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Lowered / Slammed Dakotas
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noob
Dodge Dakota
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7/27/2004
00:36:52

Subject: 2/4
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i bought my first set of 20's today and had them put on and im only 16 so im kind of stoked but i know you cant just put rims on and think youre the bomb so i went to my local custom shop to order a lowering kit, the only problem was, is he saidhe would charge 300 dollars labor to put on a 3/5 and the kit was around 400 and i thought "not too bad", but then he told me you had to get control arms for a dakota to get it to line up right and theyre 300 dollars!!!!so it wouldve cost me like 1100 dollars total for a 3/5 so i pretty much said hell no and we found a kit for a 2/4 for 300 dollars and he said he would charge 200 for labor, so my question is how the hell can one inch cost 600 dollars?!?! i was gonna bag it until i learned i would have to have rims specially made to tuck for a dak and it would be like 3 grand for rims and 3 grand for a good kit and labor?!?! how do people afford are this crap?!?!



Noltz
Dodge Dakota
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8/15/2004
22:52:07

RE: 2/4
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At 16, it's hard to believe $3k isn't a lot of money. $6k is! But stay in school, get a good job & you'll have the money that 16 year olds dream about, and let you build anything you want. RULE #1: DON'T GO IN DEBT. The only time you should owe money is for a house. NO LOANS!

Anyhow, enough preaching. Drop springs for the Dak are cheap enough, as you found out. 2/4 is a spring and block combo. Springs are simple to make, and blocks are just chunks of aluminum. The 3/5 needs springs and control arms so there is still some suspension left after the drop. Let me explain.
Keep in mind, the trucks front only has about 6" travel, so putting in springs that drop 4" leaves 2" to soak up bumps. Put 2 fingers out like a gun. That's all you have for suspension, 2". That's why you need the control arm. It lowers where the actual (longer) spring sits, so you still have 4-5" of travel left when your done, even though the truck sits lower.
The rear has a more travel to begin with. In the neighbourhood of 8", but a 5" drop there only leaves 3" left for the road. That makes for a very bumpy ride. The only solution there is called a C-Notch. Big money. The frame gets cut and reinforced to let the rear axle rise up farther. You usually need to cut into the bed for a C-Notch too. Don't go there.

And that's how 1" costs $600

Here's a suggestion. Hopefully, you're still in High School. Do you have an auto shop there? It'd be worth your time to to talk to the teacher there and see if he could put it on for you, in return for a $100 donation to the tool fund. Save you some money, & you help your school. If not, $200 isn't too bad. I hope you have nice paint to go with those 20's.



noob
Dodge Dakota
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8/16/2004
23:18:00

RE: 2/4
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thanks, yeah its all done and taken care of now, sniper front end, molded in roll pan and shaved tail gate handle with a 2/4 drop on 20's, im not sure what to do next now, ive got a grand dropped into my system so its thumpin pretty good, nothin huge...im thinkin about about blue racin stripes but i would definitely go vinyl cause im not going to drop 1500 bucks on a paint job for something i park outside and drive every single day, it just doesnt make sense, but im thinkin about a bed cover, im not sure yet, anything im missing? i dont want to do any engine work cause if i get one more ticket my license is gone for a year, and my interior is bone stock cause i kinda like it, maybe a little TV...only time will tell...



Noltz
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2004
00:21:54

RE: 2/4
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Sounds like you got a head on yir shoulders. You've got a slick ride for 16 man, be happy with it and sock at least half that cash for your next ride. A tonneau would be a good piece, and I'm a sucker for monitors in vehicles. Just remember you'll NEVER get your money back out of a vehicle, so enjoy what you have without sinking a mint into it.

What would I do next? Shaved handles for security. No alarms, please!




ralph4u2c
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2004
13:07:17

RE: 2/4
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i hear that man im 17 and did EVERYTHING myself because of that very reason and people give u respect for it, do the drop yourself. i dropped it, shave, paint, customize, and bought rims myself so just work and save and read up.

a 2/3 or 2/4 drop is easy as hell. 75$ shipped for springs off ebay and like 30$ for angled blocks for the back. then buy some new shocks is 110$ shipped. thats 205$, then go to advanced or a car place and get spring compressors for 25$. to drop the front its easy, take off tires and compress springs then change shocks, put in new ones and u done. for the back do this its easier, take off back shocks, its 2 bolts. get someone to lift up the axle and slide the block in between leaf and axle. do this to both sides and put on new shocks.

takes a few hours and u can cut this in 1/2 if u were to ever do it again. u learn alot of things and its a good days work with ya friends.

best thing is it cost maybe a little over 250$ and you saved about 400$+. youll also appreciate your truck alot more instead of saying ya i paid someone to drop it, paid someone to paint or shave it, paid someone to bag it. wheres the fun in that!



mike4408vx
Dodge Dakota
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9/11/2004
18:26:18

RE: 2/4
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well kid ur doing alot better than i was when i was 16 i started on my truck when i was 16 i droped it 2 in front and 3rear for starts than as time went on i built a show winner now it just sits in the drive way most of the time and i got my self in a lot of debt due to the truck trust me kid only do what u can take ur time and do it slow cus trust me long run is not fun lol



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