I'm at work tonight but tomorrow I'll post more details and pix. Hopefully it's just how my truck sits in the driveway.

 

take a picture looking from the front under the truck towards back. See if the driveshaft is parallel to the frame rail or not.

 

Uhh, sorry bad pictures I guess (that's why I said hard to say if they'll help). Mine is centered. I was trying to take pictures to show how my centered axle looks...

 

joe - What is this on your truck...I don't have this?


I did a lot of measuring using a level this morning in different areas of a nearby parking lot. There was definitely some differences depending on the slope of the ground. When I got home I backed into my driveway and that revealed a big part of what my eye saw regarding the "shift". What my eye is seeing is a camber therefore creating the illusion of an offset. My rear suspension is articulating depending on the driveway slope. All that to say...I feel stupid.

However...
Comparing photos with joe...I might have a different axle? I circled some type of plate but it doesn't have the clamp seen in joe's pic. I have 12 bolts on the pumpkin. And as I mentioned above... I don't have that thing hanging down.

 

It's a link for the rear sway bar. I have it too.

The 12 bolt cover is a 9.25" rear axle, the 10 bolt, an 8.25".

 

Is a 9.25" stronger? I'm a dummy when it comes to 4WD technical specs. I'll have to take a look at my build sheet for gearing.

 

Yes, the 9.25" is stronger and is the preferred axle.

 

Good to hear I've got a preferred axle.

When I was leaving Church this morning I saw another Dakota 4X4 in the lot. I snooped around and saw the same shift, we're talking about 3/8" of an offset to the right. Same axle as mine but with the rear sway bar though. Why am I missing the sway bar or is it not on all trucks?

 

Just pulled up some specs off my build sheet...no mention of a rear Stabilizer Bar.

DGQ 5-Spd Automatic 545RFE Transmission
DHAP Lock-Up Torque Converter
DHTS Elec,Shift-on-the-Fly,P/Time T/Case
DJDS 205MM Front Axle
DMDS 3.55 Rear Axle Ratio
DRBP Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
SDBS Heavy Duty Suspension
SFBS Front Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
SGBS Rear Heavy Duty Shock Absorbers
SHAS Front Stabilizer Bar
EVA 4.7L V8 MPI Engine

 

I took the rear sway bar off my truck and didn't even notice any difference. As thin as the thing was, I can't believe it was really doing anything.