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V8 Dakotas
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wiper
Dodge Dakota
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8/28/2004
19:55:38
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 Subject: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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i am looking at getting this 99 R/T, its all stock with 92K on it. are the drivetrains in these trucks dependable? assuming regular maintence has been done, how many miles can i expect out of the drivetrain?
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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8/30/2004
10:52:18
|  RE: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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R/T not any *stronger* than any other Dakota.
Before you buy the 99 see if you can find out if
the owner had ANY tranny problems at all. If he
did (even if it was replaced) DON'T BUY IT!!!
You're only gonna get a pile of trouble.
The engine, brakes and things like that is
another story. The 318 and 360's are real work
horses! At 92k I'd think it has plenty of life
left unless there was no maint. on it.
If it's setting on a lot, get the former owners
name and call him. If it was bought at auction,
spend the money and get a carfax on it.
If you can't have the R/T for a real good test
drive and check out, forget it.
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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8/30/2004
18:38:51
| RE: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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If the previous owner has had tranny problems, whether replaced or repaired, this doesn't mean you should avoid the truck like the plague. Replacing a dead tranny with a new one does nothing to correct the inherent issues that the new-age eggheads built into these trannies. The original 3-speed Torqueflites that these trannies were developed from were THE trannies in their time (and still are), and were the first automatics that could consistently outrun a speed-shifted close-ratio 4-speed stick way back in the 1960's! The original units were good for over 200,000 miles. Over the years, certain parts were cheapened by the bean counters. Then these numb-nut geeks came along, with no clue, developed a wimpy overdrive, and here we are. The overall design has been fixed by the aftermarket. (Fully built units can handle over 800 ft/lb torque.) Soon as you get it, get a shift correction kit installed....
http://www.fairbanksperformance.com/products/shift_correction/shift_correction.htm
This is the minimum you should do, or you can step up a notch with a Fairbanks performance unit or a TransGo kit. An external tranny cooler is always a good idea. Any of these will greatly improve the life of your tranny, as well as providing basic or high performance improvements.
Beyond that, the durability question goes like this: Drive it like a street truck, it'll last like a street truck. Drive it like a racecar, it'll last like a racecar.
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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8/31/2004
07:18:20
|  RE: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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gen1dak, you're talk about the *old* days when
rebuilding a three speed was done right, with good
parts and people that knew what they were doing.
As of today, I have yet found a happy person that
has had their tranny replaced or even worked on
that didn't have major problems again in less than
10k miles. In fact, I have a 92 full size Ram
company truck with only 50k miles that is now on
its third tranny and this one doesn't shift right
either. I have a 02 Dak with that fancy 5 speed
auto that I don't trust. Every once in a while it
will shift like something going wrong. And that
only has 22k on it. Try and get the dealer to
trouble shoot it, what a joke!
It's just a shame to spend the money we do for
American made cars and trucks trying to keep
people working and we must put up with such trash
products. It's not just DaimlerChrysler products
either, Ford and GM not any better.
"What's in your wallet?" I don't worry what
credit card I carry, I make damn sure I carry my
triple "A" card for that 100 mile tow I'm sure to
use some day.
Enough said. Just my 2 cents worth.
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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8/31/2004
12:07:45
| RE: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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No, I'm not talking about the "old days." If you replace the guts of a transmission with stock or better aftermarket parts, it'll still eat them in no time because the problems have not been corrected. The problem area is in the valve body. The TransGo/Fairbanks/Superior kits address these issues so the tranny will shift properly, lube parts properly, and last much longer.
That being said, it's a total crock, and a testament to the way corporate America sees things. We get screwed, or as "King" stated in a line from "Platoon," "The poor always been f'd over by the rich. Always have. Always will."
So it falls to us to figure out how to fix the things they ignore because as long as the money rolls in, they don't care. They don't ever fix the underlying problem, they just put in a heavier part that will last a bit longer. Through the entire run of the 90's that's all they did. Heavier part here, modified for better lube there (with some tiny pissant oil groove or microscopic hole), different material...instead of re-programming the valve body and doing exeactly what the aftermarket figured out. Think about it. We're pretty much in the minority here. Why re-tool an entire assembly to suit a relatively few owners with charbroiled trannies? Of those few that are under warranty, well, the warranty group needs a few bones thrown to them. They make a rediculous amount of money on those repairs. Most people have it in their heads that a transmission just can't last very long any way, and they drive like grannies anyway, so when they roll up 80K or so, they are expecting a failure. It all comes down to numbers and averages. As long as the majority of failures happen after a given mile number/operational hour they never fix real problem. It's the mentality that's been pushed ever since they started changing body styles every few years (and that started a LONG time ago). "Get rid of that old thing and get a new one." "You fix that problem and then something else will break." "It'll be cheaper to just trade it in and get a new one." If we didn't buy into all this crap about resale value and putting money into an old vehicle, they wouldn't have so much power, and they'd make a better product. When the Japs kicked ass in the 80's with better quality, the industry responded, but things have settled down now, and quality, in a lot of ways has slipped.
No, that's not just old days. Some things never change.
On rebuild, it's true that most don't know what they're doing. It's pretty much like everything appears to be going. These guys fall into the category that they know the 3-speed, and the OD's are no different, or they're a barely functional zombie that shoves parts wherever one will fit. As long as it rolls out under power, it's been fixed. Scary. This is why, despite having never worked on a tranny til just recently, I am doing my own work now. Considering the options, I figure there's not much to lose. I can't pop 2 grand for a properly done performance-built unit right now, so I'm doing it myself. I know that's not a practical solution for most, but to get it done right, it's gonna cost some serious bucks. At least then, however, it'll last a lot longer the second time around.
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wiper
Dodge Dakota
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9/02/2004
23:35:09
| RE: How strong are the R/Ts drivetrains?
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goin to look at her tom. any last minute advice?
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