ive been looking into swapping my 3.9 to a 5.9 and ive been told that they use the same motor mount and computer but i was wondering if anyone knows if i would have to replace my rear end because i dont know if it will handle the torque

 

Search button!!!!

 

i have used the search bar and i have looked through the first 10 pages of these forums and i have found out a good bit of info about swapping but i havnt seen anything about rear ends

 

all dakotas have the same POS axle that I know of- Chrysler 8.25 IIRC

 

Yes, the motor mounts are the same, and the rear end is fine. However, you will need a new transmission, computer, wiring harness, and fan shroud... just to list everything that came off the top of my head.

And no, the 8.25" is not the only rear end put under the 2nd gen Dak... they also used the 9.25", which is a very strong axle.

 

thats why i put IIRC. I knew the rams have the 9.25, wasnt sure if the dak's did.

 

would i also need to swap my tranny if i just went with the 5.2 then cuz i dont really have the kind of money to swap both

 

Here is my honest opinion... If your truck is an auto, you have the 42re, which is a real peice of junk. The 2 in that 42re decodes to a 2 out of 10 torque handling rating. The 46re was put behind the v8s for a while until the 44re came out, then the 44 was put behind the 5.2 and the 46 was used for the 5.9. But any way you look at it, a v8 will roast a 42re unless you get that 42re built with performance clutches and a shift kit.

With all that said, if you go ahead and swap motors and stay out of the gas until you can afford to build or replace your transmission, then that 42re will work good enough for now, but don't expect it to last forever.