Hey guys... couple questions.

You guys know my truck (96, 318, auto, 4x4)

its mfg day was 1996/08.

I was under a 1998 the other day, in my class, the underside of the truck (suspension, frame..etc)

We had my truck beside it, and the ONLY difference was that there are another couple cab mounts on my older model...

is this common, or is this just a possibility that mine is so close to the next gen, that i may have alot of the later stuff?

I have also noticed that i have both ODB II and ODB I capabilities for diagnostics on the truck...


any idea?

 

I'm pretty sure the frames are exactly the same on all the Dakotas except for the latest gen.

 

When they made the 2nd Gen they take most of the older frame as well as other stuff. They don't 100% make a new truck. If you want more info www.allpar.com has tons. Also check out the service manual for the 1st Gen in this section, as well as the manual for the 2nd Gen in that section. If I remember right both have a frame section.

All 92-96 frames are the same.

 

what im wondering is why no one uses a 2nd gen lift for our trucks etc....?

 

Are you talking about a body lift or a suspension lift? If you are talking about a body lift ours is already cheap and easy to install. If your talking about a suspension lift, the suspension is totally different. But anything is possible, but it is not worth it to chop cut weld in a 2nd Gen kit to fit and deal with stock diff VS a Solid Axle swap ect!

 

how is the suspension different?

i was under the other truck today, and EVERYTHING on the front suspension was the same as my truck, same torsion bars, same drive axles, same steering...etc


the demensions were the same across the t-bars etc... i dont see differences?

 

Check a little closer! I researched this myself when I was looking for a new frame for my truck. I've worked on 2nd gens before when I worked at a body shop and I noticed how similar they were. I ended up just straightening my frame one day after work... been great ever since. With the SAS, it will be even better because none of the new front suspension mounts will be anywhere close to where it was bent, but I digress...

My point is, according to allpar.com, and taking a closer look at my truck and a couple 2nd gens at the junkyard, none of the parts are interchangeable (except maybe the torsion bars like you had mentioned). The mounts, control arms, etc. are all "beefier" on the 2nd gens, and therefore different. The bodies on the 2nd gens are bigger, changing the body mounts (also like you mentioned). Also, the front axle used in the 2nd gens are not the corp. 7.25" like ours are... I think its a dana axle (don't remember clearly).

But my point is, there are enough differences and our parts are cheap enough, that like Crazy said, there's no point to look into trying to make the 2nd gen aftermarket work for our trucks. It would be more of a headache than its worth.

Also, yours will be no exception, even so close to the switch date... Dodge is not going to spend the time and money to make the new parts fit under the old truck when they are about to introduce a whole new truck!!

 

Can anyone clarify if the frames are in fact the same, just curious when exactly that changed. I know the 08 and up had a new frame design.

 

The frames between the 1st and 2nd gen dakotas are close to the same... but close doesn't count. There are enough small changes to make them non-interchangable.

 

Right every mounting point would be different for a start I was just wondering how long dodge used the same frame. Be interesting to see the differences on the rams aswell