Dodge Dakota Accessories and Modifications

dodgetrukn

http://www.millervision.com/'01TRUCK.html Installed the 3" 90degree fernco and pvc-painted with k&n 33-2175 air filter replacement at 12k miles. Improved throttle response as was posted,

thanks for the tips guys..Will see if I get any additional MPG..if I can stop pushing the pedal..to hear the sound. Truck does glide a lot more after off the gas..and quicker throttle response..

Thanks for the inexpensive techniques!! Happy Super Bowl!

mopar67

Truck looks fine. Congrats on the intake work..a job well done!
Curious on your new MPG...let us know ok?

redal

I have a 1999, 4X4 with the 5.2 engine. Has anyone installed the Jet power module and does it work? Some people thinks it works and others say it's a waste of money. Ordered the K&N intake filter system m/n 57-1509 and when installed will post how I think it works.

jbardram

Any idea when this will be available for the 4.7L's? My parts guy keeps saying should be very soon. Dont think he remembers he's been giving that answer for two years.

mopar67

for our 4.7 engine, plus stuff for the 318 and 360.

It looks pretty interesting.

http://www.hughesengines.com/www/hughesengines/general/intakes/stage1_throttle_bodies.asp

surffla1

In case anybody out there was wondering which way to go with a bedliner, I had a Line-X sprayed in yesterday and I can not tell you enough how happy I am. My Quad-Cab is all graphite and the black bedliner just blends so well. My truck looks even better than when I first bought it. I got under the rail on the sides and over the top of the bed gate and the rail underneath the rear window. OTD price $349.80. Plus I got a few $20.00 discount cards to give to friends. If they present the card and buy a bedliner I get $20.00 in the mail. This was a brand new dealer, Husband and Wife team. He handles all the labor himself instead of paying someone else to do it. I am very happy!

jebsdaddy

For anyone interested, J.C. Whitney has a good selection of Plastic bed rail caps made by Bushwacker for the Dakota Quad truck.

dodgetrukn

Can someone confirm the muffler configuration on their stock muffler?
I have the offset-in and offset-out muffler, and think this is a 2nd choice muffler installed at the
factory.My muffler is canted and looks like it was not the original design, just a backup they used when built. I want to order a performance muffler and am trying to get confirmation on what the original muffler is or should be. Called 3 shops, the dealership and 7 transfer forwarded calls from dodge and NOBODY can confirm original config. I asked the parts and service personnel at the dealership to take a walk outside and look under some trucks and call me back, they said they would, but got no response. Seems unbelievable that pep boys, and 2 other local shops and the 5 star dealership cannot confirm what my original config is. Can someone crawl under their truck and respond?
Thanks a whole bunch in advance..!! Ger..

bcarter3

I have a 2001 Club Cab,4.7. The muffler is more round than oval and sits at a slight angle. The input is at the lower point and the output is a bit above the center but not quite at the top. Knowing how manufacturers like to save money I think probably all the 4.7's will have the same muffler. Hope this helps

dodgetrukn

Thanks, I have the similar arrangement..the tilted muffler, as i have the offset on both input and output. I assume you have the same... as you described..
It just doesn't look like the designed muffler as it is tilted ~ 30-40 degrees..plus the fact I've
heard some folks have gotten flowmasters with center in and offset out..Dynomax could not
tell me which muffler (only) to purchase, only mentioned too many times about their catback system, and that is not what I wanted to learn. Guess I just wanted someone to tell me
what I want to hear..Offset in and Offset out if that is the original config.
Thanks..

mulderig

I have a 2001 QC with the 4.7 built in August of 2000 with the same configuration as bcarter3.

tiltboy

Hi, I missed the part on where you got the Fernco coupling to replace the stock air intake. Could somebody list this for me? Thanks, Tilt.

ahasher

bpeebles originally posted this 4.7 V8 homebrew cold air intake but I immediately followed suit, with very good results.. Home Depot (PVC pipe/plumbing section)..1 ea 90 degree 3 inch Fernco elbow, 1 ea 3 inch Fernco coupling and about 6 inches of 3 inch PVC pipe (I chose the heavy stuff, not the thin walled pipe). The Fernco has the hose clamps already on each piece. 1 can aluminum paint to spray the PVC. Adjust the PVC section length to allow for engine flex at speed. Clamps directly up to the TB and then to the stock airbox, which i stil use with a K&N dropin. Looks good, sounds good and I have noticed better response on the interstate, and even at lower speeds. MPG still at 19 or a bit better..
bpeebles has pix and some suggestions for modifying the stock airbox to allow for even better breathing..if you scroll back a few posts..
give it a try.. it was easy and inexpensive for the performance improvement it provided..

sunburn

For those of you who have a "homebrewed" on your Dakota that has a cone style air filter, what size of filter did you use? K&N has several cone style filters with a 3" flange and I was wondering about diameter and length. Thanks.

steve234

After much serious debate on the subject, my wife and I have decided to get an A.R.E. LS II cap instead of a Z top. I remember a few people had these and I am wondering how they are doing with them. I would appreciate an update on the subject.

yank2

Top of the line I am on my second. Had one on my 2000 Dakota Quad. Have one on my replacement 2002 Ram Quad. It a great cover and easier to remove then a cheap T/C. But takes two people

dadix1947

First, this is my first post after being a member for over 2 years. I have the Access Cover on my 4x4,it is a 2000 4 door with 5.9 and auto plus any thing else that you don't need but got. It's a great truck after being a Nassian owner for over 30 years. And yes I would buy the Dodge again. As for the cover it works great when having to hall tall things or fire wood. On vacation it has keep everything dry. It is just very operater friendly.

slogdog

Hi, Fellas. I am having an over-the-rail spray-in installed next week (scratches to cover). Can a tonneau cover be put on over the top of the sprayed side rails???
Thanks,
Slog

bookitty

Steve, this is my second experience with the A.R.E. LSII fiberglass tonneau cover. I had one on my 1995 Dakota Club Cab and absolutely loved it. Used the bed like an oversized trunk. There were some hinge problems that emerged after I had the lid for two years (hinge was too light) and they did a campaign upgrade, my dealer called me, I took the truck to his facility and he quickly and neatly changed the hinge. Needless to say, I ordered one when I got my 2000 Quad Cab and am very happy and pleased with it as well. The color is perfectly matched, and I get more compliments on the truck than I do on my good looks. I am still waiting for my first compliment.

Bookitty

eagleeye13

Hi everyone, first post on this site, thanks for all of the good info, I'm changing from a '98 CC SLT 5.2,5spd, 3.55 LSD, with hvy dty everything,Arma coating over cap, Gaylord Tonneau,added fender flares(OEM), 3" dynamax cat back, K&N drop-in, 78,000 mi's. ordered '02 QC equipped same as '98 except flares are now part of hndlg pack. Dealer is saying 4-10 week's, when I ordered in '98 took 4 weeks. Color White for both I hate a dirty truck or car!!! White seems to be the best for not showing dirt. I'm going to go with Line-x spray-on over cap and a new Tonneau not sure which yet, I'm happy with the Gaylord, but I'm going to look more this time around.
I've seen some good info on tires, I've got 30-9.50x15 Toyo "country road" on mine get good handling and ride. Just some more information for everyone. I'm in San Diego so I'm not in a bad climate unless you don't like the Sun!!!!!

Keep on Truck-in

spike50

Yes, and it actually works better than my set-up, which is a tonneau over a PendaLiner (plastic drop-in). Another guy "where I used to work for 29 yrs" had a Line-X over-the-rail done. This produced the same height surface the whole way around the bed which allowed the tonneau to seal properly. Because my PendaLiner has a lip over the top tailgate, the tonneau has an incline from front to back. The ever increasing gap (front to back) has to be filled in with sticky-one-sided foam tape. Although this works fine, the glue in the tape apparently wrinkled the paint (orange peal appearance). I think a spray-in over-the-rail seems the way to go.

nortx01qc

I have the Line-X liner over the rails with a Stockland (exact same as SnugTop) tonneau. Has not given me any trouble. I would actually recommend it. With out it, if your tonneau does any kind of vibrating while going down the road, wouldn't that mess up the paint of your top rails? Kind of like a drop in liner.

Now have 14K miles on my 01 quad and still love this truck!

http://www.geocities.com/nortxqc01/MyBlkQuad.htm

And no I have not updated the page! Have lot of picts to add, just haven't......

sunburn

Anybody out there have a 360 Airintakez air intake for their 4.7L Dakota? I was considering one for for my Dakota and was wondering how they liked theirs. Thanks.

sunburn

I've been spending some time recently researching improved air intakes for my 4.7L Dakota. The low cost option, the ABS/PVC intake, has some properties that concern me. First of all, ABS plastic has a softening temperature that can be as low as 190 deg F. PVC can begin to soften as low as 145 deg F. I would be wary of using this type of intake where prolonged high temps are present. Second, the standard Fernco couplings are made from elastometric PVC and rated by the manufactuer to be good from -30 to 130 deg F. According to the e-mail I got from Fernco, they said that prolonged exposures to temps greater than 130 deg, could cause the seal to fail prematurely. Fernco does have a higher grade coupler called the ProFlex, that is made from neoprene rubber, and is rated for up to 212 deg F. Granted, the Fernco couplings are cheap enough that you could replace them on a regular basis and probably not have any problems. As an engineer I am always wary of pushing products beyond their design limits and this seems to be a risk with the homemade ABS/PVC intakes. Just my thoughts on the subject.

bpeebles

(sunburn) I too, had the same concerns about the fernco/PVC intake. Certainly one could substitute ABS for the PVC. Since the properties of ABS (as used for electrical conduit) allow for higher temps., you may feel more comfortable with ABS.

Another option is to visit a contractor that installs commercial electrical wiring. Installing commercial wiring means custom-bending steel conduit thru celiings,walls and around piping. (to pull the wires thru) They have the skills/tools to custom-bend a steel intake for your 4.7L and STILL be cheaper than those $200 units.

Would galvonized steel meet your stringint requirements?

Personally, I used PVC plastic intake for another one of its properties.... INSULATING the incoming air charge to keep it cold.

sunburn

(bpeebles)Using ABS may not be a bad option. However, in my area I haven't been able to find any 3" pipe and fittings yet. Everything is PVC. The galvanized steel used in electrical conduit seems a bit heavy without an adequate support system. I've looked for 3" thin wall aluminum electrical conduit, but none of the electrical supply houses in my local area carry it. I will try some of the local scrap metal dealers to see if I can find something suitable. I do agree that the plastics have better heat transfer properties vs. either aluminum or steel. The other issue is getting metal pipe bent. It looks like two 90 deg bends with about a 6-8" outside radius are necessary. I'm still searching for someone in my area who can do this. If all else fails, JC Whitney has 3" mandrel bent 16 ga stainless steel 90 deg elbows for $40 a pop. Two of them welded or clamped together would do the trick.

eagleeye13

Anyone concerned with the abs/pvc in regards to the heat you might check your local muffler shops, a Quality muffler performance shop should have tube bending capabilities. I'm going to cheat, I'm an Inspector for A/C manuf. and we have tube/duct bending in plant. Good Luck everyone !!

amend1

Hello again! Just want to pick a few brains out there. Anyone got a line on a aluminum, diamond plated full tailgate protector for the 2000 Quad Cab?? Not the protector that just goes over the top of the tailgate, but a full cover. My QC is used like a truck almost daily (it loves it!) and the tailgate is getting a little beat up. Thanks!

gbrquad

I recently had an LSII cover installed on my
Quadcab and I don't think the shop used the
right clamps. They top jaw of the clamp being
used is not long enough to reach the rail, so they
put a plastic shim in between the clamp and frame
of the cover. Can anyone with a LSII cover tell
me if this is the same on their's or did I get a
kluge job.

TIA, Tim

bookitty

Tim, without looking (it's dark here), I don't think that there were any shims. The clamps that the dealer used were a cast aluminum with a hex bolt. If I discover differently, I will let you know. I really don't think that it would make a difference as long as the clamp holds tightly. My first LSII was secured using cap screws and nuts and required drilling. No problems either way.

Bookitty

96g11

I made a pvc style intake way back when my truck was new (Feb 2000). I even posted part numbers and manufacturer name. The stuff I used was slightly smaller than the standard pvc stuff used in most plumbing applications (ie:light duty). I have not had any problems with distortion or melting. I made another for my buddy and he also has had no problems. I would have been concerned if the fluid passing through the plumbing was of excessive temp but that is not the case. I live in Houston and if temp is not a problem here I would venture it would not be a problem anywhere.

eagleeye13

If I'm not mistaken you have the ARE LS11 tonneau? I remember ready this is the second one for you? Anyway how easy is the ARE to remove? I presently have '98 Dak CC with a Gaylord and can remove by myself in about 15 mins. My new QC is due beginning of April '02. I'm planning on getting side steps/nerf bars and a tonneau immediately and Line-x over cap later. Do the Weston's get a lot of rock type damage? I'm wondering what to get saw a QC with the molded steps but these I believe have alum. frame work and not sure how they will hold up???

Lee from San Diego

bookitty

Lee, removing the A.R.E. LSII is as easy as removing the hold down clamps. Lifting it free however, is another story. It would be very difficult for one person to remove it. It takes two people to lift it clear of the truck. It's not the weight, it is the physical size and shape.
I like the Westin side steps, but actually only purchased them because Smittybilt didn't have their Quad Cab bars available at the time. I liked their textured paint finish (Smittybilt). Molded steps and running boards do not fare well when driving through deep snow. They tend to perform as "skis," lifting the tires clear of the path. I don't off road so it would be difficult for me to assess that usage.

Bookitty

furrydog1

Anybody out there put on an after market trailer hitch on there Dak? Just wondering about brand recommendations, web sites to purchase from and how hard of a job it is to attach? I'm not exactly mechanically inclined but I have heard in passing that it is as easy as tightening a few bolts and plugging in the trailer light harness.
Thanks.

eagleeye13

Thank you for the response, I'm an inspector in A/C manuf. so I've worked with all kinds of metals. So I know if its done right alum. is very sturdy I'm just not sure of the Quality of the alum. used in the molded side steps. I'm in San Diego and I'm getting a 2wd QC so the snow would probably never come into play and I never thought of the ski effect. I have center hung a '71 Dodge short bed and it was not fun getting un-hung!!!
I kinda like the molded to help keep road grime off the sides.
If anyone else has any insight to molded versus nerf bars please chime in all info greatly appreciated.
Right now I'm leaning towards the Weston stainless steel chome side bars with adding mud flaps to flares to keep the road grime off!!
Still haven't decided on which Tonneau I'll get !!!!!!

Thanks to Edmunds and everyone for the great sites for good and bad info.

see ya in sunny so cal or no cal ( born in Stockton CA.)
Lee

sunburn

(furrydog) - The trailer hitch installation process can vary depending on the hitch manufacturer. Some are as simple as inserting a few bolts and tightening them. Some require a couple of holes to be drilled. Some require that the bumper be loosened and lowered. One of the manufacturers websites gave detailed installation instructions, I think it was Hidden Hitch, but I'm not sure. To get the specifics, you will have to ask around.

As for prices, I found one of my local truck accessory shops will get me any hitch (class III/IV) for $99 ($129 installed, excluding wiring). I haven't found anyplace on the web that could do better. The cheapest I found on the web was around $120, plus about $20 shipping. Due to the weight of the item, shipping hurts. I would check locally with truck accessory and RV stores to see what you can find. Then hit the internet.

By the way, a good place for wiring harnesses is

www.bageco.com

They have a harness that has both a 7 pin round plus a 4 pin straight connector in one unit. It avoids the hassle of having to get an adapter. Just a thought. Good luck.

sunburn

Just a follow-up to my last post. I found my notes from my internet hitch shopping survey. The cheapest class III/IV hitch for a 2002 QC was a Hidden Hitch from JC Whitney. It was $99 + $15 for shipping. The Hidden Hitch installs on 97 and newer Daks in about 15 min (according to Hidden Hitch) without any drilling.

bookitty

Todd, Hidden Hitch is an excellent product. Although my Quad has a factory unit, I have a Hidden Hitch at both ends of our Jeep Wrangler, and a tow bar to boot.

Bookitty

tuvtest

Has anyone installed the Hurst Competition Plus shifter for their 5-speed? If so are you happy with it?

furrydog1

went to JC Whitney and found the hidden hitch. That's the best deal I've seen so far plus I was able to look at some other accesories I've been wanting to get.

stnick

I installed the Hidden hitch on my 2000 Dak. It took about a half hour, and it just bolted up. The most trouble I had was removing a couple of the factory bolts. I like the look of it as the brand name suggests, you don't see any of it except the receiver box part.Hope this helps, Nick.

wetwillie

I installed one over a year ago and was pleased with the shorter wrist-flick throw, but am a little disappointed in noise transmitted thru the shifter at times. The noise is a result of the direct mechanical linkage of the shifter. If I had it to do over I would do it again however - hope this helps.

furrydog1

Just bought some old fashioned rubber mud flaps from JC Whitney and was wondering if anybody out there has some tips or ideas on installation. I have an '02 QUAD with the fender flares which I think may cause a little trouble. The flaps have 2 prepunched holes and were not customized for any particular model year. Before I drill any holes I thought it would be a good idea to get some feedback.
(If anyone is interested, they are the mud flaps with the Dodge Rams Head Logo outlined in red on a black mud flap. Go to JC Whitney, not a bad price. I wanted something more beefy than the standard molded mudflap)

jebsdaddy

I have a 2001 4wd Dakota with the flares. I installed the factory accessory heavy duty rubber mud flaps and they went on without any real problems. They were pre-marked where the holes should go and this helped. You may want to look at those instead because you don't won't to mess up when putting holes in a $25k truck.

nwdodgeguy

Hey, my Dak's fog lights are taking a beating. Anyone have any info on aftermarket grills to put over the foglights to protect them from gravel and rocks?

spike50

I agree with jebsdaddy. When I installed the $13 / pr Mopar flaps, I used the existing screws that hold the fender flares on. I had to use a 90 degree angled head on the screwdriver so I didn't have to remove the tires. When installing, park on a flat surface and use a ruler to get the desired ground clearance to match on the back two and then the front ones.

furrydog1

I've had my 4.7, 4x4 QUAD for about 5 months now and I finally did some actual work with it this past weekend. I hauled 2 loads of 1 3/4" washed rock for some landscaping and the Line-x liner didn't get a scratch. I was shoveling and scraping in the bed with a spade and was surprised I didn't tear a hole in it. Unfortunately I didn't have the liner applied to the roof b/c the guy operating the loader dumped some of the rocks on the roof scratching the top and the pillars behind the back door. Needless to say I wasn't too happy about that. Anyway, 2 thumbs up for the Line-x.

joehoe

Hey Furrydog

When using one's truck in the manner which God created it for - small sacrificial scratches are considered beauty marks - in a MASCULINE sort of way.

Imagine your squirrely little neighbor in his minivan... trying to bring home a load of landscaping rock...

Dat's why ya bought that thing

Good job on the bedliner - and putting it to the test!

mtrialsm

Anyone out there have a hard folding cover
on their Quad cab.
Pros. Cons.?
Mick

furrydog1

The only problem is that the Dakota is my wife's vehicle! She is very proud of her flame red QUAD so anytime I use it I have to be very careful. She might not let me drive it again which means I'll be stuck with my old '86 4Runner.