They have actually purchased 20 used vehicles and will be scrutinizing them for quality. This backwards-up approach is not very common.
I will be following Zetsche and Dees to see if they follow through in this endavor. Creating Toyota quality in the Crysler buisness model will be very challanging indeed. Old paradimes will have to crumble.
I find it VERY interesting that they chose TOYOTA as the benchmark.
It reminds me of my Dads words about GM.... "If they feel compelled to compare themselves to Honda... I am going to buy a Honda." That year he bought his first Honda Accord and has owned at least 8 of them over the last 20 years. To him, he saw that GM was ADMITTING that the Honda was a better vehicle in their TV ads.
I am told that he used to be able to multiply huge numbers in his head (accuratly) before he started grade school. (My aunts have told me this)
When I asked him about it... he can recall being able to do it but says that going to school ruined that ability. (Now, he can only multiply 2 or 3 digit numbers in his head.)
Those who plan on getting their transmissions serviced may want to be aware of this. A local repair facility did a flush out and filter change on my 2000 QC, 4.7L, auto. They had a small problem with the filter tube O ring where it goes up into the body of the tranny. It resulted in a "NO GO" the following day. A trip back to the garage with special attention to the area fixed it.
There is a "caution" note in the service manual to install the seal on the bottom of the pump, not on the filter. Air will be drawn into the pump if this procedure is not followed. I wondered if it really made a difference.
The filter itself also came with a similar warning. The technician, taking it a little too lightly, never worked on one of these trannys before. Needless to say, he'll be paying attention in the future!! Live and learn.
Hi; It's blue. 58k miles and clean above and below. Dealer wants 11k for it. I drove it yesterday and MIGHT have heard a clutch cherp at green light take of, and I took off HARD. So tell me; do I buy it or not? We want reliability and , unfortunatly, we drive alot - Colorado you know. We spend weekend in the National forests camping so we need something rugged and reliable. Unfortunatly we also drive LONG distances at the drop of a hat. This large blue thing has a back on it and that should help but 18MPG is still a bear on a trip. Is that all I can expect? While under the hood I noticed a Holley 2bl... if I replaced that with a 4bl 650 or 700 I SHOULD get better highway mileage and still have the oomph I need for going up trails. anyway; I ramble - do I buy it or not?
I am getting ready to change the rear differential fluid in my '02 4x4 QC, 4.7, auto, 3.92, LSD. I noticed that the user's manual says to use 75W-140 synthetic if your are doing any towing. While I am not towing now, I can't rule out towing 2000-2500 lbs around 1500 miles per year at some point within the next year or two. Does anyone have any experience with 75W-140 in their Dakotas, especially in colder climates? Will it hurt my already dismal mileage?
The 2001 Service Manual calls for 75W-90 Wt Gear Oil, dont think that the 2002 would be any different, am using the 75W-90 in my truck, (Red Line) with no problems.
Actually in the 01 manual it states 75-90 in one area then in another it states 75-140. The 90 is great for everything including light towing. I personally have 140 in mine and I tow alot. I didnt have any milage drop going to the 140 so better safe than sorry.
In any case, do not forget the special LSD additive if you have a LSD rear end. The "Red Line" lube with the "NS" designation (NonSlip) allready has the additive in it.
Of course, if you are do any serious towing, you will have LSD.
I guess i missed something, Where in the manual does it list the 75w-140 Gear Lube, all that I was able to find is on page 0-6 of the 2001 service manual.
On page 171 of the 2001 Dakota Manual on the bottom right of the page in bold is says that all trailer towing or heavy duty applications it is strongly recommended to replace the rear lube with 75-140 synth.
Sunburn, I changed over my rear to LSD (neglected to order it from the factory) and when doing so, put in 75W-140 synthetic fluid with the friction modifier. I couldn't be happier. Also, I've switched to 5W-30 synthetic oil in the crankcase and my mileage has gone up. Of course, I'm going to extend my oil change intervals to make up for the price difference.
Less than a year has elapsed and my Dak has hit 32,000 miles, and with it my experience as owner and operator. Average gas mileage 15. Oil change every 5,000. What works is the fujimoto(sic)gizmo that I installed as a result of having a poorly designed skid plate that will not allow first three quarts of oil to drain through orifice. The two liter coke bottle to trap the oil filter and fujimoto gizmo was a blessing thanks to those of you who posted the solution to this ungodly mess of changing the oil. The original oil filter was a bear of a job to remove. I had to get a gorilla (my son) to tackle the job. A lot of cursing went on during this operation (surgery). Thanks to Mopar 67 who iniated me to the DODGE Junk Brake Club. Mopar has been consistently accurate as to his observations regarding Dodge. Rotors turned twice and rear drums (28K) once. I was not joking when I previous posted my truck sounding like a Haunted House.
The 4.7L engine has been flawless to date. This truck responds well to my heavy foot and fun to drive.
The 4x4 operation has also been flawless. No complaints here.
The stock 17 inch Good year tires have also been superb. Quiet and perform well in the Deer Woods.
Fog lights had to be replaced three times as a result of excessive water trapped in the lens.
Flooding (major) of passenger side was a nightmare. I hope I or you folks will not experience that horror again. All new carpets.
The worse that I experienced was a dealer mechanic who failed to put on a tire correctly, a bad experiece to have your studs sheared off. My life was put on the line.
My 5 star dealer I would rate a 1 star at best.
Incredible folks who look you in the eye and flat out lie time after time. It is never the vechicle quality that fails , it is always the driver.
Thanks to all of you who posted. You have been a great help.
I just finished installing my Powerslot rotors and Raybestos "QS" pads. Drove about 5 miles to heat the rotors slightly and start the tempering/seasoning process per this URL;
While I had no warpage of the original rotors in over 30K miles, they were obviously ready for replacement. All of the internal 'vents' were full of rust and they were rusted onto the hubs.
In fact, the old rotors have been off for about 2 hours and are allready covered with a layer of surface rust on the braking-surface. These original rotors are el-cheepo.
The original pads were hardly worn at all. (perhaps 1/8 inch each) but I was fed up with all of the black crud on the front wheels. The new ceramic-based pads promise very low dusting.
I had an independent mechanic look at my entire brake system. I had this done after my 1 STAR dealer proclaim that my drums and rotors were severely rusted. Her next sentence was her usual it had to be my fault. That I must be driving in water. This is a women with a diploma 2 steps below a GED.
My independent mechanic analysis confirmed an extreme rust condition throughout the entire system.
He stressed that it (rust) was a result of INFERIOR brake components. Obviously the metal is exactly what you and I and many of us have already discovered EL CHEEPO!!
Just got my used 00 Reg Cab, 5-speed, 3.9, 3.55, 255/75 15 Goodyear LS Eagle tires, and new Bosh 2 plugs that I installed yesterday. First item is: The old plugs were locked in tight!! I broke three of the plugs and must have used over 100lbs of press to get them out!! Anyway, the new Bosh plugs are doing just fine. I have them in my 95 Neon (153K miles, first set of brakes last month) and my 96 Lin Cont (96K, great highway car). Question One: Why does the owners man suggest using 10W-30 oil for the 3.9? Most suggest 5W-30 in the engine for better fuel econ and quicker oil distro. And has anyone had any problems switching to 5W-30? (increase oil usage, wear problems, noise from lifters, ect)? Question Two: Does the V6 idle a little rough? I took it in to have the bed liner installed yesterday and had them check the idle. I thought it might be from the wires. The dealership was unable to find anything. (I might add that Burger Dodge has been outstanding for service so far).
Anyway, if anyone has any input on the questions above, it would be helpful.
(hairydog) They were not el-cheepo... $158.00 FOR THE PAIR PLUS $20-25.00 SHIPPING DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION.
I purchased my POWERSLOT ROTORS from one of the 'group-buys' at www.truckperformance.com The 'group-buys'are run by Leon at 800-719-8100 ext# 226
The Raybestos ceramic-based "QS" pads were another $62 on top of that. I have installed a lot of brake pads over the years but none have been of this quality. They come with special synthetic-molybednium grease and several selections of Stainless-Steel spacer-clips that allow custom-fitting the clearances between the pads and their mounting tangs.
I took the family to NED today (New England Dragway)to see the street-car drag-races. This allowed me to "season" the rotors with heat-cool cycling as I drove at interstate speeds for several hours. After putting over 300 miles on the new front brake components, I can really sense the improvement in the feel of the brake pedal and stopping-power. I expect the stopping-power to further improve as the pads "bed in".
My 2000 Dakota should not require any more front-brake work for as long as I own it. (Planned to have it till the year 2012) I consider this a worthwile investment in my Dakota.
I am also still planning on replacing my rotors and pads with the same combination you used.. I have no noticeable warpage but am concerned about the quality (mopar67s experiences as an example) so soon im going to break out the wallet and get the parts..so i have a question about removing the rotors themselves... any comments/advice about actually removing/reinstalling them (tools, bearing grease etc..) would be appreciated.. since my last rotor replacement was a 93 Ford van.. thanks
Thanks for the info. I am seriously debating going in the direction you have gone or sell the vechicle outright.
Today I noticed the onset of pulsation from braking. Past experience tells me my rotors are on the way to their third turning provided there is any metal left to work with.
(ahasher) The only problem I had with removing the existing rotors was that they were rusted to the hubs. I ended up using penitrating oil, a prybar (the factory lugwrech) a block of wood and a small sledge to loosen them up.
After removal, it was obvious that the hubs themselves were NOT rusted... just the el-cheepo rotors.This was after 3 Vermont winters of roadsalt on by Dakota.
My wifes Honda had 10 Vermont winters on it before I replaced the rotors and they were not even slightly rusted to the hubs. Her 1991 4WD Honda Cvic was built in JAPAN!... not in USA like some other Hondas.
As for bearing-grease.... NOT REQUIRED... this is a TRUCK. The rotors are just a slip-fit over the wheel-studs.
After putting the vehicle on jack-stand, I pulled the wheel off, A 7mm allen-wrench socket on my rachet was used to remove the 2 "sliders" from the rubbers. Releave pressure on caliper with some hand-pressure. There is a keeper-spring that has to be coaxed off the outside of the caliper. Then the caliper and pads slide right off of the rotor as one unit. DO NOT LET CALIPER HANG BY THE BRAKE HOSE!!
With the caliper out of the way... you have the rotor on the hub. There maybe a small clip on one of the wheelstuds to remove. At this point, the rotor is supposed to just slide right off of the hub.
I use a large C-clamp to squeeze the piston back into the caliper. Have the hood open and watch that the brake-resivour does not overflow when you force the fluid back into it.
Clean up the sliding surfaces that the pads touch using a sharp file to remove any burrs. (This is important for long, trouble free service!)
The pads come with special spacer-clips to adjust clearance. They also come with special hi-temp grease to be placed on the sliding-surfaces you filed smooth.
place new pads into caliper.
rub some silicone grease on the slider-bolts
clean new rotor THOURGHLY with IPA (Isopropal Alcohol) to remove all traces of grease... DO NOT TOUCH ROTORS WITH FINGERS AFTER THIS. (handle only the inner area like you would a CD)
Slide new rotor on to hub, place caliper/pads into place and HAND START the 2 slider bolts.
torque slider-bolts to spec (22 lb/ft ?) re-install keeper-spring
install roadwheel (90 lb/ft)
Without starting engine, slowly pump on brake pedal until the pads are seated against the rotor. do not be afraid to use some leg-muscle during this process.
Just tried Meguiars Gold Class car wax on my Bright Silver QC. Very easy to apply and remove. Left a real nice deep looking shine, almost looks like I put a coat of polyurathane on the paint. Don't know how long it will last, but it looks real good for now. Would probably look even better on the darker colors.
There is a coat of polyurathane on the paint. It is commonly called the "clearcoat".
Many people prefer the "deep" look on a vehicle. Professional detailers measure the "thickness" of a finish with a yardstick and look at its reflection. When properly done, the paint appears to be several inches thick.
You are correct that dark colors make the best of a good wax job. A black car with hand-laid wax looks like "black chrome". It is so shiney that one cannot tell what color it is. Problem is... just sitting in the driveway overnight collects a layer of tree-pollen that dusts the entire vehicle.
On your bright-silver... this would never be seen.
Let us know how well this Meguiars Gold Class stands up to the test of time.
So, my 2001 Dak CC 4.7 Auto 2wd with 20,000 decided that every time I put it into reverse on a cold start would stall. Also, when driving a short distance to a stop (ie. from one stop sign to another only 100 yards away) I got a loud "clunk" from the tranny. As well, when I shifted my Dak from Reverse or Neutral to Drive, the entire truck would shake violently. I must say at this point that "5 star Dodge dealers" vary widely!! I just moved from Washington State to Oregon and had totally different customer service (the Oregon dealer I went to SUCKS, compared to the WA dealer). Anyway, the dealer concluded that my problem was not mechanical, but a computer chip malfunction. The fix was to reprogram the computer (what computer that is I have no idea, I don't know enough about that) and they cleaned the throttle body. I asked how much that would have cost if it wasn't under warranty and they said about $150 buck, which I doubt is what they would charge you if you didn't have a warranty. The truck seems fixed and runs well, and I hope it continues to, as I like my truck, but I won't rule out moving on before the warranty runs out at 36,000. This is not my first problem with the truck and I've never owned a vehicle that had so many problems so early in its life. Toyota Tundra upgrade???
I knew if I waited long enough, somone would come up with a performance chip for the 4.7L V8 that has some real zip. Now that the 4.7 L engine has been around for 3 years... the "tuners" have had a chance to do their magic. I also understand from folks that have this installed that the IDLE problems are totally solved too.
thanks for the chip info. What ever happened witht that ram air intake system you had been talking to the manufacturer awhile back? I think it was RT something or other. I lost the link to the company when I was laid off.
If my memory serves me correctly, there were some posts a while back regarding Lucas products. I just picked up a small bottle of lucas fuel injerctor cleaner/lubricant. Has anybody used this stuff, and if so how did it work. I havent put it in yet because the bottle says that it burns very hot to do its cleaning and i'm afraid I will do some damage. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also on another note...looks like Mobil changed the formula of there Mobil 1 synthetic 5w30. Its now called super syn.
The only Lucas product I ever used was their Liquid Smoke. It was only required for British cars as these were famous for having leaky wiring. Occasionally when moving the Lucas headlamp switch between dim, flicker or off, the smoke would escape from the wiring.
In the electronics industry, we call that a leaky "smoke seal". Electronic parts tend to work really well until the "smoke seal" starts to leak and lets all that smoke out.
It must be the smoke staying inside that makes all of our electronic gadgets work ;-)
I know what you are asking about... The TRUE cold-air intake for the 4.7L V8. It pulled cold air from inside the front-right fender.
I lost the link too when I moved to my new computer. I know I copied all of my links from my old computer, but I have not orginized them yet. If I come across it, I will post it here.
bpeebles As the technical guru around here, do you think that I will do any damage on the engine using the lucas fuel additive. I know its pretty heavy duty stuff John
The question that really needs to be asked is... Is this stuff "safe" for the various non-metal (plastic) components used in the fuel system? (Plastic gas tank, Fuel pump/filter assy, hoses, pressure regulator...etc)
If you are confident that the non-metal components of the fuel system will not be damaged by this stuff... By all means, use it. I assume that clean fuel injectors is your goal. I have seen what dirty injectors will do to MPG and smoothness.
Al, try this site which offers a low price guarantee. http://www.quadratec.com Click on the Dodge tab, and go from there. They feature Manik push/brush guards, and I can ascertain that these products are very heavy duty and functional. They also handle Warn and other winches. You did not mention if you wanted a permanent or temporary (portable) mounted winch. With a 2X4 a winch is a good thing to have. I have a 6000# (rolling load) winch that can be permanently mounted or used with a mounting plate fitted to a towing ball. I can move it from vehicle to vehicle. It has only 30' of cable, which is not very much, but it is convenient especially when "skidding" a heavy object up the trailer ramp. If you don't see what you want or dislike this site, there are scores of other vendors. Good luck.
With summer coming up I'm going to try and insulate the A/C lines under the hood. I remember that there were some posts last year regarding this. bpeebles, I think, had a parts list from Home Depot but I cant find this old post. Please refresh my memory. I was in Home Depot tonight and in the plumbing section all I saw was standard foam insulation. I'm not sure how this will stand up to the heat. P.S...Anybody that Did the job...Does it really make a difference in the cab. Thanks John
(jhorl) Yes, it was I that insulated my AC system under the hood. YES! the difference is noticible. I have had this installed for over a year now with no detrimental effects. (like insulation melting)
Keep in mind that before I added the insulation, most of the AC lines under the hood were "sweating" terribly. This told me that I was 'loosing cold' under the hood.
Now, the only spots that "sweat" are the nooks-crannies of the AC pipes that are too difficult to insulate effectivly (sharp bends... etc)
I used 2 kinds of insulation. 1) peel-n-stick foam tape that is perhaps 4" wide and 1/4" thick. It has an aluminum "skin" on the outside (non-sticky side) of it.
2) pipe insulation that has a peel-n-stick edge that forms a complete seal around the pipe.
For both of these, i carefully reviewed the spec sheets to ensure they would handle the underhood temps.
The peel-n-stick tape was cut to lengths each of which would wrap completely around the receiver/drier (the alumininum can near the firewall on the passenger side) Each of these "wraps" was half-covered by the next wrap of insulation ending up with a double-width of insulation.
The pipe insulation was carefully cut and fitted to all of the "low pressure" piping under the hood. From the firewall into the receiver/drier... then from there all the way to the AC compressor input side.
Gee... some digital pics would be suitable right about now... the next time I am under the hood....
I bought my '02 QC 4x4 about 2 mos ago. Just turned 1500 mi. and now on the way to work today I started getting the "standard" brake wobble (warped rotors most likely). What worried me about this is, as I was sitting at a stop light the truck jumped like some one behind me rolled into me, but no one there. On top of that the engine light came on today as well. When I got to work I flashed the engine code with the key. Came up with "P 0700". Anyone have an idea what this means? Help!!!
Had the same code get thrown on mine. Service light went out and dealer couldn't find anyting wrong. Never heard it again. Odd! Mine happened when it was really cold (10 degrees) and I didn't let the tranny warm before stomping on it to get into traffic. hey it was late and I wanted to get home.
Take it to the stealer and have them check all of the tranny sensors. Before you do that, get the tranny up to temp (10 - 15 miles) and check the fluid. I have not had an other tranny problems, but i do get the shift slap every once and awhile.
There are several schools of thought on the bump that you described. One is that the drive shaft is binding and when the tranny finally shifts down (when your a a light) the tension is released creating a bump. The other is a bad pressure selinoid (sp?) on the output shaft. again, tell the stealer about it and have them check it out. It should not be a major issue.
Thanks for the input. I'm on my way now to a dealer. I hope it can make the 35 mi trip w/out killing me! I just didn't want to call roadside assistance (as the guy at the dealer told me to do).
Well I've put in the miles lately and alls great. I changed the oil and filter this time (all synth) and it averaged 20 mpg on th highway. To Corpus Christi from Austin, when I got to 162 miles from the fill-up and it just hit a 1/4 tank-- yep I was happy. Especially since I wasn't doing the slow lane thing. I hit 90 from 70 mph in 2-3 seconds passing on 123 and 181. It sounds great with the dual exhaust FM and K&N air charger. I've done around a 1500+ miles with the plugs so far and the performance is still there.
One totally unrelated problem though. A little greased plastic gear fell out from under the dash and I think it's to the vent regulator to open/close the defrost vent-- as that's now icing up my windsheild as I drive in the 90+ degree heat and it's no where close to that setting. Is there a manual or web site showing how this fits together. I hate to leave my truck you know where for two weeks just for this. No telling what I'd be missing when I got it back ( especially mpg and performance).
Thanks for reminding to post bluebayou. Real busy these days and nights. Should get some time off in a month. Gots to go.
bpeebles...for the procedure and photo. They proved to be most helpful. I got the pipe insulation and tomorrow I will get the tape for the aluminum can on the firewall. My exhaust system will thank me for it since I wont be dripping on it anymore.
On a side note the lucas fuel treatment yielded about a 1 mpg increase on the tank that I put it in. In the past I've avereged 15.5 mpg and just filled up today and got 16.4 on that tank. I will see how the next fill up goes without the additive.
Comments
I will be following Zetsche and Dees to see if they follow through in this endavor. Creating Toyota quality in the Crysler buisness model will be very challanging indeed. Old paradimes will have to crumble.
I find it VERY interesting that they chose TOYOTA as the benchmark.
It reminds me of my Dads words about GM.... "If they feel compelled to compare themselves to Honda... I am going to buy a Honda." That year he bought his first Honda Accord and has owned at least 8 of them over the last 20 years. To him, he saw that GM was ADMITTING that the Honda was a better vehicle in their TV ads.
Bookitty
When I asked him about it... he can recall being able to do it but says that going to school ruined that ability. (Now, he can only multiply 2 or 3 digit numbers in his head.)
I have no excuse for myself ;-)
It's blue. 58k miles and clean above and below. Dealer wants 11k for it. I drove it yesterday and MIGHT have heard a clutch cherp at green light take of, and I took off HARD. So tell me; do I buy it or not? We want reliability and , unfortunatly, we drive alot - Colorado you know. We spend weekend in the National forests camping so we need something rugged and reliable. Unfortunatly we also drive LONG distances at the drop of a hat. This large blue thing has a back on it and that should help but 18MPG is still a bear on a trip. Is that all I can expect?
While under the hood I noticed a Holley 2bl... if I replaced that with a 4bl 650 or 700 I SHOULD get better highway mileage and still have the oomph I need for going up trails.
anyway; I ramble - do I buy it or not?
greg
Robert
Of course, if you are do any serious towing, you will have LSD.
On page 171 of the 2001 Dakota Manual on the bottom right of the page in bold is says that all trailer towing or heavy duty applications it is strongly recommended to replace the rear lube with 75-140 synth.
Good luck.
Robert
Average gas mileage 15.
Oil change every 5,000. What works is the fujimoto(sic)gizmo that I installed as a result of having a poorly designed skid plate that will not allow first three quarts of oil to drain through orifice. The two liter coke bottle to trap the oil filter and fujimoto gizmo was a blessing thanks to those of you who posted the solution to this ungodly mess of changing the oil.
The original oil filter was a bear of a job to remove. I had to get a gorilla (my son) to tackle the job. A lot of cursing went on during this operation (surgery).
Thanks to Mopar 67 who iniated me to the DODGE Junk Brake Club. Mopar has been consistently accurate as to his observations regarding Dodge.
Rotors turned twice and rear drums (28K) once. I was not joking when I previous posted my truck sounding like a Haunted House.
The 4.7L engine has been flawless to date. This truck responds well to my heavy foot and fun to drive.
The 4x4 operation has also been flawless. No complaints here.
The stock 17 inch Good year tires have also been superb. Quiet and perform well in the Deer Woods.
Fog lights had to be replaced three times as a result of excessive water trapped in the lens.
Flooding (major) of passenger side was a nightmare. I hope I or you folks will not experience that horror again. All new carpets.
The worse that I experienced was a dealer mechanic who failed to put on a tire correctly, a bad experiece to have your studs sheared off. My life was put on the line.
My 5 star dealer I would rate a 1 star at best.
Incredible folks who look you in the eye and flat out lie time after time. It is never the vechicle quality that fails , it is always the driver.
Thanks to all of you who posted. You have been a great help.
I traded off the dakota for a hamster, er I mean a Suzuki SUV about two months ago.
SOrry, I have to pass this mantle to someone else.
http://www.shotimes.com/brakes/part1.html
While I had no warpage of the original rotors in over 30K miles, they were obviously ready for replacement. All of the internal 'vents' were full of rust and they were rusted onto the hubs.
In fact, the old rotors have been off for about 2 hours and are allready covered with a layer of surface rust on the braking-surface. These original rotors are el-cheepo.
The original pads were hardly worn at all. (perhaps 1/8 inch each) but I was fed up with all of the black crud on the front wheels. The new ceramic-based pads promise very low dusting.
My independent mechanic analysis confirmed an extreme rust condition throughout the entire system.
He stressed that it (rust) was a result of INFERIOR brake components. Obviously the metal is exactly what you and I and many of us have already discovered EL CHEEPO!!
What was the cost of your replacements?
First item is: The old plugs were locked in tight!! I broke three of the plugs and must have used over 100lbs of press to get them out!! Anyway, the new Bosh plugs are doing just fine. I have them in my 95 Neon (153K miles, first set of brakes last month) and my 96 Lin Cont (96K, great highway car).
Question One: Why does the owners man suggest using 10W-30 oil for the 3.9? Most suggest 5W-30 in the engine for better fuel econ and quicker oil distro. And has anyone had any problems switching to 5W-30? (increase oil usage, wear problems, noise from lifters, ect)?
Question Two: Does the V6 idle a little rough? I took it in to have the bed liner installed yesterday and had them check the idle. I thought it might be from the wires. The dealership was unable to find anything. (I might add that Burger Dodge has been outstanding for service so far).
Anyway, if anyone has any input on the questions above, it would be helpful.
love the truck!!
$158.00 FOR THE PAIR PLUS $20-25.00 SHIPPING DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION.
I purchased my POWERSLOT ROTORS from one of the 'group-buys' at www.truckperformance.com The 'group-buys'are run by Leon at 800-719-8100 ext# 226
The Raybestos ceramic-based "QS" pads were another $62 on top of that. I have installed a lot of brake pads over the years but none have been of this quality. They come with special synthetic-molybednium grease and several selections of Stainless-Steel spacer-clips that allow custom-fitting the clearances between the pads and their mounting tangs.
I took the family to NED today (New England Dragway)to see the street-car drag-races. This allowed me to "season" the rotors with heat-cool cycling as I drove at interstate speeds for several hours. After putting over 300 miles on the new front brake components, I can really sense the improvement in the feel of the brake pedal and stopping-power. I expect the stopping-power to further improve as the pads "bed in".
My 2000 Dakota should not require any more front-brake work for as long as I own it. (Planned to have it till the year 2012) I consider this a worthwile investment in my Dakota.
thanks
Thanks for the info. I am seriously debating going in the direction you have gone or sell the vechicle outright.
Today I noticed the onset of pulsation from braking. Past experience tells me my rotors are on the way to their third turning provided there is any metal left to work with.
After removal, it was obvious that the hubs themselves were NOT rusted... just the el-cheepo rotors.This was after 3 Vermont winters of roadsalt on by Dakota.
My wifes Honda had 10 Vermont winters on it before I replaced the rotors and they were not even slightly rusted to the hubs. Her 1991 4WD Honda Cvic was built in JAPAN!... not in USA like some other Hondas.
As for bearing-grease.... NOT REQUIRED... this is a TRUCK. The rotors are just a slip-fit over the wheel-studs.
After putting the vehicle on jack-stand, I pulled the wheel off, A 7mm allen-wrench socket on my rachet was used to remove the 2 "sliders" from the rubbers. Releave pressure on caliper with some hand-pressure. There is a keeper-spring that has to be coaxed off the outside of the caliper.
Then the caliper and pads slide right off of the rotor as one unit. DO NOT LET CALIPER HANG BY THE BRAKE HOSE!!
With the caliper out of the way... you have the rotor on the hub. There maybe a small clip on one of the wheelstuds to remove. At this point, the rotor is supposed to just slide right off of the hub.
I use a large C-clamp to squeeze the piston back into the caliper. Have the hood open and watch that the brake-resivour does not overflow when you force the fluid back into it.
Clean up the sliding surfaces that the pads touch using a sharp file to remove any burrs. (This is important for long, trouble free service!)
The pads come with special spacer-clips to adjust clearance. They also come with special hi-temp grease to be placed on the sliding-surfaces you filed smooth.
place new pads into caliper.
rub some silicone grease on the slider-bolts
clean new rotor THOURGHLY with IPA (Isopropal Alcohol) to remove all traces of grease... DO NOT TOUCH ROTORS WITH FINGERS AFTER THIS. (handle only the inner area like you would a CD)
Slide new rotor on to hub, place caliper/pads into place and HAND START the 2 slider bolts.
torque slider-bolts to spec (22 lb/ft ?) re-install keeper-spring
install roadwheel (90 lb/ft)
Without starting engine, slowly pump on brake pedal until the pads are seated against the rotor.
do not be afraid to use some leg-muscle during this process.
do other side of vehicle...
Left a real nice deep looking shine, almost looks like I put a coat of polyurathane on the paint.
Don't know how long it will last, but it looks real good for now.
Would probably look even better on the darker colors.
Many people prefer the "deep" look on a vehicle. Professional detailers measure the "thickness" of a finish with a yardstick and look at its reflection. When properly done, the paint appears to be several inches thick.
You are correct that dark colors make the best of a good wax job. A black car with hand-laid wax looks like "black chrome". It is so shiney that one cannot tell what color it is. Problem is... just sitting in the driveway overnight collects a layer of tree-pollen that dusts the entire vehicle.
On your bright-silver... this would never be seen.
Let us know how well this Meguiars Gold Class stands up to the test of time.
I must say at this point that "5 star Dodge dealers" vary widely!! I just moved from Washington State to Oregon and had totally different customer service (the Oregon dealer I went to SUCKS, compared to the WA dealer).
Anyway, the dealer concluded that my problem was not mechanical, but a computer chip malfunction.
The fix was to reprogram the computer (what computer that is I have no idea, I don't know enough about that) and they cleaned the throttle body. I asked how much that would have cost if it wasn't under warranty and they said about $150 buck, which I doubt is what they would charge you if you didn't have a warranty.
The truck seems fixed and runs well, and I hope it continues to, as I like my truck, but I won't rule out moving on before the warranty runs out at 36,000. This is not my first problem with the truck and I've never owned a vehicle that had so many problems so early in its life. Toyota Tundra upgrade???
ASE Chips
Thanks
John
Jim H.
It must be the smoke staying inside that makes all of our electronic gadgets work ;-)
I lost the link too when I moved to my new computer. I know I copied all of my links from my old computer, but I have not orginized them yet.
If I come across it, I will post it here.
As the technical guru around here, do you think that I will do any damage on the engine using the lucas fuel additive. I know its pretty heavy duty stuff
John
The question that really needs to be asked is...
Is this stuff "safe" for the various non-metal (plastic) components used in the fuel system? (Plastic gas tank, Fuel pump/filter assy, hoses, pressure regulator...etc)
If you are confident that the non-metal components of the fuel system will not be damaged by this stuff... By all means, use it. I assume that clean fuel injectors is your goal. I have seen what dirty injectors will do to MPG and smoothness.
So, my Dak is 2wd. I would appreciate any info on good places to find aftermarket "push bar,brush guards and winches" for the Dak.
Bookitty
Blue
Thanks
John
I have had this installed for over a year now with no detrimental effects. (like insulation melting)
Keep in mind that before I added the insulation, most of the AC lines under the hood were "sweating" terribly. This told me that I was 'loosing cold' under the hood.
Now, the only spots that "sweat" are the nooks-crannies of the AC pipes that are too difficult to insulate effectivly (sharp bends... etc)
I used 2 kinds of insulation.
1) peel-n-stick foam tape that is perhaps 4" wide and 1/4" thick. It has an aluminum "skin" on the outside (non-sticky side) of it.
2) pipe insulation that has a peel-n-stick edge that forms a complete seal around the pipe.
For both of these, i carefully reviewed the spec sheets to ensure they would handle the underhood temps.
The peel-n-stick tape was cut to lengths each of which would wrap completely around the receiver/drier (the alumininum can near the firewall on the passenger side) Each of these "wraps" was half-covered by the next wrap of insulation ending up with a double-width of insulation.
The pipe insulation was carefully cut and fitted to all of the "low pressure" piping under the hood. From the firewall into the receiver/drier... then from there all the way to the AC compressor input side.
Gee... some digital pics would be suitable right about now... the next time I am under the hood....
Have a nice w'end! Ger
You can clearly see the stick-on insulation on the receiver/dryer as well as the pipe insulation on the lower pipe on the AC compressor.
Take it to the stealer and have them check all of the tranny sensors. Before you do that, get the tranny up to temp (10 - 15 miles) and check the fluid. I have not had an other tranny problems, but i do get the shift slap every once and awhile.
There are several schools of thought on the bump that you described. One is that the drive shaft is binding and when the tranny finally shifts down (when your a a light) the tension is released creating a bump. The other is a bad pressure selinoid (sp?) on the output shaft. again, tell the stealer about it and have them check it out. It should not be a major issue.
Just make sure you check the fluid level.
Blue
One totally unrelated problem though. A little greased plastic gear fell out from under the dash and I think it's to the vent regulator to open/close the defrost vent-- as that's now icing up my windsheild as I drive in the 90+ degree heat and it's no where close to that setting. Is there a manual or web site showing how this fits together. I hate to leave my truck you know where for two weeks just for this. No telling what I'd be missing when I got it back ( especially mpg and performance).
Thanks for reminding to post bluebayou. Real busy these days and nights. Should get some time off in a month. Gots to go.
On a side note the lucas fuel treatment yielded about a 1 mpg increase on the tank that I put it in. In the past I've avereged 15.5 mpg and just filled up today and got 16.4 on that tank. I will see how the next fill up goes without the additive.