05 Dakota quad cab 4.7 4X4 w/standard tranny

I never realized just how gutless this truck is. it's fine tooling around town but this week I had to take it on a 1100 kilometer round trip pulling an empty car haul trailer. Wasn't supposed to come back empty but that's another story.
It pulls fine on a flat level road but get into the foothills and then the mountains and what a gutless POS. I'm used to 4.9 and 5.0 Fords w/lots of pulling power but this thing is useless.
Have to really push it going down a coulee to get enough speed to slingshot up the other side, otherwise have to shift down to 5th and then down to 4th and then down to 3rd to try and crawl up the other side. I could understand that if there was 3 or 4 ton on the trailer but an empty open trailer?

Not easy on fuel either. Has Autolite 5224 plugs gapped at .040"

Another thing I don't like is that it seems to take forever to idle down. Take my foot off the gas to decelerate and it doesn't want to hardly slow down. Push the clutch in and it's doing 1500 rpm and takes it's sweet time coming down to 800. It's got a new IAC in it so I'm wondering if it's sticking or sluggish?

I like the truck but unless i can figure out why it's so gutless methinks I'm going to have to look for a replacement, probably a Ford.

Any suggestions, other than chipping it?

 

I used to own a Ford with 4.9, also the 5.0. I really feel the 4.7 is on par with them. I've hauled with all of em. Nothing real heavy, travel trailers and boats. I also used to have a f250 with a 460, that thing felt like it was never stressed, and always smooth as silk.

 

My 4.7 was a screamer. Had all the power I needed.

 

Don't the non HO 4.7 have just a bit more then the 3.7 does. The 3.7 is 210 I believe and isn't the normal pre08 4.7 do like 230 or something like that?

 

230 Horsepower is indeed the rating. These engines don't have a lot of torque way down low, the 08+ from what I understand has a lot more in the bottom end.

I have an '05 quad cab, and my towing experience is somewhat limited with it, but I didn't have much trouble hauling a late 80's F250 loaded down with weight to the scrap yard with a tow dolly. Granted, I wasn't trying to maintain highway speed with it, but I was fairly impressed with how it handled the job. If I remember correctly the scale said I was over 10,000 pounds with both trucks and the dolly. Sure, I wasn't going to win any drag races loaded down like that but it got the job done.

At the end of the day this is still a mid-sized truck, so when it does jobs better suited for a full sized truck all I can do is smile

 

Kenttt:


You're whining .


I've had an '06 and now and '08. Automatic transmissions, so I don't have to hunt for the correct gear, but they both get up and get gone. They pass everything but a gas station!


YMMV


LOL.

 

From what I'm hearing from you guys it makes me think that there's something wrong w/mine. Now to figure out what it is.

 

My 2005 is ball less too! Struggles with a 4K trailer going up small inclines ordered with a low gear ratio too. I believe it is 3.73 4.7 magnum. The whole truck is a POS if you ask me. 30K list for this junk. Never a Dodge again. constantly repairing since 5K miles!

 

Bahahaha....

 

Yeah, a 2005 that sucks, and he either hangs on to it for 10 years because it sucks so good, or he bought it used and you never know what the previous owner(s) did to it.