I have an 01 Quad Cab 4x4 4.7, and I need to replace the rear leaf springs cause it's sagging so bad it's sitting on the bump stops without any load in the bed at all. I'm looking at a couple trucks being parted out in my area but some are not quad cab, 4x4, or they are v6; so I was wondering if anyone knows which leaf springs are the same in which models. I was doing my due diligence by looking in the parts manual and it shows a different part number for the quad cab 4 x 4 but makes no distinguishing between engine size. Anyone on this forum have experience or advice on swapping out leaf springs?

Also, is it very common for them to wear out or sag so much? I mean I realize after 200,000 miles they've seen a lot of abuse, but to completely give out and go straight to the bump stops seems a little odd to me. Thanks.

 

Engine doesn't matter so much since that's in the front. They are cab specific though, you'll want a QC spring, I don't think CC will work. I could be wrong though.

FWIW I has 2,000 pounds of steel recycling in the bed of mine and I was just touching the stops.

 

Ok so I stopped by a u pull it wrecking yard today and I was literally about to start pulling a set of rear leaf springs from a 04 quad cab 4x4 when I noticed that my axle was sitting on top of my leaf springs and the truck that was sitting in the yard had it's axle sitting below the leaf springs. I stood there puzzled and started looking at the parts manual for the suspension set up for the 4x2 and 4x4 and realized that somebody must have swapped out my rear end for a 4x2 rear end. Which totally explains why my truck sits so low and hits the bump stops. I was thinking I could just flip the axle around to the other side but the spring perches would have to cut and re-welded.

This also explains why someone would have loosened the torsion bars up front to lower the front suspension to match. It all suddenly makes sense now, as I had been puzzled by the suspension on this truck since I bought it.

So now I gotta start shopping around for a rear end. A 4x4 rear end.

 

If the only issue with the axle you have is that the perches are on the wrong side, just buy a pair of perches and weld them on (or have it done). You don't even absolutely have to take the old ones off if you don't want to (and don't care that they'll look kinda funny hanging down there).

 

well crap, if yours has a flipped axle, that's like a 4" drop. That would be beyond noticable to me?

 

Yea I was thinking about doing that with the perches but I wasn't sure if the axle itself is different between a 2wd and 4 x 4. Would the axle be lighter duty or have a different number of splines or different gearing or is it just the perches that would different? And what about the mounting points for the struts and sway bars? Would those have to change as well?

Regarding the lowered stance, yea I noticed it right off the bat, I just never would have thought that someone would have swapped in a completely wrong axle or flopped the axle. I was always thinking the leaf springs were worn out. Mainly because the front was lowered too. I never thought someone would go through all that work and put the wrong suspension in and then lower the front to match to hide it. Plus with it sitting on the bump stops it sat about the height of a 2wd truck. Call me ignorant or dumb, but yeah I never even realized there were 2 possible positions for the axle depending on 2wd or 4wd. I didn't have another truck to compare it to to notice mine was in the wrong spot.

 

I just had another thought... Now that I know I have a suspect axle installed, which has drum brakes on the rear...we're there any 01 Dakotas with discs in the rear? Reason I'm asking is because as I'm searching online for rear ends, I'm seeing some listed as 01's with disc brakes. Is there some 01's with either disc or drum? I understand ther was an update to the Dakotas around that time.

 

As the days go on I find it harder to remember all the specs on the dakota now that Im used to my ram.. I believe in 02-03 they started using discs.. As far as sagging suspension goes it really all depends... My dakota was the same way. The p.o had an rv and even a bed 3/4's full of wood I could get it to touch the bump stops

 

If you are going to do an axle swap, swap in a 9.25 in place of the 8.25 if thats what you have. Or go all-in and go find an 8.8 out of an exploder :P

I dont believe 01's had disk, only 04 and some of 03.

 

find a rear end the has matching gears to your front axle,also find a new set of leaves as well,you could have a set of Durango leaves under it now,they have a natural s bend in them to work with spring under setup, but, NOT GOOD for spring over setup..