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Big O
Dodge Dakota
8/12/2001
00:12:15
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 Subject: possible to drop a 4x4
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Is it possible to drop a gen 2 4x4... you all prob think I'm nutts, but any info is appreciated. I just want a lil drop ...like 1/2 or 2/4. I know the rear can be done just like a 4x2, but the front is the prob. Would shorter shocks in the front possibly work.... HELP
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kota on 20s
Dodge Dakota
8/13/2001
13:38:45
|  RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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actualy, the rear on the 4x4's are different than the 4x2's. (at least on the gen III's) the axle on the 4x4's go under the leafspring, while the 4x2's are resting on top of them. the only way i can think of is just drill some holes in your shackle's 1/4-3/4 above the stock holes and move the bolt that attaches your spring to the shackle to the new hole.
ERic
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dakguy
Dodge Dakota
8/13/2001
16:02:44
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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You could also take out all but your main leaves for that much of a drop but with that you lose alot of carrying capacity.
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CyberWolf
Dodge Dakota
8/13/2001
16:55:58
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Just one stupid question.
WHY?
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Big O
Dodge Dakota
8/13/2001
21:48:43
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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all i use my 4x4 is for snow in winter. I don't off road at all, and i love the look of lowered trucks. I don't want to slam it, just a lil drop.
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CyberWolf
Dodge Dakota
8/13/2001
23:11:55
|  RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Makes sense I guess. It's going to be a little more difficult than you were probably planning. As Eric said the rear springs on the 4x4's are spring over axle. The shackle is also flipped from the 4x2. This means that the lower portion of the shackle is mounted to the frame and the upper part of the shackle is mounted to the spring. The 4x2 is the exact opposite. If there is enough room you can install a longer shackle. Just remember that if you use a 1" longer shackle you will only see about 1/2" of drop. You don't want to get too long either. It starts to mess up the geometery of the suspension. Because most people want to raise a 4x4 you might have a hard time finding a drop shackle for your truck. You may have to fabricate one yourself or have one fabricated. That is one option.
Another option is to remove one or more leafs from the spring pack (as dakguy said). I don't recommend this because it gives you horrible ride quality and handling. If you choose to go this route only remove one at a time untill you get the desired height.
You could also do a spring "under" conversion. Usually it is a spring "over" conversion. If you go this route be ready to get approx. 5" to 6" of drop. I can explain this further but you probably don't wanna go this route anyway.
Your best choice is to have a set of custom springs made. There are several companies that do this (National Spring, Old Man Emu).
The front will be a little more difficult. I havent looked at this one very close but here are some ideas. You can always loosen your torsion bars a little. This will soften your front suspension and cause it to sit lower but this will also decrease ride quality and handling.
Another option is to modify the torsion bar mounts. Possibly to even use a torsion bar from a toyota because they have a large selection to choose from. If you arent comfartable with this a custom 4x4 shop should be able to help you (if they don't laugh you out of the store first). Joking.
What ever you decide to do it will probably take a little bit of customization. Honestly, my advice is to decide whether you need a 4x4 or a lowered truck more. If you want a lowered truck more, sell the 4x4 and buy a 4x2. I'm sorry but thats my honest advice. I hope all of this helps.
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dakguy
Dodge Dakota
8/14/2001
01:13:06
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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I never thought of the toyota torsion bars thats a pretty clever idea Cyberwolf. Sure there would be some custom building there but talk about individuality the only slammed 4x4 on the block.
I like it
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Nick
Dodge Dakota
8/14/2001
01:56:13
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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*tear slides down his cheek*
Don't do it man, a lowered truck makes me cry.
Just say NO.
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kota on 20s
Dodge Dakota
8/14/2001
04:18:37
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
nick, why do lowered trucks make you cry?
ERic
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Nick
Dodge Dakota
8/15/2001
02:35:06
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Trucks should go up. If you want extra handling, buy a front wheel drive and a civic.
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kota on 20s
Dodge Dakota
8/15/2001
03:47:03
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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first off my truck has a 4/6 drop and can carry the same load as a stock truck (with the stock rims and tires of corse) so would you rather load lets say a 300lb refrigerator in a lowered truck, or one with a 5" lift?
as for buying a FWD car for cornering ability, i say the best cornering cars are all wheel drive cars with rear wheel drive cars right behind. heck all ferrari's, are RWD. and subuaru has set the benchmark for ralley raceing.
what does a FWD car have to offer except for loads of torquesteer and understeer in the middle of a full throttle corner.
Eric
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Jacob
Dodge Dakota
8/15/2001
13:08:46
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Pesonally I think it depends on the truck, as I like both lowered and lifted trucks. 4x4s should go way up with big tires. I think 2x4s should be dropped to the ground, unless you need the extra height for something, since they do not have the offroad ability of the 4x4s.
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Nick
Dodge Dakota
8/15/2001
23:38:15
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
exactly, you have a 4x4. This means you can off road like no other. Clear rather large rocks. Go to hell and back.
If you lower it, this is all lost, you lose these amazing abilities. Years of engernering have gone into making this truck be able to off road. And haul, and tow. All will be lost.
You will have a truck, as high as a civic. Sure you can toss a fridge in a lowered truck...but does a 4/6 drop make that much difference?
Toss on a 5.5" lift, and you would be amazed how much more you can do. All a drop does is take away options. Lifting opens them. Throw on a hydrolic gate, and its easy to load a fridge. But would you rather carry a load of rocks in a lowered truck with less ground clearence, or a bigger truck? Which one has more chance of scraping like an accord on a speed bump?
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dakguy
Dodge Dakota
8/15/2001
23:49:46
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
Man id be scared to haul more than 50 ounds in a lifted truck its top heavy enough:)
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Big O
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
00:12:58
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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But i don't go off road, ever. I really just use it for snow. I hate civics for one thing. I knew i was gonna get a lot of $hit for asking this question.
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kota on 20s
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
02:27:11
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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i am like thoes who buy BMW X5's, lexus RX300's and land rovers. They buy 4x4's that never see dirt and i bought a truck that never hauls anything. if i did though a 6" drop will definitly help more than a 5" lift. and if i ever needed a lift gate i would rent a U-haul.
I understand where Big o is comming from. he just needs something to get through the snow and by dropping the 4x4 he can get better handling and still have maximum traction in the snow.
Eric
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CyberWolf
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
10:13:19
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Big O, get used to it. It doesn't matter what you ask you will get $hit for it. People think they need to be a$$holes instead of helping you. This post isn't bad though. No one has called you names, yet. This post just has a few different opinions. Normally I would say never lower a 4x4 but I saw your reason, "he just needs something to get through the snow and by dropping the 4x4 he can get better handling and still have maximum traction in the snow", and understood.
By the way:
I have a 3/4 ton chevy with 8" of lift and it cant tow as much as a 1/2 ton. It sure is fun though.
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Bluethunder
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
10:34:12
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
I would never knock anyone for mods they do to their trucks...I for 1, think your nuts dropping a 4x4....sell it and buy a 2wd...then drop that..you would be much better off in my opinion...I would never lower my truck or any truck,,,I went through that phase with a sonoma and hated having to worry about bottoming out all the time, but I dont hate lowered trux..I actually like em..I just wouldnt own one...
Nobody should get on anybody for truck mods..Heck half the mods I have may be stupid in some eyes, but not mine..and vise versa..
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kota on 20s
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
12:23:42
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
IP: Logged
Message:
blue thunder, the whole reason for him having a 4x4 is to get through the snow. he dosent go off roading, so he dosent need ground clearence, just more traction. if he got a 4x2 not only would he be in debt, he would spend even more money on paying people to tow him out every winter.
i remember in car and driver (i think) and they did a drop on a 97 4x4 dak with a 400hp 318. they used the 4x4 for more traction in the twisties.
Eric
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DarkFury
Dodge Dakota
8/16/2001
17:01:43
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
Yup...I agree with what Kota on 20s said...
I actually had to decide between a '99 R/T and a '99 Sport 4x4 when I bought my Dak...
Yes, the R/T was sexy and all, however my "common sense" side said, get the 4x4 for when it snows from December - March. I actually had to think "logically" on that one, however sometimes I still wish I had gotten the R/T for the "fun factor".
Either way... I have accepted my truck for it's "high stance" however I too will probably NEVER go offroad... I bought mine for snow driving as well.
Personally, I want my truck to keep it's value... and dropping a 4x4 would be like writing off the resale value... and for that reason alone I wouldn't even consider something like this.
Anyways... Big O, if you decide to do it, I just hope that you put the pics of it somewhere where we can see it... I'm sure that would be "Dodge Different". LOL.
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Doug McCoach
Dodge Dakota
8/17/2001
14:47:20
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Big O, I thought of doing the same thing & the best way is to have a custom shop do it. Ther West coast has a few shops that are willing/able to do it. A lowered 4x4 would definitley be radical looking & would handle better & all. Also, resale value for most people would be worse but there is always someone out there who wants a lowered 4x4 & would be willing to pay more for it since it cost $$ to do it in the first place. I am serioulsy thinking about trading in my 4x4 auto for a 2002 4x2 5 speed maunual with 3.92 rear which has more pep, is lower & will handle better. Also, you can get fender flares from Mopar trucks catalog & it will evben look like a 4x4. The trade in will definitley cost me more than the cost to lower it but it will be designed that way & all under warranty. Think about, we would all love ot see it if you do it!!
2000 QC 4x4 Auto 3.55's 4.7L V8
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LI Blackdak
Dodge Dakota
12/16/2001
03:40:50
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Message:
I wish there were a way to get air shocks in a 4x4 so u could drive it lowered and then if you need ground clearance raise it up. also a lowered 4x4 would still handle better in the rain and snow(which is really annoying in 2wd cause if its raining the tires spin if u give it too much gas...ugh...so annoying with 4wd on u can floor it and still go foward...fun hehe)
but anyway is airride a viable option for 4x4s? i know they dont make a kit speciffically for them
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Nick W
Dodge Dakota
1/05/2002
01:17:13
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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That's funny, because I was thinking about doing the same thing. I really like the look of dropped trucks,(especially Dakotas)But after doing a little research and getting estimates, I decided I like being able to call all my friends' rides "EXCUSES" for trucks.
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kiwidodge
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/12/2002
01:24:52
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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i got a 96 dakota 4x4 it is lowered a lil bit but still looks good,i do a little bit of off roading
just enough to have fun but still get the looks!
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Big O
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/12/2002
13:19:38
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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How did you lower it? What parts did you use?
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SuperBeeDak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/17/2002
11:25:56
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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OK Big O I can help you out here. I currently have 2 lowered trucks that are gen2 4WD's. One has the stock components while the other is riding on all '99 AWD components. It is actually very easy and very cheap to drop these 4WD's and your ride quality only gets better. In the back you can go with several options.
-If you are not worried about carrying heavy loads then remove the smallest of the main leaf springs. Keep the overload spring and when you reassemble everything but this spring on backwards. This will actually help to reduce your wheel hop. (Anyone remember the old slapper bars?)This will actually give you 1-2" of drop (measured fender to tire)
-If carrying a load is a concern for you then you can change the shackle. And no, you can't really find any drop shackles for the 4WD's. You can install a 2WD lift kit shackle upside down though and it works fine. Just make sure you don't go too big without raising the hangers to right the suspension geonetry and pinion angle.
-Up front I've found through much testing that you can actually attain 2 1/2 of drop (again tire to fender) by cranking the torsion bars and still have the truck ride nicely..even in 4WD..granted when you are all the way at 2 1/2 inches the life of your CV boots will be decreased...but hey Sears warranties those..hehe And don't worry about the CV angles as it's within the limits.
- Now just to give you some perspective on how far you can take this I have a '94 4x4 dak that currently is dropped 4-6". In the front I moved the differential up 3" so that it is 1 1/2" from the oil pan. I then had fabricated some adjustable upper control arms and after setting the height i wanted I installed some stiffer T-bars. In the back i just did an axle flip, which after installing new spring perches gave me almost 6" of drop.
So as you can see it is possible and I must say it is fun knowing you will always win off the line against other lowered trucks.
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Big O
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/18/2002
01:12:05
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Hey super bee... do you have any pics of your trucks...especially of the rear suspension
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LI Blackdak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/21/2002
11:30:48
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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is there anyway to lower them that is easy enough to take off that can just remove it when u want to offroad or something?
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SuperBeeDak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
1/22/2002
12:25:16
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Sorry BigO, I do have pics but no way to send them to ya. Was hoping to get a digital camera or scanner for xmas but no luck.
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LI Blackdak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
2/15/2002
17:23:40
| RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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ok about cranking the torsion bars(its really hard) :-(
but anyway if i get them all the way down it wont hurt the ride quality at all??and how damaging is it to the parts???
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Evil
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
6/20/2002
02:42:12
|  RE: possible to drop a 4x4
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Everybody just needs to chill
The guy asks a simple question and you people get huffy because you don't agree with his damn opinion. Get over it. If you know something about lowering a 4x4, post your info. If you think he is nucking futs for dropping an off road vehicle, then climb back under the rock you came out from under.
My personal opinion is simple: any truck, car, suv mods are ok. If you think they would look awesome on your car, then do it.
I rather like the idea of a lowered 4x4.....better traction, less clearance
Here's a hint: put air shocks on it. That way, when you need the lift up for the damn refigerator or whatever nick said, you've got it. One extra word of advice would be to EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS. Don't get stuck with something you cannot reverse.
Good luck.
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