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Ron
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
13:50:16
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 Subject: Front Suspension
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Message:
My 2004 Dakota has been hitting bumps like it had no springs in front lately. I thought maybe the springs are filled with ice and went out with a crowbar to try to get it out. BUT: There are no springs! Could someone explain this to me.
Thanks.
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miltonwadums
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
14:07:17
|  RE: Front Suspension
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Message:
You have springs, but up through 2004 on 4wd they are torsional springs called torsion bars. They connect in the lower control arm near the frame and extend back about 4 ft (???) and mount to the frame.
What is the behavior exactly that you describe as "like it had no springs"?
Jay
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cc
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
15:56:18
| RE: Front Suspension
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Shock are filled with oil,
they do get stiffer when it's cold outside
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Ron
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
19:41:45
| RE: Front Suspension
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I can hit a small bump and it sounds and feels like I went over a pot hole. This is when its 0° or colder. It may be the shocks as the 2nd reply states.
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miltonwaddums
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
20:25:10
| RE: Front Suspension
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Yeah, thats definitely the shocks. IMHO and according to many other posts out there, the stockers are junk. I have a 2003 4WD. The shocks on mine blow too. The cold weather definitely doesn't help.
Jay
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Ron
Dodge Dakota
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1/22/2008
23:27:51
|  RE: Front Suspension
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Message:
Thanks for all the help. I have been told I need new shocks several months ago. It has 39,000 on it.
Ron
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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1/23/2008
06:52:02
|  RE: Front Suspension
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Message:
Well Ron it's like this, for several years smaller
Dodge cars used front end torsion bars. Worked
out well untill one broke. The front of the car
almost sat on the ground.
I didn't think they would ever use that again but
I see I'm wrong... Just another way to save
money building a Dakota.
Another reason I'll keep my 02...
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Ron
Dodge Dakota
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1/23/2008
09:13:27
| RE: Front Suspension
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I'm old enough to remember when Chrysler first came out with torsion bars in 1955 or '56. They made a big deal of it then in their advertising. Claimed that when you hit the brakes the front end wouldn't go down.
I had no idea they were still used.
Ron
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Josh
Dodge Dakota
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1/23/2008
09:55:49
| RE: Front Suspension
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RadioMan
If your 02 is 4x4, it has torsion bars, too.
With the redesign of the Dakota in 2005, both 4wd and 2wd now have coil-over-shock front suspension.
And if memory serves, the Durango 4wd still has torsion bar front end.
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Kowalski
GenIII
1/23/2008
15:59:13
| RE: Front Suspension
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Message:
Sounds like it's worn out shocks with no damping left to them, rather than too much from stiff oil, if you were told they were shot.
RadioMan - torsion bars weren't something Dodge tried for several years with small cars. They were used on larger mopars too, successfully for many decades. From when Ron says, at least to the end of the '70s in full size cars.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Ron
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2008
16:09:28
| RE: Front Suspension
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I had new Monroe, top-of-the-line shocks put on the front and the problem is solved. The truck turned over 40,000 miles today also. One of the original shocks was locked in place. That must have been the one that caused the bang every time that I went over a little bump. The other one had no shock absorbing action at all. That must have been why sometimes it seemed like the truck was going to roll when I went over a bump. (one shock frozen, the other no oil in it)
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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1/30/2008
16:50:41
| RE: Front Suspension
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Message:
40k is not bad. one of the shocks on my '00 QC went at about 19k. looked under the truck one day and the shock was covered in oil. changed to some Monroe Reflex and @ almost 80k, all is still good.
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