my front drive shaft got ruined so i need a new one my truck is a 94 dak short cab short bed v8 5 speed was wondering what my options were and if auto trannys were the same so any help would be greatly appreciated

 

You need a front drive shaft for a 5 speed Dakota. The automatic is a bit longer than the 5 speed, so the transfer case sits further away from the front axle. If you can't find a 5 speed shaft though, you might could have the automatic shaft cut down to length.

Here's a front drive shaft on ebay that the seller says will fit an '88 to '95 Dakota 4WD w/manual trans.:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/87-91-92-93-94-95-96-DODGE-DAKOTA-FRONT-DRIVE-SHAFT-MT-/121409753455?_trksid=p2054897.l4275