'99 Dakota BOV; *Update 9/9/2012*

[Tperkins]

**Scroll through, there are updates and some gear pics on the following pages**

First of all, lets not get all Dodge vs Chevy vs Ford goin on here. It wasnt my first choice, but it was a steal, and has most parts that usually fail replaced. Also, I'm only 18, so firearms/tasers are out of the question for weapons; I also have to park it outside since I still live with parents, and I dont want anything just laying in the bed for someone to grab.

My new DD/BOV;Pics are edited because they were taken in the garage, just a little OpSec. It's -4*F out, I'll take some more when a get a few mods done in the spring. My dad and I will be making a rack for the back, to mount either a single or co-phased CB antennas (replacing the Lil Wil' not pictured) and making a front tube bumper. The chrome wheels are actually just wheel covers, I removed them as I like the stock alloy's better, but am keeping the covers on hand for now.

1999 Dodge Dakota Sport
-88,100 miles
-5.2L V8
-3.55 Gear
-New greasable ball joints, new front shocks
-Thick plastic tool box
-Gibson cat-back exhaust
-2 Beefy 5500lb tow hooks in the front
-Towing package (I can rig the Warn shackle to the hitch for a rear recovery point until I get the Warn shackle hitch I like)

Bought for a little under 7k, cleaned it all up, and it snowed and it is all crusted with salt now


I took the window deflector things off, and finally got it cleaned up there; it took me two hours. I think I'll leave the front deflectors on for now, it is a bitch to get that adhesive off.


I have an ARB recovery kit minus the tree-strap in the toolbox, my dad had a winch on his old landcruiser so I got the kit for free. I can always use the choker chain and shackle for moving/recovery, and there is a pair of the winching gloves in there too. I also have jumper cables, a folding shovel, 50' of floating climbing/water rescue rope, and two locking climbing carabiners. I keep the rope in there because there are a lot of idiots around here walking on "frozen" lakes, and it could be used to pull someone out.

Once it gets warmer I plan on adding about 5 gallons of water and some MRE's when I get the money to buy them. I'll be buying a tow strap next weekend, along with possibly a 400 watt Cobra inverter from Cabelas. Might get a real Hi-Lift mounted to it next summer, I'll see about that and where I am with finding a job. Not being able to find a job with the insurance a young kid has to pay on a truck, damn..

The truck really just needs plugs and fluid changes all around. There are a little bit of metal shavings in the diff fluid; it is common for one of the bearings in there to go out, but it could be tomarrow or next year. If it does go out, I might put a limited slip in while we have it all apart if I have the money. Fixed some rusty exhaust hangers, and will be welding up a replacement hanger since Gibson doesnt sell the hangers for the exhaust that's on it anymore.

Any suggestions? I know I need to add water and some food, but its too cold to keep water in it now, and I need to go pick up some MRE's to keep in the back. I copied n pasted this from the BOV porn so I could get some feedback on it, so I might have repeated myself a couple times.

[eatatjoz]

There are a little bit of metal shavings in the diff fluid; it is common for one of the bearings in there to go out, but it could be tomarrow or next year. If it does go out, I might put a limited slip in while we have it all apart if I have the money.

Mine has a Limited slip that came stock. I found shavings in mine at 80k or so. I did the fluid change with Royal Purple synthetic and haven't had any new issues with the rear end.
I did lose my tranny three months ago at 160k. Other than that I've had no complaints and I love the truck.
Since you have a tool box consider adding a come-a-long to your tools. They can be really nice to have when no one is around.
You can usually get a bigger inverter from a truck stop for the same price as auto parts stores.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER! cheap insurance and doesn't take up a lot of room.

Dang I wish I had a V8.
Enjoy the truck.

[Tperkins]

There are a little bit of metal shavings in the diff fluid; it is common for one of the bearings in there to go out, but it could be tomarrow or next year. If it does go out, I might put a limited slip in while we have it all apart if I have the money.

Mine has a Limited slip that came stock. I found shavings in mine at 80k or so. I did the fluid change with Royal Purple synthetic and haven't had any new issues with the rear end.
I did lose my tranny three months ago at 160k. Other than that I've had no complaints and I love the truck.
Since you have a tool box consider adding a come-a-long to your tools. They can be really nice to have when no one is around.
You can usually get a bigger inverter from a truck stop for the same price as auto parts stores.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER! cheap insurance and doesn't take up a lot of room.

Dang I wish I had a V8.
Enjoy the truck.

Yeah, I actually plan on having 2 extinguishers in it. A compact one for the cab, and a fullsize one mounted to the inside of the box, I'll get around to that when I buy the tow-strap. I'll look into the RP synthetic and if my diff does go out, Id love to put an ARB locker in it, but it'll probably end up being a limited-slip.

Since the price of a good come-along and the price of a hi-lift seem not too far apart, I might just go with the hi-lift in a few months. It can be used as a come-along, and I can probably use it to jack from the rear receiver or the front bumper we might build for it. I'll have to look into how those points look for load bearing ability.

Cabelas' price on the 400W Cobra was actually pretty good, local auto store was asking $60 for a 200W inverter. Nearest actual truck stop is a good 30 or 40 miles though I think. But I might need to drop by there for CB stuff in a couple months anyway.

Glad to hear you've had pretty good luck with your Dakota though, minus the tranny. The one thing Ford n Chevy guys can seem to agree on is that Dodges suck, haha. The V8 is nice, but I've been getting only about 11 or so MPG, but thats probably since its my new truck and I like putting it to the floor from the lights. I've been driving all city though, but I can probably get 14 maybe 15 if I drive conservativly.

Edit: I'd also like to add some of those rear-side mount over-the-wheel toolboxes, but they're like $140 a peice.

[eatatjoz]

My V6 doesn't get any better mileage than that, but mine has a ladder rack, two tool boxes (loaded), a crap load of extra weight in the bed, and sometimes sports 31's. I abuse the poor little thing.
For communications, I've got a CB, two-way, and my cell of course. Two 1911 mags fit right above the steering column and below the dash. Electrical tape doesn't fit on the blinker like the rest of my trucks, so I just tossed it and my duct tape in the compartment under the passenger rear seat with a bunch of other crap. My inverter is mounted in the cross tool box. Toilet paper in the glove compartment. first aid kit behind the rear passenger seat (flipped up). Classic Coleman ice chest above the jack stuff (seat flipped up) It usually just holds stuff that I don't want rattling around the cab, but it's a good ice chest and it fits perfect. various fasteners, electric tools, and saws in the side box. Extra oil, power steering fluid and tranny juice under the hood. 100ft of rope... Heck, I can't remember what all I have in there.

My first one was a 4 banger with a manual transmission. Talk about sucking gas like it's free.... Wow that thing got horrible mileage.

[cygor98]

my dakota is almost identical to yours but with LS diff. and its getting about 10-12 mpg when i do drive if with 120k miles.

its not my DD any more though so i could care less about the mileage lol.

be happy it has the grease able ball joints, that was a big fuckin pain in the ass to fix.

[grand94jeep]

my dakota is almost identical to yours but with LS diff. and its getting about 10-12 mpg when i do drive if with 120k miles.

its not my DD any more though so i could care less about the mileage lol.

be happy it has the grease able ball joints, that was a big fuckin pain in the ass to fix.

Replace your catalytic converter. My 5.2 got the same mileage as yours. After the new cat, I got 15-16mpg. Carsound makes a good cat at a decent price. I replaced mine around 130K miles.


To the OP.. good looking truck. I've always liked that body style. If the rear diff doesn't have a LS, look into buying a Detroit Tru-trac or a selectable locker, if $$$ permits. It looks like you have 31x10.50r15's on it. I wouldn't go much taller than that. The 3.55 gears are already a tad high for that size. I'm willing to bet that you don't have the factory tow hitch. Most of those trucks came with 3.73-3.92 gears w/factory tow hitches. Either way, it's a great all around truck.

[Tperkins]

my dakota is almost identical to yours but with LS diff. and its getting about 10-12 mpg when i do drive if with 120k miles.

its not my DD any more though so i could care less about the mileage lol.

be happy it has the grease able ball joints, that was a big fuckin pain in the ass to fix.

Replace your catalytic converter. My 5.2 got the same mileage as yours. After the new cat, I got 15-16mpg. Carsound makes a good cat at a decent price. I replaced mine around 130K miles.


To the OP.. good looking truck. I've always liked that body style. If the rear diff doesn't have a LS, look into buying a Detroit Tru-trac or a selectable locker, if $$$ permits. It looks like you have 31x10.50r15's on it. I wouldn't go much taller than that. The 3.55 gears are already a tad high for that size. I'm willing to bet that you don't have the factory tow hitch. Most of those trucks came with 3.73-3.92 gears w/factory tow hitches. Either way, it's a great all around truck.

It doesnt look like a factory hitch, even though it looks like its been on about that long The tires seem to be the largest possible; when I turn it to lock the tires rub just a little on something, not bad though.

I'll be braiding some saftey wire to use as very temporary exhaust hangers until the new ones get in monday/tuesday; the whole exhaust system is only attached by the rear-most hanger and the rest is being held on by the exhaust header bolts, not good.

[Tperkins]

What are your guys thoughts on buying a come-along versus buying a hi-lift jack?

I dont really have a place to jack from the front, and if I jacked from the back with it, I'd be jacking from the hitch receiver. I dont know how solid that is; I mean, its mounted to the frame, but I'm not sure.

Is the extra 20 or 30 bucks worth buying the hi-lift even if I cant use it to jack? It can be used as a spreader, a clamp, and on another's vehicle I suppose.

[eatatjoz]

A come-a-long isn't going to jack anything up, so if you want a jack, get the jack.
Personally, I use a come-a-long more often for pulling logs, cranking stuff on trailers, hanging deer... The choice is yours.
I will say that you want a real hi-lift, not some HF cheapo garbage. I've seen someone get his jaw broke from one of the cheapos.

[Tperkins]

A come-a-long isn't going to jack anything up, so if you want a jack, get the jack.
Personally, I use a come-a-long more often for pulling logs, cranking stuff on trailers, hanging deer... The choice is yours.
I will say that you want a real hi-lift, not some HF cheapo garbage. I've seen someone get his jaw broke from one of the cheapos.

Yeah, I wouldnt buy anything apart from a real Hi-Lift.

Any reccomendations on come-alongs guys? Max GVW is a little under 6,000lbs fyi.

The one thing I saw that I liked about the Hi-Lift over a come-a-long is that it can be used as a spreader (rescue work) and can be used for jacking, obviously. Im just trying to figure if paying ~$50 on a comealong vs ~$100 on a Hi-Lift is worth the differences?

[eatatjoz]

My come-a-longs cost a lot more than $50. Closer to the $250 mark. I use them for work though. (little mule).

[Tperkins]

My come-a-longs cost a lot more than $50. Closer to the $250 mark. I use them for work though. (little mule).

Damn, I just looked around breifly at come-a-longs and they were around $50-$80 bucks.

I should look into the pulling load cap. of the Hi-Lifts, for $250 I might just be better off saving for an actual winch.

[grand94jeep]

Get a hi-lift. They serve many purposes. Besides, a come-a-long can kill you. I have the dent in the top of my truck to prove it.

Keep in mind too that a come-a-long weight rating is based on a rolling load, not a stuck load. A 6000# truck stuck in the mud will take 7000-8000# to pull it out.

For the price differences in winches, definitely go with a 9000-9500# (or higher) winch.

But otherwise, definitely get a high lift. Mount it in the bed and call it done.

[Darkness88]

Thats a nice truck youve got there. it looks a lot like mine except mine in the r/t with the 5.9. its a good truck mine gets around the same fuel mileage. ive got a gibson full exhaust and it sounds great. im sure youl llove the truck. just watch out for the tranny there not to great in these trucks. ive got a shift kit in mine as well as a ton of other mods. heres a couple shots.

[Tperkins]

Thats a nice truck youve got there. it looks a lot like mine except mine in the r/t with the 5.9. its a good truck mine gets around the same fuel mileage. ive got a gibson full exhaust and it sounds great. im sure youl llove the truck. just watch out for the tranny there not to great in these trucks. ive got a shift kit in mine as well as a ton of other mods. heres a couple shots.

You got a "Remove Before Takeoff" flag on your front rotor of that bike? Haha, nice.

'94- Yeah, I probably will get the Hi-Lift. For the stuff I do, I really like the looks of the X-Treme Hi-Lift with the spreader capability, but i havent looked at the prices on those yet I do a lot of stormchasing, and turned over cars are not uncommon, the spreader capability of that would be great in a scenario like that.*

*I understand all the legalaties and everything associated with that, if actual Fire/EMS can get on the scene, its not something I mess with. Its for the one car in the middle of nowhere turned over in a ditch filling with water, with the closest town ~50 miles away scenario.

Anyway; I'll be at Cabelas tomarrow. I gotta look at the 60" All-Cast jack they have there.

I dont have close to the funds avalable, but I'd like one of WARN's "Economy" model winches, the 9500lbs one I think its ~$750.

[Darkness88]

Thats a nice truck youve got there. it looks a lot like mine except mine in the r/t with the 5.9. its a good truck mine gets around the same fuel mileage. ive got a gibson full exhaust and it sounds great. im sure youl llove the truck. just watch out for the tranny there not to great in these trucks. ive got a shift kit in mine as well as a ton of other mods. heres a couple shots.

You got a "Remove Before Takeoff" flag on your front rotor of that bike? Haha, nice.

'

ya i got that from a pilot buddy of mine. its on the front wheel lock on the bike.

[Tperkins]

Well, didnt get everything I wanted to get done today working on it but today I did the following:

-Mounted the fullsize fire extinguisher in the toolbox
-Failed an attempt to get the hitch out, so I put a hitch pin through it, sanded it all up, and gave it a couple coats of rustoleum

I still need to:
-Get a tow strap
-Get 7 new lugnuts (the Chrome caps came off the nuts)
-Get a new center cap for the right front
-Install the new exhaust hangers when they arrive ~Monday
and a few other things.

[ZombieSoldier01]

nice buy!!! i always loved that era of Dakotas! just replace the cat as said above, do a full fluids change on it, stock up on your BOV gear and drive it till the wheels fall of..



just remember the 5.2L 318 from Dodge will practically run forever, as long as you maintain it



oh yeah and most important thing is to get a ZS Fleet number for it lol

[Tperkins]

ZS Fleet number to come sometime in the future, possibly

I plan on getting it in the local shop for a fluid change all around and getting the left front tire leak fixed next week. Until then, I have time to play with my recent arrival; delivered from Kifaru Headquarters, Colorado

Kifaru ZXR G2 in Coyote Brown I drank the kool-aid boys!

[Tperkins]

Well, I just got the Wilson Lil-Wil mag mount antenna put on and ran the coax neatly through the cab. I'm really looking into getting a Firestix antenna to mount on the side of the toolbox and just run the cable through the rear side window until I can get to drilling a hole in the cab and running the cable through, and possibly setting up a co-phase harness. I'd also like to get my HAM licence this spring/summer.

Also added a Trauma bag under the rear seats; 2 6" Izzys, 2 25grm quickclots, 2 kerlix, shears, some gauze, and some painkillers.

Also added:
-(2) 5 min orange lightsticks
-(3) 30 min yellow/green lightsticks
-Entrenching tool in toolbox

[Blasphemous]

Get a trans fluid cooler for the truck, it'll pay for itself. Take care of the tranny, it's probably the most problematic thing in it. My dad had a 98 that went forever, only reason he doesn't still have it is because of a deer. A limited slip or locker in the rear end will make it great off-road. Other than that; a good intake, better muffler and "fix" the converter.

[Tperkins]

Get a trans fluid cooler for the truck, it'll pay for itself. Take care of the tranny, it's probably the most problematic thing in it. My dad had a 98 that went forever, only reason he doesn't still have it is because of a deer. A limited slip or locker in the rear end will make it great off-road. Other than that; a good intake, better muffler and "fix" the converter.

You know how the prices are running on a decent trans cooler?
I've been looking at a K&N intake for it, its about $300 so I'll hold on that for a little while.

[Dragk913]

I've been looking at a K&N intake for it, its about $300 so I'll hold on that for a little while.

That's for the filter and box/system. You can get a universal K&N cone filter for like $50.

[Tperkins]

I've been looking at a K&N intake for it, its about $300 so I'll hold on that for a little while.

That's for the filter and box/system. You can get a universal K&N cone filter for like $50.

Ha, It's got a K&N Filtercharger kit on it, not exactly sure what it is, but its got a washable K&N filter.