Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: Valiant_Showoff]
#1190533
03/03/12 10:46 PM
03/03/12 10:46 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 6,167
Maryland
GO_Fish
master
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master
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 6,167
Maryland
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Ohio is pretty flat I hear, so you should be okay with occasional towing, just don't be in a hurry. Any mountain towing, I'd say "no go" with the V6 4x4 Dak. (My experience is towing a 17' runabout with a 1990 Dakota, extended cab, 2wd, 3.9V6... It had it's tongue hanging out on mild grades). If your truck is rated for it, go for it. Beyond factory ratings, I wouldn't do it. 
Scott B.
"I'm a self-made man... I started with nothing, and I still have most of it!"
68 360 rusty B'cuda 'vert (GO Fish)13.59@ 98.72 mph
69 340 GTS stock 14.18@ 95.60 mph
01 5.9L Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4
01 3.5L 300M 16.23@ 86.97 mph
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: Valiant_Showoff]
#1190536
03/04/12 12:51 AM
03/04/12 12:51 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,998
Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
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Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,998
Salem
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If your car hauler is 2500 pounds and the car about 3500 to 4000 you should be ok for 100 mile or less trips. If you have the 9 1/4 rear-end, you're good, the 5-45rfe, they're bullet-proof, and the rad opening is fair sized, it should be all good. You have the right idea, so just take your time. If it shifts alot, lock it in 3rd gear (direct) and you should be ok. 
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: Grizzly]
#1190537
03/04/12 02:44 AM
03/04/12 02:44 AM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
70Cuda383
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
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7,000 lbs? you sure about that? that would mean your drivetrain is rated for a gross weight of at least 11,000 lbs.
I don't buy it.
I think your 7,000 lbs is TOTAL vehicle weight, to include the weight of your Dakota, which is probably around 4,000, giving you about a 3,000 lb towing capacity with the V6.
my 4.7L '04 Dakota is only rated to tow about 6500-7000 lbs, or, about 11-12k lbs gross vehicle/trailer combo.
that said...the dakota is a heavy truck. I know the 97-04's are minimum 4,000 lbs, my 04 quad cab, 4.7L, 2wd, auto weighs 4500 empty. if the new gens are just as heavy, then you have the "anchor" to tow a heavier load, the question then becomes an issue of power available to get going, and if you have trailer brakes or not.
for an occasional tow on flat land, go for it, but stick to the back roads, keeping the speed down, and avoid the freeway traffic moving at 65-75mph here in Ohio.
**Photobucket sucks**
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: 70Cuda383]
#1190538
03/04/12 02:47 AM
03/04/12 02:47 AM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
70Cuda383
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 21,345
Marysville, O-H-I-O
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I say that I think your 7,000 is total weight (truck plus trailer) because I remember my 98 Dakota, V6, was rated for gross of 7500 lbs, or, after the weight of the truck was accounted for, 3500 lbs.
THAT truck, V6, 2wd, stick shift, club cab, weighed 4,000 empty!!
but I did put 1600 lbs of stone in the bed on more than one occasion, and drove about 9 miles with that weight. I basically told the guys to load it up until it was ALMOST bottomed out on the suspension. It drove perfectly fine, but it was also 35mph or less as I drove across town from the gravel yard to my house. absolutely NO highway at all.
Last edited by 70Cuda383; 03/04/12 02:48 AM.
**Photobucket sucks**
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: teflon]
#1190541
03/04/12 11:44 AM
03/04/12 11:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,158
Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,158
Park Forest, IL
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Make sure your trailer has good brakes and you put a good brake controller in the truck. You'll be glad you did.
Pulling a trailer is easy. Stopping a trailer safely is the hard part.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: teflon]
#1190543
03/04/12 02:52 PM
03/04/12 02:52 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,419
Kalispell Mt.
HotRodDave
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,419
Kalispell Mt.
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The tranny behind a Intrepid and the 3.7 Dakota trans are very similar in that they both shift automatically, other than that they are very different.
That being said, the dakota trans behind a 3.7 shifts a lot so yes it should be locked in 3rd during anything besides flat land.
I had a 3.9 in my 2000 dakota and it towed just great, I routinely towed up to 6000 lbs and brakeing and handleing even with out a trailer brake was fine (extended cab 4x4 long bed) power on the other hand was puny but not as puny as the 18 wheelers I would pass on the mountain passes. Mine would get around 15 towing on the highway and 20 on the highway empty, I was never one to push my luck and kept the speeds down and did not run wide open up the mountain passes, if you just have to tow in a hurry then no this is not the truck for you but if you are patiant it will be just fine. If you try to keep up with the V8 trucks in the other lane you will suck as much gas as they do, if you drive it like a truck with %75 the power of a V8 your MPG will not be that bad.
I am not causing global warming, I am just trying to hold off a impending Ice Age!
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: HotRodDave]
#1190546
03/04/12 07:59 PM
03/04/12 07:59 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 286
Catskill, NY
teflon
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 286
Catskill, NY
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Quote:
The tranny behind a Intrepid and the 3.7 Dakota trans are very similar in that they both shift automatically, other than that they are very different.
That being said, the dakota trans behind a 3.7 shifts a lot so yes it should be locked in 3rd during anything besides flat land.
I had a 3.9 in my 2000 dakota and it towed just great, I routinely towed up to 6000 lbs and brakeing and handleing even with out a trailer brake was fine (extended cab 4x4 long bed) power on the other hand was puny but not as puny as the 18 wheelers I would pass on the mountain passes. Mine would get around 15 towing on the highway and 20 on the highway empty, I was never one to push my luck and kept the speeds down and did not run wide open up the mountain passes, if you just have to tow in a hurry then no this is not the truck for you but if you are patiant it will be just fine. If you try to keep up with the V8 trucks in the other lane you will suck as much gas as they do, if you drive it like a truck with %75 the power of a V8 your MPG will not be that bad.
The difference between the Dakota trans nad the Intrepid trans is that the Dakota is rear drive, other than that the are basically the same trans internally. 42LE for the Intrepid, 42RLR for the Dakota.
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: teflon]
#1190547
03/07/12 11:17 AM
03/07/12 11:17 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 948
Alliance, Ohio
Valiant_Showoff
OP
super stock
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OP
super stock
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 948
Alliance, Ohio
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Whelp, after doing a lot more research it's time to clean up the Dakota for sale and to start looking for a used full size. Anyone near Ohio need a 4x4 Dakota  ?
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Re: towing with V-6 Dakota
[Re: Valiant_Showoff]
#1190548
03/07/12 11:54 PM
03/07/12 11:54 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,998
Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
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Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,998
Salem
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Whoa, 180 degree turn! With fuel prices going up you should do really good unloading your V6 and picking up a V8 for cheap.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
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