I want to eventually lift my Dak enough to fit 35 inch tires. It is a 2wd. I will probably do an axle flip and shackles in rear with a 3 inch body lift. Would that work? How do I get enough lift in front?

 

Hmm. How do I put this.

SAS.

Unless you're really brave and a really, really good fabricator.

 

I don't want to go 4wd yet.

 

There's no easy way to lift the dakota with the IFS the way it is. You'd have to pretty much do a one-off custom fab. Ever wonder why there aren't any suspension lifts for daks? That's why.

To match the ~4 inches you'd get from the spring flip in back, you'd have to move both A-arms and the rack down 4", find super-long coil springs and shocks that will fit, make the steering linkage somehow work with the dropped rack, probably have to notch and re-inforce the main crossmember, and who knows what else.

 

This. You're going to need at least 6" and there's no practical way to get that out of the stock 2WD front end.

So, just put in the axle and don't worry about the transfer case or front driveshaft yet. You can add that stuff later.

 

Could I just put a straight axle in front?

 

Sure. But you're going to have a much easier time finding a suitable 4x4 axle, it's probably going to be cheaper, and it will at least look like a 4x4. And if you decide to convert it to 4x4 later, half your work will already be done. Just make sure you get an axle with a left side differential. A Dana 44 from a Jeep Wagoneer is a very popular choice for this swap.

 

Can I keep coils with an SAS?

 

Sure. In fact, the easiest (and probably cheapest) way to do your SAS would be to take the whole front axle and radius arm setup from a Ford (I forget which year Broncos are the right width and have a left side drop, but a little research will tell you) and graft it onto your Dakota. You should be able to use the frame brackets and coil springs from the Bronco. You'll just need to make some upper spring perches and shock mounts. The hardest part is the steering. If you have rack and pinion, you'll need to install a "real" steering box. Older F-250s are a popular source for that.

And if you need help along the way, there are plenty of people on this forum who have already done it.

 

Would I still have to do an SAS with 34s?