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brad
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/11/2004
00:23:26
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 Subject: 1997 dodge dakota lift ?
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Message:
i want to lift my 1997 dodge dakota 4x4. what angle will i need to set the drive shaft
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Big Dakota 97
Dodge Dakota
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5/15/2004
20:24:45
|  RE: 1997 dodge dakota lift ?
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Message:
Brad, i lifted my '97 Dakota Ext. cab with the 3" Rancho and a PA Body lift, i never had to Modify the driveline angle a bit. As far as the 5.5" Tuff Country lift goes, i don't know, but i'm sure you can find someone on here that can answer that question. Down at the bottom is a link to a picture of my Dakota, unfortunately it's the only one i got.
"People say if it ain't broke don't fix it, i say if it ain't broke you didn't hit the hole hard enough."
http://hometown.aol.com/Getchasome224/
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Walt_Felix
Dodge Dakota
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5/16/2004
09:08:32
| RE: 1997 dodge dakota lift ?
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Message:
Not enough information in your post. It depends on how high, what and how you’re lifting. Also, drive shaft angle is kind of unusual request, are you looking for the pinion angle instead? Pinion angle is one of the more important measurements on a lifted vehicle. The wrong angle can lead to drive line vibration and premature failure of U-joints, drive shafts, pinion bearings and even transfer case output bearings.
As far as pinion angles modification, most of the aftermarket suspension lift kits will either have:
1. Lift blocks for the rear, which are already beveled slightly to modify the pinion angle.
2. Replacement springs and small wedge shaped shims between the new spring and perch. Either squeezed between the spring and perch by the u-bolt or directly welded to the new spring.
It not really something you have to think about when you’re installing a kit since most all already designed to modify the angle accordingly when you install.
I’ve read somewhere that the angle of the pinion should be kept parallel with the angle of the transfer case output shaft or you’ll get vibration. The vibration results from unequal velocities at the opposite ends of the drive shaft. When a U-joint is run at an angle the drive shaft will actually speed up and slow down twice during each revolution, due to the changing angular velocity of the U-joint ends. There will be no vibration if the angles are the same at both ends of the drive shaft because both ends will speed up and slow down at the same time and in the same amounts. If the angles are off the U-joints will still cause the speed to change at the same time (unless the drive shaft is twisted) but in different amounts, causing vibration. Keeping the pinion parallel with the output of the transfer case will keep the angles the same, avoiding vibrations. Since a Dakota uses a standard type drive shaft for the rear, (a single u-joint on each end) you would want to keep the pinion angle parallel to the transfer case output shaft.
There is another type of drive shaft, for example the front drive shaft in a Dakota. It is a Constant Velocity double cardan type drive shaft with 2 joints on one end. As the name implies, a CV joint keeps the velocity of the drive shaft constant throughout a revolution. In a double cardan type constant velocity joint each joint in the CV assembly will speed up and slow down, just like on a regular drive shaft. The double cardan assembly has a centering mechanism that keeps the angle between the U-joints correct, allowing them to completely cancel out the speeding up and slowing down and spin the drive shaft at a constant speed.
In a perfect world the pinion could be pointed parallel with the drive shaft when using a CV joint so that all four caps on the lower U-joint will spin in the same circle to prevent the single lower U-joint from speeding up and slowing down as it rotates, which would cause a vibration. Unfortunately, our world isn't perfect and the needle bearings inside a U-joint need to move to stay lubricated. The pinion angle must be 2 degrees below the drive shaft in to cause the needles to move and be properly lubricated.
Since I think I just confused myself, I hope you understand what I just said.
__________________
Walt Felix
http://www.MoparsinMotion.Com
http://www.Walt-n-Ingrid.Com
http://www.CruiseNights.Info
    
Note: I very frequently get email from people asking about the lift kit in my
’88. Typically, I will NOT respond the emails (about 90%) that ask questions
I’ve already covered on my web pages (ie. Where did you get the kit?, Who
makes it?, How much did it cost?, What modifications did you have to make to get it to fit your truck?. How hard was it to install? What problems did you
encounter? etc, etc...)
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