big block dakota
 

Hello guys and gals. I have a 1998 dakota. It is an original a 4 cyl 5 speed truck. My dad bought the truck and he put a 360 into it. Now he has taken out the engine and transmission and given me the truck. I purchased a 440 for it and im looking to get some parts for the engine. Do any of you have any tips to build this truck right?

Thanks, Brendan

Moved to correct section. What are you building for? Drag racing? Daily driver? Mud bogging? Whats your budget? Is it 2wd or 4wd? What kind of transmission do you want? Information like this would help.

Parts for the engine can be found pretty much anywhere, google is your friend.

i have seen kits on the net for that. if i remember right the kits looked good.

big block dakota
 

Its a 2wd. Single cab short bed sport. Its purpose is a mild street truck that can be used as a daily. The stock rear end has been taken out and a Durango posi unit has been installed, however with a bigger engine I'll need something with more meat on it. My budget is 9k and I would like to have a 727 reverse shift pattern manual valve body.

727 manual reverse won't be hard to do. You'll likely want a chrysler 9.25 from a ram 1500 though. I'd do 4.10 gears since you wont have O/D- 4.56 if you did.

Is there any fabrication to the mounting locations and to the overall length of the rear end? I have found a website where i can buy a stroker kit for 3000 strokes the 528 however i dont want this engine to be too radical, just a cleaned up big block with mild cam work. I want to keep this truck within my price range

some dakotas (and durangos?) will have a proper width 9.25- look for 4x4 with tow package and/or quad cab?

Any particular year durango or dakota i should be looking for? Also does the truck have to be v8? Is there different rear ends for different dakota 4x4s?

You want the axle that has the octagon cover, not the round cover.

At least from 98-00 nearly all Durangos are going to have the 9.25 axle.