What? 1st generation Dakota's don't have cabin air filters. They do when you build them.

I first did this in my '88 Caravan. It's kind of dusty in AZ and I don't like the idea of dirt collecting on the evaporator or the heater core. I had to do a heater core in my shop truck. Since I had to remove the HVAC box I figured I'd make one for my truck too. The inside of the HVAC box wasn't too dirty but I like efficiency and a dirty evaporator core isn't efficient. To do the heater core is 3.6 hours. It took me about six hours to build the frame for the cabin air filter not including R&Ring the HVAC box.

The hole for the air box lives underneath the cowl. It was a pain to get in there but not too bad.


Here's the opening. The bolt sticking up is the hold down bolt for the cabin air filter frame.


Inside view.


The opening of the air box.


The frame bolted together. I had to send it to my welder to make the eight piece frame into a two piece frame.


I had to recess the hold down bolt hole for the nut that secures the bolt.


After welding




I use a home a/c filter element that I cut to size. I ended up having to put in two extra bolts because it was bowing in the middle after I sandwiched the filter element in there.


The backside


Installed


This is the one out of my van. You can see how dirty it gets.


A.J.

 

Nice work. If its that dusty in the Concrete Table, I better make one for the Nothing But Dirt edge of the Mojave...and thanks to you I have pictures to go by.

 

Thats a cool upgrade, I never thought of that.

IIRC the interior has a foam piece as a type of filter, I bet you can replace that with a nice filter paper.

 

What foam piece are you referring to?

A.J.