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Dodge Dakota - FAQs

241 messages,  Last post on Dec 31, 2007 at 3:13 PM

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#3 of 241 Just to add to Jack's comment by andy_jordan Jun 27, 2000 (12:12 pm)
This section is going to be a little different from the rest of the topics. Once built it shouldn't be an active topic - more of a reference site. Whilst there will be occasional submissions let's keep the discussions to the other topics and use this as a source of information that is readily available for all. With that in mind I will attempt to put some posts here over the next day or so relating to some of the questions that I have been regularly asked over the many months that I have been around. It will start off deliberately basic and I make no apology for that - I want this to be accessible to everyone, not just those of us that have already learned our stuff. Apologies if it turns into a 'lectures I have given' series over the next couple of days.
#4 of 241 Rear End Ratios by andy_jordan Jun 27, 2000 (12:23 pm)
Dodge Dakota is available with two rear end ratios - 3.55 and 3.92. The number relates to the number of turns that the driveshaft makes compared to the number of turns that the rear axle makes. In turn the number of revolutions per minute made by the driveshaft depends on the gear and ultimately the engine revs. What does all this mean? Well it means that the 3.55 rear end (which is actually bigger in technical speak than the 3.92) requires less engine revolutions than the 3.92 to travel at the same speed (assuming that the gear is the same). The result of this is that the 3.55 will be more fuel efficient than the 3.92. On the other hand the 3.92 allows for faster acceleration, especially from a standing start, because the engine is revving higher, and therefore is higher up the horsepower, and more relevantly, torque curves. The 3.92 rear end also allows for a significantly greater towing capacity than is available with the 3.55. What impact does tire size have? Well, technically none. The rear end ratio relates to the axle speed compared to the driveshaft speed so the ratio is unaffected by tire sizes. What does change is the effective ratio. Larger tires mean that the truck will travel further for every rotation of the axle - because the larger the tire the greater the circumference. This means that a 3.92 equipped truck with larger tires can get similar gas mileage to a 3.55 equipped truck with standard tires, and still retain the performance advantage. Other factors will affect mileage - tire width and increased drag for example, but tire size should be considered when deciding on the rear end for your truck. Replies to this message: 99dktaguy (Jul 24, 2007 8:12 am)
#5 of 241 Limited Slip Differential by andy_jordan Jun 27, 2000 (12:38 pm)
Limited Slip Differential, or LSD is designed to offer greater traction in slippery conditions. It operates by restricting the amount that one rear wheel can slip compared to the other. LSD works equally on 2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicles. Imagine a situation where the right hand side of the truck is off the road, say on a shoulder, and the left hand side is on the road. The road has been salted, but the shoulder hasn't and is covered in ice. A truck without LSD isn't going very far - a 2wd will have all of the power directed to the rear wheel that is slipping (the right hand one), a 4wd will be no better, again power will be directed to the right side of the vehicle. However a limited slip differential will force the left rear wheel to rotate. Once the right rear wheel is spinning the limited slip differential will be bought into play, and will not allow the right hand wheel to spin freely, rather it restricts the rotation relative to the left hand side (for example the left hand wheel has to rotate once for every 4 rotations of the right hand wheel - this isn't the exact ratio, but serves as an example). The effect of this is that power is directed to a wheel that has traction and the vehicle can move. As with any system, LSD is not a golden tool that will solve any problems that arise, it must be used sensibly, and power must be applied gradually, as any responsible driver will be doing in marginal driving conditions. Excessive acceleration in a situation that requires the limited slip to operate, especially if the vehicle is not moving in a straight line, can cause the vehicle to spin.
#6 of 241 Full time vs Part time 4wd by andy_jordan Jun 27, 2000 (5:25 pm)
What's the difference? Well, the full time system is computer controlled - essentially the computer is constantly monitoring the wheels for slippage and will divert power as needed to try and provide additional traction. By contrast the part time system is manually engaged by the driver, either by way of a floor mounted shifter or a dash mounted dial (2001 models). Whilst the full time system can react immediately, and certainly faster than a driver, the down side is that the system is engaged all the time. This means greater tire wear, higher fuel consumption and an increased likelihood of corrective maintenance on the 4wd system, as well as a higher cost of entry. Arguments have also been made that the part time system promotes safer driving as the driver needs to be concious of the road conditions and shift into 4wd rather than rely on the truck to do it for them. The flip side of course, is that if a driver considers 2wd to be sufficient for the conditions, he or she can get themselves into more trouble than with a full time system.
#7 of 241 K&N filters by andy_jordan Jun 28, 2000 (5:58 pm)
In response to a request: What is a K&N filter and how can it help me? K&N is a company that makes air filters. They are wll known for two things - an ability to make filters that allow more air into the engine, and filters that don't need to be replaced, ever (well for a million miles anyway). Best of all it is the same filter. OK, some details. K&N have two main products for different vehicles, a replacement filter, or a replacement air flow system. The first is a straight replacement for the stock air filter, the second involves replacing the stock air filter with a different style of filter (usually conical) and some ducting. As you might expect the second option is more effective and more expensive. The whole purpose of this is to get more, and to some degree cooler, air into the engine. Without getting into all of the technical issues, if this can be done the engine can generate more horse power (somewhere in the 8-14hp range), better fuel efficiency, or (with judicious driving) both. The million mile part comes from the way that the filter is made. Most paper filters quickly become dirty and blocked and therefore less efficient. They are throw away parts and so are replaced with new filters. K&N uses a different approach - when their filters get dirty you simply clean them and replace them. K&N sell special cleaning agents and an oil that is used to coat the filter. For most people the cleaning process is a once a year thing.
#8 of 241 Andy Jordan, Tagging along by bookitty Jun 28, 2000 (10:11 pm)
Andy, these former postings may shed some more light on using the K&N filter system. #92 of 92: k&n filters (johnboy9 <http://townhall.edmunds.com/cgi-bin/townhall/vprofile?user=johnboy9>) Thu 17 Feb '00 (08:34 AM)   I understand k&n filter #33-2084 will fit the 4.7 . It is for a Dodge 5.2/5.9 engine . The cheapest I found was at Auto Zone for $45.00 Johnboy9 #94 of 95: k&n filter for 4.7 (keg3 <http://townhall.edmunds.com/cgi-bin/townhall/vprofile?user=keg3>) Wed 23 Feb '00 (09:31 AM) got the k&n in (#33-2084). fits fine (even though its spec 'd for the 99 5.2). dont notice too much difference in the way of low end torque, there might be some increase,i havent really had the chance to test that area of it, but there is definately an increase in power at higher rpms while on the highway. its doing what it should. go get one. Hope that this helps; Bookitty
#9 of 241 4.7 stalling by andy_jordan Jun 29, 2000 (2:34 pm)
Why does my brand new 4.7 V8 keep stalling? Blame it on the computers. The 4.7 has a very complicated Engine Management System controlled by computers. These computers are programmed to try and minimize emissions and maximize fuel economy - and they are really quite good at it - until someone comes along and starts driving the truck. The computers have to 'learn' your individual driving habits - where do you shift, how do you use the clutch when decelerating, how heavy is your right foot, etc, etc. The computer can then adjust the way that it controls the engine revs based on your individual driving style. However this takes time, and for the first couple of thousand miles the computer will make mistakes as it encounters new driving situations. The learning process will take longer with standards than automatics as there is less consistency over gear shifts, and it will take longer if two or more drivers aredriving the truck for prolonged periods - because everyone has different driving styles. As the 4.7s move on to second owners, expect to see a re-learning process as the computer gets used to its 'new' driver.
#10 of 241 Recovery hooks/tow hooks by gsu1 Jun 30, 2000 (3:01 pm)
Why are there no recovery hooks on the front of my Quad, not that I will take it to far off road. I see several truck that are 4x4 with them on the front. Ranger, F-150 and Z-71's all have tow hooks in the front, at least in the 4x4 models. Yes you can joke that they probable need them. (ford-forget off road driving) sorry just had to use that one. I just want to be sure if I ever get stuck that I can get pulled out safely with out damage to the truck.
#11 of 241 spark knock by impy2 Jul 05, 2000 (11:13 pm)
I have the 2000 Dakota club sport 4X4 5-speed, 3.92 axle ratio, loaded, with the bigger tires, and a 4.7 Liter V8. I have 3000 miles on the vehicle. I use 87 octane fuel. (that is what the owners manual says to use) I get heavy spark knock (pinging) when climbing a hill or under heavy accelerating. It will "ping" throughout the entire RPM range. I have tried all types fuel.....exxon, chevron, BP,etc...... but no matter what I use I still have the pinging. I used 93 octane just for kicks. It helped the "pinging" significantly and I can barely hear any pinging using 93 octane, but the owners manual says that frequent use of premium will hinder performance. To tell you truth, the truck runs much better on 87 octane. When using 87 octane, it starts fine, accelerates strong, no hesitation, and never dies but pings like crazy. What is my problem? No trouble codes show up on a diagnostic test. I have ruled out carbon build up because it is brand new. I have ruled out spark plugs for the same reason.
#12 of 241 A question about the stalling by dodgeboy8 Jul 16, 2000 (4:00 am)
Hello everyone, I'm new around here, so please bear with me. I own a 00' Quad Cab 4.7 V8 SLT, loaded, 3.55 rear, handling pkg. ect... My question is this.. Has anyone figured out how to override the top speed limiter (97mph) or is this something that all 4.7liter owners are gonna have to put up with? Any information from anyone would be of help. By the way, I LOVE MY TRUCK....just want a little more on the top end!

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