91 Dakota club cab big block swap
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91 Dakota club cab big block swap
I'm puttin a 1967 383 in my dakota with a 727 behind it. will the front end hold up? will the rearend stay together? i was thinking about useing a 9 inch ford with disk brakes and changeing to 5 bolt wheels all around. any ideas?
Champion
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,839
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From: Apex, NC
Welcome to DodgeForum!
It sounds like a cool project, but I don't think anybody could answer your questions based on the info you gave. We need more from you here!
Is your truck a 2wd or 4x4, and what do you mean by the front end?
How much torque/power is this 383 putting out at the crank?
Which rear axle do you have, the 7 1/4 or 8 1/4?
What gears are you looking at running?
The idea has been brought up before on here, but nobody has followed through with it and stuck around to post about it. If you decide to see it through, keep us updated!!!
It sounds like a cool project, but I don't think anybody could answer your questions based on the info you gave. We need more from you here!
Is your truck a 2wd or 4x4, and what do you mean by the front end?
How much torque/power is this 383 putting out at the crank?
Which rear axle do you have, the 7 1/4 or 8 1/4?
What gears are you looking at running?
The idea has been brought up before on here, but nobody has followed through with it and stuck around to post about it. If you decide to see it through, keep us updated!!!
Last edited by 95_318SLT; Nov 20, 2009 at 01:03 AM.
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It is roughly 390 horse. By the front end i meen the springs and upper and lower control arms ball joints and such. It is 2 wheel drive and has a 7 1/4 under it now. The 9 inch i'm lookin at has 3:23 posi gears in it
Champion
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,839
Likes: 5
From: Apex, NC
Yeah, that might blow apart the 7 1/4 inch! If you want to stick with mopar parts, the corp 9.25" is a strong axle that will let you keep the 6 lug pattern. If you're set on swapping to a five lug, the pre-90 dakotas had 5 lug that you could use for the front... not sure of the diameter though. But then you could use your ford 9".
I gotcha now about the front end... yeah that engine will definately make it sqat! If you have a v6 in there now, you could try some v8 coil springs, but that big block is heavier than the small block. If it does, you could always put in a coil spacer if you don't mind the stiffer ride. I wouldn't think the ball joints would be an issue as long as the geometry is right.
One thing I would suggest doing in the back is repacking the leaf springs with some full size truck springs and installing some sort of traction bar system. The torque that that big block is putting out is going to twist the factory springs up pretty bad depending on the tires you plan on running. Are you going to tub it or run street tires?
I gotcha now about the front end... yeah that engine will definately make it sqat! If you have a v6 in there now, you could try some v8 coil springs, but that big block is heavier than the small block. If it does, you could always put in a coil spacer if you don't mind the stiffer ride. I wouldn't think the ball joints would be an issue as long as the geometry is right.
One thing I would suggest doing in the back is repacking the leaf springs with some full size truck springs and installing some sort of traction bar system. The torque that that big block is putting out is going to twist the factory springs up pretty bad depending on the tires you plan on running. Are you going to tub it or run street tires?
Hall Of Fame
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 10,923
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From: NM
Check out the sites. We got them in the FAQ2 in this section.
Big Block
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/gpage5.html
http://www.engine-swaps.com/
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/192wddakensw.html
Big Block
http://www.bigblockdakota.com/gpage5.html
http://www.engine-swaps.com/
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/192wddakensw.html
