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Matt
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2007
16:05:07
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 Subject: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Hi everyone,
I'll try to make this long story short - I'm selling my car and getting a project car and a daily driver/tow vehicle. A guy who is interested in my car offered my his 2000 Dakota RT plus cash for it. Problem is, the truck is lowered 2/2 and doesn't have the tow package.
If I add a hitch and a tranny cooler would I be good to go, or do I really need the tow pkg suspension? (I'll be towing a ~2000lb race car on a double axle open trailer)
Can I tow lowered, or am I going to have to un-lower it?
The truck is pretty modified - 210 cams, headers, tune, 125shot n2o, etc. - and has 114k miles on the clock. The owner has told me the tranny was rebuilt recently, but I'm still concerned. Any words of wisdom? suggestions?
THANKS a lot of any feedback!
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dwsas
Dodge Dakota
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10/21/2007
15:14:53
|  RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Message:
I have an 02 R/T and tow 1800-2000lbs with it every weekday. You will not want to tow anything with it lowered. It will put a lot of stress on the drive trane due to the pinion angle being off-set from lowering. I have had my trans rebuilt 3 times in 127k miles and last month finally lost my engine due to clogged injectors( had to drive it 45mi. that way).I am building a new one with the help of Southeast Performance in Tampa, way better than that other place (KRsomething or another, but we all have our own oppinions. I have run a 200 Nitrous shot from cold fusion even while towing an 1800lb trailer,and about 25+ bottles at 175HP on the street, I really beat the hell out of this monster, so you can see that the engines are pretty solid, but in the towing world the tranny is just not as good as a TH400 or EL460 like the Chevys have. So yes, get the biggest cooler you can fit in there, and I would reccomend AMSOIL ATF and an external filter. My truck came with the factory towing package and I lost my first transmision at 38k miles, pre-nitrous days. You have to love these trucks to keep them for any period of time. I do regular maint. on scheduel, with some of the best products on the market (AMSOIL in every place I can use it)and still have problems. I must again stress, I really run this truck hard, and in the Florida heat. So, I guess it is all a matter of how you intend to operate your truck during its "in service life." Mods: 52F&B, M1, Bosch injcts., Crane ign.+ coil, 1.7RR Harland, KRC HR110+4 cam-(what a fabulous letdown that was), DR timing set, tensioner,headders,cold air,CF nitrous, sims,flowmstr 40, blah blah Truck was never ever fast but you get what you pay for.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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10/21/2007
18:27:04
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Matt, the truck has "210 cams"? should be cam as in one. unless this guy is trying to pass off some kind of clone with a 4.7. and from what i've read R/T's weren't really set up to tow more than 2k even though they had the 5.9/ 3.92 posi. probably because of the lowered suspension.
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1hotkadota
Dodge Dakota
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10/21/2007
19:08:08
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Message:
A lowered suspension could be aided by an airspring package for the rear. It'll keep the truck at the right height to minimize pinion wear and aid control. Although it'll cost about 250.00 or so.
Just a tip in case you want to tow with a lowered truck. But dwsas is right. A lowered truck unmodified will not be able to tow as effectively as a stock truck.
Good call on the 210 cams Daddio. I'm wondering the same thing.
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Shoe
GenIII
10/21/2007
22:30:47
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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That is why you correct the pinion angle. When I lowered my '01 it came with a shim kit to correctly align the pinion angle. Tow package on an R/T? That would defy what an R/T is. Unless you are just talking about a tow hitch. I towed other vehicles with '97 that was lowered 2/3 and just have a V6. It is not going to hurt the thing. What the hell do you need a 125 shot of nitrous for? Just about all Dodge autos are junk. I am not for sure if anybody makes built ones. You might check out Summit or Jegs I believe that I saw something on there once. Also, KRC has proven themselves numerous times on how good they are. They are great people with great service.
Finally... a V8. '01 Dodge Dakota RC, 4.7, 5-speed, 3.92 LSD. = R/T Killer.
well at least a stock one
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Super bee
GenI
10/22/2007
13:18:49
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Message:
you can find many fantastic built up tannies out there
such as for my diesel if i ever get the money
http://www.goerend.com/
contact them, i know there was a guy on dodgetruckworld saying he wanted them to build a tranny for his 360
1990 sport RC SB, 1995 318drivetrain, 3.92 gears (came with truck) Powertrax "traction system", 95 dash/steering wheel, hearthrob exhaust, headers, cutout after y-pipe, necessary electric fan add-a-leafs, 30x9.5 mud tires, cranked T-bars, AR 39 15x8 rims, grill guard, roll bars
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dwsas
Dodge Dakota
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10/22/2007
22:32:53
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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yes I suppose a towing package(which is only a larger cap./hi-perf. trans. cooler) on a pick-up truck is a bad idea, as we all know of the absolute dominance of pick-up trucks in most forms of road and track racing world wide- "R/T road & track" - besides what kind of race car needs a hi-perf. trans cooler, that would be stupid. Serriously, just check out the pinnion angle and try and keep as much cool/clean fluid moving through it as possible, and If its just a weekend tower you should be ok.Good luck!
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dan440
Dodge Dakota
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10/25/2007
01:50:09
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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Towing package on a r/t? I didnt buy mine to tow with but im sure I can tow a boat to the lake with no problem.
On a lowerd r/t, the airbags are a good idea to keep the rear from bottoming out.
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Biguns
Dodge Dakota
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10/25/2007
22:03:51
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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if it has a 4.7, it's one of a kind.
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MoparMan
Dodge Dakota
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4/07/2008
00:34:10
| RE: Thinking of buying an RT- need advice
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I suggest you get a little more info about R/T's. Go to the Dakota R/T Home website. There are a lot of clones out there considering the production numbers were really low on these trucks especially the earlier models
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