When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I found a 95 v6 man tran 4x4 single cab long bed at my local junkyard, mine's a 95 auto 4x4 extended cab short bed.
Going in the morning to pull everything I need to swap to manual, amazingly nobody has touched this truck yet.
So my list so far of parts to grab are:
Tranny
Transfer case
Brake/Clutch pedals
Flywheel, cps, clutch etc.
Bell housing
master, slave and reservoir, and all the lines
I'm also getting the floor trim piece for the shifter
I was told that the drive shafts won't work from my truck, I measured my rear (longest end to longest end) at 58 inches. I'm going to measure the one in the yard tomorrow to see what the difference is. I'm not sure how much the bed/body configuration will throw it off.
Also, the computer is still in that truck, so I was debating on grabbing it, I'm sure it's set up specifically for a manual, and I'm hoping it would bypass having to rewire a bunch of stuff. Please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't want to waste money on it if I truly don't need it, but if it makes install easier I'm game.
Total cost for everything they quoted me was $265, which seems like a hell of a steal for everything.
So any tips of extra parts to grab while I'm there would be great, or input on the driveshaft situation if anybody knows.
The auto tranny is the only thing I absolutely hated about this truck since I got it, and it really doesn't like the 315's I crammed under her, but re gearing the axles will be the next step to perfection. For now.
Last edited by TragicTemper; Apr 7, 2016 at 09:23 AM.
First off, the NV3500 was only used in V8 Dakota's with the exception of 2000 and newer. At that point they all had the NV3500.
In other words the 95 V6 Dakota had a NV2500.
The easy way to tell the difference is, the NV2500 has a removable bell housing (2 piece design) and the NV3500 has the bell housing molded into the transmission case. (1 piece design)
As far as the other parts to convert from an auto to a manual I have no information.
First off, the NV3500 was only used in V8 Dakota's with the exception of 2000 and newer. At that point they all had the NV3500.
In other words the 95 V6 Dakota had a NV2500.
The easy way to tell the difference is, the NV2500 has a removable bell housing (2 piece design) and the NV3500 has the bell housing molded into the transmission case. (1 piece design)
k
I must have misread the FAQ page. It appears it's actually the ax-15 (92-96 v6). Dang. Either way, it has a lower gear ratio so I'll be a bit happier still. now off to do some research on that transmission. :/
Yes, the AX15 and NV2500 are basically the same transmission. At least that is my understanding. But, if you are staying with the v6 motor, that is probably fine.
FWIW at one time I was going to keep the NV2500 in mine and then put a 318 in front of it. If you are not ******* the truck it probably will hold up but then again, why change motors if your not going to dog it!!
93 ragtop-, long term I'm going to put a cummins in it, and a beefier trans, just have to save up the cash, but I am going to do the solid axle swap first, so for the mean time it should work out nicely, I just absolutely hate automatics, and I have to force shift the tranny from 1 to 2 to d because otherwise it just shifts too early to get these 315's spinning faster than a slow moving freight train.
Unfortunately the front driveline was gone from the donor truck, which I'm sure would have been the proper length, and the rear driveline was way too short, so I'll be searching junkyards now for an extended cab short bed with the manual trans so I don't have to get my current drivelines lengthened.
I also decided not to get the computer out of that truck, I'm just going to re wire everything like the post describes in the FAQ2 sticky.
If you have not already read this post, https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...le-dakota.html
you should. Lots of good information in it. FWIW the 3500 seems to be easier to find (in my area) then some of the older stuff. I have been looking for a 88-92 transfer case and those are hard to come by, at least around here. Again, lots of 97 and up Dakotas on craigslist etc. in this area, just not the older ones. I assume they have been crushed.
But if you can find a 2000 and up, its going to be a 3500 trans. Around here they seem to bring 300-500 used. And it would take the abuse of off roading better then the ax-15 espically with those tires you have!!
BTW I like the picture of your truck. Looks good raised up with those tires!!
Regarding drive shaft selection, I'm your man! The shaft fell off my truck (ext. cab, short bed, 4x4, 5 speed) last summer and got destroyed, so I had to go on the hunt for a replacement.
There seems to a be a different type of drive shaft for every variation of our 1st gen Daks. I mean there's a different shaft in trucks with different cabs, box lengths, auto/std and 4wd/2wd. What I'm trying to say is that you NEED a drive shaft from an extended cab, short bed, 4x4, standard transmission truck. Doesn't matter if it's a V8/V6 or an AX-15/NV3500 (these shafts are the same).
The shaft you need will be one piece aluminum (it doesn't have a split or intermediate shaft). I can't remember the dimensions, but as long as you pull from the truck I described above, you should be fine!
Last edited by Alacoque; Apr 12, 2016 at 01:06 PM.
I forgot to mention, the number of splines on the slip yoke varies! Just make sure to keep the slip yokes paired with their respective transfer cases, and you should be ok.
AX-15 Junkyard pull - missing anything?
