Okay folks long time since I have been on. My daughter has appropriated my '93 LE so now I'm looking for building a tow ready Dakota to tow my 28' travel trailer. My plan is to get another '93 with a 5.2 and a automatic swap out the automatic for a AX15 then heavier leaf springs and if necessary replace the geat set in the rear end to 3.88's any comments or ideas on my plan?

Dudester.

 

I'd upgrade past an AX-15 myself.

RwP

 

I'm looking at as much plug and play. I haven't been able to find a full size truck standard yet.

 

Ditto what Ralph said. Find a NV3500 5 speed from a Dakota. It's gotta higher torque rating than the AX15 and it'll bolt right in.

You probably don't want one from a full size Ram truck, the shifter is farther forward on those and ends up under the dash on a Dakota.

 

i had an NV3500 in my 93, loved that truck. I got it w/a dead auto trans and had the 3500 sittin here from a friend's totalled/rolled '94 318 Dakota. I still miss that truck. The brother of the girl that rolled the 94 that my trans came from, towed my 93 to scrap for me, it sat on the flatbed in their driveway overnight before it went to the junkyard, that girl said that there must be something cursed about it because of the parts I had in my truck that came from hers.... I got 4 years and 72K miles from that truck after the 5 speed swap before the wreck.... I have a 92 "just like it" except it still has its auto trans in it.... never has been the same.
and a 28' camper behind teh Dakota... that's ambitious. I hope you at least have the 10" optional rear brakes (std on 4X4s I believe, opt on 2wd) and you better have a brake box and brakes on the trailer too.... and hope for mostly flat ground on which to tow.... I love my Dakotas, I have had 5 now but for that job I'd have to go back to a full size. At 1st I swapped full size-Dakota-back to full size-Dakota-then 2 more Dakotas so 3 in a row, still own 2 of them.

 

The NV3500 has the same electical plug setup as the AX15? Yeah I have a brake box setup I have already towed it with my Daughters 93 LE with the 3.9 and the AX15 it also has the tow package on it three core radiator 3.88 rear diff ratio larger drums. The trailer only weighs 4,800 lbs with full water and propane so it is in the capabilities of the her truck but it's still a workout and the leaf springs are a little to spongy for my taste.

 

The NV3500 and the AX15 both have a reverse lights switch. In 2WD versions, I believe both have a speed sensor in the tail shaft which should be the same as that in an automatic. Neither the NV3500 or AX15 uses or supplies any active PCM signals.

You would need to ground the park/neutral safety switch line on the automatic's wire harness if you put a manual trans in.

 

Okay NV3500 can bellhousings from the AX15 be swapped to a NV300?

 

'Fraid not, the NV3500's bell housing isn't removable. It and the gearbox are one, like an automatic.

 

I've been running an ax15 behind my 5.2 for about 2 1/2 years now with no problems. Shifts great and I to a 20' pontoon with it. It's important to run the proper gear lube though or it will ruin the synchros. Has to be a GL3 I believe. I use Pennzoil synchromesh a lot of other guys use redline mt-90 but they don't carry that at my local part store. I can't say anything about NV3500 I've never had one but the ax15 has been a better transmission than other vehicles I've had with Borg Warner T-5's and has held up better than my m5r2 in my Thunderbird which I have to rebuild at 125,000. the ax15 came out of a junkyard and I just painted it and did new seals.