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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
21:59:05
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 Subject: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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Late last year I sold my 92 Dak (2wd, 318, auto, longbed) because the trans went and I wanted an extended cab 4wd anyway. I bought the most cherry 99 I've ever seen! 99 SLT, 5.2l, auto, 4x4, ext cab, cap, 3.55 posi, all optioned out. The truck is gorgeous. So, why do I miss my old truck so much?
I miss the old bench seat. The new buckets are nice but just not as comfy to spread out and eat miles. I did more then 1000mi in a day in the old truck just fine.
I miss the speed of the old truck. It was QUICK! I suppose the old truck had to be a bunch lighter and that makes the diff. But, this one seems so heavy and slow. The new one does handle much better and stops worlds better though. I think it has a handling package based on the underpinnings and the nice handling. The Rancho's I put in made a nice improvement in handling and ride too.
The bed in the new truck :-( It doesn't even have stake pockets!!! WTF? I guess people don't load em up? With the stock tie downs, I can't get two dirtbikes and gear in there very well. The bikes want to knock into each other b/c there's no high points to tie to. Payload seems a little weak too.
Trans - the new one is the RE and not the RH I had before. Is this tuned for mileage or something? It doesn't shift when I want it to, and yet it will downshift too aggressively and rev the truck too high IMHO where there's no power left. The old trans (before it died) shifted at perfect points for my liking.
So, I have been wondering for a couple months about what to do. 1) Nothing. Stop being so picky. 2) Something to improve the new one like making changes in the bed to add tie points, some extra leaf springs, a shift kit to improve shifting maybe. 3) Sell or trade the 99 for an old 92-96 Dakota. 4) Find a member to swap trucks with for a perfect Gen2
What do you guys think? Has anyone else "upgraded" to a gen3 and have opinions to offer? The 99 is a gorgeous looking truck... God it is pretty! The ride is very smooth and she's quite refined with all the gee-gaws like the steering wheel stereo controls and such... but it is just missing something to me. Maybe I need to make it suit me better, or just go back to the old style. Dunno. I hate to say the new one is a girl truck but that's what I've been calling it lately. Perfect for a non-truck kinda guy that loves the ride and looks.
Sorry to ramble so much :-)
Wal
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Ranger
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
22:59:39
|  RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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Well I miss my old truck too. It was actually a 1984 4x4 Ranger. It went through he!! and back and I should have put my money into fixing it back up but instead I bought a Dak. We`ll see how it goes after I do a few mods but I dont think it`ll have as much balls for the mud as my old Ranger did.
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racerX
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
01:04:34
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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if youre having trouble loading dirtbikes in there, get a bedrack from universalmotocross.com. thats what i did in my 02. it gives you a perfect setup for loading 2 bikes. it also keeps the bikes from bending up the front of the bed. check them out
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
09:00:32
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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I had been looking at this one...
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?store=Main&productId=p514312&catId=119&leafCatId=11909
or tiny url: http://tinyurl.com/3a2v9
What do you think?
Wal
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RadioMan
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
11:24:33
|  RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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Only thing I don't like about my 02 Dak 4x4, 4.7
with the 4RE tranny over a 98 Dak 4x4, 5.2 that
I did own is the tranny itself.
I have know idea what auto tranny was in my 98 but
it didn't shift in and out of OD with every
incline it came to.
No more 4RE type trannies for me. It will either
be stick or plain four speed.
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daffydak
GenIII
6/25/2004
11:47:41
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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if you have the 545rfe, they do shift around alot. my 00 4.7L cc 4x4, has the 45rfe (no 5th gear) and it dosent freak out on hills. sometimes on really good hills, it comes out of torque converter lockup. but it never drops into 3rd....
my 98 rc 3.9L (42re trans) would freak out on even a small hill and go into 3rd!! the engine had the power, but the tranny has a mind of its own... i really like the 45rfe in my 00 4.7L it siffts great (dosent gear hunt) and has NO delay in kickdown when i floor it!!
i just wish it had the firm shifts that the RE transmissions have at WOT. my dad's (work truck) 99 2500 ram, rc, 360, kicks like a mule under wot shifting! i wish my 4.7's tranny, would kick my ass like the 46RE does in his ram :-P
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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alex f.
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
13:16:36
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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I'll trade you for my dakota lol its a 93 v8 with 4x4
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daffydak
GenIII
6/25/2004
13:39:33
|  RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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LOL no thanks :-P
Dan
MOPAR=More Power!!
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
13:49:12
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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OK, maybe Alex. What are all the details of your truck and where do you live? I'm in NJ.
Wal
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alex f.
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
16:00:39
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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ya i live in Minnesota so that doesnt work out to well
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
19:07:36
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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that's what killed my '92. I drove it to Minneapolis, MN and back to buy a motorcycle. When I got home the trans wasn't working right. I was in total comfort travelling over 1000mi a day on that weekend trip.
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Sigma
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
19:28:15
|  RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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Wal,
While you miss the 93, I continue to drive mine(3.9L).....My family & friends tell me to trade up & i will not....Been satisfied with the performance since 93 so why change??
Learned to drive w/a "56 Dodge p/u" & I do like the look of the Gen III"s but it would have been nice if they keep the performance, heavier rotors, & other heavier rated parts in the newer model.....
Currently searching for that 92-93 5.2 RC SB....
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97cc
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
20:05:23
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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I too miss my 93. It was 4x4 5 speed 3.9. I now have 97 3.9 2wheel and I agree it is not as fast or as rugged. My 93 was t boned in 98, bending the frame. I sold it to a guy who straightened the frame and drove it for another 4 years before I saw it for sale again! Live and learn. If you have a genII, KEEP IT RUNNING!
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Wal
Dodge Dakota
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6/25/2004
21:09:38
| RE: Miss my old Dakota :-(
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One other nit-pick I didn't mention about my 99 is that there's a huge blind spot on the pass side where the large windshield pillar and 6x9mirror mount are. I've had some close calls because of that.
Anyway, having not driven two like models in gen2 and gen3, maybe I'm being overly critical of the whole situation? So far I've heard a lot of folks agreeing, but I'm sure there's more then a few happier with the gen3, no?
Wal
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