I have a 03 dakota regular cab sport 4x4. 4.7 5 spd that i bought new in 03. It has 190,000 miles on it. Many new parts, transfer case, clutch,nv3500 among other things. I was looking for a full size truck but everything is rusted in my price range or sold quickly. I found a 05 dakota club cab, 77k, 6 speed, 4.7 non h.o, 4x4. No rust and one dent on the tailgate and a new clutch. Not a big fan of the style but looking for more function. How are the 6 speeds? How does this generation hold up? I will be driving less than 10k a year as i have a car and m/c. Will be used more in winter months towing a sled trailer. If i were to keep mine i am aware of the miles and would plan on a new engine, 4bt is a possibility. Just confused on what to do.

 

The box rusts exactly the same as the older ones. Over the rear wheel wells, they changed the front fender so it doesnt rust out as easy (normal fenders) not ones with the inner-fender attached like the older ones.

I cant speak for the 4.7, or 6 speed. as ive got a 3.7 auto.
Ive heard that the 4.7L is worth it, it gets slightly less mpg then the 3.7 untill you need to tow or haul anything haha, mine tows decent but not as good as id like

They front ends are fairly weak on them, ive replaced most of mine, but I also dont seem to have the issues others do, and i used to semi off road mine, now it mostly tows my 5x10 enclosed atv trailer

 

The 5'3" bed i am not sure of. Sometimes i like to throw a sled in the back of mine and its pushing it with the 6.5' bed. What is one worth?
Ball joints? What else is weak on the front end? I have heard good things about the 3.7. The v8 is only a 1 to 2 mpg difference and should be better than what i am getting now. Lots more torque for towing the sleds over the mtn passes. It is rated the same as mine and i wish i had a little more torque.

 

3.7L isnt bad, if you tow alot or even frequently id def get a 4.7L.

Ive replaced:
Lower Ball Joints
Tie-Rod Ends
Sway-Bar Links (One side twice)
Wheel Bearings (I broke one off-roading)
Struts (they were getting weak, plus I installed a leveling kit)
Brakes (twice) Calipers the first time to

My trucks at 130k/km All parts have been repaced between now and 80k/km when I got it, almost evenly spread out tho, over 3 or so years.

Others have had more issues, and other less. Its hit and miss sometimes seems like.

The biggest issue I found is the Bed Rusting over the wheel wells, and my Radiator support rusted off (Im in Canada by the ocean, we use lots of salt in winter)
Other then my random misfire right now, that the shop cant seem to pinpoint why, makes my 3.7L have alot less power right now.


I also had alot of Ball-joint (Upper and lower) issues when I had a 2000 Dakota, except they cost more to replace. (Which is why we sold it and i got my 05) We had all 4 go out together, one of them 3 months after being replaced. I also had that trucks bed rust out in the same spot, and its rad support rust apart.

 

I had a 98 Dak V6 Club Cab and upgraded to an 05 V8 Quad. I've debated several of topics that you mentioned and this is what I would say IMO...

1. V6 vs V8: No brainer, 100% def V8...MPG is minimal (if you really were concerned about mpg's you wouldn't even consider any kind of truck)

2. if you're planning to haul or tow anything more than once or twice a month it'll make a huge diff

3. V8's have waaaaay more aftermarket options than the V6

4. the V8 is just a sh** ton more FUN

5. I might be lucky but I live in northern Ohio and we get our share of snow and salt...as such I'm a bit OCD with not just keeping her clean but doing a clay bar in the fall and spring followed with a goood wax job and I've had *******ly no rust in comparison to just about any vehicle around thats almost 10 years old

6. a bigger bed would be nice at times...if I needed the length on a regular basis I've seen vids on people who diy'd a bed extension platform that would bolt into the bed/frame when they needed it

7. The extra cab space has been a blessing, granted I have a fiber tonneau that in itself makes the bed into a "trunk", but for weekend shopping etc, it's nice to keep my stuff where I have easier access (and somewhat climate controlled), been many times that I've traveled with more than just one passenger, if I had rear sliding glass yeah it'd be nice to be able to reach back and open/close it on the fly but with 4 big windows the air flow is plenty

8. Front suspension should be stamped "Made in Taiwan" (by degenerates), just do yourself a favor and don't go cheap when you do replace it...check the General Discussion area for "Deals and Steals", if you're a savvy shopper you can save upwards of 40% on most of the parts you'll ever need.

9. As Dak's are getting older, it's getting easier and easier to find junkers and clunkers that you can get parts from cheeeeaaapppp.

10. I'd love a big boy truck like most others, but aside from being able to find a killer deal when I might've had the means...about 1/2 of time I have to navigate or park in urban areas that can be a nightmare for even the more experienced bus drivers.

11. Again, maybe I've been lucky, but I've treated my lady with about as much respect as I can and have taken good care of her...so, other than a few check ups at the doctor, overall she has been really good to me right back.

12. Not familiar at all with the 6 speeds, but I'll try to post a link to a YouTuber named 6SpeedDakota. He has some pretty decent videos and if you were to contact him, I'm confident he could give you some very sound input on the manual Daks.


Hope this helps your decision making and regardless...in the end you're happy with whatever you decide to get.

https://www.youtube.com/user/6speeddakota

 

4.7L + 6-speed is a rare combination. I'd ****** that puppy up in a heart beat!

 

That '05 having a new clutch at such low mileage makes me think it's seen some abuse.

 

Maybe he learned on this truck? Truck is in great shape.

 

As stated, the front end parts are the only real weak part of the truck. If the time comes to replace anything, there are some good aftermarket replacement parts available.

And maybe he let his girl drive the truck, that would explain the new clutch.

Now go buy the damn truck.

 

Did dodge ever fix the exhaust manifold stud issue on these later 4.7's?

I think his children learned on it.