By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Talked to Goodyear rep and he said to go with Goodyear Wingfoot HT in a 255/70/15. Not in love with Goodyear and am looking for suggestions.
I apologize up front if this is an often repeated question. I don't have time to search back through the threads to find out. My 9-month old is already tried to pull the cable connection out of the wall twice. Got to type fast or Oh no, stay away from there. Don't touch it, no please, don't bite it.....
Gotta go...
Bye the way, 33,000 miles: one battery, one burnt cylinder valve, other than that a great truck. Also looking for better brake pads than OEM.
Thanks a bunch. Still the best owner's group around.
KnK
WOAA... I have said that the Bosch +4 sparkplugs have shown to work well in the 4.7L V8 hemi engine. I never meant to infer that other engines would respond likewise.
Your 5.2L engine is a 1960's based design and I have not done research for that engine. (I do recall the somting OTHER than the Bosch +4 was mentioned often... but I did not take any notes on this engine.)
==========
You asked for my thoughts on the "colder plug" and "colder thermostat" changes that some folks suggested for the 5.2L engine.
Keep in mind that a "colder" sparkplug is simply one with a shorter center electrode that conducts the heat from the tip to the head faster. Doing plug readings is the ONLY way to determine the proper heat-range for your driving conditions.
As for running a colder thermostat from stock... the stock thermostat is intended to reduce emmissions by running HOT. many folks have found that running a cooler thermostat (185) can reduce the spark knock. Again... I have not researched this but I have never read of any problems caused by running a 185 thermostat.
Have you considerd going to the ROOT of your pinging problem? The 5.2L has several known "fixes" for this problem. (Leaking intake gasket and carbon buildup in combustion chambers)
Please review the ARCHIVES on the following URL.
They are chock FULL of info about your "problem".
http://www.dakota-truck.net/
Knkresort, Pirelli Zeros are a good option but are expensive. If you go to the 70 series (255/70/15), Bridgestone Dueler HP's are highly rated and are cheap! Aspect ratio (i.e. 60,65 or 70 series) has nothing to do with rim width requirements, as it is the first number ( 255) that determines the width of the tire, hence the rim width required.
Even among different models of the same company, there can be a significant difference in tires. As an example, Michelin makes a Cross Terrain SUV and a LTX M/S. Both are rated 'all season highway LT'. The LTX has an overall diameter of 29.2 inches vs 29 inches for the SUV (712 rev/mile vs 719) The LTX 255/70 has a dia. of 30.2 inches(694 rev/mile). The LTX 235/70 is 29.1 in., but is not rated for rims over 7.5 inch.
The SUV in that size can be put on an 8 inch rim.
There is also a significant load difference between the two model. The SUV is rated for close to 2-300 lbs more per tire than the LTX, depending on size. This is only one manufacturer. Compare to Goodyear and the others and it can get real interesting.
Ron35
I think you will also see that the diameter of a 215r75-15 is also almost the same and this size was the factory tire on the 93 Dakota I had. I replace those within the first 100 miles with 235r70-15 Goodyears because I couldn't leave a stoplight without spinning my tires. My personal opinion is that for someone who does not care to pay the premium for the 255 tires that the 235r70 tires are a safe and economical alternative. I have to say that this opinion is based on my experience with 15" rims, although logically it should carry over to 16" rims if the tire sizes and aspect ratios are adjusted. Rick
"I was planning to go to a copper core plug anyway."
Do not forget that virtually ALL BOSCH, NGK and ND (nippondenso) sparkplugs are copper core and have ALWAYS been copper core for the last 25 years.
It seems that CHAMPION and AC do not use copper normally and instead pretend that COPPER CORE is some special invention they dreamed up and have a "special" line of product that have COPPER CORE. The truth is that CHAMPION sparkplugs are cheap and do not last... thus need to be changed often. Even their copper-core plugs DO NOT use nickle plating on the metal portions of their products. (which is STANDARD on all BOSCH plugs) [the nickle plating resuces the chances of damaging your engine during removal 40,000 miles later.]
Do not take my word for it... go to a parts store and ask them to show you a BOSH, ND, NGK, CHAMPION, and AC plugs... you will visibly SEE the quality in some of them. (I will let you guess which ones.)
Of course... one can buy CHAMPION plugs at WALLMART for $2 each while BOSCH plugs are made in germany and cost around $5 each.
DO NOT FORGET... BOSCH invented the first sparkplug!! everyone else has been playing catch-up ever since.
Bear in mind this facet of products.
When you see stuff showing up in Waldo World for 2 bucks (like Fram filters for instance), something in the design and the quality has to get cut back.
How else can wally world sell stuff for as cheaply as they do? Remember, they are a discounter! Discount SOMETIMES=lesser quality.
Witness HOmelites disastrous foray into the super cheap world of Home Depot. ONce Homelite (like Mcculloch) was a very respected name in outdoor power equipment. Then they got greedy and said, hey, lets ditch the independent hardware retailer and try the high volume high turnover world of home depot. And then John Deere said, wow, we've moved all production Mexico and STILL we can't turn a decent profit. Why? Because old timers said NO to the cheapening of Homelite and Homelite simply could not bust into the market share held my weedeater and Mcculloch and others. What they gained inshort term was total dissolution of the brand itself.
Ok, so what does this have to do with sparkplugs?Plenty.
same theory, when wally world or home depot starts carrying it, look out. You will most surely see quality go down (along with the price)
Latest news: Cub Cadet is going to be sold in LOWES stores this year. Stay tuned on that one.
I know the homelite situation very well because I work in the wholesale end of hardware & our stores pitched a royal [non-permissible content removed] when homelite said they would not sell anymore to independents.
You have a very good point about the "cheapening" effect. Anytime a manufacturer tries to make a "price point" product, there are shortcuts taken that affect the quality of the product. (Sometimes just removing the "quality control" steps in the manufacting process is a cost saver!)
The product looks, smells and feels the same... but the quality is missing.(Like the FRAM oilfilters)
You mentioned Cub Cadet... do not forget that John Deere just started selling a really cheap line of riding lawnmowers a few years ago. (sold from department stores.) The local farmers that have trusted John Deere for years were not impressed. (although one CAN go to a John Deere dealer to get the real thing for $2000 more)
Did you know that to be a JD dealer, you have to CARRY high usage parts for somthing like 10 years of products? When a farmer has a bailer break... there is no time to wait for a part to arrive next week!JD dealers even make HOUSE CALLS!! They come out to the farm and RIDE WITH THE FARMER on the tractor making adjustments in the field until everything works perfect. Now there is a real 5-star dealer
You can see why some farmers were agahst that JD is selling $700 riding lawnmowers at department stores while a REAL JD riding mower costs $2700.
Bookitty
I totally agree with you on the "new suit" theory where a guy comes along and fixes what isn't broken.
READ THIS BOOK, YOU WILL BE AMAZED AND HORRIFIED:
"THE TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN CULTURE" by MORRIS BERMAN
Truly a eye-opening experience.
I was terrified to buy a new domestic vehicle, but am so far very pleased with my 02 QC. I took a close look at an 02 Sport Trac the other day and was appalled at the quality, fit and finish, and sticker price. Maybe we are all really biased with our Dodge vehicles, but I am still sure that this was the absolute best truck I could have bought considering all factors.
On plugs: It was not the NAPA manager, it was the Autozone manager. I do not know from personal experience one way or another. I remember reading something about it long ago. Where or how reliable the source, I cannot remember. I have used the Bosch and Autolite platinums in the past, and would again in a heartbeat where I felt the application warranted. I have not liked Champions or AC plugs after some poor experiences decades ago. I have always done well with Autolites and plan on putting them in my Q. I passed on what I was told about the Bosch's in case someone would benefit. There could be a difference in the standard platinums and the +4s. It could be a thing that only affects x% of vehicles, or it could have been a bad batch of plugs. BTW all industries fight the battle between cost and quality. Vehicles today enjoy a better quality than 10, 20 years ago. The biggest problem is when a management change tries to increase sales by sacrificing quality. It never works. My favorite (or worse) case is what happened to Schlitz beer.
oh yeah...IDLE - smooth and steady
I work in an industry where our stores are asked to pay higher fees and yet they receive reduced services.
Seems to me (I guess I qualify as a younger member here?) that the profit-at-any-price mentality will eventually be our ruin. I get sick and tired of stuffed shirts bragging about shareholder value when I drive a less than well engineered truck. I could honestly care less what the dividend is this quarter,this year or whatever. I did not buy a a share of DC, but a product, there is a difference here!
Too often, stuffed shirts view automaking as an enterprise where one pours in as little money as possible on one end yet expects five star returns on the other end. It don't work that way guys!
Here's how that magic word, profit, is created.
Sales minus cost of goods sold equals profit. Sales(revenue) comes from, surprise, CUSTOMERS not shareholders! The guy who invested 5,000 bucks 30 years ago does not financially make or break a company. Why is it that I, with no business degree from Harvard, can figure that out but a seven figure salary bag of hot air in corporate america can't?
What burns my backside is not the engineer, the lineworker, or the plant manager but the corporate decision making process behind it all. I mean,hell, how desparate was DC in December 1999 when my truck was built that they had to cut corners on brakes? How low do we need to stoop for the dollar? Shareholders? They can kiss my you know what! Maybe they wouldn't mind donating some of that quarterly dividend so I can buy new rotors, drums, pads and shoes and pay someone the labor to replace it all.
Interesting to note: I read a paper on the study of Japanese television factories here in USA and how they sprouted up and six are still going strong, making good, affordable products (yes, with american labor, ain't that a shock!) while Zenith, Magnavox, SYlvania, and yes, that good old icon of what america was, RCA, packed it all in and either sold off to foreign concerns or moved production lock stock and barrel to Mexico.
I'm sure there's a lesson there somewhere.
By the way, with 8650 miles on my 2001 4.7L, auto, 2wd QC, the only problem has been a brake squeal, apparently from the rear, which is more irritating than anything else. Three times into the dealers to check it. Brakes sanded a couple of times, no problems found with pads, calipers, etc. I did get a 12 inch 'keying' on my right rear door, probably from parking at Walmart. That really sucks!
http://www.allpar.com/ed/tips/trans.html
Yes,it mainly hits on the cars, but the concept applies to what you talked about.
What should I expect my dealer to charge me to do this procedure?
Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks for the input but i figured the plug recommendations would be the same between 5.2/4.7. Also, i stated that i already addressed the "root" of the problem of spark knock. after reading all the posts herein, it seems that dc simply screwed up the computer setings and the flash is needed and i've already done that. they also considered the manifold gasket and confirmed its ok. Right now, I'm just trying to make any/all compensations that I can to help this motor. thanks again. i'll standby for 5.2 inputs.
Anyway I finally got the OEM light module for the Durango (same color light as the dash illumination.. and a test of it looks like it will look and work great) and am ready to notch out the hole in my lower dash to insert it.. but need help on how to expose the dash units to get to the light wires...
The plastic seems ready to pull out.. so those who have removed it.. pointers are appreciated..
1) Radio stays on with key out
2) Courtesy lights do not function when doors open
3) Lights on A/C control on when headlights are off, off when headlights are on
4) Cigarete/power adapter not functional when headlights are turned on, when turned off, they are functional. Eventually they stop working
5) Power door locks click at CTM, but no lock/unlock (Even with transmitter)
6) When you turn the key in between the Start and Off position, you can hear the blower motor make a whining type sound.
Anyways... Any ideas guys?
Thanks
william
Drive Safe,
Joe
Ended up rescheduling to check that, and got the poor drivers door weatherstrip insulation and drivers side left cracked headlight lense (day one also) on order free under warranty as it should be. Just thought is was weird they put in 2 cans of modifier ..figure 2 cans of rear lube might be normal.
Final: 1 sealer 82300234 $9.20
2 Lubricant 4874469 $19 per can - I guess actual lubricant
2 Lubricant 4318060AB $6.25 per can - I guess friction modifier
labor $60.86
Sub $120.56
customer pay shop/environment for repair order $2.41 ?????
tax $7.37
Total $130.44
Figure price is typical as seen on some posts.. Just thought 2 cans of modifier might have
been unnecessary. No brake problems as of yet.!!
Waiting for Magnaflow to get the 4.7L Quad Cab catback built.
Their site only had reg and extended cab listed and they asked me to help get dimensions from the dealer to help..No help from dealer, just told me "we have pictures, and p/n's only"
Guess if gibson can make them, Magnaflow should be able to make them too!
LOVE THE TRUCK SO FAR! Driving the wife's accord just don't cut it...Ger
I bet they used the req amount and kept the leftover for another "customer" who will also get charged for 2 bottles of the stuff.
ANd DC moans on and on about losing money?
Maybe they should operate like a dealership!
My wife borrowed my Dodge and parked it proclaiming the brakes are failing! She refused to drive it.
Once again I returned to my five star dealer at 18k. Once again I was told the rotors are blue and once again need to be turned.
I almost forgot to mentioned my fog lights were out again.
Dealer turned rotors and replaced bulb in fog light. I struck my best deal and it cost me $28.10 to turn rotors. Here is where it gets better.
Three days after fixing everything I went on a three hundred mile round tripper(deer hunting).
6o miles from home I began to hear a thumping like I had a flat tire. It was pouring rain and I got out to see my tires in good shape and traveled on.
10 miles from home I began to hear a high pitch squeal.
I pulled into my driveway and looked around and under the vechicle. Then it caught my eye. FOUR nuts and studs were sheared off from my left rear tire!! Close examination revealed the remaining two studs(one almost sheared) were barely hanging on.
Least of my problem was my fog lights which were filled with water and bulbs had blown. This is my third time with fog lights.
I crawled with an escort to my five star dealership who now knows my DAK better than any in town.
It quickly drew a crowd including the master mechanic who admitted he pulled the tire a week prior to check my rear brakes.
My five star dealer after 5 hours of inspection claimed mechanic installed wheel nuts with impact wrench and may have over torqued with aluminum torque wrench.
Fog lights have been replaced (third time).
Would you believe my five star dealer had only four studs and bolts in stock I picked up my DAK and have to return to tommorow for installation. So I am driving with five nuts and was told it would be safe? I am so glad DODGE puts so much faith in their brakes.
I am glad GOD was my copilot, I shudder to think would have happen if the remaing studs sheared off at 70 miles an hour. I am one lucky guy and grateful to be alive. My DAK 4x4 with 21,000 miles who I have dubbed TIME BOMB, I am not sure of its future as Hairy dog its owner.
A fellow driving a small car had a flat tire in from of a mental asylum. He had no spare. He jacked the car and removed the four nuts holding the wheel and carried the flat tire to a nearby service station to have it repaired. When he had returned to his vehicle, he found that someone had stolen the four wheel nuts. Now he really had a problem, what could he do? All of a sudden a voice called out through the barred windows, "hey Mister, why don't you take one nut off of each wheel and then with three nuts holding each wheel you can drive carefully to an auto parts store and buy the other four nuts." The motorist was very impressed with this sage advice and called out, "that's a great idea. Do you work in the asylum?" "No" replied the man through the bars, "I'm a patient here." The motorist said, "wow with a mind like you have, what are you doing as a patient?" The man replied,"they never said that I was stupid, just crazy!"
Bookitty
Anyway dealer installed the last stud and lug nut this afternoon. I noticed no one would smile while I was present.
Would you believe a mechanic came over and stated that he had seen the same problem on a DAK before?
I hope and pray that no one regardless of vechicle you own will ever lose a tire as a result of sheared studs. I know without a doubt a few more miles and I would have experienced driving a truck with three wheels on the interstate. I keep thinking about my grandchildren and how grateful I am that they were not with me. The thought of what could have happened is on my mind.
I will be on the interstate tommorow and if I hear any strange sounds I will pull over and check each tire very carefully!
Anyway I appreciate this site and all who post their problems. I have learned a great deal and will continue to read and learn. Many Thanks!
On a side note, I was checking under the truck to see how tough an oil change will be and was somewhat amused by the access to the oil filter. I have a feeling that once I pull the filter I will have quite a mess trying to get through that little access hole. Should be fun.
The truck driver told us he just picked up the truck from the dealer where it got a new rear axle. I spoke with the dealer and they gave her a loaner and made good on the repair.
Drive Safe,
Joe
Bookitty
Is schedule 'B' correct for your conditions? Your answer is...Perhaps.
If you read schedule B carefully, you will see it tries to cover cold weather and towing and dusty conditions and....etc etc.
The changes of differential fluid would certainly not HURT you wifes truck.
I can tell you I ahve almost 30,000 on my 2000 dak and my dealer tells me that changing the differential fluids IS NOT required. (I am in Vermont and see 4 months of cold weather each year)
If I were you, I would be much more concerned with the maintenance schedule of your automatic tranny. (NOW THAT IS COSTLY!)
You are correct that oil changes are a messy proposition. Several folks have invented some "tricks" to ease oil-filter changing. (such as cutting the bottom off of a liter soda jug and using the top part to catch the filer and guide the oil into the drain pan)
Thanks for the 2 liter soda trick for the oil change. It should make things go a little smoother.
I too have this occurring in my '00 QC, 4.7L, 5sp. and it seems to be getting worst. No only do I feel the vibrations build in the pedals, floor, gear shift, and steering wheel, I can hear increasing levels of engine noise. I have not taken it to a dealer but did look at the motor mounts and the rubber on the transmission brace.
I've been using Mobil1 5-30W and changing the oil and filter routinely. Since the 10,000 mile mark, I've been taking oil samples to heavy machinery fluids lab for wear metals analysis. Out of the 8-10 samples to date (24,000 miles now on the truck), none show that there has been anything alarming. The engine doesn't burn oil (checking the dip stick or smoke in the exhaust).
I keep hoping that its a motor mount because of the amount of what appears to be exhaust noise and vibration in the cabin. Feels like something got out of balance, especially under acceleration.
Answer; ? Is short trips detrimental to the life of the oil? as I am hoping since the TEMP does get up to the operating range rather quickly an stays in the normal (straight up) position, and I might drive only about 3-5 miles an leave the engine idling with the doors locked ( have an extra key ) normally only when in sight of the vehicle, but total time of operation might only be 15 min's since where I live everything is close by.... is this bad for the OIL or should I really get out on the Freeway every so often an run it up an down, to give the oil a workout?
Or if I am not driving this vehicle much what is the best way to Keep the oil in good shape? For instance, its only 3.6 miles for me to get to work one-way and I try to drive my nissan kc for that....or my Honda mc......
If you are only driving short trips, your oil is building up all kinds of moisture and acids. These acids then "sit" in the engine and eat at the metal parts while parked.You are not waring out your oil... but filling it with nasties that will shorten the life of your engine.
Pourposly going for a drive (over 30 minutes) every couple of weeks would go a long way twards boiling off these nasties and allowing the PCV system to pull them out of the crankcase. IDLENG TIME DOES NOT COUNT!!
PCV = PositiveCrankcaseVentalation
This is one reason that "short trips" and "cold weather" fall under the "schedule B" maintenance schedule.
(Ill bet you have to replace exhausts/mufflers often (every 2-3 years) on your other vehicles due to the short trips.)
Have you ever seen the water droplets coming out of the tailpipe of a car that was reciently started?
QUICK HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY REVIEW;
Gasoline contains the Hydrogen
Air has the Oxygen
combine them (BURN THE GAS) and the result is HEAT and H2O (water)
also H2SO4 (supheric acid) is created due to sulpher being present in the Gasoline.
Its my understanding that all of the modern engine oils have additives that will buffer or neutralize the build up of acids but after a while enough is enough. Above and beyond that level specific for the oil, the acids start attacking.
BOTTOM LINE: Short trips exaberate the build up of nasties in the engine oil. Changing the oil more frequently will help remove these nasties from the crankcase.
Changing the engine oil at anything more frequently that 4000 miles is not only a waste of your hard-earned cash.... but also contributes the MILLIONS of gallons of oil that contaminate the envrionment each year.
NOTE: I just read an article about too-frequent oil changes... The amount of WASTE each year is mind-boggling (both $$ spent and envrionmental impact) All because people have been "brainwashed" into beleiving that their oil should be changed every 3000 miles by the people that get PAYED to change the oil.