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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
14:20:03
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 Subject: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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A couple months ago I totaled my first Dakota. It was a '94 3.9L Sport 2wd Manual. Luckily I was able to find another truck which was exactly the same as that one, so I bought it. The rear end of my old truck is virtually undamaged except for a dent. I want to cut off the cab and turn the bed into a trailer. I've seen this done before, but never with a Dakota. What I need help with is the rear axle. What should I do with it to make it work for a trailer? I have to take the driveshaft off of course, but what then? I've never worked with the gears or anything, and I'm not sure if I should leave them in there or not. If anyone can give me some instructions or a link to a good website I'd appreciate it. Thanks alot.
Oh, and all the undamaged parts from my old truck are for sale. If anyone would like the engine or anything else just send me an email and I'll get back to you.
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ZoSoAir
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
14:41:14
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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A savage man you are........
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
15:05:12
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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If not this what would you reccomend I do with it?
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Shadetree
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
15:17:34
|  RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Actually beleive it or not I know where a few more wrecked daks are can you post a pic or send me a pic of it at niellis51@aol.com I may want to buy it as is from you .... hit me back when you have the chance ..
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builder
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:07:11
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Great idea.
Pull the cab off, cut the frame in front of the box and weld on a 2x4 steel box tube. Weld the tongue to that and remember to triangle brace.
Just leave all the other crap like the rear end in place. That way you'll always have spares.
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:08:11
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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I'm not sure if I want to sell it. I guess it depends on what the offer is. Here is where you can see some pics:
http://www.macnet2.com/Photopost/showgallery.php?thumb=1&cat=500&si=capone&perpage=12&sort=1&stype=&ppuser=
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:11:38
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Builder, so all I have to do is disconnect the driveshaft and leave the rest alone? Is there anything I have to do to make sure the gears aren't damaged while I'm using it as a trailer?
Thanks again
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shade tree
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:46:19
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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yeah make it a trailor it looks pretty toasty lol
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UWGriz
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:47:10
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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If you really want to leave the rear end in place, I would simply remove the ring gear from the diff and put the diff back in. That will keep the pinion yoke from spinning just begging to snag something hanging under the trailer and you remove some dead load from the mix. Still keep full of fluid, though so your bearings don't seize. And if it's limited slip, I'd swap that out for an open diff. I have one I'd be will to trade/sell if you want.
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
16:51:18
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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UWGriz, I appreciate the advice, but to tell the truth I have no clue what you're talking about, heh. Can you be more descriptive and tell me what some of those parts are for? Also, how can I tell if I have a LSD?
Thanks
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UWGriz
Dodge Dakota
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1/13/2004
18:31:45
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Put the transmission in neutral and jack up both tires. Turn one tire. If the other tire spins the opposite direction you have an open differential, and if it spins the same direction you have a limited slip.
The pinion yoke is what your driveshaft connects to at the front of the axle housing and once you take a look at it, you'll see that you really don't want that spinning under your trailer. To stop that from happening while still leaving it in, do the following (note this will no longer allow the engine to drive the rear wheels):
-Get beer (you'll need this to bribe a friend to help)
-Refer to http://www.powertrax.com/8221002a.pdf for diagram of a differential with parts identified on page 3
-Remove wheels and brake drums
-Remove driveshaft
-Drain oil and remove differential cover
-Turn the ring gear to get access to cross pin retaining screw
-Remove cross pin retaining screw and cross pin
-Remove spider gears
-Push in axle shafts and remove c-clips and pull axle shafts out
-In the middle of each bearing cap on your axle is a third bolt. Remove it and the adjuster retainer it's holding
-Get a friend to catch the carrier
-Supply friend with beer from step 1
-Remove bearing caps (have friend holding carrier into the housing)
-At this point there is nothing holding the differential into the housing but you may have to back off the tension on the threaded adjusters on the outside of the bearing caps
-Remove ring gear from the carrier (they're left-hand thread bolts on these axles)
-Reassemble differential minus the ring gear
Let me know if you plan to do this as I have left out a few tricks to help along the way.
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builder
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
04:56:13
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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"Tell me, why do you have to go and make every thing so complicated?"
Just leave the rear end alone. The only thing you might snag is a squirrel. Geez, do you snag things with your truck now? You'll need all your energy for the front of it anyway.
Just drop the driveshaft and worry about welding the tongue to the frame. I've seen this done tons of times.
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Buck
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
07:10:00
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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I agree with builder....somewhat. Just drop the driveshaft and leave the rearend alone. If I were doing it I would NOT cut the frame in front of the box. I would remove the cab and all cross members from the box forward. Then heat and bend the frame rails together at an angle so you can bolt or weld on a hitch. I have two trailers that were made. One is like this and one has been cut and a tounge welded in place. I am constantly having problems with the tounge breaking on the last one. I sure wish they wouldnt have cut the frame
Buck
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doe
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
08:25:53
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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I agree with buck on everything, but if you dont like the yoke hanging around, take a hack saw and a few blades, and cut the damn thing off, just make sure you dont cut it off behind the nut, if you do you will lose the pinion gear inside the diff.
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Bad Idea
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
09:26:42
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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"The only thing you might snag is a squirrel."
Or a load strap...
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
11:55:06
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Thanks everyone. UWGriz, I'm thinking it might just be easier to cut the yoke off like doe said. I don't think I'll ever have a use for it. Do you think that would be fine?
Also, mechanically, why is it better to have an open diff rather than an LSD? I'm just curious.
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open
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
13:56:54
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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open only because the limited will skip around corners especially with an empty box.
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capone
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
15:55:49
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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In that case should I go through with all that UWGriz reccomended? Or does that just remove the yoke? What does it take to switch the differenctial?
Did they have LSD available in Dakotas in '94?
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UWGriz
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
16:20:15
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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What open said.
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UWGriz
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
16:50:18
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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Obviously there are those who disagree with my advice which is fine, I'm just stating how I would do it if it were me. I personally wouldn't like that thing spinning around under there and simply cutting it off is still going to leave something spinning and pretty fast at that. So my question is why not spend the little extra time (the whole thing will only take about an hour), have nothing spinning around under there, not permanently alter any parts and get a low cost (axle oil won't break the bank), low risk lesson in how rear ends work. Seems like a pretty good learning opportunity wasted to me, not to mention doing the complete job and having a spare rearend for your truck that only needs the ring reinstalled and the backlash set should the need arise.
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doe
Dodge Dakota
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1/14/2004
19:49:39
| RE: How can I turn my Dakota into a trailer
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You can tear a differential down and put it back together in an hour? Obviously this guy has never taken a rear end apart, he didn't know what the yoke was. If someone who has never taken a rear end apart were to tackle this, it would take a full day. I can't even believe that you could do it in an hour. The diff would still Be usable after cutting the yoke off, you would just need to replace the yoke. Cost-$10 at junk yard.
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