Ok so last night was a really bad night for me, it was icy, and alot of problems happened leading to this. And dont worry no injuries, couldnt have been going that fast at all no airbag got set off, and the telephone pole was rotted and snapped.


Soo anyway, what do you think the cost for repairs is going to be? Just looking at it, it seems like I need a new fender, bumper, hood, and headlight.

Also I need to know how to check several things,

The transfer case (couldnt get it to engage, wouldnt go in at first then tires spun and it just made a grinding noise.

Front brakes, noticed the other day heard squeaking from my brakes and noticed rust on my front left caliper. I just had new pads and brake rotors installed about a month ago maybe 2.

ABS module. Seems like the brakes locked way to easily, I know that the trucks come standard with only rear abs but had 4 wheel abs as a option, how do I find out what I have, how its working, and if I only have rear how to upgrade.

How to stop the 1 wheel peel, locker, anti slip, please give me all options and whats most street able and wallet friendly

I want to do everything I can to make sure this wont ever happen again.

 

Hood 150 repro (might be cheaper at junk yard), lower bumper 75 at junkyard, fender 100 (no idea), headlight, again junkyard.

If you do it, probably $500 in parts and a day or two of labor. Take it somewhere and just dump out your wallet.

Check the linkage to the Xcase.

Brakes, jack it up and see if they actuate?

ABS, look at front hub, if it has wires going to it, you probably have 4WD. Alternately, i believe the 4WAL is under the battery/PDC while the RWAL is between the PDC and master cylinder. Follow the brake lines.

You wont want a locker on ice, trust me. Snow they're good, ice, you'll have both hands on the wheel and wishing you were an octopus.

 

I think you have more damage than you think the fenders on a Dakota are rather strong with thick metal that’s a good thing but also a bad thing as in an accident being that strong it transfers damage to connected parts such as the cab I bet you now have an out of whack cab not a good thing.

Do your doors still close proper?

Most new autos are designed to crumple up in an accident except the cab or people compartments they are strong and stay intact

 

All doors shut fine, looks perfectly strait, The fender crumbled and most of the impact was taken by my front tire which thank god I just lowered the pressure last week from 55 to 40 for winter conditions.

 

You can see the fender buckled. So I don't think any movement made it to the cab.

What I am curious about though, is the core support. It's RIGHT there next to the headlight. If it's bent you're in for all kinds of hell. There are AC lines right in that area, then the stock airbox, then the PCM right where the fender buckled.

You can't upconvert from RWAL to 4WAL that I know of without a PCM change, hydraulics changeover, and some other stuff.

Your best bet is to just drive slower and be more predictive. I wish I had front ABS only because I'd rather the backs lock up hard and still have control over where I can point the fronts, than to have the fronts lock up and I'm along for momentum's ride (which is why I crashed, both times).

It's to the point that I've pulled the fuse for the RWAL at times because all it does is screw up my car control. If I could, I'd put the front hydraulic line on the RWAL solenoid and feed the back brakes direct.

With the fronts locked up and backs not, momentum is pushing you wherever it pleases. You have a better frictional value with the front tires rolling than locked up. So you're just gonna go slide wherever. With the fronts rolling and backs locked up, it will yaw the back end out to one side, but you'll have the ability to steer into it because the front tires are statically rolling with the surface- not faster, not slower, so you have maximum grip.

 

why dont you take it to a body shop get a free estimate done and they will print it off for you then you know what you will need

 

Truck is in the body shop right now, had to have it towed off the freaking telephone pole ( was setting on a 5 foos section with the skidplate hodling the truck up), and as for whats inside there, I know under my hood pretty well, only thing I have anywhere near there is my pcm and air filter(custom giant filter from orileys) AC lines are alot closer in, and idk about any supports I never noticed any in there.

 

Shoulda had it brought home. Only thing to really outsource is paint, and OBTW, most places now paint the whole truck, and charge you for it. I needed my repro hood painted, two diff places wanted 3500 to paint and clearcoat the whole truck, refused to do partial paints. I told em where to shove it.

bring it home, go to a junkyard, get a hood, fender, grille, and bumper, hand over $500 (Hey, that's probably your insurance deductable!) and spend a day or two fixing it right. Take it to maaco or a hole-in-the-wall paint shop, have em spray the new stuff for $600, and be done with it.

 

I think Id like the whole truck painted, the fenders, hood, roof all are rotting away, and the bed got keyed.

 

I hope everything works out for ya maybe look for a beater trasher Dakota to buy for parts swap things around.

Something with a better cab thats not so rotted out