopping and don't settle for less safety than you want!

average_joe

Hello,

I have had my QC for a little over 2 months now, and a annoying rattle has started from somewhere on the passenger side. I think I have it narrowed down to coming from somewhere behind the dash on the passenger side, but it's kinda hard to tell when I am driving, and its on the other side of the truck. Anyways, I dont want to have to take it into the dealer for something as dumb as this, and I remember reading a while back on one of the dakota boards about someone else with a similar problem and was hoping they got it fixed and could enlighten me a little... Any help would be greatly appreciated...

scottieeck

Okay, I have a question. sometimes, after starting up, I hear a "chirp" which sounds like it's coming from the engine. the frequency of this chirp does not change with engine speed, as i've tried revving the engine slightly to see if that would have any effect. When running, the chirp disappears, and is not always present when cold. It sounds almost exactly like there is a bird in the engine going "chirp, chirp, chirp".
any ideas?
scottie
(did I say "chirp" enough?)

decentman4you

I ordered last year and recieved on 8 August 2000
My 2001 Dodge Quadcab 4x4 w/awd Auto 3.55 4.7L Amber Fire is the Color. Everybody that see's this Color remarks that its such a striking color. Ablosutely fully loaded with Everything except for the CD-in-dash, got the radio w/changer controls, and the sliding rear window-didnt get that either. I am 6'6" and in my shopping around of buying a new truck I wanted a Safe truck that could do all that my previous 87 Nissan Kingcab 4x2 2.4L "which I still own" could do and more. I settled on the Dodge QC 4x4 because of the EVERYTHING that this Truck afford's me to do. I bought it in Dallas TX with my Dad-and after I bought it he liked it so well that he bought 1 as well adn he got the CD in-dash, well I was going to add the changer-later, cause I thought that no having the CD in-dash would prevent My New truck from being stolen.... Nope.... Yes i had the Factory security Alarm installed and March 6,2001 my truck was broke into & stuff stolen but they didnt steal it, I had to have the steeering column replaced amoung other things, then on 21 April 2001 they stole my truck, got it back the next morning and then I had to have another steeering Column replaced again, The dealership is getting to know me quite well. Then I had the EVS-II installed and nobody has messed with it sofar I guess because of the blinking light on the dash.. When I first got the truck (in Dallas) I had to drive it home(Houston) and breaking it in I recorded 21mpg @ 55mph with the Cruise-control on. Since then I get around 15 to 19 mpg depending on my driving habits for that tankfull :-) I am 6'6" and I discovered that I had to have the 6-way electric adjustable seat to be able to fit into this truck and if in the same Cab of a QC-without that electric seat that my head would hit the ceiling, So the electric seat was a huge selling point with Me. I now have just over 10,000 miles on it and I cant get over the ride, the quietness of it the Power available, the speed, the handling, the accident avoidance of a vehicle this size, the suredness of confidence when Behind the wheel of can go anywhere and do anything....

James

txqc2000

I'm not sure if I'm experiencing the same thing, but on my drive from TX-CA-TX, I noticed a buzzing noise coming from around the passenger side A-Pillar when I hit speeds around 65-70mph on up. This noise seems to be wind related also in that if I maintain this speed but pull along side an 18 wheeler, for example, the buzz noise will stop until I pass the truck. I don't hear this noise at all at speeds below 65-70 mph.

Another person I know on another Dakota board has noticed the same noise. I'll let you know if I learn any more info re:this problem.

biglucy

Yeah, we all like our Quad Cabs so much, we should get some kind of Dodge commission because I'm always telling people they should get one to! Sorry to hear about your theft/break-in problems, I live in Philadelphia and I am highly secure-ified, I bought an Immobilizer system and it's worth every penny. It's a chip system and the truck is basically going nowhere without the chip, unless someone drags my truck away on a flatbed. I wish I had bought the power driver seat because I hit my head on the ceiling and I have to put the seat in a crazy configuration to keep my head from rubbing the ceiling. I've toyed with the idea of replacing the regular seat with a power one, but that would take some work and as bpeebles knows... I rarely get under my truck!!! (That's ONLY because I don't have a garage to work in!!!) Welcome Aboard *<B')

txqc2000

Several people on the DML have emailed me or posted a response to my inquiry about the buzzing noise. All respondants have QC's and have heard the same noise eminating from the passenger side A-Pillar area @ speeds of around 65+ mph. Some attribute the noise to the bug deflector on their QC -- once removed, the noise stopped. Others have attributed the noise to poor weatherstripping installation on the passenger doors by DC -- once properly installed, the noise has stopped. Both scenarios sound plausible and I plan to investigate this issue further to see if either one of these suggestions solves the problem.

wlmackey65

Lookin real close at the quad cab and club cab. Leaning toward the 6 cyl. quad. Is there much difference in the 6 and 8 cyl. for mileage?

txqc2000

My understanding is that there's very little, if any, difference in gas mileage. So if you don't mind spending a little more $$ for the 4.7L engine, you might as well get a V-8 and the increased torque and hp that goes with it.

bookitty

Bill, all things considered, the 3.9 six is at best very marginal for propelling a vehicle the size and weight of a Quad. Furthermore, the technology of the 3.9 is from yesterday while the 4.7 is the very latest. The mileage difference is not sufficient to justify the lower power and performance of the 3.9. The initial cost will be more than made up when it comes to re-sale value. That in addition to the pleasure of owning the 4.7
powered vehicle should more than equalize the cost. In some cases, towing, hilly terrain, heavier loads the 4.7 may deliver better MPG than the 3.9. Just my opinion.

Bookitty

lee956

I believe if you wait for 2002 models, the Dakota will get the new 3.7 V6. This engine is supposed to crank out 210 P. This engine is already in the Jeep Liberty. Might be your answer unless others have heard more about the new engine.

antony

The 3.7 V-6 makes 210 HP, but not till you spin it up to 5200 RPM. More like a sports car engine, in my opinion.

appraiser

I bought my 2000 Intense Blue Quad Cab Sport (4.7L V-8, 5 speed, 4x2) one year ago, based largely on information I gathered on this website. So thanks to everyone who knows a whole heck of a lot more than me. Your experiences have helped put me in a truck I just love. Question: I'd like to upgrade my tires and rims (I have 30,000 miles on it now). The truck came with P255/65/R15s and I want to go bigger (taller rather than wider for the most part). Does anyone know what size tires would be appropriately tough-looking on this truck? Thanks!

Moore

bpeebles

(appraiser) It sounds as if you are well on your way to personalizing your truck. That is what trucks are for. (I, too have a 2000 Dak with the PB3 paint and 4.7L V8 Hemi)

I do not have any specific answers for you but another consideration to think about. Your Dakota will need to have the onboard computer re-programmed if the overall tire diameter is altered. The speedometer and more importantly the ABS function is affected. I beleive that the distance traveled for one revolution is part of the calculation when re-programming.

lee956

Requested info from DC about 2002 Dakota's V6 engine and to my surprise (and disappointment) they said the 3.9 would still be offered (not 3.7).

I guess they don't read the posts here. Also, said dealers could start taking 2002 orders (but that's not what my local dealer said).

bobsyvee

I guess they're doing the same as with th 4.7l.
Test it out for a year in a Jeep vehicle, fix the bugs, then put it in a Dodge.

I also see that it puts out 210hp@5200 rpm, but I'd like to see the graph of the output. (i.e. broad or narrow band of useful horsepower)

Jim H

namfflow

The 3.7 will be introduced in the Jeep Liberty and the 2002 Ram 1500. After that they will roll it out to other vehicles like the 4.7 was. Remember, curently you still get a 5.2 in the Ram. The 4.7 won't go in untill 2002

Now if they could get the 5.7 together then we will have a real hemi available. (The 4.7 is NOT a hemi. It is a semi-hemi as it has D shaped combustrion chambers.)

Considering that the 3.7 is based off the 4.7 I would imagine the power and torque curves to be similar to the 4.7.

bob631

I have a '98 extended cab, 6 cyl. 5 spd. The gas mileage is great -- 20 to 23 mpg -- but in the winter, with about 350 lbs of sand in the bed, you could really feel the drag on the engine. I'd guess the added weight of the Quad would have the same affect; that's why I ordered the 4.7 in my 2001 Quad (although with the price of gas recently I'm hoping I don't regret it!).

timm25

I just picked up my 2001 Bright Silver 4WD Quad Cab V8 5 speed w/ power. Was unable to get exactly what I wanted due to the end of the year limited selection, but I am very thankful that I was able to get what I did. I'm very happy with this truck. Can someone explain to me what kind of ignition system this has? The spark plug connectors are high tech looking and it seems to lack a distributor.

mopar67

If you have no distributor you have the 4.7 L "hemi" engine. It has a single camshaft in each head driven by a timing chain(s)
Those high tech connectors on the spark plugs are actually ignition coils. The coild mount directly to your spark plugs.
This does away with the traditional weak link (spark plugs wires) in an automotive ignition system. Drivability is improved and emissions are reduced. Also with no distributor, there is no bushing to wear out and affect your ignition timing.
All in all it seems to be a decent engine albeit a bit tricky to work on (you notice your heater hoses going right over the #3 & #4 plug.
Time will tell if it can match the 318 in durability.

urban3

have suprisingly missed some vehicle care basics over the years, but at least I can keep up with Bpeebles formatting magic.

macey

Ok, the 4.7 has 8 coils -vs- a distributor feeding spark to each plug via wires...what problems does this add to changing out the plugs other then the noted problem with the heater hoses going over the #3 and 4 plug? Also, are there any other plugs in a real hard to reach area? And, no special torque rate when tightening down the plugs? (a bit more than hand tight?)

Rumor has it MSD will have a upgrade kit for the 4.7...other then better plugs (like the Autolite 3923s) and coils, thoughts and what there is to upgrade on our 4.7 distributor-less system?

txqc2000

Showoffs!! Unlike you and bpeebles, I'm still formatting challenged!!

shogun1313

No, I did not go read all 993 previous postings to this thread. I will, but I am curious. My wife and I stopped at a Fodge dealership after dinner and found a couple of quad cab Dakotas on their lot. But, there were only two. Guess what? She likes it. But then again she likes the Ram, too.

Anyways, I was wonder if anyone is making simple lift kits for the Dakota QC. Something along the lines of a 2" lift or so.

blackdakota318

I want to change the spark plugs in my 98 Dakota. It has the 318 with champions in it. I was thinking of maybe putting in champion truck plugs, but was not sure how they were different from regular champion plugs? And will they also get rid of slight ping when the engine is under load? I want to put in quality plugs nothing that will hurt the performance, but maybe even help it out. thank you in advance for any help.

txqc2000

shogun1313 - I know that a lift kit is available for the QC as I've seen a QC in town that was lifted about 2-3". It also had the 32x12.5 tires to go with it and it looked HOT. The height was about the same as a F-150 Supercrew 4x4. You might check with Larry @ Dirty Parts 4x4 in CA. (310-390-0986) re: the best lift kit for the QC.

blackdakota318 - have you considered the Autolite coppercore 3923 plugs? They should help reduce the pinging. Check out the posts on the DML (www.dakota-truck.net) about the 3923's. I'm pretty sure these are the recommended plugs for your engine. They definitely helped in my 5.9L engine.

'00 Quadcab SLT+ Garnet Red 4x4 (AWD) 5.9L 46RE 3.55 LSD. For list of modifications to my QC, see my profile:
http://www.twistedbits.net/WWWProfile/dakota/Vof5jrNb0pR1M/

For pictures of my QC & Accessories: http://www.geocities.com/txqc2000

kingquad1

The last reports that I have read go back to Feb.. I was wondering if everyone using them are still happy? Also, on the Bosch web site, the only mention of the 4.7L engine is on the jeep. They recommended the 4418. is the 4417 hotter? Any info would be appreciated. I also noticed that Bosch offers a copper plug called the SUPER. Bosch recommends #7562. From what I have read in BOB, it recommends the copper plug over others due to possible pre-ignition problems. Any comments or thoughts on this?

ole3

After doing a lot of reading (mainly on the Dakota Mailing List archives, 09/00 - Present)
I chose the Bosch 4417s. Definately seemed to improve idle quality over the stock plugs.
Absolutely no complaints. I have had the plugs on my truck for about 7000 miles.
Truck now has 10K miles.

'01 QC 4x4, 4.7L, 5 Spd.

slogdog

Hello, fellas. I just purchased a used 2001 black QC W/ 4X4 4.7L Dakota and 10k on it. The place I bought it at doesn't have a lot of info on getting accessories. Do you guys have some recommendations for places to buy tonneau covers, side rails, trailer mounts, cruise control, etc??? Can I go to a Dodge dealership and get this info even if I didn't buy it there? Any comments would be appreciated!
Also, it's in great shape, was 22k a reasonable price?

iowabigguy

Keep in mind that if your truck only has 10k miles it should still be under factory warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles even if you are the second owner.
Dodge dealer will sell you accessories and even should have a small catalog showing what they look like and retail price. Dodge dealer will not be the cheapest but you will be assured that they fit though.
22k seems like a fair price. Main thing is you feel you got a good deal. Rick

PS join us in the Dakota owners group here on Edmunds.

texasquad

I have a three month old Quad with a Molar bug shield and window vent visors. I get a terrific amount of wind noise on the driver and passenger sides. Does anyone else have a vent visor wind noise problem and how did you correct it? Do any of you with any other manufacturers have wind noise?

I can reduce the noise if I fold up a piece of paper and cram it at the bottom of the visor by the rear mirrors, but it looks like carp!