So I know I can put a pair of one ton axles on my truck but that don't mean it can take 2 tons of weight. Anyone know if I bump it to a ton of my axle or the truck itself can handle that?

I am starting to do some deliveries at work and I'd rather do the wood pellets in one trip rather than two

Oh and how unhappy will my ruined shocks be with this kind of usage?

 

The best thing I can tell you if you want to haul that kinda weight is get a full size truck. ...Now that the disclaimer is out of the way if you REALLY want to haul like that in a dakota here's what I would do:
-Keep your factory axles but install lower gears especially if you're hauling up and down hills.
-Get a transmission cooler system
-Install add-a-leafs in the rear to handle the extra weight OR some type of air ride load leveling system.
-Lastly, for the love of god don't put all that weight in the bed of your truck... split it between the bed and a trailer (with a class 3 hitch!)
I have a '99 3.9 Dak and I've hauled alot with it but its not something I'd do on a daily, or even weekly basis simply because the trucks aren't designed for that kind of wear and tear. If you do all that to your truck it'll be much more capable, but it's going to cost you about the same as picking up and old Ram 250 which will do the job without breaking a sweat.
...that's just one guys opinion...

 

Yeah I found out that our trucks are not made for hauling a lot of weight. Thats why im upgrading to a ram. Here is a pic of my truck last weekend up at camp hauling some wood This is fresh rough cut wood so it is about 1- 1 1/2 inch think by about 10-12 foot long and it was still wet and very heavy. It doesn't look that bad in the pic but my truck was weighed down

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well a different truck is not an option. I would keep my kota and Id get killed to death if I got my 4th car lol

I do not want to use a trailer for this, for the cost of a trailer, hitch, wiring ect I could just get a beater ram.

Thanks for the info, Ill have to think bout this before I do anything

 

I would sell you my beater ram but it doesnt have a engine in it at the moment. Look on craigslist they always have some beater truck up for sale

 

Ya but Id get kicked out! I dont wanna be homeless lol

If I buy a new truck Itd be a 1st gen kota anyways. Then some hardcore shenanigans!!!

 

another big limiting factor is the tires you are running. Make sure they are designed to handle that much of a load.
the main difference between 3/4 and 1 ton dually is just the addition of the 2 tires, so that more weight can be handled.

 

I'll admit building a 1-ton Dakota would be badass but I think realistically it's gonna cost you more than it's worth... let me know what you wind up doing I'm intrigued now...

 

You will want high load rating tires for sure. Also, your wheels might not be strong enough to take repeated overloading. Your 6 lug hubs and bearings are not as strong as an 8 lug heavy duty axle.

Also, don't forget the other most important saftey consideration, your brakes. Reigning in an overloaded truck is not safe for you, and more importantly, me waiting at the stoplight at the bottom of the hill.

If you get in an accident and cause personal injury or damage, I'd bet a lawyer would be crawling all over your hopped up, overloaded Dakota. The sticker on the door is what the truck is designed to carry, no matter how many leaf springs are on the axle.

I don't like the idea of modifying trucks to increase their capacity, since it's not just a matter of bigger springs or E rated tires. It's a total package upgrade. In other words, there's a reason there are several distinct classes of trucks. Building up one system will expose the weakness of another.

Using airbags to level the truck when it's loaded to capacity is fine, but then there's the temptation to air them up and dump a few hundred more pounds in the back.

 

This right there is the problem. This guy's got it right on the nose.

Total Package. Everybody thinks okay, I'll put helper's on it, it'll hold it. What about the wheel bearings? What about the wheels themselves? What about tires? What about the transmission? And Most important of all, What about the brakes.

I actually found myself overloading my Dakota frequently as of late. And rather than beat on her, and since I couldn't afford to have two trucks, I sold my Dakota and bought a half ton.

Getting yourself an older $1000 full size will help greatly. Or, buy yourself a trailer. Seriously. You will have much less problems with your Dakota in the long run, and have the ability to pull more loads, for longer distances, in a safer way.