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robscar
Dodge Dakota
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8/03/2005
19:42:53

Subject: RE: Nissan Titan
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the first truck i looked at was the titan. i did not care for the tonka truck styling, inside and out. this is a vehicle i may be living with for the next 10 or 12 years. i also did not care for the fact that to get the tow package you had to order a choice of equipment packages that start at over $1000.
the ford's, while atractive on the outside also are adopting the tonka truck look on the inside. i have not found a seat in any of the new fords that are comfortable. plus i have not been a big fan of the triton v8. their nice, but don't inspire me to get one.
you can spec out a nice chevy crew cab z71 with the light duty power package using the 5.3 engine for a pretty reasonable price. once again they have a bit more hp and torque than the dakaota but are hauling more weight although you can get the 4.10 rear gears. they are however due to be updated in 2006 so i'll also wait on that one.
the toyota tundra is an exceptional truck. quiet, smooth, comfortable. a bit underpowered also. it has a bit more hp and torque than the dakota with the same size engine but it is hauling some extra weight so that pretty much negates that advantage. also due to be upsized and powered in 2007.
the ram is scheduled for some suspension upgrades in 2006 to help it ride smoother so it can quell the critisizms of those lying magazines.
what i love about the dakota is the size. i went to the dodge dealer on an errand for work today so i sat in one, again. the step in height is great, it was comfortable, you can get the tow package without a bunch of fluff. i can also get heated seats for the little woman quite easily. just give me a bit more power!!!!! three magazines testing 3 different pull weights are not wrong. equiped right it will do better, but i have not seen a test of one equiped the way i want it.
so go drive them all and decide for yourself. that's what i do!



Joe.C
Dodge Dakota
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8/04/2005
15:49:09

RE: Nissan Titan
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@ Jim.B


Well I already got a 04 modle GMC Seirra recently so I probably won't be getting another fullsize for sometime untill these gas prices go south. Around Nashville its about 2.23 per gallon.

Any way I really like my GMC. I get about 20 MPG avg and also it's got a Vortech 4800 with a hyperchip installed. Now it can almost keep up with my Dakota with its modified 287.



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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8/04/2005
16:27:28

RE: Nissan Titan
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I also noticed in that little graph thing posted on the last page that the two other trucks were clearly MANUAL tranny's, having the 1:1 ratio being 4th gear, and the Dakota was an auto, the 1:1 ratio being 3rd gear. So yeah. 1st gear is probably WAY lower than 1st gear in a auto Dak and the next two closer together. Them two trucks with the manuals most likely don't come CLOSE to 50+ MPH in 1st gear like an auto Dak can. 3.92 or 4.10 gears probably make a world of difference for an auto dak and would put the 1st few gears closer together which would be better for towing and performance. Not like the Dakota with 3.55's and an auto doesn't already hold it's own in the REAL WORLD as I have known.
But lower gears should be night and day from what I have heard. I will know for sure when I drop in some 4.10 gears. Got a few priorties first. But I WILL get 4.10 gears most likely within the next few months if I can help it.



Come on
Dodge Dakota
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8/04/2005
20:12:49

RE: Nissan Titan
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I seriously doubt that the testers would decide to pick the other trucks with a manual and an auto in the Dakota. Dodge just happens to gear their transmissions high. That is part of the reason why the Titan can accelerate quicker than a hemi ram, which I think is a valid comparison, considering the subject of the post.



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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8/05/2005
00:01:50

RE: Nissan Titan
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Well looking at what modain posted here on the last page...

As with his post, dunno why it has the large space before the table. I couldn't see what in the code was doing that, but scroll down...







































































































Weight


Lbs/HP


HP/TQ


F/D


1st


2nd


3rd


4th


5th


Datota


4787


19.1


250/300


3.55


3.00


1.67


1.00


0.75


0.69


Frontier


4572


17.3


265/284


3.36


3.84


2.35


1.53


1.00


0.84


Tacoma


4225


17.2


245/282


3.73


3.52


2.04


1.40


1.00


0.72





That IS the 5-45RFE auto. Not that it is a BAD tranny. But look at the difference in gear reduction for 1st and 2nd gears of the manuals vs. auto! The MANUALS have the 1st 3 gears being reduction and 4th being 1:1 and 5th being OD. In the auto you are at 1:1 by 3rd gear with only the 1st and 2nd being gear reductions and the ratios a lot further apart. That is why manuals usualy out perform autos.

The Frontier has a taller rear than a 3.55, BUT with that huge gear reduction in the manual tranny the 1st gear is still a LOT more than in the Dak with a 3.55 rear and auto tranny. And that Taco has a 3.73 rear and more gear reduction in the tranny as well for the first 3 gears.

It would be safe to say neither of them trucks could do more than 25 to 30 MPH in 1st gear screaming the RPM's.



Now. The V8 probably has so much more grunt at lower RPM's I wouldn't be surprised to see it out pull the V6's easy. Then drop in a 4.10 and it's no contest! A Dakota would drag a Taco/Frontier upside down like a dead bug.

Now I know ppl were talking Titan. But that's NOT a mid size. It's a full size. So you should compare that to a RAM if anything. But again the Dakota probably has a more heavy duty axle than a Titan from what I'm hearing. That is funny.




Come one
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2005
09:07:27

RE: Nissan Titan
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Yes, but I don't see anywhere that states the Taco and the Frontier are manual trannies. It is more likely that they are autos as well. You will see that an overall taller drive drive ratio is built into the Dodge Ram 5 speed auto, when comparing to the Titan 5 speed auto (and probably the Tundra auto too, but I have not looked at that one). I agree that driving a Dakota would be awesome if they geared the tranny like everyone else.

But the fact is, this was not posted to compare the Dakota to anything. Joe just wanted opinions and facts on the Titan.

By the way Joe, please post your opinion if you make it out to a dealer for a test drive.



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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8/05/2005
11:42:05

RE: Nissan Titan
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I have a friend who told me how he had just shown up at dealers to take vehicles for test drives when he was "bored" or just curious.

I wonder if we could pull that off now. Would be FUNNY to drive down there and drive one of each. Then secretly drag race my Dak. It's kind of hard to really tell by the BUTT DYNO. We'd need to BASE it off of something else.

Anyway. Since we were comparing gearing, I kinda figured that was all confusing from that table the other guy posted. So taking similar data I composed one of my own but this time showing shift points at 6K RPM's and what MPH it would be. Assuming all trucks had as tall of tires as my 4X4 Dak and using the gear ratio's given.
When I looked on line, the Taco had either 3.31 gears or 4.10's available.
In the Frontier, it was either a 6 speed manual or a 5 speed auto with a V6.
The Toyota only has a 5 speed auto listed.

I know some of this may be off, but interesting to show the shift points with something like a Dakota auto vs. the others. Then look how the 4.10 gears change the ratios for the Dakota. I think I'll calculate for 4.56 gears and ad that later.
Since I did all the work last night. I'm going to go ahead and post it here.



















































Truck speeds rated at 6000 RPM 1st gear 2nd gear 3rd gear 4th gear 5th gear/top speed
Dakota 5 speed auto        
3.55
47 85 140 190 200+
Dakota 5 speed auto        
4.10
41 73 123 164 179
Frontier 5 speed manual    3.36 37 63 97 150 175
Taco 5 speed manual        
3.73
38 66 97 135 187
Taco 5 speed manual        
4.10
35 60 88 164 171










02dak
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2005
14:31:53

RE: Nissan Titan
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MORE TO COME... Boy, we can hardly wait to hear about your future mods. What a fag!!



Joe.C
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2005
15:50:30

RE: Nissan Titan
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Well your right. Remember those 46Re trannies?? with a 1st gear of 2.45:1..And the new HD tranny got the same gear ratios (48re)

Of course dodge got a much better transmisson these day with the 545 Multispeed. But I've yet to test out the new G-36 6speed.



lol
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2005
17:12:21

RE: Nissan Titan
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What a fag???!!! Sounds like someone is jealous.



02dak
Dodge Dakota
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8/05/2005
18:26:53

RE: Nissan Titan
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How can anybody be jealous of that. Please. More to Come...



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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8/05/2005
19:39:08

RE: Nissan Titan
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02dak probably doesn't even own a 02 dak for all we know.

Who knows. He shouldn't talk though. I paid to be a member and have a reserved name with a signature. So it's my right to post what I want in my signature. I don't think he has room to talk.


Anyway. IGNORING some people I was playing with a few calculations last night and this morning (been on vacation this week so I have time).

I was figuring gear ratios and shift points for different rear end ratios you could get in the Dak with a 5 speed auto like mine. So here goes...

You may have to scroll down. For some reason when you add html tables it gives a big space...


































Gears with 5-45RFE Auto Shift Points at 6K
RPM
1st Gear 2nd Gear 3rd Gear 4th Gear 5th Gear
Dakota 5 speed auto       
 3.55
47 85 140 190 200+
Dakota 5 speed auto        
4.10
41 73 123 164 179
Dakota 5 speed auto        
4.56
36 66 110 147 160


 



























Gears with 5-45RFE Auto 60MPH 3rd gear 60MPH O/D 80MPH O/D
3.55 2534 1748 2331
4.10 2927 2019 2691
4.56 3255 2245 2994


Now that may give a bigger picture on what you will get by swapping gears. Of course them calculations are for a 4X4 like mine with 29+ inch tall tires. Right now at 80 in OD I am running 2331 RPM's. If I dropped in 4.56's Id be near 3K RPM's. With 4.10's it would only be 2691 RPM's. Not too bad still.

I'm still trying to make up my mind about 4.10 or 4.56 gears. But I think 4.10 would be more practical.

That shift points table came out very accurate. That is about exactly where mine shifts with my 3.55 gears. If I push mine to 6500 RPM's before I shift I can do more than 50MPH in first gear.



8banger
GenIII
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8/05/2005
21:29:53

RE: Nissan Titan
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Graph
I'm looking into 4.56's because i'll probably go with 265/75/16(32X10.50)tires.

Don't forget about 4.37's either, someone once told me "DON'T FEAR THE GEAR"

03 Dakota 4X4 QC SportPlus 4.7L 3.55 LSD
Superchipped, 2Chamber Flowmaster dumped, K&N Drop-In, 2"T-crank

GraphiteDak
GenIII
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8/06/2005
01:55:18

RE: Nissan Titan
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I have YET to see anything in between 4.10's and 4.56's for our trucks.
ESPECIALLY for a 4X4 needing the same thing up front.

Oh BTW. I was looking online at new Dakota's (NOT wanting a new one) but to see how they compare. I noticed the 9.25 rear was NOT used anymore? Is this correct?

As for gears. I was told "let the GEARS do the work". Old school hot rodders. Gotta love em!

4.56's would be awesome. But probably a little much to handle at 80 MPH down the highway for a 100 mile trip!



STS
Dodge Dakota
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8/06/2005
16:43:30

RE: Nissan Titan
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well lets not forget that the dakota is more heavy also with the new bloated frame.



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