As long as these trucks aren't beaten on, i'm pretty sure the 318 could outlast 3 frames in the rust belt. I have 190k and the oil doesn't even move on the dip stick between oil changes. In about 3-4 years i'll be ordering enough 1/4 inch c channel and plate steel to completely rebuild the frame and bumpers and taking it to the hot dip galvanizer near me. Can't beat a brand new frame with a 25 year warranty against rust for only $500 and 2 months of busy weekends.

 

My 96, with 229,xxx miles, seems to have a bit of a low end knock. Good oil pressure, and all the leaks are taken care of, and it doesn't use a lot of oil. But still, we all have our wish lists and a lower mile engine is on mine.

 

Pretty much im saying that it wasn't that fun. Totally doable though. I used a 220v arc weler at like 130 amps. and it worked nice. Yea I had to do a lot of cutting to get to usable metal that wasn't too thin. I said this in another post, I heard that there were a few batches of these dakotas where at the factory, there was moisture on the frames before they were painted and it all chipped of within a few years. My truck rides on a new frame now though. The stuff I've done to save this truck, its crazy.

 

I'll try to get some photos up to get feedback from you folks. How do I post photos here?