Hello fellow Dodge owners. I recently picked up an 05 Dakota 4.7 v8 and could not be happier. This is officially my second vehicle, the first being a 93 corolla 1.6 lol. It feels good to have a vehicle worth putting money into. It's only got 52k miles on it, and I got an amazing deal. I am in northeast Ohio so some slight rusting seems to be the only issue so far. Other than that, it is beautiful. It came with a cap that I will be selling. I was initially in the market for a very small beater truck to haul my street and dirtbike around, but I saw this and knew i'd be happy with it.

From the little bit I have read, most truck owners are not a fan of lowering their Dakotas. It definitely shows where I am from. Every other truck and SUV I see is lifted with oversized tires. I however, have no interest in taking this thing offroad. It is too pretty. My plans so far, is to drop the rear 2 inches, and swap out the stock intake, and exhaust. Maybe some low profiles for my next rubbers as well. With that done, I would be plenty satisfied, but I know it will be hard to stop there.

I guess one basic question I have- and I haven't checked the stickies yet (sorry)- but where are most people going for after market parts? I would love some lower profile bumpers for both the front and rear, and probably some fender flares eventually. I love the look of these trucks, but I want to make it my own. I have so much to play with I don't know where to start

Thanks guys. I have seen some absolutely beautiful trucks on these forums. Definitely an inspiration.

 

I will move this to the 3rd generation Dakota sub-forum.

 

Welcome to DF. Lot of good info here. Dragon05 has a pretty slick slammer. He can probably steer you towards were you want to go.

 

Here I am!!!! Lowering is my game. I have a static drop of about 5 inches. Front is done with Lowboyz coilovers from Airbagit. The rear is relocated spring perches from Summit racing mounted under the axle instead of on top. As for where to go for other items, eBay is my friend. I picked up most of my aftermarket parts from eBay.

 

Nice truck. There is not much in the way of aftermarket support for these trucks. As Dragon says, ebay is your best bet. Rock Auto for replacement parts. Be sure to look into a superchips. It will really wake up that 4.7 along with a intake and performance exhaust. Fastman or Hipotek makes bored throttle bodies for these beasts. Welcome aboard!

 

We all get parts from a lot of sites, Some are: Streetsideauto, autoanything, autotrucktoys, amazon, ebay, jegs, summitracing, airram, autotrucktoys, 4wheelparts, stylintrucks, and a bunch more. Just let us know what you're looking for and we'll steer you in the right direction. You're gonna want a roll pan for the rear (bumper), and there are no alternatives for the front bumper unless it's custom made.

Welcome aboard.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Thanks for those sites, Dakotaff. Very useful. Rollpan is definitely the search term I was looking for. I really know very little when it comes to vehicles. Which brings me to my next few questions.

How hard is it to install lowering blocks to the rear? I am comfortable doing everything but welding. Do they relocate the shocks, or the spring perches? Very nice truck btw, Dragon. I saw yours in the picture thread. Your stance is perfect in my opinion. I want to start with leveling my truck by dropping the rear and see how I like it first.

Unfortunately, most of my mods will have to wait until after I get snow tires. I've only got rear wheel drive, and winters can get nasty here. Better safe than sorry.

As far as intake and exhaust- MBRP vs Magnaflow vs Flowmaster? I have done some reading but can't see any major differences. Do our trucks prefer one over the other? I am going to leave my stock manifold alone. It was just replaced prior to purchase.

What is the difference between getting a full K and N or other name brand C.A.I versus making one myself? Any major gains? Is it worth the extra money?

Can I use a superchip with progressives snapshot? lol. I am driving like an old man while snapshot is in, I cant wait till the 6 months is over.

What is the purpose of putting a spacer in the throttle body? Better fuel atomization? More air? I can understand a bored throttle body, but a spacer?

Are fender flares just kind of a bolt on thing or do they use an adhesive?

As far as any answers to my questions- I don't mind waiting a half a year more to save for the cash if it means doing it the right way. I plan on owning the truck forever. I want to do things the right way the first time. And thanks for any help and tolerating so many questions. I've already learned a lot just from browsing the forums. And gotten a few hardons.

Also, I am trying to sell my cap. It's fiberglass, with locks, sliding windows, and a 3rd brake light and in like new condition. Is 700 a fair asking price? I am near cleveland if anyone is interested.

Thanks again guys.

 

Great to see the enthusiasm for your truck!!

Exhaust- it really boils down to sound, try to listen to as many sound/vid clips as you can (with headphones).

Intake- an aftermarket air filter can work just fine and many people make their own intakes. The big brands offer a complete package with increases in sound and performance. Is this a show truck? Do you race or drag? They certainly look nice under the hood too.

Which fender flares are you interested in?

 

Lowering blocks won't work since the stock leaf spring is on top of the axle. Using blocks actually will raise the truck. You have to relocate to under the axle. My drop in the rear is only done with the spring perch relocation, nothing else. Switched shocks for a better ride, but that made no difference in the ride height. Mine has no leveling done to it.