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DAK MAN
Dodge Dakota
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4/28/2004
01:38:42
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 Subject: question
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Yeah ive a got 03 2wd sport with the 4.7 but i want to go 4X4 and make it a manual. i know this sounds crazy to ask but is it possible, and if how much?
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dakotaaggie06
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2004
00:22:26
| RE: question
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If you are going to bother to go 4wd you might as well go with a solid axle up front. Now your question is how big do you want to go after you do the swap. If you are going bigger than 35" tires then you will probably need a better rear axle if you offroad. The question is too open ended to give you a good answer. Be a little bit more specific and the cost is going to go way up if you arent doing the work yourself. The prices that I have seen for a shop to make you big (aka 37" or bigger tires) is about 10 grand.
Andrew
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Levey
Dodge Dakota
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4/29/2004
00:23:33
| RE: question
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I suppose it would be possible..you would need the entire front suspension, t-case and possibly transmission from a 4wd..the 2wd uses a completely different setup (coils vs. torsion bars). Honestly you would be better off just putting a solid axle under it as far as cost goes and that would give you a reliable front suspension that can actually support some weight and wear and tear.
All in all you should sell it and just buy a 4wd manual. But i know how it is to have a reliable vehicle you like.
The manual part would be easy, just take a manual trannny from another dodge 4.7L and swap it in..the spot for the manual shift is already in the floor console, just cut it out. You might have to switch out the computer module too. Im not sure.
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frabs
Dodge Dakota
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5/01/2004
00:18:05
| RE: question
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I have some what of an answer to your question not the how much but the how to do it part.I have built 2 dakotas with solid axle fronts one that started out as a 2wd and one that started life as a 4wd.The first one I did I used leaf springs and axles from a full size, it worked but rode like a friggin chuck wagon. The second I built (yall are gonna freak ) i used axles from a ford bronco for 3 reasons first the coil springs make for a better ride second the dana 44 under a bronco has a reverse pinion ( the pinion is on top the axle not the bottom ) which takes some drive shaft angle out.The third and final reason the drive shaft is on the driver side like the stock dakota, unlike the dodge axle which is on the pass side, so you would have to change the t case for the dodge set up to get the t case on the right side. However with eather set up if your gonna be doin alot of off road or putting alot of torque to the t case (like useing a 360 like i did ) the stock t case will not hold up. mine came apart hard enough to put a nice dent and a little rip in the floor board. I was doin some good rooting but still it was scarry enough.
The truck with the ford setup i used an np 205 case from 78 ford 3/4 ton and changed the input shaft to the dodge np 205 and it worked great kinda costy but it will never break (case cost me $400 and the input $100 )
Both setups made the truck aprox. 6 inches wider then stock,which came in handy when sitting it on 37 and about 10 inches higher then stock.I know the hood on them was same hight as a stock dakota 4x4 roof , so it was up there looked kool and actualy passed for legal in MI (24 in to the center of frame ) both took alot of fab work and welding and would not be for a beginner
I cant tell you the cost on eather project cuz the leaf spring truck I had the parts and the coil spring truck i got the parts from a friend so i got it all really cheap ( I'm the only one in the group that is into mopars so they feel bad for me ha ha jokes on them )I have plans to build another soon using axles from under a 94-03 dodge full size. They have coil springs the drive shaft is on the correct side (hint hint then the t case and tanz will work out of that truck and be much stronger then the dakotas)And above all that they have a 4 link set up. The only down fall is the unlockable hubs.
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