Dodge Dakota - Quad Cab

tegwj

drdakota et al--

I tow my race car & trailer behind the QC (4.7 auto, HD towing pkg) and have no problems. the trailer weighs ~1400lbs and the car is another 2400 or so. nice and smooth.

i did once try towing my buddy's BMW on my trailer -- the car alone weighs 4300lbs so that plus the trailer was a bit much.

just make sure you watch your coolant gauge and the Trans Temp indicator on the dash.

twj

gator72

Hey - Urban3,

In Oct. 00, I bought an 2001 QC SLT-Plus, 4.7, buckets, T&H, heavy duty pack, overhead electronics, big, folding, heated outside mirrors; sliding rear window and fog lights. Dealer installed the hard, folding cover that locks at both ends.

YES, mine has the light in the console; comes on when lid opens. BUT, I also have an auxillary electrcal outlet IN the console; located in front just under the lid; used for recharging phone on the go. There is another aux. eletrical outlet located on the DASH; used for radar detector. If I really get power hungry, I could always plug into the cigar lighter!

FYI: Mine also has the hood insulation and Quad Cab Badges. I bought a DAKOTA emblem to apply to the tailgate. But, after I got it home, I decided not to put it on. Doesn't look right.

GATOR72

varroa

Well my QC wasn't ready, the under coating wasn't dry enough to drive with last night. The rain was sooo hard it would have wrecked the under coat. Going in tonight to get it (it is sunny this evening).

gator72

Last week on I-10 near Florida/Alabama line, saw a flatbed trailer with what looked like a new bright red Quad Cab strapped down in the middle. It was too small to be a Ram truck. The truck on the flatbed was not covered or concealed at all. The trailer was following a new, extended body white Ram Van with several "office" types.

Too small to be 2002 Ram truck. Profile was the same as 2001 QC, but, rear lights had silver or white background. Front end was radical. Very large cross-hair grille; totally black. Two focused-beam headlights in intergrated units on each side. Bottom valance totally different. Small, golf-ball sized fog lights.

Since I was going about 70 mph, can't give you much more.

Never seen a QC like this. It might be someone's "custom" truck. But, I doubt it because it looks too "factory"; if you know what I mean.

GATOR72

urban3

Gator72 - Thanks for the info on the console light. But you got your QC early in the model year. I got mine at the very end and from what others are saying, I gather items were discontinued mid way through the year. But I'm going to ask.

Maybe the vehicle you saw was a version of the concept vehicle called Power Wagon. Check it out at this URL:

http://www.4adodge.com/world_of_dodge/concept/feature6.html

alex4x4

For those of you that like the looks of the now discontinued V-8 badges you can add them yourself if you like. I purchased them from the dealer for $11.60 each, and they just stick on (no holes to drill) You might have to ask for the 2000 ones if they can't find ones for a 2001.

-----Alex-----

drdakota

OK folks, I know this has nothing to do with a QC or even a Dodge. But I thought I would bring this problem to this highly intelligent and experienced group.

This past Friday, my wife and I took a trip and during the course of the drive we ended up with several bugs on the front of her car. One particularly large hairy bug's remains left a stain on the front bumper. The stain will not come off. I don't want to get it repainted.

At the very least she is going to change waxes to something with more protection.

ferous

Yes it is bug season here in Michigan. It's this time of year when I stop washing the salt off the truck and start washing the bug guts off. My secret. Wax the front end every 2-3K miles (6-8 weeks). I use that "NU___" wax in the orange bottle. It dissolves the remaining bug guts and road tar, and the truck looks new again. I have over 29K miles now and just last week someone asked me when I got my new truck. I told them back in March...... of 2000.

drdakota

Thanks, I've used the NU-___ before. My wife is using Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell now. The car gets waxed every 2 months or 2k miles. Can I get the stain out without a major paint job?

slr9589

slr9589

hi all,
is it possible for the electronic odometer to register more miles than actually traveled?
i've got 25,...on my 00 quad in one year and that is more than i usually drive in any prior vehicle.got 5 speed,with 3.55 rear end.
just curious and how would you prove it short of finding a certified measured mile?
thanks,
stephen

bpeebles

( slr9589 ) A couple of questions to consider that may lead you to an answer to your question.
Do you have any reason to beleive that your SPEEDOMETER is incorrect too?
Have you changed the tires/wheels on your rig from the original equipment size? (The main thing is the distance traveled for each tire revolutoin)

This is PROGRAMABLE and your dealer should be able to verify that yours is set up properly for your tire-size .

ferous

How do you get your wife to wax the truck? I can't even get my wife to dump the left over soda fountain cups. Do you know a secret the rest of us men need to know?

ferous

I think your high miles are due to how nice the truck is to drive. In our house the van sits in the garage more often now that we have a Quad.

drdakota

My wife is a fanatic about how her vehicle looks. But make no mistake, the job of waxing her car is my job (as she likes to remind me). Her vehicle is a 98 Olds Intrigue and it looks like new. (Except for the new bug mark.)

slr9589

ferous/boo,
thanks for the reply....i have regular issue ,plain jayne,tires on the truck.
i do aadmit that yes, it is a fun vehicle to drive.though with gas going to the moon we are driving the new accord more often on long trips.
i have another question,would 60-80% worn pads make you feel the brakes go on and then release as you start to go again?....i don't really believe that this phenomena is really due to "slop"in the take up of the drivetrain,as the dealer said.what do you guys think?
stephen

namfflow

The stop and release with the pads worn about 80% could be the caliper pistons sticking. This will cause the remainder of the pads to wear real quick.

This has been one thing I have noticed about Mopars for many years. (I am a diehard mopar man).

I would keep a close eye on the brakes or to be on the safe side and much less expense, do a complete brake job soon. I have had to replace too many rotors and calipers because of this sticking and the subsequent wear.

bpeebles

Please explain further... what are you trying to say here?

...make you feel the brakes go on and then release as you start to go again

Are you saying that the brake pedal seems to "pump up" (get firmer) as you release and apply it a couple of times? This is caused by the rear drum brake adjusters (starwheels) not being properly adjusted. If you do not use the brakes enough in reverse, this will start to happen over time. (One must apply the brakes firmly AND RELEASE THEM while traveling in reverse in order to engage the automatic adjusters)

BTW... Please consider asking MAINTENANCE questions in the DAKOTA MAINTENANCE forum instead of here in the OWNERS forum.

ferous

If the calipers are "Sticking" then you would notice a lot a black brake dust on those nice alloy wheels.

bpeebles

If the calipers are truly sticking.... there is not much hope to fixing them. Is is often better to replace the calipers unless you LIKE to replace brake pads. The front wheel bearings will also succumb to the heat over time.

One way to tell if the calipers are sticking is to (carefully) feel the lugnuts to see if they are HOT to the touch. Under "normal" usage the lugnuts will be warm due to routine braking. A sticking caliper will cause the brake pads to drag and MASSIVE HEAT is the result. The lugnuts will be HOT to the touch.

Do not forget to check BOTH front wheels. It is very unlikely that BOTH calipers will be sticking. Thus a comparison of equal temperature on BOTH front wheels is a GOOD thing.

mopar67

I offer one of your posts as an example

BTW... Please consider asking MAINTENANCE questions in the DAKOTA MAINTENANCE forum instead of here in the OWNERS forum

Plus you are typing in caps much more frequently.

zonk

I have a lot of black dust on all 4 of my QC's wheels. Is a sticking caliper the only culprit?

dpgrose

Thats all I been doing for the past 1/2 year is researching add ons for the QC that I own. I have used this this forum and others at this site for over 2 years before finally buying a QC. I do research, but its not the same as asking how other people like what they have purchased for their truck. I have the 4.7, 3.55, LSD, T&H, towing pkg., HD cooling, RAZ, and about everything else. There were only a few things that I didn't need or want at the time. The top of my list that I would like some feedback on are:

1) Spray in bedliners, any problems?

2) Cold induction filters, are they worth the price?

3) Wind deflectors and vent deflectors, is noise reduced or increased?

4) Tonneas, has anyone found out who makes the one that Dodge sells?

5) Step bars, are they functional?

ford_bii

No, riding the brakes like an old granny will surely cause dust build up.

Or driving too darn fast and hammering on the brakes all the time.

Or, if you don't wash your truck for a few months the wheels will get brake dust on them.

Do any of the above apply?

bobs5

Sorry I have been away for a week to keep everyone up to date.
Rained like heck last night, not a drop of water in the bed of the truck. The ARE CH cap kept it dry.
The correct bedrug arrived finally.
Still have to install it.
Been too busy getting my resume up to date and filing for unemployment. Got layed off on monday after 13+ years with the company. Bummer.
Bob

slr9589

Bpeebles,
my brake pedal feels the same .it does not go soft...let me see if i can explain what i feel with the quad,
when i have come to a normal stop,pause a second,then let off the clutch,i hear and feel in my hands( via the steering wheel)as the front end or brakes release...it is like there is slop some where in the front end,,....dealer says no.
who knows...but i will have the pads re-done by a non-dealer mechanic,soon.
thanks for the concern,
ps..we are pulling up roots in Ma.and heading for southeast tx.
stephen

cetris

I have recently noticed some popping noises eminating from the front end of my 2000 QC (15K miles) while turning hard (like a U turn) and accelerating. I know I have read some similar posts in the past but I can't figure out how to do a search restricted to this QC board only. Thanks for the help guys (& girls).

bpeebles

Ben,

For the sake of those folks that lurk. It is best if we 'regulars' try to keep things in their proper place. Thus, I encourage people to ask maintenance questions in the maintenance forum.

If is not a QUAD CAB - specific question ... This forum may not be the best place to ask.

Again... someone who is 'lurking' that only owns a regular cab Dakota may miss some good information because it is here in the QUAD CAB forum where they might not look.

I use a wide variety of methods to express emphasis in my appends... the UPPER CASE is only one of them. Certainly no cause to feel upset.

gregp5

Just picked up my new QC on Saturday morning, Wow
it is truly a great ride and thanks to you guys on this forum not only did I feel I knew the right way to equip it, but now that I finally got it, I feel that it's familiar already.
BTW as you guys probably already know,no badges or light in the center console.
Thanks,
Greg

albertaman

Just got my new QC last Tuesday, Sport 4.7L 4x4 flame red, I LOVE IT!!!
I also got some matching molded side steps for it which I put on this Sunday, it was a 6 beer job and went very well once I realized that my floor jack would work well to hold the boards at the middle while I marked and drilled the holes.
Saved myself 2hours in labor doing it myself over having the dealer put them on.
My ROLL N LOCK box cover should be in today and I plan to install it myself as well.

I'll post some pics when I'm all done, the matching boards are sweeeeet and really finish off the truck.

gtownguy

Hi All, Well, my new QC arrived and I just took my inspection. Two majors problems, aside from the regular no badges ect. are they forgot to install the HD service group. Dealer says they can do that there???(at the dealer). Does anyone know what this is? I believe its a battery saver feature, HD alternator, and a trany oil cooler and an engine oil cooler. Am I right? Also I did not order the slider rear window and no rear defroster. Just the regular one piece glass and it was NOT privacy tinted. I really need that tinted. Should this be privacy tinted, it is in the brochures. Any suggestions on what I should tell dealer. Right now I'm pretty mad after waiting as long as I did and the Dealer did not bring these things to light.
Thanks everyone,
Tom.
ps I hope I have a Happy story next post.

txqc2000

I believe the HD service group also includes the larger radiator. I feel this is pretty essential if you plan to tow and/or live in a warm climate area. While the dealer may be able to install everything a la carte, you'd better make sure they install every single component of the HD group that you paid for, especially the larger radiator.

Also, I thought that the rear window comes standard with privacy tinting, whether or not it is the slider or the defroster. I have the defroster on mine. It is definitely tinted. Which option packages did you order on your QC?

urban3

gtownguy - I understood the HD service group on my QC to include the following:
auxilary trans cooler, power steering cooler, 136 amp alternator, 750 amp battery, and HD engine cooling (a larger radiator?).

I believe the items in the HD group vary depending on model/engine/trans. I have a Sport, 4.7 auto, p/t 4WD.

I have the sliding rear window and it is tinted.

BTW, I really like mine in spite of the fact that it appears to be slightly lower on one side vs. the other and the rear axle is offset by a 1/2".

urban3

My QC doesn't have the hood insulation and I know this was discontinued. After a 2 hour intersate drive over the weekend, the hood was warm to the touch, but not overly so. It would probably be much hotter after sitting in the sun for a while.

I've asked this before, but does the insulation provide any usefulness from an engineering standpoint or to protect the finish? I'm not asking so I can go squeeze the dealer. I would just like to know if it serves some useful purpose or if it protects anything.

If it really should be there, I'll get it from the dealer or buy it myself. If it doesn't matter, then I won't bother about it. Thanks.

badassbob

I had a 01 4x2 SLT Quad Rental while the insurance co figured out what to do with my wrecked one... The Std Rear Glass (No slider, and no defroster) did NOT have as much ( Or even any at all) Tint as the rear side windows...

I cant believe that they would call it privacy tinted... unless a blind person was trying to peep through

CHAD

bpeebles

(urban3) The hood insulation is (was) more a SOUND insulation than a HEAT insulation. Sure, there may be some side-benefit of reducing the chance of cooking off your carefully-applied wax-job on the hood.

Some engines produce a lot of "mechanical noise" that is reduced by the hood insulation. The 4.7L V8 Hemi is very smooth and quiet. (Although the OHC's tends to make a 'wirring' sound at high RPMs.)

As for providing "any usefulness from an engineering standpoint"... I can think of no reason to KEEP the heat under the hood on purpose.
(Some vehicles, [ie...Suberu] have vents to allow the heat OUT from under the hood.)

ferous

The solid glass rear windows are not tinted on the 2000 models either. I liked this because I put a Century cap on my bed. I ordered the cap with clear glass on the front and tinted on the sides and back. This way I look through 2 clear pieces and only 1 piece of tinted glass when using my rear view mirror.

urban3

Thanks, Bpeebles, that's what I wanted to know re: insulation. Sounds like it's no big deal my case.

Stopped by my dealer yesterday with a few questions.

In box center console light: they not sure if it should be there but will check.

Leaning to passenger side: Have seen a few of these. Corrected with a new set of leaf springs. Said they'd order them and put them in. (bpeebles?)

Axle offset: Is really the bed offset. The bed is clearly not centered with the back of the cab. Looking down the inside edges of the top sides, the bed does not line up at the same points againgst the cab. The bed position is adjustable.

Checked on color keyed Durango body side moldings per suggestions here. $80 a side. Anyone have any other suggestions for dark blue moldings? I would just like to give the doors a little more protection if possible, but $160 seems a bit much. I'll do it if there aren't any other options.

cbacres1

The problem you have with the locks may be that the adjustment bolt may be to tight against the latch. You can adjust this yourself from in side the bed with the cover closed. Also, try spraying the lock cylinders with WD 40, Etc. We had a hard time just getting the key in sometimes. The installing dealer should make the adjustments or at least supply you with the instruction book. The cover and/or gaskets may expand with the heat, making the fit tighter at times.

The safety catch is kind of rinkey dink, but has caused no problems so far as hitting the rear seal, but I installed ours a little different from the directions. (they were a little blurry, spilled beer on some of the pages)

The rear seal is normal as compared to ours, the rubber cover over the latch handle makes up for the shortness. I've added some extra weather stripping at the front wall of the bed. Went thru some heavy rain & a high pressure car wash, leaks very little water.You may want to invest in a tailgate lock. ( Pop lock)I don't think the cover lock at the tailgate would hold up to someone yanking on the tailgate.

See my posting about a week & half ago.

Just returned from a trip in the Smoky Mountins, racked up almost 3000 miles in less than three weeks of having the truck. We love it, handled great in the winding & steep roads. Avg. about 17 MPG. Will be taking it to dealer this week for minor adjustment and to quite a grinding noise which I think is coming from the rotor backing plate.

alex4x4

Does anyone have a suggestion on which brand bug deflector is best? I'm looking for one that won't cover up the chrome grill, and mounts securely with minimal drilling.

Thanxs,
-----Alex-----

txqc2000

The bug deflector made by EGR fits between the hood and the chrome grill, so it won't cover up the grill. I have one installed on my QC. You can see pictures of it by clicking the link(s) below. Good luck!

'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

slickwilliedj

mine a 01 q/c sport all the toys auto lsd 2 wd 4.7 t&h grp i have a similar problem but mine seems to lean in more on the left side. about 2-3 mos ago dealer after many attempts decided to replace the left front spring and shock assem. this did chg any thing. did your dealer adv you that defective rear leaf springs is what is causing your lean and if so how did he come to that decsion? is he replacing both or just one? do you or any one else know if there are any adjustments for the rear leaf springs or what else would cause this leaning prob?? oh also your ? regarding the center cons light mine does have a light inside with a pwr outlet however they forgot the pwr outlet in the dash so i had to have the dealer order one no chg of course...... i think it was you or GATOR? who also was experienceing a snapping popping sound coming from the front while turning a braking..... did you guys ever get any answers about this prob or know whats causing it? mine does it also......

urban3

As soon as I mentioned "leaning" he said he had seen 2-3 like that and they replaced the leaf springs to correct it. Both leaf springs were replaced at the same time. How he came to the diagnosis was pretty informal (walking around the vehicle and listening to my description).

I asked about torsion bar adjustment to correct the front, but he said the leaf springs would probably take care of it. But I'm a little skeptical. I doubt they'd have a problem adjusting the torsion bar if the front still tilts after doing the leaf springs.

He did say that the way to tell if there was a difference was to measure the distance from the ground to the top of the wheel opening (the bottom side of wheel flare in my case) at each wheel. This would assume level ground or measuring each wheel at the same spot. (I mentioned my crude experiments with a 7FT level)

Others here have indicated there are specific measuring points from the frame to ground in determing if it is "tilted". And (my interpretation) if the frame or body connection to the frame is the cause.

I don't have enough expertise to know too much about this other than what others who are more knowledgeable have told me. I understand shims can be used in the rear where the leaf springs are clamped to the axle tube. We'll see...

I have both power outlets but no in box console light. When did get your 01?

I haven't got into the popping-while-turning/braking issue yet. I have noticed some noises in those conditions. But I was driving a station wagon with 124K miles on it. So I think it will take me a while to get to know the noises of the new Dak (3 weeks). Plus some noises are indications of problems others are not. I want to make sure I can know/tell the difference before I try to make any corrections. One thing at time for me.

slickwilliedj

i ordered mine in aug of 00 and was delevered in oct00. i guess dodge is slowly deleting items as the year goes on....i'm guessing yours is a 4x4? if so you might want to try having the torsion bars adjusted first as this is a easy fix vs the leaf springs being replaced.however, if the dealer thinks the problem is for sure the leafsprings go for it. about how much difference from side to side are you finding and do you find the lean more noticable in the front or rear end or both?

slickwilliedj

has any body experienced a popping/snapping sound similar in sound to old cvc joints on a front wheel drive. this sound usually only occurs while braking &turning at the same.if you have had this problem pls adv what the cause and fix has been. also my steering colum seems a little loose any body else also with this prob?

urban3

slickwilliedj - my 01 QC (yes 4WD) w/T&H appears to be about 5/8" - 3/4" lower on the right side in the rear and 1/2" lower in the front. It's perceptible when looking at the vehicle while standing behind it at least several feet away or more. It's also perceptible while sitting in the driver's seat looking across the hood to the front right corner.

Thanks for the info the console light. That's 2 01's that have it, but both delivered in the fall of 2000. I think it might be one of those items that gotted zapped sometime during the model year.

mopar67

noises same scenario.
Wish I knew what it was.

gtownguy

I just took delivery of my new 01 QC,4x4,4.7,auto,sport+grp yesterday. Thanks to all who responded to my delivery problems previous post. Dealer came down some on the price and even though it was not 100% what I ordered, it was close.(The dealer is also ultra close to my work, so that helps with deciding)
Anyways, a real decision for me was the extended care warrantee. Usually I don't do those on anything, but a good friend and the dealer talked me into it. Do any of you guys have it? I understand there is a ton of markup in them. If so what's the time/miles. I got the 6/60. To me it's actually 3/24!(cause the 3/36 is standard). Its the DC truck added care. They charged me $600.
Well, time to put some miles on it, and being pretty anal about my vehicles,I'm sure I'll be back soon with feedback and questions.
Thanks to all of you and good luck with your vehicles.
Tom.

txqc2000

gtownguy - I'm probably going to get one eventually after I finish spending $$ on mods. I'll probably get the Chrysler one from www.chryslerwarranty.com -- a Dodge dealership in Iowa that sells the Chrysler warranties at a discount. Like you, I'll probably get the Added Care plan which seems sufficient for the QC.

gator72

I've got it too. On several occasions, I posted messages about this problem; here and on Mopar. Thus far, nobody knows anything.

Been to the dealer 2x. Both times they told me it was "torque steer". That term only applies to front-drive cars; not rear wheel Dakotas.

I called the dealer several times, but he never called me back. Wrote a letter to him on my law firm letterhead and got a call from the Service Manager asking me to give them another chance to fix it. I told him I don't want to hear any explanation that includes the term "torque steer". My truck goes in on Mon. (06-25-01).

I also informed Svc. Mgr. that if the dealer fails to fix the problem this time, I'm going to the Zone Rep. I'm patient and willing to go the extra mile to give them a chance to fix this problem. But, I don't want to keep wasting my valuable time either.

There is also a BRAKE problem that has started to occur on an occasional basis. If I hit the brakes HARD while driving on dry pavement between 30 and 50 mph, the brakes do not fully engage. It feels like I have the pedal pushed down about 1/4th of the way. (It is a very rare occurance).

NO, this is not the anti-locks kicking in. There is no "pulse" thru the pedal AND, it's taking WAY too long to stop - even by anti-lock brake standards. ANY IDEAS?

GATOR72