The Project
 

So this started several years ago, bought a 1991 Dakota V8 Auto 4WD. Loved the truck it was in good shape and then one day it overheated on me. Apparently I thought I had alot of time on my hands so I tore it down and before I knew it I was down to a bare frame. Anyways I started building a house and that took up all my time, and now I've decided to start putting it back together. Got the frame blasted and painted from a local gravel trailer manufacturer I used to work at. And I started sandblasting and painting the smaller pieces using Endura paint. Figured I'd post some progress of it here. I know these trucks aren't worth much and are a dime a dozen it seems, but by the end of it I'll have a pretty decent truck I think that should hopefully last me for a long time.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...cd464a397e.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...fee080d4d4.jpg
Heres a couple of pictures of the spring hangers and a crossmember after painting. Some of them are fairly rusty, but still solid, unfortunately the way these trucks are after almost 30 years of winters and salt. When I get home I'll snap a picture of the frame as is and upload it as well. I'll try and keep my progress documented in here, see how it goes.

Look forward to watching your build thread!!! BTW that plane in the background sure looks nice as well!

Here are a few more pictures of the progress in my garage.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...3837b456df.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...0bfe8362ba.jpg
Heres a couple of pictures of the frame after it was painted. Excuse the messy shop in the background. You can also see the engine out of my parts truck on the stand getting ready for rebuild.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...1ad432350c.jpg
Donor rear end, stealing the 3.9 gears and Trac-lok differential out of it.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...d7fd31d14c.jpg
Here is the rear end I'm overhauling. Got it stripped down today will be ready to be cleaned up tomorrow. This one is 3.55 Gears and open diff.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...1d37395ae8.jpg
NV3500 manual transmission swiped from a 2003 Dakota with 103k km on it.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dodgefo...8f02ae6931.jpg
Springs were rearched and added a light helper into the spring back by a local shop. Should help pick the back end up again as it was sagging a bit before.

Now my first big issue I have come across. From what I had read the NV3500 should drop right in place of an automatic transmission, same crossmember and everything. I though have a 1991 chassis which seems to have a different transmission mounting system. It does not look like there is a transmission mount that will adapt between my 1991 crossmember and a NV3500, unless I am missing something? I do have a donor 1992 truck, so I'm going to look at it tomorrow closer and see if its crossmember will be correct for what I need to do. From what I have read this evening, it looks like they might have changed the crossmember in 1992 to support a different mount.

According to the parts list (from the FAQ here), 1990-1993 2WD use the same cross member for all versions; 1990-1991 then 1992-1993 were different on the 4WD frames.

They do show the same mounts 1987-1996 for 4WD; 1987-2003 for RWD, at RockAuto.

You show the rear diff being worked on, but you also show a transfer case. You ARE aware you'll need 3.90s in the front diff also for a 4WD, right?

Is your truck 2WD or 4WD?

RwP

Good luck and post some pics when it's done!!!

Yes it is 4x4. The truck originally had 3.9 in it so I have the original front diff with 3.9s to go on as well, just don't have the space to bring it in yet.

I'm just swapping rear diffs around as the donor truck rear axle case is in better condition.

the mounts on rock auto don't seem to be totally correct I don't think. They didn't offer the nv3500 in a Dakota until 94 I believe, so they must have changed things by then,, hoping a 92 has the correct one. The fact the parts manual shows a change is reason for optimism.
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Awesome. Sticking with the 3.9 or 5.2 or 5.9?

Looks awesome, reminds me a lot of my project but my original frame was too far gone to use. I'm also extremely jealous of your garage.

The 91 it started out as had a 5.2L LA engine in it. The 1992 donor has a 5.2L Magnum. I'm rebuilding the Magnum engine and using its PCM/Wiring harness and throwing it in here.

The diff is apart and I cleaned it up and threw a coat of paint on it. Don't imagine it is going to last to long on there, but we'll see. Got some parts coming to rebuild the diff (bearings and clutch pack), should be here beginning of next week so I'll get that rebuilt and can start mounting stuff to the frame finally. Will be nice to finally get to that point.

I found a thread I believe from 93Ragtop of what they had to do to get an NV3500 to fit into an older chassis and they just made a new mounting plate. I may end up having to do that if the 92 crossmember isn't correct.

one other problem to be overcome, the newer transmission that used an electric shift transfer case, does not have the boss's on the side to mount the orig. transfer case shifter.
I still have not got around to making something to make it work.
And if yours is out of a 4.7 truck, the engine to transmission is the same, but the cover plate and the mounts that go to the diff. are different. I used a 4.7 cover and modified my mounts.