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Snowball
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
19:00:09

Subject: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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Anyone on this site have good luck with their trucks.I just replaced My original tires(265/70 16)after 14100 km(91000miles).They still weren't down to the wear indicators.While they had the tires off they checked the brakes(70%remaing front and rear)Ball joints were tight as new.What do you guys do to your trucks to destroy them so quick.truck is a 2001 quad 4x4 with a 5 speed manual.These trucks are great if you treat them right.You guessed it I replaced with the GOODYEAR RT/S.



I am
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
19:21:40

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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guessing that you baby the heck out of it and do a lot of downshifting when coming to a stop to save on the brakes.



.boB
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
20:07:56

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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I have about 60K miles on my '01 QC 4x4. I replaced the factory tires at 40K just because I wanted something better. I do routine maint according to the manual. I use Mobile 1, and change every 10K miles or so.

I love the torque of the 5.9, so I use it at almost every stop light. I tow. I haul dirt. I do a little off roading.

Truck runs great, and gets better mileage now than when it was new. There's still plenty of brake pad left, I checked a couple weeks ago. The brake discs are flat, I checked them, too. No problems with the ball joints, either.

As I was growing up, my Dad always bought Dodge trucks for his construction business. I was always amazed at how much abuse they can take.

I often wonder if people are abusing their trucks to have so many problems. Or if there's that much variability in build quality.




Killin
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
20:52:08

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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Hey everyone. Just got an '04 QC 2WD. I would love to take it on some mild off roading, but right now im not sure if its capable. I have about $2000-$2500 to spend on some aftermarket. I was thinking a small lift, brush guard, and tires. any ideas on what brand or something else to do to the car would be greatly appreciated. One more thing, would 315 be a nice size for the tires if i wanted to do some mudding??



rick
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
22:52:02

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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Killin........First I would consider a trade in to 4wd before going off-road.



eddy
Dodge Dakota
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10/19/2004
22:59:41

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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Dont know about 4x2, my 04 Quad 4x4 has seen some abandoned construction sites with mude, very steep 60 degree dirt inclines and loose sand and has done well. It's also been through 2.5 feet of water without problems though I did drain the axles after to be on the safe side. Only thing I wouldn't do on these trucks is serious rock crawling without some really serious suspension mods, as I just don't think the stock IFS was cut out for serious abuse.



Figols
Dodge Dakota
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10/20/2004
09:48:24

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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I'd say either you're lucky or there is some serious "variability in build quality". I don't baby my '00 QC, but I don't abuse it either. I defintily don't race it or use it like a sports car. I, like most others on this web site, have had a whole list of problems associated with build/parts quality(or lack of it)regardless of how it is used. It is a truck and should be designed to handle what a truck is typically used for, but this day and age more people are buying trucks in place of sports cars & family cars and therefore I think the manufacturers are sofening them up because of it. I tow with my Dakota on a regular basis and most of my 80K miles has been highway. I treat this truck BETTER than every other truck I've owned, yet this one has given me the most problems! MY problem is I do like the Dakota better than my previous Chevy's & GMC's despite the piss poor quality of it compared to them. I keep going to the GMC dealer to buy a new Sierra, but for some reason I can't bring my self to get rid of my Dakota(although the new Sierra's are VERY nice). I'm like an abused wife that can't leave the husband that abuses her! I think I'm just determind to make this truck hit 200K miles like my previous 2 Gmc's did(although they did it WITH OUT ANY problems at all!). Go figure!

The RT/S tires do have longevity, but if you drive in snow regularly, the suck after 25K miles. After around 35K miles there are deadly in the rain. I found Cooper Discovery tires to be the best all around and they won't break the bank.



Snowball
Dodge Dakota
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10/20/2004
10:38:56

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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I don't do any serious offroading but rome occasional light offroading.I live in Alberta Canada and ski 2 or 3 times a week in the winter.300km per round trip.I've driven in all kinds of conditions with these tires and find them more than adequate unless you're doing something the truck was not designed to do. As far as GM and FORD go the guys I know have just as many or more problems as what I hear on this site. Vehicles are all made with similar or same parts from similar or same manufactures.



B dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/20/2004
12:43:46

RE: Good Luckk with Your trucks
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My 2002 Dakota QC 4X4 has its good points and bad points. It is a nice riding truck, has more room than the S-10 I had, and I like the small truck with the V-8. I drove my S-10 till nearly 90,000 miles before I had any major problems, and then everything went down hill from there. I had my Dakota a week and it was back in the dealer for front end noises. By the time I hit 16,000 miles they had replaced all the ball joints, all the sway bar bushings more than once, they replaced the front axle seals because they were leaking, had it in numerous times because truck would stall out while driving down the road, rear u-joints had to be replaced, review mirror fell off twice, the drivers seat had to be repaired (leather seat ripped on seam), the drivers door panel had to be reattached (it came loose), the drivers side power window quit working (needed new motor).

Now the truck has 22,000 miles on it and it needs front brake pads and rotors, the truck has a terrible vibration above 55 miles an hour, the truck is pulling hard to the left, and last but not least my front end noises are back......might need them ball joints again!

Way to go Dodge........for putting such a piece of crap on the road.....

And keep in mind I have had this truck 1 year and 5 days, picked it up as a new truck with 889 miles on it.



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