Dodge Dakota - Regular Cab

xena1a

Greg116 - You pose a valid question. I came to the RC in sort a round about way. I had a big 'ol Reg Cab 1990 Chevy half ton. Drove it for nine years. I finally decided that I was tired of wrestling with the size of the darn thing (didn't need that much truck), so I switched to a 1999 Mazda B3000 with an extended cab and extra doors. I'll admit that the extra space behind the front seats was kind of nice. But I just did not like the engine. It was under powered for road trips. What I really wanted was a smaller truck with plenty of power. Something maneuverable and fast with off-road capability. That brought me to the Dakota. I test drove the 4.7L V8 and fell in love with it. My RC has the V8 power of a half ton combined with the nimbleness of a compact.
I did give up interior storage with the RC, but I added a Roll-n-Lock and a bed extender. Now, I've got plenty of accessible, covered storage. My Dakota is faster than my previous Chevy and has a tighter turning radius that the Mazda. The best of both in one package. For some, the RC might be a bit of a compromise. For me, it is the perfect fit. And, like Mailman, I don't have kids. I don't need it as a people hauler. Good luck with yours. Dakotas are great trucks...

mailman54

Any of you old timers out there know what the expected life of a timing chain is? Normally I don't keep a vehicle long enough to worry, but my 91 5.2L Dakota has over 108k and I am getting a little apprehensive. Do they give any warning before going out or do they just blow? Can't find any recommendation for replacement at a certain mileage interval in my owner's manual. Just wondering.

bobs5

Wow, they still have chains?
The only timing chain I had to change was on a '63 ford falcon 6 cyl. with about 150k miles.
An erratic idle was the only symptom experienced.

tuvtest

Fortunatly, timing chains are not like timing belts. They do not just "go". as Bobs5 mentioned, you will start to notice an erratic idle when the chain's stretch becomes significant. If I remember correctly, the 318's (5.2L)tolerances are enough that if it were to go, there wouldn't be any damage. The chain is not considered a maintaniance part, just like htey don't tell you when to change the pistons. It is tipically replaced on engine rebuilds, but is not really something to worry about otherwise. I personally had a 360 (basically the same as a 5.2L) with about 160k of hard miles that the chain was stretched enough that it jumped a few teeth. The truck was still drivable (albeit running very poorly)and no damaged ensued until I was able to change it.

mailman54

bobs5 and tuvtest: Thanks for the info! Sounds like it isn't worth worrying about. Something else will probably go wrong long before the timing chain goes. I kept the 91 Dakota to be my work horse truck so that I could keep the new one nice. It was worth much more to me than the dealer was willing to give me in trade. I'm hopefull that I will get a couple more years out of it at least.

greg116

Turns out the throttle body was all junked up from lack of service. Durango running fine, confidence in Dodge restored.

taki3

Ive wanted to replace the front (and possibly rear) speakers in my 97 dakota regular cab....

can somebody tell me which speakers would be a direct replacement for front and rear? i bought some 6.5" Pioneer speakers, and they wouldnt fit without some severe modification/fabrication....

Thanks!

bobs5

Check out crutchfield, they have a provision which shows which speakers will fit your truck.
http://crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-mn8JI1nrqBH/auto.asp?

weebedna

I think about the only speaker that will fit out of the box is the Pioneer 1765 or 1795 - these come with a Chrysler 3 hole adapter. I think Crutchfield will supply the adapter for other 6 1/2 speakers. Crutchfield is so expensive though, even more expensive than local retailers.

If you are interested in the Pioneer, check out Ebay (do a search on 'PIONEER TS-A1765'). They can be had for about $60-65 and have the adapter!).

99slt

Thought I had the perfect truck. A '99 RC SLT 5.2L 5spd 2WD with 3.55rear LSD and T&H. Not one problem, zero, notta. No offset bed, nor dipstick, nor weather stripping, nor brake, nor paint... no problems what so ever. Then I kept reading about the off set axle. I measured mine. Sure enough the left side rear wheel sticks out a half inch more than the right. If I were a betting man, I'd say that there is not a Dakota forum member here that doesn't have an offset rear axle (either to the left or right). But after 36k miles, I wouldn't trade this truck for anything. I would like to know how this whole axle thing got started at Dodge.

bobs5

Is this primarily a 2wd phenomenon?
I have not measured with a ruler, but my 4x4 truck looks fine.

bookitty

Bobby, don't measure with a ruler. Just drive and enjoy your truck. This is a great forum, but the downside of gathering information is contracting "truck hypochondria." Ignorance is bliss. I have been practicing it for years.

Bookitty

bobs5

If ignorance is bliss....I'm the happiest person on earth!

scottieeck

I don't suffer from ignorance . . .
I thrive on it!
scottie

briancar89

Hi,

I have a '99 Dakota regular cab, 4X2. When I was looking around at different trucks I had to look at all different kinds. I'm 6'3" and the Dakota was the only compact pickup I could fit in unless it had the extended cab. Even in the Ford Ranger extended cab my head still hit the roof. I fit in the Dakota regular cab without a problem (as long as the seat is all the way back) I like the full size trucks, but I really have no need for something that big, or with a V8. I thought I would probably end up going with a GMC Sierra, which I really did like, but it was just too big for what I need, then I found the Dakota at a used car place.
I live in Rhode Island and eariler in the winter I had a small problem with the 4X2. I was on an overpass that goes slightly uphill, it was snowing and the roads hadn't been plowed yet, it had snowed about an inch, and I had to stop at a red light and the rear wheels were stopped right on one of the overpass joints, when I went to go at the green light the wheels spun, I tried everything, I went into first, second, I backed up and tried to power out, but I got stuck where I'd backed up to and then got yelled at by some stupid cop... it didn't help that I had another lane of traffic going in the same direction, I think I'd still be there unless some guy hadn't stopped traffic, I put it in first and floored it, it fishtailed for about 30 seconds and finally broke free. I'd had the truck about 2 weeks then, now I've got sandbags (320 lbs) in the bed for the winter, and haven't had a problem since. It just seemed odd that it would get stuck in such a small amount of snow... anyone else ever have a similar problem?

bobs5

With a 2wd, it doesn't take much to get stuck. The worst senerio is being totally stopped, on an incline, in the snow, and then trying to move forward. As you found out, having weight over the rear axle helps alot.
I use to have a 83 ford ranger with 2wd. It had an open rear end, so it actually had one drive wheel. I would gringe at the smallest sign of snow. Too many white knucke experiences in the snow with that truck.
To improve your truck a bit, a "sure grip" or "limited slip" axle could be added if it is not already equipped.
My truck has the sure grip axle from the factory and it sure is nice in the snow. This past winter I really did not "need" to use the 4wd, but it sure helped in some spots.

mailman54

Brian, been there done that! I have 91 and 00 RC 2wd Dakotas. The first thing I always do with 2wd pickups is put a fiberglass cap on it. Besides the obvious benefits of a cap, it puts some weight on the rear end for traction. When it snows, I automatically throw in 3 or 4 50lb weights. I have never been stuck with this setup. However, in a blizzard I will jump into the wife's Subaru just in case!

Mailman

mailman54

00 Dakota Regular Cab 2wd with 4.7 and 45RFE Auto transmission. Includes 3.92 axle ratio, tire and handling group and heavy-duty service group. Added Leer 100 cab high fiberglass cap and fender flares.

Engine: Runs great, smooth and plenty of power.
Xtrans: Shifts great, computer has finally learned my driving style (wide open all the time).
Handling: Good, will be even better when I get a decent anti-sway bar on the rear end.
Fit/Finish: Good overall, only minor complaints (i.e., no glove box lock, cramped cab).
Brakes: No problems so far.
Mileage: Average 17 mpg overall.

Common Complaints:

Brown Sludge? - Yes, haven't got around to ordering the parts to hide sludge yet.
Offset Rear End? - No, don't have offset even though I have tire and handling group.
Popping Sound? - Haven't heard it yet, but haven't been wearing my hearing aid lately.
Whining rear end? - No, must be a 4wd thing.
Transmission Problems? - None, always in the power band and shifts smoothly.
Fluid Leaks? - Haven't found any yet.

Atta Boys:

Looks good, runs great and gets reasonable mileage for a hard charging V8!

Mailman

xena1a

Hi guys. Haven't posted in ages, but I've been lurking quite a bit lately. Just wanted to enter a quick message about my 2000 RC 4x4. It's got 8000mi on it now. I switched over to Mobil1 at 6000mi. No problems encounterd at all with this truck. Rides tight and smooth. Still lovin' that 4.7L with the 5-speed manual. Recently took it for some off-road fun and it did just fine on level 3 four wheel drive trails. Hardly even needed to use 4 low. Boy, has that V8 got some low end grunt. Truck looks great, white/gray two tone, SLT Plus with the 3.92 axle and LSD. Added a Roll-n-Lock cover with a bed mat and bed extender. This my fourth truck and it is turning into my favorite thus far. It is the best looking, most comfortable, and most capable vehicle I ever owned. Just love it. I'll try not to be such a stranger in the future...

mailman54

Tim, welcome back! Long time since we have heard from you. Glad to see that the old RC is still chugging along. Only 8k, I thought my mileage was low at 10k. Better get out there and drive that thing and quit babying it!

Mailman

xena1a

That I'm still lovin' my 2000 RC. It's got 12K on it now and runs great. I recently installed a full set of Rancho RS9000 adjustable shocks and really like the feel. I took the truck out for a good off-road test last weekend and it did fine. I'll be driving it from AZ to CO next week for my annual visit to my home state. I'm looking forward to the road trip and vacation. Geez, I love this truck! I always look forward to driving it...

How's everyone else's RCs doing? Mailman, you out there?

Tim

kwanderi

I'm over 25K on my Amber Fire 2000 RC and I believe it's running better than ever. I've yet to have any issues other than the brakes. It's got the shakes when stopping but I plan a set of after market rotors soon, no stock crap. The MPG is always arount 19, plus or minus .5. This is a 4.7, auto, 2wd, tire & handleing pkg, and a 3.55 LSD with an average speed of 65. The speed limit here in AZ is 75, but MPG seems to drops fast after 65, only about 17 - 17.5 at 75. My daily commute is 35 each way with all freeway driving. I think I may have gotten 20 once, but that's it. I guess I just like the feeling of the seat pressing on my back too much.

Keith

xena1a

I just love the Amber Fire color. Mine's a two tone white with gray. If I could have found the Amber Fire in the configuration I wanted, I would have gotten it. I also like the 2WD RCs with the Tire and Handling package - sharp! I know what you mean about that 4.7L engine and the feel of it pressing your back into the seat as you accelerate. More about my RC - It's an SLT Plus with the 4.7L 5-speed and 4WD. 3.92 rear end with LSD, Tire/Handling with Heavy Duty Service and Cooling Grps. I normally get 17MPG with it. I have a Roll-n-Lock sliding cover and a bed extender. Put on some custom fitted seat covers and extra window tinting (got to have it for the AZ sun!). I tossed in a rubberized mat for the bed. Hope you like yours as much as I like mine. Thanks...

Tim

mailman54

xena1a: At 12k miles, your RC now has more miles than mine. I am just under 12k and hoping for some sign of brake fade so I can get it fixed under warranty. Now that you have 12k on yours, you are on your own! I have been really babying my 00 RC lately. We have had a lot of rain in old VA lately and I have waxed it and left it in the garage while I drive the old 91 RC. I am really getting paranoid about getting it messed up. I am about to leave for a week long backpacking trip in the North Carolina mountains, but I am afraid to leave the new truck at the trailhead so I am taking the old one. One day the 91 RC will give up the ghost (113k and counting) and I will have to go cold turkey and drive the new one every day, rain or shine. Oh well, I guess that wouldn't be so bad after all!

xena1a

I'll be doing some backpacking up in Colorado myself starting next week. Can't wait. Have a fun, safe trip. I haven't had any break problems yet. If and when I do, I'll just make sure I put on some good rotors. Oh well. Other than that, I'm not expecting any future problems with the RC. Have you read the Edmunds comparison test of the compact crew cabs? It's great that the Dakota is such a solid performer. Love those Daks! Take care...

kwanderi

Except for the 4x4 and 5 speed our trucks are very similar. My truck was a special order so I got exactly what I wanted, including color, SLT+, Heavy Duty Service and Cooling Grp, the upgraded 8 speaker stereo/cd player and a rear tinted/slider window in addition to what I listed above. I also have the Roll-n-Lock with a bed extender but a full bed carpet vs the rubber mat. I've also had the side windows tinted, added a receiver hitch, fender flares and a few performance goodies.

I do have to say that this Dakota, (my 3rd), is by far the best I've owned to date. I enjoy driving this vehicle as much today as the day I brought it home on 3/9/2000.

xena1a

Completed my annual road trip to Colorado. Was gone three weeks and put on 3,000 miles on my '00 RC. Averaged 18.75 MPG during the trip (not including off-road trips). The truck did fine and was a pleasure to drive. The 4.7L V8 just scooted up those Colorado hills without a whimper. I did have a problem with the clockspring recall. It finally failed in Albuquerque. Had to drive the remaining distance back to Tucson without the cruise control. The local Dodge dealer fixed the problem with no questions asked. Good trip. Love this truck...

mailman54

Xena1a: Did you get any backpacking in on your trip to Colorado. There's some good trail up there on the Continental Divide. Just got back from a backpacking trip to North Carolina. Was a little hotter than I would like, but got a good workout. Once again I took the 91 RC rather than the 00 RC. Can't convince myself I want to leave the 00 RC at a trail site for a week.

Mailman

xena1a

...No backpacking on this particular trip. I did do lots of long day hikes, however. Next year, I think I'll toss in a couple of overnighters, depending on my plans. Beautiful country up there. How was your trip? Sorry you hit the hot weather. Were you out on the trail on 9/11? I had just completed a 17mile hike when I heard the news. My wife got stranded in Iowa. She rented a car and drove to Denver. I came up from southern Colorado and met her there. We took a couple of days to drive back to Tucson. Hope you, your family, and friends were not directly impacted by this event. My sister flys for United. Fortunately, she was not on the East coast at the time. My wife's brother-in-law was at the Pentagon during the attack. He is OK...

You ought to consider a backpacking trip to Colorado. I recommend early September. The kids are back in school and the weather is great. Thanks for posting...

Tim

bobs5

check out the new "EVENTS" discussion.
KarenS "Dodge Dakota Owners: Events" Sep 24, 2001 8:16am

mailman54

Xena1a: My backpacking trip to North Carolina started Saturday, Labor Day weekend and lasted a week. My wife and two dogs accompanied me. We did a circular hike utilizing the Appalacian and Bartram trails. It was a rough trip, lots of climbing. Had four 3,000 foot plus climbs during the hike. Everything was up from and down to the Natahalla river. Had just started back to work when the terrorist attack took place. During Desert Storm I worked near the pentagon, so I know the area well. Hard to believe that it happened, a terrible trajedy. Unlike Desert Storm, where I lost a good friend, I didn't know any of the victims. It doesn't make it any better though! I would love to hike in Colorado again, but I don't think I will be flying for a while (unless it's in my RC). I've got about 12.5K on the 00 RC now with absolutely no problems. Love that 4.7!

Later,

Mailman

spike50

Did receive your backpacking account - Thanks

xena1a

Just a quick note to say "Hi" and wish everyone a happy (upcoming) Turkey Day. Still enjoying my '00 RC. It's got almost 18K on it now and running great. I get a consistent 17.X MPG in all purpose driving arount the Tucson area. I occasionally skim 18 MPG but I have a hard time keeping a light foot on the pedal - just love that 4.7L with the 5-speed! The truck has developed an annoying rattle in the dashboard somewhere behind the stero console. It's hard to get in there and I hate the idea of tearing the whole dash apart to gain access. Perhaps I can get to it through the glove box. We'll see. That is my only complaint so far about my Dakota. Great truck...

Tim

kwanderi

Hi all,

I'll have 30K on my RC by the time I get back from Thanksgiving. This the most miles I've put on any vehicle I've ever owned in 30 years of driving. Mileage is 19.5 plus or minus and no problems to report other than the brakes. I put on new Power slots rotors with Hawk pads, man what a difference. The feel is just so much more solid and sure. Not cheap, but quality never is.

I also added a 70mm Flometrics throttle body with the 4" Z-tube air cleaner. Initially mileage went up to 21+ with my foot in it all the time, but has settled down to 19.5, still about 1.5 better than before. Low end torque is much improved with increased power through out the RPM range.

Happy Thanksgiving to all,

Keith

mailman54

Xena1a: Tim, you need to feed the hamsters on the treadmill. They are rattling the treadmill to try to tell you they are hungry. Add some grease to the treadmill and the rattles should go away.

Kwanderi: Keith, that's pretty good mileage! Don't know what I'm getting and don't care. Just love to put my foot in this thing and go! Coming up on 13.5k on 4.7 auto. Awesome engine.

Happy Thanksgiving to fellow RC'ers.

bpeebles

I too, just finished a 1000 mile trip... 2000 4X4 Dakota, 4.7L V8 hemi with new bosch +4 sparkplugs and fresh Castrol syntec oil.

19.39MPG!!

(I averaged over 65MPH for hours at a time)

mailman54

Haven't heard from any Regular Cab owners lately. Where is everybody? Xena1a where are you? 15k on my 00 4.7 RC now and still running great! My 45RFE auto still shifts like butter and I still get a rush out of the 4.7's acceleration. Haven't had any problem with the brakes yet, although I have had some with my 91 Dakota. Don't know what all the complaining is about on the board lately. Must be a QC thing! I say again, rise up RC'ers and unite before we succumb to the gloom and despair of the rest of the Dakota owners group!

Mailman

xena1a

Sorry I've been absent recently. I'm still loving my '00 Dakota RC 4x4 5-speed. I'm approaching 21,000 miles with it. No problems to speak of. Brakes are still fine. If and when I do have any brake trouble, I'll just slap some good Raybestos components on there and be done with it. My neighbor just bought a '99 Red RC 2x4 SLT with the V6. Sharp little truck and he just loves it. I'll try to post more often. Take care...

Tim

surffla1

Why don't you guys and gals just come join us on the other forums especially the very active quad cab? After all except for a couple extra doors and a longer wheel base, it's still basically the same truck! At this point in time I don't see why we can't just consolidate all the forums into one "Dodge Dakota Owners". There is strength in numbers.

mailman54

Surflla1: Thanks for the offer, but frankly the quad cab forum has become one big complaint session. I used to enjoy all the Dodge Dakota Owner forums as they were informative and helpful, but lately all they seem to be is a place for people to air their gripes. I don't need that. Count me out!

Mailman

kwanderi

Just an update on my RC.

Pushing 35K miles, replaces rotors and pads at about 26K with Power Slots and Hawk pads. Other than that, not a single problem to date. Mileage is still 18.5 to 19.5 with mostly hiway miles. I keep it about 65 mph or mileage goes down to 16-17 easy, limit is 75 here.

I put on a Helwig(sp?) last weekend and I'm really suprised at the improvement it made in the handling. So much more steady and sure footed. In case you didn't know, Dodge does not include a rear swaybar on a regular cab.

Keith

mailman54

kwanderi: Welcome back! Glad to hear that you are still getting that good mileage. I have been wanting to try the Hellwig rear anti-sway bar for a long time. Glad to hear you like it. Yes, I am well aware that the tire and handling group on the RC does not come with a rear anti-sway bar. I complained vigorously about it to DC, but to no avail. I understand that it is supposed to be a bolt on installation. Did you put it on yourself or did you have someone do it for you? How many beer job was it? Don't feel too bad about not getting the factory rear anti-sway bar on your RC. I heard from several QC owners that the the rear one on their tire and handling group was junk. Apparently it's too small a diameter. One guy said it snapped the first time he went off road. Thanks for the tip on Hellwig. All I was waiting for was an excuse to get one.

Mailman

wetwillie

Hope I'm not steppin on any toes here, since I'm only a clubcab dude, but yeah, your right - the stock sway bar is a coat hanger. I replaced mine with a Hellwig bar and noticed a marked improvement as far as cornering stability. The install is a very straightforward and simple operation (2-3 beer job). Good luck!

kwanderi

Mailman,

The kit comes with U bolts to fasten the bar to the rearend, but I didn't use those. I had to open up the holes on the Hellwig piece that then mounts directly on the factory mounting pads. The factory bolt holes are 3" appart and the Hellwig holes are maybe 3.5". I just took a saws-all and cut the holes a bit bigger and it mounted right up.

You will need to get 4 studs to bolt the unit to factory pads on the upper rear of the rear end. I don't recall the size other than 1.5" long.

Very easy job for anyone with only a single thumb per hand.

Keith

mailman54

kwanderi and wetwillie: Thanks for the info on the Hellwig anti-sway bar install. Now, all I have to do is convince the wife about the benefits of improved handling.

Mailman

mailman54

I guess everyone is having trouble navigating through the maze of new menus to get to the Dakota owner's club screen. Remember the acronym KISS and what it stands for.

Mailman

bookitty

Jim, the easiest way to access the various forums and threads is to subscribe to them. Then, just click on "read subscription on the left column of the Town Hall. Actually, because I had subscribed and entered Town Hall on my favorite list, it comes up and I just go to read subscription. Hope that this helps everyone.

Bookitty

spike50

mailman54 - Some of us "old-timers" are still around but as the moniker implies, we're just not that active. I recently retired and wow did my wife have a list of things for me to do. Also, both of my sons are in trouble with the law. I just haven't had a lot of computer-time left to keep up the forum.

At this point, I'm not going to have the time for a big backpacking trip this summer. What part of the world are you going to explore?

xena1a

Hi RC'ers. I'm more of a lurker than poster. I still read Edmund's site quite frequently. And I'm still driving my '00 RC 4x4 Dakota. Just love the thing. No problems at all. I'll be taking a big hiking/backpacking/offroading trip to Colorado this September and I can't wait. It's always the high point of the year. Anyway, I'll try to post more often...

Tim

mailman54

Spike50 and Xena1a: Sorry to be so late in getting back to you guys. I have been out of the net for a while. My dog died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and I've been sort of bummed. Tim, that Colorado backpacking trip sounds good. I've done some backpacking in the San Juan mountains on the Continental Divide Trail. There is nothing like Colorado for mountains! Just finished hiking a new 72 mile loop in the Massanutten Mountains of Virginia. My wife and I were the first backpackers to complete the loop. Got written up in the Potomac Appalacian Trail Club (PATC) newsletter. It was great ridge trail hiking, but water was at a premium because of the severe draught we've had in Virginia. Actually had to go out in advance and hide 3 water caches on the trail so we would have enough water. We are also going on a hike in September in the Great North Mountain area. We have come up with an 80 mile loop utilizing the trails in the area. It is just west of the Massanutten Mountains, near the West Virginia border. See you on the trail!

Mailman