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Morgan
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2003
12:02:21
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 Subject: I need better suspension
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Message:
I just bought a 03 QC, I do a lot of trailer towing and find the rear suspension horribly weak. I find the 4.7 is a great motor and the truck has lots of power for what I do, I use the four wheel drive now and again but mostly for backing trailers through muddy construction sites and stuff.
I guess what I'm saying is that the truck does a great job, but the rear suspension needs to be stronger, I was nthinking airbags that could handle extra wieght, has anyone done anything like this?
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CThomp
*GenIII*
7/31/2003
12:13:57
| RE: I need better suspension
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roadmaster active suspension and some rancho shocks. If you need more towing capacity try 4.10 gears and a powertrax no-slip.
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teamfast
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2003
12:20:57
| RE: I need better suspension
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any suspension shop can add extra springs to the mix, this will allow your truck to haul what you want, just be sure your tyres are up to spec, cause thats whats going to be taking the extra load. Buying whole new leafs can be an option but why pay for name brand when you can get the same for cheaper?
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Morgan
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2003
12:33:37
| RE: I need better suspension
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I think I've looked at the road master active suspension, isn't that shocks installed on top of the spring? I may be wrong, but would that be enough for real heavy loads? To put heavy loads in perspective: Last night I had to haul a half yard of wet sand (about 1100lbs) this is the type of work I end up doing now and again, The truck all except the rear springs seems to handle it well. Does anyone else really work their dak.? I was hoping there was something out there that would effect the truck only when under load.
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CThomp
*GenIII*
7/31/2003
12:53:35
| RE: I need better suspension
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I occasionally haul loads similiar in weight to what you haul (up to 1200lbs) in a 2wd CC Dak. The rear end sags quite a bit in my opinion but the truck still drives just fine. I just got the RAS and a set of KYB monomax shocks put on my truck. I haven't had anything in the bed so far so I can't tell you how it performs just yet. There are lots of guys on this board though that have the RAS and could probably justify it.
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kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2003
15:33:11
| RE: I need better suspension
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I have the Roadmaster set up, it works well and yes, I work my truck - towing, hauling and plowing. That's a spring on top, not a shock. As leaf springs are compressed, that top spring is extended so they are working against each other. Extra weight capacity without all the extra harshness associated with typical add a leaf set ups. Been running that for a couple years - it works great.
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Morgan
Dodge Dakota
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7/31/2003
16:50:04
| RE: I need better suspension
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you brought up my next question, is it practical to put a plow on one of these trucks with out really changing much on the front end?
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Homer .S.
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2003
12:18:17
|  RE: I need better suspension
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Message:
how heavy is your trailer? is that the problem just when towing? If it is you might want to look into weight distribution bars for it. I pull an enclosed trailer with my 99 2wd and they make a world of a differnce ,safer because it levels out the truck and puts weight back on the front wheels. Then when your not towing you still have smooth ride. Air bags can be a pain for leaking and filling. Unless you find it weak just when your loaded up, then look into add a leaf or the other spring set up as mentioned earlier but it might make your truck ride crapy. Shocks wont do anything they dont support the weight of the vehicle springs do.
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Morgan
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2003
12:28:06
| RE: I need better suspension
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The trailer I pull most often is a tandem axle 12x6' flat deck, the trailer empty only weighs 1200lbs but I often end up with 7000lbs on the trailer, If I am real carefull when loading the trailer it hardly effects the truck, the problem is when I pull horses or someone loads the trailer before I hook up, then it is harder to control the distribution of wieght. Then of coarse when you put a load in the truck itself it really seems to sag.
It seems to me everyone is trying to get away from airbags, is this from personal experience or just what you've heard?
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kowalski
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2003
15:29:16
| RE: I need better suspension
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Message:
Dodge doesn't recomend plowing Daks but I'd be more concerned with plow manufacturers recomendations. I've been pushing a 7 1/2' Fisher regular duty for three years now with a regular cab with no problems. Still on original ball joints. There is a lot of front end squat, all of my plowing is in my neighborhood, otherwise I'd recomend light duty plow if you're carrying it over the road much. I recently raised my front about 1 1/2" with the torsion bars, that should help some. Recomendations can be different for different cab and engine configurations. My year (2000) Fisher considered Dak front end more capable of handling plow weight than 1/2 ton Ram.
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homer.s.
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2003
17:00:35
| RE: I need better suspension
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Wow 7000 lbs,and horses is asking aton from a dakota mine gets worked good with 3,000 loaded trailer 5.2l v8. I dont want to say it but you might want to consider a 3/4 ton or more that would better suit your needs. you are only going to weaken the suspension more and your problem will get worse among other things. Espeicially if your doing it often. Im afraid to ask what your putting in the back of your truck. Ive put to motorcycles 500lbs with fuel and gear and my 2wd hardly sinks down at all and it actually rides better like a cady loaded. 7000 lbs will for sure effect your dakota when it gets out of shape on the highway someday.Im not slamming your dakota I love them and i wish i had sweet 4x4 quad cab like yours they are great trucks! However they are still a light duty truck and you can only expect so much from them even if its capacity is rated up to that. I personlay dont think its a good idea. Weight distibution bars are the ticket.
Becarefull with those loads!
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Morgan
Dodge Dakota
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8/01/2003
17:20:28
| RE: I need better suspension
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Ya the loads I end up hauling can get pushy, but with electric brakes on the trailer and a control for them in the cab, it is just like driving a full size with a big gooseneck, thanks for the advice, I will be looking at getting some weight distribution bars.
Probably a plow for the winter also, I have a 1/4 mile lane that runs east/west causes a lot of grief in Alberta winter.
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