I've got a 2002 Dakota SLT Club Cab with 3.9/5spd combo. Was there ever a cruise control option for this model/year? If so, on manual trans vehicles? I do some long trips (LA to SF, LA to Florida) and could make use of cruise if it could be fitted w/o too much modification. Any info appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes it was an option and yes on manual transmission equipped vehicles as well. It was available from Dodge as a dealer installed option but good luck on finding a kit now.

I have it on my '00 with a 5 speed, added a a few years ago. I got all the parts from the boneyard, cost me $35.

You'll need the cruise control servo, the servo cable, a clockspring, and the steering wheel switches. The wiring is in place.

On the switches you'll need to pull the steering wheel and change the clockspring out. I had to change the wheel too but used the original airbag.

That's probably the most involved part of the job - it is an easy install.

The "problem" you might have is finding a dealer to enable the cruise light on the cluster. One dealer told me it wouldn't work (the cruise was working I just didn't know when it was on) but I found another that KNEW the Dakota (older guy) and within 5 minutes he reprogrammed the cluster using the DRB. Cost me all of $20.

 

I did a retrofit on my '04 SXT 3.7L V6, 42RLE, 4x4. I got all of my parts individually out of the parts manual and had it installed by a local dealer. I think it cost me somewhere around $400 total (parts and labor) and it's worked without a hiccup for a lot of years. By the time I got around to doing it you couldn't buy the accessory kit anymore, but the dealer I bought the parts from was awesome in getting me everything I needed. There was only one part they missed and I found it locally at a salvage yard. Good luck!

 

There are some after market kits available, including some that just have dash mounted switches, which I think might be simpler. I have considered having one installed but never yet bothered to check them out. Now that my kids aren't moving around so often, my highway miles have dropped…..

 

It's about a 15 minute job. Just pull the steering wheel and you're done. No splicing of wires, no mounting anything anywhere.

You are going to have trouble finding anything aftermarket for a 15+ year old vehicle.