So what lift kits are there to lift a later 4x4 dakota? What to use and what to avoid? Just need a couple inches for a customer.

I have an 03 I looked into kits awhile back.
Unless you want to pay$$,body lift or blocks and crank on the torsion bars.

While researching today, I ran across this at Allpar.
I don't know enough about lift kits for these to say if there is a GOOD one out there, but this says the cheap/quick method is not good for this guy.

http://www.allpar.com/trucks/dakota-1997.html

Lift kits

Suspension engineer Bob Sheaves wrote:

Look at how people lift Dakotas (I am speaking specifically of the 1997 to 2004 here) with $130 torsion bar keys and rear spacer blocks. If all you want to do is fit 33 inch tall tires, fine. It is cheap and will do just that...

...as well as destroy halfshaft joints, cause vibration in the driveline, potentially have contact between front headpipe and front driveshaft.....

“Sweating the details” is what causes the costs that many people don't want to pay for. Few will care too much about all that “excess cost”...until parts start to fail due to ignorance of systems integration.

Also consider — the larger diameter tire increases the force moment arm acting on the brakes, causing longer stopping distances.

Dakotas are the worse truck to lift. Big bucks to do it right and limited kits due to lack of popularity.

at one time i bought a 02 dakota quadcab 4x4 that had a 3 inch body lift on it,it was easy to remove,just some pucks and long bolts,a link in the steering shaft and a short extension on the lower radiator hose,i shipped the kit to a guy in the carolinas for$100 and we were both happy!