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Comments
I keep finding reasons the I need to go for a drive. Gas mileage right around 16mpg and who cares? It's a truck and it's cool!
Keep on Quadin'
fat_fenders
I could have easily gone with a slightly smaller engine if the Dakota had an overhead cam V-6, etc. - a smaller version of the 4.7L design with some power. You could get maybe another 2 mpg, which everyone wishes they had at these fuel prices, and the truck would be a little less nose-heavy, as it is with any of the V-8's.
A day doesn't go by that I don't grin while driving it.
Where can I find (on the web) any info
about front bumpers from Hanson Enterprises ?
Are they designed to receive a winch ?
I'm thinking about getting one (with a winch)
from Reunel (but they do look pretty "blocky").
I tow a 16' aluminum boat and motor, (overall trailer/boat/motor wt. is about 1200 to 1500 lbs., tongue wt. is about 100 lbs.) most of the time just a few short trips a week around town, but several times a year to Northern Maine, an 800 mile roundtrip.
I have several questions:
1. What tire pressure should I put in my Goodyear Wranglers (31x10.5R15LT) when towing, particularly on the long trip to Maine. The tires had 40 lbs. in them when I bought it and the ride seemed a bit bumpy, so I reduced that to 35 which seemed to help. The tire chart that came as an addendum to my manual says this for my tires...."light loads, 30psi front and rear" and for "full loads, 35psi front and 41 rear".........I'm totally confused......
2. Is towing in Overdrive a good or bad idea for me?....The 400 mile trip to Maine is pretty flat and 99% highway driving.
3. Should I change the standard rear axle lubricant over to synthetic as the manual recommends when "...pulling a trailer for a significant number of miles."
Thanks in advance........
asta - The Pirellis may be a bit soft; the BFG's will ride a little harsher. You might try the Kelly Springfields that lots of us in the oil fields use. They ride VERY smooth (noiseless, too) and have the best sidewall protection (from punctures, potholes, etc.) on the planet. Survey companies out here switch immediately from OEM tires (any) to them in droves. Oh, and they last for 50k+ too - first hand experience on 3 sets. No flats, no 'weird' wear, no adjustments other than rotations - EVER (for me). Plus, they are very cheaply priced as compared to others in the class. I've had a set on my Quad for the past 8k. You can get em at Discount Tire, and I'm sure, other places. They're also an American product as far as I know. I can give you many, many references.
raider41005 - You might try the Access Roll - up cover = soft and VERY unique - looks flat too. A bit pricey, but... Also, a rubber bedmat is available from Dodge - probably built by Penda (like their bedliners) who knows. Anyway, they show one in their catalog.
lsuquad - Baby that paint! Listen to towcrazy! I still paint some show stuff (usually black) and routinely (though not always) with a clearcoat. It doesn't matter; wait several MONTHS before putting anything abrasive on it (and never in circular motions). E:mail me and I'll send you a (long, LONG) response to several people who've emailed me in the past about paint care. Shoot, email towcrazy and compare notes. I bet they're nearly identical, and you can't lose by using 'known' quality products (MeGuiar's, etc.). And unlike politicians, we only lie to you once in a blue moon anyway.
k&n filters? i know the have drop in ones
for about $45. but how much are the ones
where you change the plastic air intake?
where can you get them?
cheatah_@msn.com
victx - went back to the tirerack.com survey results and this time I found the BF Goody's in the "off-road maximum traction" section. Reason they didn't make the survey I was looking at is the site considers them a cut above all other off-road tires, like the Scorpions and the Yokohama Geolanders+ Interesting survey nonetheless, although as per my post above to macguy, neither off-road list even included a model from Kelly-Springfield.
KnK
I've driven SUV's and light trucks over 300K miles since 1987, as I worked as a firefighter and had a contractor's license on the side, full-time now. For the best P-rated tire in price, length of service, traction, ride, noise etc., I've never found better than the Dunlop Radial Rover. On my work trucks, and on our Dept's Type 3's (brush trucks) we run the Armstrong Norseman LT tires, excellent as well.
BTW, I saw a lot of rainy-day accidents. A lot of Jeeps, SUV's and trucks who crash seem to be wearing the BFG's. Please take this as anecdotal and not scientific, and not as a slam on a company who sells boatloads of tires. Also, it may be that the BFG appeals to a more aggressive type consumer/driver who pushes his vehicle's performance...but it looks to me like the same interlocking tread which provides good traction in mud, dirt, snow, etc. had absolutely no channel to let water out if you decelerate rapidly, or especially if you lock up. Controlled lock ups with good tires are not necessarily always a bad thing...unless you push out all the water ahead of you and then get up on it and hydroplane. Look at the tires and think about it...be safe
Ben
1. the 16" tires on a 01 4x4 with the t&h is
265/70/R16. 4x2 is 255/70/R16 i beleive.
2. if you are looking for a goodyear tire that
is good in snow, mud, etc. and don't care
about milage i would look at the tires on a
ford F150 w/ off-road pkg.
3. my 01 w/ rear slider is tinted, and the
heated mirrors are on their own switch.
4. victx, you have an awesome site for those of
us going aftermarket with a stereo. did you
get the wire whip for a 00 dakota? and do you
think that i should put a 1.5 din in? i kind
of like the extra sized buttons and large
display. if i get a 1.5 do i need the
mounting extras or should it slide right in?
5. i missed your handle, but to the one that is
looking at the V6, don't be so cheap, you
will enjoy the v8 for the $500 and will never
be looking to jam the pedal through the floor
to pass someone, trust me and others on this
one. also only buy the v6 if you want a high
possibility of getting a bad auto tranny. i
think others have also expressed some
extreamly common problems with the v6 auto
combo.
6. what doi care about tires, mine still have 35k
left in them.
Evan
Oops, waxed my new dakota right when I got it. Didn't notice any scratching or hazing, looked ok when I was done. It is not the best paint job I have ever seen though. Seems to have some clear coat overspray or something on it (slightly rough).
Thanks for the info on the covers.
I had a set of Pirelli Scorpions on my Ram 1500 4X4. OK tires, good traction, no real road noise, reasonable price, not the greatest wearing tire though, I got about 35,000 miles out of them, but I drive pretty hard also.
Oops, waxed my new dakota right when I got it. Didn't notice any scratching or hazing, looked ok when I was done. It is not the best paint job I have ever seen though. Seems to have some clear coat overspray or something on it (slightly rough).
Thanks for the info on the covers.
I had a set of Pirelli Scorpions on my Ram 1500 4X4. OK tires, good traction, no real road noise, reasonable price, not the greatest wearing tire though, I got about 35,000 miles out of them, but I drive pretty hard also.
http://hansonenterprise.com/
They look good, but are pretty pricecy!
Cowtown Aggie
raider41005 - that was also the only negative thing I heard about the scorpions was the poor tread wear life. I might just take a look at those Yokohama Geolander AT+. BTW: Tirerack.com had the BFG for $121 per tire and the Pirelli's for $86 per tire. Both on backorder, so I guess they are popular to replace OEM tires. Anybody out there know of any other online sites for good tire discounts? BTW 2- shipping on Tirerack.com from Reno to Southern Cal was $58.00 Fed ex 2-day. Not bad for four tires!
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/baja.html
or even the Goodyear Wrangler MT
http://www.4wheelparts.com/product2.asp?imseqn=23&occlass=GOOD&cat=TIR
Both of those have excellent tread patterns and friends of mine who use them swear by them. I don't need quite that aggressive a tread, and mostly do my 4 wheel driving in drained waterfowl marshes and snow, so the Dunlop Radial Rover
http://www.dunloptire.com/tires/Rover_rv.html
is perfect for me, as it provides good mileage and a nice, quiet ride too. It is a bit of a [non-permissible content removed] tire like the stock Goodyear, in that it can haul 2250 lbs/tire and hold up to 50 psi, but its about 5 lbs lighter per tire, less squared on the shoulders, and seems to be a lot quieter. These are superb tires. Good luck.
Ben
For what it's worth, I e-mailed K&N from their site two days ago for part numbers on 3 items:
1. Replacement filter (to fit in stock airbox)
2. Filtercharger Kit (conical filter and replacement intake horn)
3. Typhoon Kit (same as Flitercharger, but with "pretty," tricked-up finishes)
So far, no response back... If I hear anything, I'll be certain to post!
Does anyone else have this problem. The dealer just stated that is the way it is supposed to be.
Yes, the wire harness for the '01 is the same as the '00. I would think the 1.5 DIN stereo should install w/o a kit, but you may want to call crutchfield (when I called them a month ago, they didn't know) You may tell them the DIN area is the sam as the 98+ Intrepid. Whether you do a DIN or 1.5 DIN is up to you. 1.5 DIN may look more like an OEM install as it fits the slot, but the 1.5 DIN is a specialty item. If you get a DIN unit you are likely to find better features for less price, plus if you ever move it to another vehicle, you can. Thanks for the compliment on the site. I planned on photoshoping the pics to highlight screw locations, but I was too lazy. I'll get to it later.
slickwillie
Yes, agate was a '00 color and Dark Slate is the '01 replacement. The other '01 color is Taupe which is supposed to be brownish, but I haven't seen it. I would assume that if you ordered agate on a '01, it should actually come with Dark Slate. Again, Dark Slate is very dark, kinda like a graphite color.
asta - I'm running the Road Hugger (sounds cheesy, I know) on my 2WD Quad. I can't remember the 4WD name on my Prospector - but they're OWL style (the Road Hugger's are solid white letter style). I'll have to get back with you - it's at the ranch (about 150 miles from here). Maybe this weekend...
Bookitty
Not trying to start anything..Wink, Wink..
Allen-
themacguy - do you think there would there be a problem running a P series Kelly Springfield tire on a quad cab if you don't go 4 wheeling and probably won't tow very much? Would you use an equivalent P series tire to the LT series?
The following URLs haves some good info on wax application.
http://www.zainobros.com/
http://www.autopia-carcare.com/
http://www.waxdepot.com/
ZYMOL (enZYme eMOLsuion) is my personal favorite. It is a TRUE caranuba that uses all-natural enzymes to emulsify the wax. (High-rated in magazine tests too!)
It also smells great!!Banannas, coconut... my daughter thought I was using expensive hand lotion on my truck 8->
(Their cheapest product is available even in WallMart)
http://www.zymol.com/phihome.htm
bpeebles - I've used Zymol a bunch on some of my Porsches - I still machine it though, as the paint gets a bit thin after thee decades or so, and hand rubbing ain't the best for thin finishes. I seem to remember the story of the guy (enthusiast) who invented the stuff - used the max amount of pure Carnauba he could get into the mix (over 25%+). He blended it at home or something and peddled it at car shows and what not. Great success story.
I received word back on my query to K&N (quote):
"Sorry, we do not make anything yet for your vehicle. You can check back with
us towards the end of November for new updates. Thank you"
If anyone else with the 5.9 cares to send off a polite note of interest, it might help stimulate the interest of their R&D folks (provided the marketing guys turn a deaf ear). The contact there is: lorenzom@knfilters.com
Onward and forward! Guess I'll start looking for an alternate source in the meantime. Anyone know how to contact the AIRAID folks?
My personal favorite compromise brand is BF Goodrich - I haven't yet found anything I couldn't do off road in them, and I like the road performance. If my offroading was more mud and less snow then I would probably be looking for some Mickey T's - but not convinced that the on road sacrifices are worth it right now.
The most important factor with tires is to make sure that whatever brand you choose they are rated for the load and speed that you are going to run.
Can anyone tell me if it's just garage door opener stuff still, or did they incorporate more advanced features?
Lastly, did anyone successfully turn the horn-beep-on-lock feature or auto-lock-after-15mph feature off yet?
Thanks!
I will dig out the box at home and post it here..
This vehicle is replacing my wife's '88 Mazda 929 (180K miles). We live in the country in central Texas and have about 5 miles of gravel road to cross twice a day. The Mazda has been great but the road has just beat it to death so we have high hopes for the durability of the new Quad. I ordered the posi-traction and skid plates also.
Once in Dallas, it will be loaded onto a truck carrier for final shipment to Temple (about 120 miles). I'm expecting a call Saturday or early next week to go pick it up. Pretty exciting. I last ordered a vehicle in late '91 when I got my '92 full-size Chev 2500 4x4 long-bed which I've enjoyed very much for 130K miles. I hope the Quad will be as lasting and servicable yet smaller so the wife will like it.
Thanks to all who have written here; I've read every post (600!). Am anxious to add my initial impressions when I pick the sweetie up and welcome her to the family.
With off roading, again, what kind of thing do you want to do? If you drive in Sierra Nevada granite (or on job sites with stray nails), you probably want an LT tire to resist sharp rocks. However, many off-road situations actually benefit from a lighter or P-rated tire. Snow, for example, certainly is unlikely to give you a puncture, and some of the best snow-clearing tires are good on-road tires too like the Michelin XW4's which come on high-end Subarus. For rock crawling in Utah, you want a less aggressive tread, so you have more rubber in contact with the rock, and less void spaces, again a P-rated tire is good. For thick mud, like in the South or the UP, you want a very aggressive tread, but not a heavy tire, so again P rated might be better. This is because you must break your tires loose into a spin to clear the mud out of the tread from time to time, and spinning heavy LT tires is much more likely to cause a failure than spinning lighter tires. (For a lot of this though you really need beadlocking tires and rims...)
The compromise tires like the stock Goodyear are exactly that. They can hold/tow some weight, but not the maximum; they can off-road, but not in extreme conditions of any kind. They provide decent ride and mileage but not the best. The best assessments anyone can do of their tire needs definitely put ego / appearance considerations last..
Don't be afraid to reassess your tire needs even if you still have relatively new / stock tires. These, as current media stories attest, are some of the most critical pieces of your truck, and your actual needs and safety come before appearance or that $600 you might want to spend on something else. The Goodyears are right for most drivers - that's why they're on the trucks. But some drivers need something different, and shouldn't ask an all-around tire to deal with excessive speed, loads, or conditions. Be safe...
Ben
I was wondering when you actually placed your order. I'm trying to figure out how long it might take for me to get mine.
If anybody else out there can contribute to their order/arrival time I would appreciate it.
I've been looking at Dakotas for three or four years now and FINALLY I'm going to get one. I'm glad the Quad's came out because I do have a family and it makes it will make it much easier to get them around in.
These boards are great! Very informative!
Keith
Some people will tell you that it really doesn't matter, it does, I have seen what happens when a tire gives up (on a track admittedly) because it was being used above its rated speed - it isn't pretty.
bspark addressed the load and passenger vs LT issues very well and I can add nothing there.
Big Q
Does the body side molding help to reduce the amount of door dings? I live in an urban area so it is just about always in a parking lot.
By the way I saw a nice Amber Fire Quad going down I-85 near Lenox today and it sure did sound good as it passed me. It had a V8 on the front quarter panel. I think it was an '00. Do the '01's also have the engine labels?
Thanks in advance.