My fist isn't what hit the truck... here is the long version of the story...

Back in january, when I was installing the Trac-Lok LSD in my truck, I had the back sitting up about 2 feet in the air on jack stands. I removed the rear wheels, and pulled out the axle shafts, and set the axle shafts out of my way in the inner wheel well pointed up :/
So I got the factory open diff out, and swapped the ring gear and ABS tone ring, and had it sitting in place while I waited for my next door neighbor to get home from work (I needed his dial indicator to set the backlash). So the same day is when I was getting the new tires put on the new rims, and the tire store called and said they were ready to be picked up. So my mom got home from work and I borrowed her van to go pick up the wheels, and impatiently decided to put the front 2 on while I was waiting. So I got the 2 front wheels on and as soon as I let the front of the truck off the jack it rolled forward and fell off the jackstand (2 feet in the air). Luckily it knocked one of the two axle shafts over, but unluckily the other one punched a hole in the inner wheel well and put that dent in the bed. Needless to say, I could have punched another dent in my truck but I held myself back. It took me a while to get the truck back up in the air since the frame was laying against the ground! Luckily I still had my plastic oil drain pan under the differential, which helped cusion the fall so the diff didn't actually whack the concrete.

It's not a huge deal... I need to repaint the bed anyway since in the near future it wont have the 318 in it anymore (if you noticed the stripes). So when I do that I'll fix the damage.

As for trials, there aren't many around here, but as soon as school lets out for the semester I will be finding some. Just consider the past year as preparing my truck for off roading Especially now that I have the body lift to help the tires not rub.

P.S.

By the way Crazy, hows the baby doing? he or she (I can't remember which you said) is what 4 or 5 months old now?

 

... To get back on topic :P

To add one thing I just thought of... I believe '02 had a quad cab option with a 5 foot bed or something like that. Make sure the shell is not for that trim. But if you get one off a 6.5 foot bed, it should work fine for you.

 

Thanks!!!! The fit looks more than good enough. I have found 3 toppers around here in GJ. 1 is a metalic gray off an 02, one is a white 1 off a 88 but i cant get the damn people to return email or phone calls and then I just found since I posted this thread a white one off a 93 that is the twin to 318 slt's. I may go this route since my truck is white if she hasnt it sold it yet. I really need a topper cuz I am relocating to Florida in a few weeks looking for work. I almost traded the Dakota for a motorhome for the move but,,, I just could not do it. I love this truck, especially since I lifted her, put on the rims off and 01 and the 31's. What a great truck, comfortable to drive, has great torque, and fast. I am 1 of them lucky 1's with the 3.90 gears!!

 

Sorry to get off topic again!

It is a Girl. She is 3 months now! She is doin good! She laughed for the first time the other week. Thanks for askin.

 

Oh wow, I could have sworn it was more than 3 months ago. Time seems to be going slow this year. Is she letting you sleep yet? :P

 

For the most part ya! But now she is teething. Which is early for her age. So latly not so much. But me and my wife take turns, she takes the night shift I take the early morning and on till work at 3pm.

 

I don't know much about babies, but that does seem young! Thats a late shift at work... what time do you usually get off?

 

For me it's the swing shift 3pm- 11pm. I just picked up and replaced a new (junkyard) front driveshaft. I've been getting a vibration at freeway speeds. It turns out the cv joint is verry loose, it was the ball joint in the middle.

 

By front driveshaft, are you talking about the one from the transfer case to the front diff? I would have offered to send you my old one (from the automatic transmission) if I knew you needed one!

 

Yup that is the driveshaft that I'm talking about. It only costed me $21. So its cool!

And for mikeyman0166 I would say go for the white one. I got mine off of crigslist for $60. Before that on I had one off of a toyota long be that I cut to fit my lenth, but the width was narrow but with brakets I made it fit. It was free so for the few times I used it, it was worth it. I thought I might as well post up pics of the tops. May help someone out.

Here is the old one.


Here is the new one. I thought I had one with it on the truck but I can't find it.