So finally getting the front diff re-geared. Pattern looks good with all new bearings and a couple new shims. Hope to have it back in the truck next weekend.
Agreed. Diesel makes so much sense for commuting and crawling. The FE to torque ratio is awesome.
Added a drain to the front diff as it is a pain to get the cover back on and sealed to change fluid once its hanging in the truck. 
So found a few spare moments to throw the front diff back in and noticed a little bit of coolant weeping from an outlet connection next to the kats heater I just put in a few weeks ago. So that sucked up most of my time but now its solid and eliminated a short hose some plastic and a couple hose clamps. 
Well front diff got put in last week but had to wait for my driveshaft that finally showed up today. 
Well worth the wait as the stock shaft had a junk factory CV end on the tcase side and this new one is u joints on both ends.
Finally Its 3wd once again!
I would have found a dirt road on the way home but I didnt want to get the bed dirty. Ill try it out tomorrow though.
Well worth the wait as the stock shaft had a junk factory CV end on the tcase side and this new one is u joints on both ends.
Finally Its 3wd once again!
I would have found a dirt road on the way home but I didnt want to get the bed dirty. Ill try it out tomorrow though.
Merry Christmas all! Always take time to clean up the woods when your bed is empty. 
Yes 3wd works again! I must say 4.56 gears with my tiny 31.7" tires works great in 4Lo.
Yes 3wd works again! I must say 4.56 gears with my tiny 31.7" tires works great in 4Lo.Oil cooler install or I should say re-install. This time I used a nice Earls thermostatic 150F sandwich plate with -10 AN lines running to the radiator. Ports were for factory auto trans cooler but it works great helps heat the coolant up quicker and keeps the oil alive a bit longer between changes. Also adds an extra quart to the oil system.
Its time for the best mod on the planet for any 2nd gen dakota. After 285K miles the drivers seat , that was uncomfortable junk even when new I suspect, was completely shot. It was bad. A 20 min drive would leave you in pain. So I found a fresh victim in the junk yard. A 2011 pathfinder with 6way power and only 80k on the clock. Took me a solid day to fab it up being about 3 inches wider but man its like a new truck!
Also found one of these so when I get tired of replacing ball joints every 10k miles and have some freetime its going in.
Also found one of these so when I get tired of replacing ball joints every 10k miles and have some freetime its going in.
Member III
I know when I replaced the front seats in my Jeep Cherokee, it made a huge difference in driving comfort. I found some leather seats out of a ZJ. One of the best mods to my Jeep! Vance.
So after using all my free time on other stuff it was time to replace ball joints again. This time im using a plasma torch. Im sure these ball joints will last much longer and I hope to have it linked in a few weeks. First hurtle is trans crossmember. Looking like a 3 link is doable but I dont want it to sit too high. We shall see.
Links are figured out now. I have should have atleast 4 inches of up travel.
This mock up 33.9 inch tire has some room to spare so a tall 34 or 35 should be doable.
Next is steering box. I have a few options. My biggest hurdle is racing the cold.
This mock up 33.9 inch tire has some room to spare so a tall 34 or 35 should be doable.
Next is steering box. I have a few options. My biggest hurdle is racing the cold.
Explorer I
A
Great build!
Amazon CAD. Wondered what the heck that was until I saw the pics. Awesome.I wasent going to put a custom bumper on this thing but I need to increase the intercooler size and I would like it out front to make it more efficient and give it some more clearance. So today I fired up the old amazon CAD program and made some templates. There are absolutely zero affordable options out there for an old dakota that i could find anyway. Luckaly I have a fab buddy of mine that will cut out all my CAD pieces and hopefully I can get this done before summer hits again. One great thing about this dakota is the stock bumper can be removed and installed in less than 5 min so I can work on this a little at a time whenever I find time.
Great build!
78 F250 /hiboy box looks like it will work perfect. I am definitely going to have fun rerouting the intercooler piping though.
Solid axle and diesel swap? I hope you don't mind me drooling over your truck...
Seriously though, love the home fab work. Looking forward to seeing how this thing turns out!
Seriously though, love the home fab work. Looking forward to seeing how this thing turns out!
I am hoping I can y-link it to save some money as I dont need crazy flex. So far looks doable. Waiting on parts again.
Slight update coilovers are in but waiting on a new plasma cutter to arrive as mine released all its smoke the one day I had some time to fab. Everything you see just tacked for now. Slow progress but I caint complain. God is good! Happy mothers day!
