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Dodge Dakota: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
While you are at it, I am going to be doing the brakes soon so could someone tell me the torque spec on the lug nuts?
Thanks
I torque the Lugnuts on my Aluminum wheels to 90lb-ft. (Do not forget to re-torque after a day or so of driving.)
Are you going with the Ceramic pads and the powerslot rotors? Your original rotors must be badly rusted by now. (I know you are still in Vt. because I walk past your Dak every morning around 5:45AM )
What about shocks? mine were shot after 2 years.
This past weekend, I yanked the rear wheels and PMd the rear brakes. (PM= Preventive Maintenance)
I still need to change the brake and clutch fluid this summer. I have also read about some power-steering pumps that the died... I hope to aver that scenario by changing the PS fluid too.
I am looking at some sort of slotted or drilled rotor with the semi pads. Not sold on powerslots yet. I only have just now hit 30k on the truck and the brakes are just starting to pull. This winter the rust was pretty bad. Especially on the rears. I think I have been lucky with my brakes. Shocks don't seem too bad yet, but will be needed soon. The IAS's are really nice I here.
I know what PM's are, I have a bunch to do each week in the Maskhouse! Along with what we do on the Fire trucks each month. My girlfriend on the other hand was amazed I was going to replace my own brakes! Oh my! Should have seen the look on her face when I pulled the circuit board out of the garage door opener and re soldered the relay, put it back together and to her shock it fixed it! LOL! But thanks for the torque specs and recommendations.
Before the IAS shocks, the rear of my Dak would "hop sideways" over expansion-joints and bumps. It was scary at 65MPH!!
After installing the IAS shocks, I can now accelerate at full throttle over expansion joints and the rear tires stay GLUED to the road. (this was just a test... not my normal driving style)
A good test for me was to accelerate up the short hill from the "guardpost" towards river road. (Mebbie you do not leave the plant that way?)Those expansion joints across the road would kick the rear of my Dak sideways EVERY TIME before I installed the IAS. I would lose traction over every expansion joint... NOT ANYMORE.
If you want to check out my Dak (go for a ride) to see what the IAS shocks and Powerslots feel like, let me know. (I just turned 50,000 miles today)
How much were those shocks and where'd you get them?
http://www.shockwarehouse.com/index.html
The IAS absorbers are NOT cheap. I could not find a different price for them ANYWHERE else... they are all the same price.
If you want a cheeper verion of the IAS monotube absorbers... you can always go for the NON-monotube absorbers... they are a tad "fatter" and may have "clearance problems" in the front of the Dak. For the rears... they would fit just fine.
BTW... My original rear shocks had obvious oil-leakage on the outside of the them. You could easilly slide under your rig and check for that.
255/55/17 (stock r/t size)
255/60/17
275/50/17
275/55/17
*** ALSO considering the following brands and models in each size.. anyone that has these tires on there truck I would also be interested in hearing your option
Micheln pilot LTX 255/55/17
Dunlop sport rover gtx2
&
Yokohama geolander ht-s g052 275/55/17
Bridgestone dueler h/p d680 275/55/17
The "LT" (Light Truck) designated tires have stiffer sidewalls to carry more weight. The stiff sidewall makes for a harsh,rubbery ride.
Tire experts will tell you that as long as you are not planning on carrying 200lbs of tools all the time, the LT rated tires are NOT required on a truck.
I know that when I put new tires on my Dak, I am going with "P" (Passenger) rated tires. These do not have the stiff sidewalls and provide a more pleasing ride quality.
One caution as you look to "oversize" your wheels.
DO NOT CHANGE THE OVERALL DIAMETER OF THE TIRES! This can confuse the wheelspeed sensor, make your speedometer inaccurate and make the ABS system fail to perform properly.
(You can have a dealership re-program the onbaord computer for different sized tires if you choose to change the overall diameter.)
I have think I have chosen to go with the Yokohama Geolanders H-ts 052 P275/55/17's.
After talking to a few tire reps from tire rack, discount tire direct, and tiresplus.
The overall diameter of the stock 265/55/16's is 29.1 in vs the 275/55/17's at 28.9 in.... this is as close as you can get to the the original overall diameter. So I'm not too concerned with being only 2 10ths of an inch off. I seriously doubt that will effect anything.
I think a tire the exact same diameter would even be off by few 10ths of an inch after a few thousand miles.. most tires I I've seen have a tread depth between 10/32 and 12/32.
John
I also recommend putting a "cap" on the grease nipple (zerk). Otherwise, the next time you push grease into the grease-nipple, you will also be forcing grit into the gease-nipple too.
I make my "caps" for grease and brake bleede nipples using a short length of clear PVC hose (about an inch long)
Here is how to do it.
While the hose is still on the the "roll", just heat one end with a cigerette lighter until the hose is soft. Then grab a pair of pliers and SQUEEZE the heated end of the hose until it cools. The idea is to weld it shut. then just cut off about an inch length of the hose. You end up with an inch of hose with one end sealed shut. This can be slipped over a grease nipple or brake-bleede nipple as a "cap" to protect it from dirt.
Need the specs for the upper and lower bolts on the front and rear shocks. Some BOB owner has to have them, or I bet bpeebles knows because he just changed his. I got to really looking and paying attention to mine and they need replacing bad. I htink I am going to go with the Rancho RSX's. I'll let everyone know how they are. Maybe bpeebles and I can get together after and compare! Also any torque spec on the spark plugs? Or the usual hand tight + 1/4 turn?
Did you do the "expansion joint test" that I suggested?
For the shocks on the 4X4:
FRONT;
upper -- 19 ft/lbs
lower -- 80 ft/lbs
REAR --
upper and lower is 70 ft/lbs
NOTE.... I recall that one of the upper-rear bolts has a "special" nut that has a 'flag' welded to it. This 'flag' bumps against somthing solid to hold the nut while the bolt is tightened.
For the spark plugs... The BOB calls out 20 ft/lbs
for the 4.7L engine. (this is different from all of the other engines available on the the Dak)
The ignitor (coil) hold down nuts are specd at 70 inch/lbs
Do not forget to use antiseze on the threads of the sparkplugs. (lest you may not be able to remove them later)
Also the BOB suggests the following;
*)using compressed air to remove any debris BEFORE pulling the ignitors out.
*)Use silicone grease to lube the o-rings on the ignitors before installation.
So far the PowerSlots with Raybestos ceramics have performed great. The rotor salesman was pushing HAWK brand semi-metalics but I was also tired of the brake dust discoloring these expensive mag wheels. I could easily justify the additional $20 per set for the ceramics based on the amount of wheel cleaner I buy each year and time spent doing that job. (Drives me nuts to see Dakotas and Durangos with their front wheels completely covered with black or rust colored brake dust - might be leased vehicles.)
For shipping / handling, I'll send you my old factory pads. They are in good shape and have plenty of "dusty" life left in them.
Have you checked the the TPS and the IAC valve? Both of these are attached to the TB and are pretty easy to remove and clean using carberator spray. The TPS can be "ohmed out" too 8-)
TPS = Throttle Position Sensor
IAC = Idle Air Control
TB = ThrottleBody
So, my question is, what has been used to replace the factory original plug and what difference did they make?
Thanks in advance,
Dusty
1. Z-Tube intake from "intenseperformance.com" with 9" Pro-Flow filter
2. TB Spacer from "poweraid.com"
3. Magnaflow cat-back exhaust (single exit)
4. Edelbrock IAS Performer shocks to be installed upon delivery
5. Denso Iridium Plugs to be installed upon delivery
Here's what I'm considering (need some opinions here):
1. JBA Cat4ward headers
2. JET Stage II Chip (only if I can find #3)
3. 180-degree T-Stat
Problem is, I can't find a t-stat for the 4.7. I looked on the Robert Shaw web page, but all it says is "most Chrysler V-8s". Powerstat only lists for the 5.2 and 5.9. Does anyone know where I can find/purchase an exact model for the 4.7?? And what about a 160-degree t-stat? Would it be better?
Thanks for any help I receive!
A few days ago soon after a cold start, I noticed that the idle was definitely rough at a stop light. At the next stop it was fine, but I realized that the idle quality just wasn't what it was when the engine was new. I guess the idle deteriorated so gradually that I adjusted to it.
Yesterday I remove the factory RC12MCC4 (#439) Champion plug from #1 cylinder. Despite my normally light foot, the electrode and insulator color was a medium tan. I measured the gap at 0.044, which is .004 more than factory specifications. Not really bad at all for 10,000+ miles. I did notice that there was some slight center electrode tip erosion, very even around the perimeter of the tip. In other words, the tip was rounded, but not bad.
I decided to replace the plugs today with #4418 Bosch Platinum+4s. These are "no gap" versions and rather expensive at $6 a piece (AutoZone). These plugs use an extremely small diameter center electrode and four ground electrodes. The plugs that came with the 4.7 are, I believe, what Champion refers to as "Copper Plus" and ultilize a copper core center electrode. I believe these would be the least expensive in the Champion line.
I can report that idle quality is glass like perfect. Idle speed has not changed. I cannot detect any other performance related improvement. I did fill up with gas to get a mileage check. My last five tanks have given me 17.56, 18.04, 17.84, 18.53, 18.02.
A few comments about the service. As recommended by the service manual, remove the air duct from the throttle body and the hose from the air duct to the air filter housing. You must also open the clips to relieve two cooling tubes that go across the top of the engine. These will have to be moved around to gain access to the coils and plugs. The plugs on the left bank (1-3-5-7) are fairly easy to get to. The right bank will offer some challenge. I had to remove the cooling tube mounting brackets in order to get at two of the plugs, and that was after I broke one of the cooling tube clips.
Since this is an aluminum head engine, I used anti-seize compound on the spark plug threads. I also cleaned each coil assembly and applied silicone grease to the plug boots and O-rings.
I'll keep everyone posted on the performance of these Bosch Platinum+4 plugs.
Best regards,
Dusty
I never did change the plugs however before I traded it.
I was having this problem virtually from the get go.
I don't want to leave you with the impression that the idle quality was terrible, because it wasn't. But it did seem to be getting slightly irratic. It actually idled fine most of the time, but on days when the temperature dropped a bit (lower than 55 degress F), there was a little bit of bumpiness to it. On the few really warm days that we've had, it was pretty smooth.
As far as performance goes, it ran very well. The fuel consumption, especially at 10,725 miles, has steadily improved. The engine was still very smooth and responsive before I changed the plugs. As of yet, I can't tell the difference in driveability, but I've only put a few miles on it, so maybe I'll see some difference later.
How many miles did you have on your Dakota's original plugs?
Regards,
Dusty
AIS motor replaced, TPS was replaced, TB was cleaned and finally the service manager started looking up TSB. There he found the erratic idle addressed and did one, two, finally three different upgrades to the PCM. The third one fixed it and I had no more idle problems. I cannot recall at what mileage that was done (I threw away the receipts since I no longer own the truck and the sucker, er I mean dealer who took it as trade probably took it to an auction somewhere and sold it)
So far everyone I've talked to in person hasn't had a complaint about idle quality with 2000s and up. In fact, I don't think I've actually known anyone with a newer Dakota that's had a problem in that area at all. I guess the intake manifold gaskets had been a problem on older LA series motors that caused pinging and poor idle.
I've been in several newer 4.7s and they've idled very well. I had a ride in a 2003 3.9 V6 recently, and that one idled like glass, too.
We'll see how the long term effect is by changing plugs. It took 10,000 miles to start to lose perfect idle quality on mine with the factory versions. Since I can feel the difference with the new plugs, I'm expecting more out of these Bosch platinums. I'll keep everyone posted.
Best regards,
Dusty
My 2001 quad has 26K miles. I've had the Bosch +4's in for about 12K miles. The first 5 or 6k
miles truck ran great, now has the stumble at idle
also. Cold starts are becoming a problem, (ie)
stumbles and hunts between 500 and 1000 rpms.
Wants to die for a few seconds when placed in gear. (auto).
I'm also thinking about new shocks.
Haven't been back to the dealer since new.
I still like this truck better than any now out
there. Works great for my needs!
I'll take it back to dealer one day?
I'm making a list.
Mick
1) the 4X4 indicator light does not come on. (although the xfer-case is REALLY in 4X4)
2)The intermittent windshield wipers have a mind of their own.. (they wipe at the speed THEY want to reguardless of the setting.)
I am well om my way to my original 150,000 mile expectation for this rig.
The taurus, same thing, good idle, my vitara, good idle, three intrepids not counting the two my father has owned, all had good idle. his Dynasty was good too.....ran to 165K with nary a sensor, PCM or anything. Just a plug change.
Oh well, what can one say?
Just glad to hear everyone else's rig is running well.
As for plugs, I have always been a fan of platinums, but I have had read several reports that they do not always do well on engines like the 4.7. The best plugs I have found for the 4.7 are the Autolites copper core.
Bill
My question is about flushing out the old fluids. Did you do this? Same method and flushing materials on all units (rear, x-fer, front dif, 5 sp manual)? I've followed your saga over the years but can't remember all of the details.
Ron
Thanks
Tom.
The FRONT differential is the hardest to do. There is VERY little clearance between the Diff cover and the frame.
Expect to gain about 2 MPG from this change to RedLine synthetic. The "feel" of the shifting will take about 300 miles before you start to notice that it snooks into gear easier. (even at -40F)
This is the only shock that will make a noticable improvement in BRAKING and HANDLING due to the shocks resisting nosedive and bodyroll.
It goes without saying that the ride is improved.
I like the noticable difference in the way the wheels "stick" to the road while accellerating over bumpy terrain.
The original shocks were just plain CRAP and the rear wheels could not stay on the road and maintain traction. The rear end of my Dak felt as if it leaped to the side over expansion joints. (pretty scary at 70MPH)
Robert
I will take to dealer when I get a chance.
Robert
I 'll probably have them on in about 3 weeks so I'll let everyone know what the result is.
PS - I also have the problem of the rear end jumping over expansion joints and aspalt abnormalities. Yes, it is scary, glad to hear it can be corrected w/ shocks.
Thanks
Tom.
Needed a new crankshaft position sensor. Bummer.
2001 QC 4x4 4.7L Manual
26k miles.
I was just wondering how significant were the improvements...what did you notice with the addition of the Z-tube from Intenseperformance and 9" Pro Flow filter? Did you consider K&N FIPK, Airmax or AEM or some other induction system? Was there any gains in gas mileage?
How do you like the Magnaflow cat-back and what part number is your system? How much louder is this system versus the factory system? Did you consider the Gibson cat-back or Flowmasters?
I would be very interested in your comments and feedback? If you had to do it over, what would you do different?
Good luck,
Dusty
When I first moved here to Colorado Springs I was getting 9MPH in the city with the stock air box. I replaced the factory filter with a drop-in from K&N and received no improvement; that box was just too restrictive. I later installed an Airaid intake and gained 2MPH bringing me to 11, but I knew there had to be something better (short of installing a supercharger). I found intenseperformence.com while surfing the net on my lunch hour and decided to try their Z-tube. I looked like a HUGE intake, and the installation looked simple enough (I'm not too mechanically inclined; prior to all this all I ever did was change oil and filter). I now get between 13 and 16 in the city, depending on how spirited I am with the pedal! To tell the truth, the altitude here is the real culprit.
As far as the exhaust, speedtweaks.net said they didn't notice a difference from one make to another(but they did gain more power using a single-exit versus dual). I chose the Magnaflow simply because it was easy. They make a cat-back system specifically for the 4.7, with all the components packaged together. No having to match pipes, mufflers, tips, etc. The system number is 15611. I've found that it's not necessarily louder than the factory system, but gives a much deeper tone. The noise level inside the cab is still well within acceptable limits for me. I was told of another customer who went with the Gibson and later put his factory system back in because the resonance was too much to bear. I suppose it's all subjective. By the way, not too much of a difference in mileage but I have noticed better uphill acceleration.
The iridium plugs have definitely helped out in the acceleration department! And they've stopped the idle "hunting" between 500-1000. It now sits right at 800.
I'm still waiting for my Edelbrocks to get here. I'll be having them installed the same time as my new Michelin LTX's. And I've also ordered the Powerslot rotors for the front brakes. Found them for 162.95/pair at grandmotorsport.com. I still can't find the 180 thermostat for the 4.7L. When I do, I'll be ordering the Stage II JET Chip.
Good Luck!