[IronHorse98]

Hey guys. New to the forum. My very first question is: will a 3rd gen Dakota bed fit on my 2nd gen? Reason being, i take custody of a 98 Dakota Sport this weekend and the present owner left it out on the curb and a drunk hit the left rear corner and jacked up the bed. It is still drivable, but the bed needs replacing. Also, is there any other diferences between a Dakota Sport and a R/T other than 5.2 and 5.9 engine size? Is it like the Mustang GT boys and the Cobra boys?

 

[01DakotaQuad]

Dang man-
Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Welcome to the forums! :rck:
I don't know the answer to your Q though. :gr_patrio

 

[IronHorse98]

Dented bed

Yea, bought the truck after it was hit, thats why i bought it actually. I am not too familiar with Dodge's at all, i own a 01 Expedition XLT, and a 88 GT Mustang. My wife and i go yard sales every Saturday morning, just to get out of the house and i saw a black Dakota setting in this yard, it needs paint, the bed is jacked on the rear left side, but still drivable and it had for sale signs on it. I asked him how much, he said $2,000. Like i said, im not familiar with Dakota's at all, and i was like no way. Its has a beat up bed, the paint is peeling off the cab and it had duels on it, and it has to sound like a pissed off honda civic. Dummy me thought it was a v6 because its a small truck. As i started to walk around it, i seen something on the front fender that made me start to grin, and i looked inside at a immaculate interior and saw a five speed stick and my grin keep growing relizing it was a small, king cab pick up packed with a 5 speed and a magnum 5.2 liter and i popped the hood and saw a really clean engine bay. Took it for a test drive and i bought it. Holy crap, it grabbed third gear like a Fox Body Mustang with 4:56 gears! Its rough on the outside, but the inside and the engine bay are very clean. Dont know how that happened, but im good with it. New bed, paint job, then a little mods, show time.

 

[CYCLONE_06]

An R/T comes from the factory with lower suspension, fender flare package (part of sport package), R/T 17" wheels, and the 5.9 and was only available in automatic. They also have a standard LSD 3.92 rear end.

Plenty of 5.2's have been made just as mean tho.

~CYCLONE_06

 

[IronHorse98]

So it is like the Cobra vs. Mustang GT thing. I understand. I have seen a R/T Before and i will admit, they are good looking trucks. But i think with a little lower gear (not sure what mine comes with - 3:55's ?), better tires and some moderate mods, the Dakota Sport can hang with a R/T. This one though is really rough on the outside, when i get it friday, i will post pics to show what im starting with. I need to figure out what transmission these come with and what rear end it has plus gear size. Like to know where im starting at. The 98 5.2's had what, about 225hp and 280ish ft lbs of torque? Sound about right? Like stated previously, im Dodge retarded, i have always had a Fox Body, hell i still have 1, but i want this Dakota in the high 14's soon. Maybe high 12's when im done. My Fox ran a best of 11.1 at 136, all motor 347 :rck:

 

[CYCLONE_06]

So it is like the Cobra vs. Mustang GT thing. I understand. I have seen a R/T Before and i will admit, they are good looking trucks. But i think with a little lower gear (not sure what mine comes with - 3:55's ?), better tires and some moderate mods, the Dakota Sport can hang with a R/T. This one though is really rough on the outside, when i get it friday, i will post pics to show what im starting with. I need to figure out what transmission these come with and what rear end it has plus gear size. Like to know where im starting at. The 98 5.2's had what, about 225hp and 280ish ft lbs of torque? Sound about right? Like stated previously, im Dodge retarded, i have always had a Fox Body, hell i still have 1, but i want this Dakota in the high 14's soon. Maybe high 12's when im done. My Fox ran a best of 11.1 at 136, all motor 347 :rck:

14s wont be hard to reach... 12s is gonna take some money...

~CYCLONE_06

 

[IronHorse98]

I was kidding about the 12's. I have a healthy Fox Body for that. I just want a healthy, well rounded, fat tired pickup that will make full size rams and F-150's nervous when they have their girlfriend with them and their out cruising and I pull up beside them at a red light. I ounce saw a Lightning get smashed by a SRT4 one time, he was so pissed off, he actually got of of his truck bowing up at the SRT4 driver and when SHE stepped out of her little car wearing a Mosseyoak Skirt and a tank top, i almost lost it laughing so hard, and yes she was soo hot. Anyway, I'm thinking a gear, maybe a 4:10's and a head amd cam package along with a cold air kit plus a tune, she sould be pretty decent.

 

[IronHorse98]

So how much hp and torque does the 98 Dakota 5.2's come with? Just curious.

 

[CYCLONE_06]

I was kidding about the 12's. I have a healthy Fox Body for that. I just want a healthy, well rounded, fat tired pickup that will make full size rams and F-150's nervous when they have their girlfriend with them and their out cruising and I pull up beside them at a red light. I ounce saw a Lightning get smashed by a SRT4 one time, he was so pissed off, he actually got of of his truck bowing up at the SRT4 driver and when SHE stepped out of her little car wearing a Mosseyoak Skirt and a tank top, i almost lost it laughing so hard, and yes she was soo hot. Anyway, I'm thinking a gear, maybe a 4:10's and a head amd cam package along with a cold air kit plus a tune, she sould be pretty decent.

I have a PT Cruiser GT. Its quick. Id put it up against my stock R/T any day. Its close. The truck might be a smidge faster, but not much.

Now, if you want a good set of heads, id talk to John Mercedes www.southeastperformance.com tell him Wayne from maryland sent you. He does the best headwork out there. I also have a very powerful cam for sale that I bought to do my package, but before I installed it, we went a different way, so this cam is brand new, for sale. The specs are [email protected] 114 .622 its made to make some serious power. Tell John you need a good set of heads, and tell him what you want to do with your truck, and he will help you out. Dont get mixed in with the wrong crowds. Trust me, dont go KRC, or GSM, go with John. If you want my cam, you'll have to get john to make you some heads to run with it.

The 5.2 made around 225hp and 300ft/lbs torque.

~CYCLONE_06

 

[IronHorse98]

I dont know what KRC, or GSM is, but that is a nice cam. I know enough about engines that i need good heads to run that cam. When i was younger, i put a Ford Motorsports Z Cam in a stock 92 Fox Coupe, it ran like crap. Sounded good with that lope - lope idle, but ran like crap. Does he sale aftermarket heads or can the factory ones be ported to run a smaller, mild lopey cam? I have AFR 185's on my Fox with a old, outdated F-Cam. Runs great though, it likes the bottle. Oh, and that SRT-4 has the MOPAR Stage III Kit, pushing about 23 pounds of boost. First gear was pretty much useless, and second was scary. The girl new how to drive, the guy was boasting in front of his friends, he deserved it. I tried to get him to race me, but he would'nt, he chose the little yellow car with a blow off valve that sounded like air brakes on a Peterbuilt. Anyway, any ideas on hp and tq for the 98 5.2's?

 

[CYCLONE_06]

I dont know what KRC, or GSM is, but that is a nice cam. I know enough about engines that i need good heads to run that cam. When i was younger, i put a Ford Motorsports Z Cam in a stock 92 Fox Coupe, it ran like crap. Sounded good with that lope - lope idle, but ran like crap. Does he sale aftermarket heads or can the factory ones be ported to run a smaller, mild lopey cam? I have AFR 185's on my Fox with a old, outdated F-Cam. Runs great though, it likes the bottle. Oh, and that SRT-4 has the MOPAR Stage III Kit, pushing about 23 pounds of boost. First gear was pretty much useless, and second was scary. The girl new how to drive, the guy was boasting in front of his friends, he deserved it. I tried to get him to race me, but he would'nt, he chose the little yellow car with a blow off valve that sounded like air brakes on a Peterbuilt. Anyway, any ideas on hp and tq for the 98 5.2's?

KRC and GSM are two outfits that make parts for dakotas that usually end up breaking. Once in a while, they do something good, but ive seen loads of emails of things they have broken, blown up, stolen, etc etc... stay away from them.

John uses nothing but Mopar for the actual motors / heads / etc... unless you request something different. You are right, youd need a good set of heads to run that cam, as well as a flashed computer, which he can also get done for you. If you put a good set of heads on there, my cam, an intake manifold, throttle body, and a good set of headers, cold air intake... ud have a quick truck. You should e mail him, hes a good guy.

~CYCLONE_06

 

[IronHorse98]

Whew, i picked up my truck today. Its a little rough around the edges, but you cant beat 2 grand on a v8-5speed extended cab truck. It runs great but, there is a click/clacking noise coming from the front - bottom area of the truck on the driver side. I can hear it when i turn hard left and then back strait. Ball joint, tie rod, busted shock maybe?? Also, when i push the loud pedal and let the suspension travel up and then down, it does the same thing, somehting is loose, just dont know what. Any ideas? Oh, i have the vin if someone can help me decipher what gear and rear end i have. Thanks..

 

[CYCLONE_06]

Definately get the Ball Joints looked at, they went to court over them and ended up doing recalls on the ball joints. Also could be wheel bearings, and probably has worn out shocks. Id suggest getting a hotchkis suspension system. Makes the dakota handle like a corvette.

~CYCLONE_06

 

[IronHorse98]

Definately get the Ball Joints looked at, they went to court over them and ended up doing recalls on the ball joints. Also could be wheel bearings, and probably has worn out shocks. Id suggest getting a hotchkis suspension system. Makes the dakota handle like a corvette.

~CYCLONE_06

Balljoints seruiously? Thats bad. I have had enough experience with cars to know that it does sound like balljoints. I have not had a chance to look under the truck like i should have, been busy as shit. Are balljoint replacement on these trucks expensive? On my 01 Expedition, it was $810.00 parts and labour, i was soo pissed. They were mounting new tires and doing a front end alignment and the guy was was like "oh sh*t, dide come look at this". I could kick the wheel and it had a sound of a cinder block rolling around in the back of a pick up, not good. That simple 4 new tire, front end alignment cost me a grand total of nearly 1,400 bucks. Anyway i can tell what size rear end i have along with what size gear from the vin? Or is there another set of numbers i need to locate?

 

[dakota dave]

there should be a build sheet in the bottom of the glove box that is covered by a piece of clear plastic that should tell you all you need to know. also if you have a 12 bolt cover then you have a 9 1/4 rear diff. which you should have since you have a V8.