Q's Q's and more Q's

[cain129]

It isn't worth getting a long travel suspension kit Fabricated for a 4wd dakota, but I want to make it an everyday driver with the nice prerunner look. What would you guys recomend for shocks, and would it be completely getto to throw spacers on the front end to stack the wheels out?

Heres my ideas to get the look, not performance. Open critique...

1- Nice shocks, stiffer than stock to keep the front end up, along with tightening the torsion bars.

2- Spacers on the front wheel axles

3- Custom Fabed prerunner bumpers and spare wheel mount

4- Fiber glass fenders and bed sides from Glassworksunlimited

[mattb]

If you just want the look.

Get some $50 a piece Bilstein shocks
I'm not too sure about the spacers
Buy an off the shelf bumper light bar
Get fenders, and GET THEM PAINTED
Tires
Wheels
Rear Springs? Blocks?

Now that I said that. For almost the same price, you could sell your ride, get a Ranger, etc. And then build something that you could keep wanting to change over and over. You see, once you start something, you'll always want to take it a little further. And if you start with something like a Dakota, you'll eventually be frustrated that you've gotten to a point where you've burried so much money into a truck that is "All Look" that you'll end up selling it, and doing what I just suggested.
Not that you've asked what I'd build, but if you did, I'd build a Baja Bug. They're totally reliable, easy to work on, a great first desert car, and a lot of fun. Trucks have a lot of charisma to them, but when it all comes down to it, build something that you're happy with, fun to drive, and something that you can possibly trailer/or pull to wherever you are going.

Go easy on him guys, we all started somewhere... Ha.

[cain129]

then build something that you could keep wanting to change over and over. You see, once you start something, you'll always want to take it a little further.

Go easy on him guys, we all started somewhere... Ha.


I was thinking of leaving that for the truck that isn't going to be my everyday driver. Going off of the assumption I don't want to be out of a vehicle when I start breaking things.

[ShaneR]

What's wrong Matt H. cat got your tongue?

For a daily driver prerunner look use the bolt on Bilstiens and fiberglass and do the custom bumpers they look better usualy, you don't want the thing to ride like crap so don't crank the torsions if it is really a daily driver and won't see the dirt. Bigger tires and you are set.
You have the drive by look, but don't expect to get much respect from other people who drive prerunners with suspension, they will consider you a poser, but that is okay just tell them you are building a race truck and this is your daily driver! There are some Dakotas for sale in the classifieds, check them out!

Oh almost forgot, remember to not paint the fiberglass fenders and leave them white for the true prerunner look!

[cain129]

What's wrong Matt H. cat got your tongue?

For a daily driver prerunner look use the bolt on Bilstiens and fiberglass and do the custom bumpers they look better usualy, you don't want the thing to ride like crap so don't crank the torsions if it is really a daily driver and won't see the dirt. Bigger tires and you are set.
You have the drive by look, but don't expect to get much respect from other people who drive prerunners with suspension, they will consider you a poser, but that is okay just tell them you are building a race truck and this is your daily driver! There are some Dakotas for sale in the classifieds, check them out!

Oh almost forgot, remember to not paint the fiberglass fenders and leave them white for the true prerunner look!
I think I'll go ahead and paint the fenders. Thanks though. Poser hu... not on the bike, besides If a long travel kit is what earns respect who needs it?

I'd like build a toyota prerunner as soon as this truck is payed off.

[.CAL.Photo.]

Geez I hate saying this....but if you truly just want the "look" I have seen a few companys that make bolt in spare tire holders for the bed. If you need room for misc. things you can always unbolt it. lol Bolt in Bilsteins, front glass, pulled bedsides(saves the moula), bolt on light bar/bumper, and whatever trie/wheel combo that pleases you. Spindle lift in front should be good. Perhaps lift blocks in the back if it sits too low for your liking.


CORRY

[cain129]

In actuality all you can get is "the look" with a 4wd dakota from my research.

[jeff]

Not worth the expense? Where would the world be if we didn't have glorious excess? That's like when I hear people saying a $300,000 prerunner isn't worth it... :) Sure it is, it's worth $300,000 to whoever spent the $$$ to have it built! If you have the $$$ you could make a very nice 4x4 Dakota prerunner. With guys spending $5000 on a "kit" for their Tacoma I see no reason why spending $5000 on a Dakota makes any less sense. As far as an imitation prerunner goes, I say build it. If it makes you happy and scores the chicks it's worth every penny. Don't worry about the desert snobs that look down on your project... somewhere there's somebody that wishes their truck was as cool as yours.

Aloha

I forgot to mention... figure out a way to get a properly valved shock at each wheel and it'll do just fine out in the desert. You don't need big wheel travel numbers to have fun in the dirt. Look at 7S trucks... some have (or had) about the same wheel travel you do and manage to complete races. That's a hell of a lot more than most trucks I see these days can attest to.

[Outcast]

I would recommend trying to stay away from spacers on the wheels and try to get wheels with different back spacing. Spacers create alot of additional loading on wheel studs that often results in them breaking. And we're talking little hooptie cars here, not trucks which are heavier and have even bigger tires. Now, having said that, there are some spacers that are 1.5"-2" that actually bolt to the hub using the existing wheel studs, then have their own wheel studs to mount the rim too. This is a much better setup that essentially changes the backspacing on your existing rim and is a stronger, safer way to go. But if you are looking at spacing out less than the prevously mentioned 1.5"-2", you should get a different set of rims. My $0.02.

[grantdcol]

As long as we're offering $.02

Wheel spacers/offset wheels effectively lengthen your A-arms and the resultant load on the torsion bars will actually lower your truck. Since the camber changes as the a-arm travels, you'll need an alignment to compensate for your new ride height.

The wheels will have a great deal of forward/backward movement when steering instead of pivoting around the nice line through your upper and lower ball joints. This creates a lot more steering response and will be difficult to control in 4wd, since the forward traction will make your wheels turn.

Most importantly the additional leverage on your wheel bearings will cause premature wear.

-Colin

[Outcast]

This is true.

[jeff]

I've put over a 100,000 miles on a 2wd Dakota that has 1.25" front wheel spacers. I've driven the truck hard most of its life. It's been deep into the deserts of Mexico and has seen some fun out in Glamis. Plus when I drive it on the street I do anything but baby it. Not a single wheel spacer or "lift" related problem. It's got over 90,000 on the upper ball-joints (CST upper control arm) and the factory wheel bearings are AOK. But the the naysayers of doom are correct, a wider track width will in theory cause increased wear and tear... in my experience it's not enough to worry about.

I don't see how a wider track width is going to cause the front end to drop. The weight over the wheels remains the same. The suspension is not being asked to support any additional weight simply by installing wider wheels or wheels with less back space. When the suspension actually cycles it'll be a different story (leverage) but the actual ride height should remain the same when driving in a straight line.

I don't care what you do with the truck... If you want to pimp yo' ride, pimp it! If you want to sell it and build something better, do it.

Aloha

[Outcast]

A couple of questions. Do the 1.25" spacers actually push the wheels 1.25" out from stock or are they there to accomodate rims with different backspacing? Also, the 2wd's have coil springs mounted out further on the a-arms instead of a torsion bar mounted up close to where the arm attaches to the frame correct?

Therefore, any increased moment caused by a greater scrub radius would not have as great an effect on the ride height of your setup as it could on a torsion bar front end. However, that being said, 4wd Dakotas do have some scrub radius already and work fine so I don't believe believe adding some offset (not much, mind you) would have much, if any effect on the ride height itself. Though, it most certainly will magnify the loading on suspension and steering components and that should at least be considered/monitored just as you are doing.

[jeff]

The 1.25" spacers I have are used to space out the factory wheels to clear the upper arm and larger tire. So in my case, they increase the width by 2.5" overall.

The original poster seems to have lost interest in this thread and so have I.

Aloha

[gomer]

Chris Arnold, what do you think about all this, I was hoping that you would chime in on this particular subject....:)





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[cain129]

I contacted some fab shops and they have all said that the long travel system for my truck would deffinately have to be enginered on a computer and I would still run into some funny problems. They didn't say what but I am assuming is has to do with the drive to the front wheels.

Lose of intrest?? no, Just busy working, school, takeing care of the new addition to the family, and studying for my AMT certification...

[GASPORTS4EVR]

Chris Arnold, what do you think about all this, I was hoping that you would chime in on this particular subject....:)





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What do I think Rudy, Yeah, a Dodge Dakota 4X4 isn't the most popular vehicle to transform into a functional pre-runner and available lift kits are a bit tricky, but there are kits available, I wouldn't spend the money on a new vehicle or a highly technical LT kit, Man, you allready have the truck, so just install a basic kit, decent shocks, maybe glass and pull your bedsides, and you are in business my friend, your truck will do just fine up and down the dezert, the wife and kids will think you are pimp, sometimes, the rougher the ride the better, girls and kids love that stuff, they be giggling for hours. Also, like Jeff Aloha said, "There will be people all over wishing there ride looked like yours man!! Damn, I bought a full size GMC Sierra a few years back and thought an over the counter modified LT kit, engine cage and resi shocks would get me accross the dezert at Trophy Truck speeds, yeah right, my truck bounces all over the dirt and feels like riding the mechanical bull at the fair, oh and sounds like a box of a million lug nuts being shook up as every nut is backing off.. it sure is fun though, and I dig it, I aint gonna spend the cash on a high tech kit or a different vehicle, hopefully down the road though, it's all about fun man, and if you cultivate that prerunner look, you got my thumbs up man..

[cain129]

Wise words from CA..;)

[gomer]

What do I think Rudy, Yeah, a Dodge Dakota 4X4 isn't the most popular vehicle to transform into a functional pre-runner and available lift kits are a bit tricky, but there are kits available, I wouldn't spend the money on a new vehicle or a highly technical LT kit, Man, you allready have the truck, so just install a basic kit, decent shocks, maybe glass and pull your bedsides, and you are in business my friend, your truck will do just fine up and down the dezert, the wife and kids will think you are pimp, sometimes, the rougher the ride the better, girls and kids love that stuff, they be giggling for hours. Also, like Jeff Aloha said, "There will be people all over wishing there ride looked like yours man!! Damn, I bought a full size GMC Sierra a few years back and thought an over the counter modified LT kit, engine cage and resi shocks would get me accross the dezert at Trophy Truck speeds, yeah right, my truck bounces all over the dirt and feels like riding the mechanical bull at the fair, oh and sounds like a box of a million lug nuts being shook up as every nut is backing off.. it sure is fun though, and I dig it, I aint gonna spend the cash on a high tech kit or a different vehicle, hopefully down the road though, it's all about fun man, and if you cultivate that prerunner look, you got my thumbs up man..

http://forums.offtopic.com/images/smilies/hsughwiggle.gif

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[GASPORTS4EVR]

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YOU KNOW IT RUDY, ha, ha,