hey dakota fans,
i have an 01 ex cab dakota with the 4.7 and 4 wheel drive and whenever i stop at a stop light next to my buddy with a 00 short cab silverado with the 5.3, we race. i know for sure i could beat him except my tires just spin like crazy and his dont because he put on some bigger tires and rims. so basically im wondering what i could to so i wont spin as much. thanks

 

I have a 1998 Dakota R/T and i feel your pain. I have found that the best way to launch while minimizing tire spin is to eas into it rather than stomp it. however, you dont want to ease into it to much, or else you will lose. eas into it enough to where the truck is moving without tire spin, then you can hit it. there is a fine line between where the tires will not spin, but you still get good launching power. the best way to figure this out is to go to a road out in the country somehwere and just practice yoour launches. do some experiments with how much throttle you give it off the line untill you find that 'sweet spot' where you get a good powerful launch but your tires dont spin. hope that helps!

 

Try a limited slip differential

 

he should have posi already, if he doesnt, definately better be his next mod.

 

A positrac differential and a LSD are a little different. The posi is computer controlled to lock when it senses he is going to do something "stupid." A LSD is a mechanicle(SP) way to lessen tyre spin on the acceleration edge of a corner. I.E. as he stands on it comming out of a corner the outside wheel will spin faster than the inside one to turn faster. If you have the stock tyres on your truck they should be 255-55/15,16,17 depending on your trim level. If you have the 15 or 16 inch rims then you should go with a 275-295mm section width. If you have the 17 inch rims then you should go with nothing less than a 295mm section width. This will help you keep the rear end planted as well as help with cornering.

Another idea is to go with the Viper 17x11 rims. They'll run you about 1100 bucks on eBay and you'll need a 25mm spacer and longer studs but you can go with a 335mm section width on all four corners and not have to worry about any rubbing issues. A friend of mine from SoCal runs some aftermarket wheels with the set up and I run a set of Viper rims of a 96 model year and I have no regrets whatsoever for spending a grand and a half on the wheels and dropping another grand every year for tyres.

 

Can get lockers for most rear ends. Locks both axles together. Its purely mechanical. I'd do something like that before i blew $2000 on wide rims and tires. Thats just me though.

 

If you have any kind of warrenty the locker will void it without a doubt. Lockers have been known to DESTROY rear ends. I personally would not do a locker because the LSD or POSI-TRAC is a lot safer in term of relialibility. And axels and a new casing are mucho expensive. But the tyres are a lot cheaper in the long run mostly because if you go with a LSD you will spend a lot of money getting it adjusted to where you like it. I bought an electronic one for just shy of 3500 and have not regreted it yet but I spent almost a grand on the initial instal and almost another 900 getting it adjusted. I recomend the electronic because with the flip of a switch it goes from an automaticly torque adjustable LSD to a full lock POSI-TRAC rear end.

 

u dont need a locker to get good launches....u just have to know how to launch your truck without spinning the tires. i have a dakota r/t with about 310 horsepower and i can launch it without spinning the tires that much. u just have to practice launching thats all. sometimes just hammering your foot to the floor right off the line is not the most efficient way.

 

hey thanks a lot for everyones advice, im pretty sure i have a 3.55 limited slip in the rear, right?