I just picked up a 99 CC 2.5 from a buddy for basically free. It will do the job for hauling basic crap from Home Depot but needs some serious upgrades. Suspension is shot and engine is most likely down on power, even after a tune up it's only averaging 18MPG on the highway. Future plans will be to drop a GM 5.3 in it (before anybody starts, you just can't beat the pricing on the GM stuff. Complete dropouts for under $2K). On to concerns.

I need to replace the shocks and bushings ASAP. Any recommendation on shocks?

Needs new front tires and wouldn't mind upgrading to bigger rims any decent options out there, preferably something I can easily find on CL or forums. See next question for lug option.

Spindles, since the 99 spindle/brake style wear out and you have to replace the spindle to keep the brakes from moving around what are the replacement options? I believe the 03 or 04 have newer style spindles, any options to replace the 6 lug with 5 lug.

Coming off the spindle issue I'd need to replace the brakes what are the best cost effective option to get bigger better front/rear brakes. I've got the 8.25 in the rear were all the drum brakes the same size?

Longer term, after the engine is replaced with a heavier V8 I'm sure the springs will need replaced. The truck will be kept stockish height with semi aggressive all terrain tires as this will not be a street rod racing truck. Will the 5.2 CC shocks be the best fit or is there a better alternative?

Sway bar options, any good options?

Steering, I know I need to replace all the bushings and shocks and tires but right now the steering feels really loose and non linear. By buddies R/T model always felt great even at 180K miles and the GF's Liberty feels pretty nice. Are the 2.5's rack always like this, any options?

Any other comments or recommendations would be great. Timeline is fix everything I can now while I'm building my garage and hopefully pickup the engine late fall and start the engine swap next winter so I have plenty of time.

 

First be sure the bushings are bad as on the outside they can look dried out and cracked but still be in good shape. Jack it up rock the wheels with some force and find the problem its probably ball joints not bushings. Stabilizer links are also usually bad. Hubs may also be bad and can be a hard one to get a good read on bad or good hard to tell till they start making noise.


You could have a bad steering shaft a common problem. Dump the power steering fluid and ad new fluid always a good thing to do.

 

Yeah my buddy's was a Dodge tech, he already replaced the ball joints and other crap and had it aligned but didn't do any good. You can see the rubber actually "oozed" for lack of a better word from the bushings.

 

If he was a Dodge tech why did he install the ball joints without checking the bushings and preformed an alignment? If he was any good he would have told you to get new bushings before he started especially an alignment. I will say the bushings always look like they are bulging out of the bushing that's normal.


My bushings looked like this they were a bit mushy but not exactly bad just mushy I replaced them and it did tighten my front end up like it was new. But after 2 years they started cracking and looking almost like the old bushing did.

 

This is the new bushing before I had a machine shop press the new bushings on see all the rubber on them.







This is how they all look after two years. The rubber is squished out some during installation that's how its done.

 

You know how it is, if you work on cars all day for a living last thing you want to do is work on your own stuff.

Anyway besides these bushings are there any options for any of the upgrades? Would be nice to convert to 5 lug and get bigger brakes. I see used 5 lug wheels dirt cheap all over the place and looks like dakotas get like 3 wheel choices.

 

3 wheel choices + the 3 or 4 OEM rims


The # 1 problem with the 2-nd Gen Dakota it really sucks


Options for the 5 lug are expensive and not worth the hassles associated with them.


Stock brakes are not that bad but not performance in any way better rotors and pads are your options as 80% of all braking is by your front brakes anyway.

 

This is really depressing as I've always thought the 2nd Gen dakota was the perfect sized truck. Only issues I see is needing an updated drivetrain since none of them get decent fuel miles and the suspension/brakes setup. I know it's excessive work but has anybody considered cutting and welding in mount points for maybe a newer dakota or ram front suspension? I might have to take a trip to the just yard and start comparing front ends.

 

2005 and up Dakota

What change the rearend also?

For all the work needed just get a different truck 2005 up

 

Rear should be pretty easy, swap over to a 9.25 fro a Dakota and then use shortened 5 lug axles from a Ram. But only if something can be figured out with the front.

Pricing for the 99 was free vs 05 that they want 8K for. I can do alot to this truck for 8K and hopefully have exactly what I want in the end. Was hoping it wasn't all going to be completely custom though.