I am looking for info on different mopar frt susp. I have
51 Chry N.Y. that I had intended to put an early Dakota frt end on
it, but you cannot find anything around here to use. Any equivalents
out there that you would use? I really appreciate any information you
have. Thank you Moparts for the ad! Dodge33

No response so far so that means you stuck with me for now.
I did the Dakota front frame section swap on my '56 Canadian Dodge (Plymouth) mostly because there was some info that other people that had already done.
The frame on the Dakota and the Dodge at the sweet spot are exactly the same width. See the CAD drawing done by Gary Sand. What width your NY is I don't have a clue and that's you job to find out.
I find it hard to believe that you can't find a two wheel drive Dakota front suspension or parts truck or even a running truck (Kijiji or CL ?) Your not looking hard enough.
There is some information on the net, including mine, google with various different words.

So, using the above information, it has been reported hat the frames on the Dakota before the change over around 2003-2004 have the same front frame measurements.

Up to the end of the 1996 model year, you could get the 5 lug bolt pattern simply by swapping in the 5 bolt rotor on the front, and a Jeep or Ford 8.8 rear end with the 5 lug 4 1/2" bolt circle at the back. The 1997 to 2003 Dakota has a 6 bolt lug pattern, but changing them to the 5 lug requires at least the older spindles hubs and brakes, and changing the rear end. The 2 wheel drive Dakota's all have rack and pinion steering. The 4 cylinder trucks had lighter duty coil springs then a V8 truck had, a V6 could have had either coil spring.

Unless you intend to use the Dakota motor as a donor, the motor that came in the truck you find won't matter, the motor plates that bolt to the frame are the motor specific parts. Those motor brackets bolt onto the same frame locations.

That opens your options up to any 2 wheel drive Dakota older then a 2003 or 2004 for the frame swap, and if you are splicing it like above, the part you will use is forward of most of the rust issues, most rot out behind the point the frame drops down under the cab, behind the front cab mounts, but look the prospect chassis really good.

Thank you Old Ray and poorboy for responding to my ad......

Also, the frame schematic really helps to see how the process
is setup, and all that good stuff. You and poor boy really explain
how all the pieces will work and fit, very happy to have this information

I have a 51 Chrysler New Yorker..... but it is still out west and we have
wanted to go out there, but just can't afford it right now, as everyone
knows what the price of gas costs. We do have a 54 Plymouth 4dr
here that we could do the front frame section on, as my brother has
plans to chop the top. He has already done a 54 Ply Belv 2 Dr hdtp.
Also, this gives me an idea that maybe, it would be neat to check
the frame width on another car, it's a 51 Nash Statesmen 2dr
fastback, it's a Kansas car. We will see what happens!

Again....... thanks so much to you guys for your info, impressive!

Dodge 33,
I'm thinking that maybe that 51 Nash has a unibody structure under it rather then a frame/body design. If it is a unibody, things can get pretty complicated pretty fast. Chassis swaps can still be done up to a certain level, but it is entirely different from a frame/body car like the Plymouth and the Chrysler. were before around 1957.

Dodge 33,

Thank you for your reply, it's nice to get a response when we post, it makes it worthwhile.

There is a condition that effects most hobbies, but especially the old car one, that you have to look out for.
It is called "Paralysis by Indecision"
That is when there are too many choices that all look good but then nothing gets done until a decision gets made.
It still effects me occasionally but I have to choose what I feel / think is the ONE that will be the most realistic, being that especially with frame modifications which can be a two year or more time frame. And then burn out can also happen.

then there is "life" that happens................
i have owned my humpback panel since 1975, and although i still love that truck, it hasn't been worked on for many reasons due to what life has tossed in my lap.
at this point, i will be happy to be able to drive it around the block under it's own power before i croak.

I hear about gas prices being a hold back a lot. We (that includes me) get all crazy looking at a 30 cent per gallon price increase, but we need to keep things in perspective.
We just got back from a trip across Iowa, We live in IL. That trip was around 804 miles round trip I've tracked my gas (and mpg) over the trip, and included everything except about the last 60 or so miles. The day before we left, my wife checked the gas prices across Iowa. The day we went, the prices all across the state jumped 30 cents a gallon. We traveled 774 miles across Iowa, and bought 44.186 gallons of gas ( the total cost was $169.10)) with that extra 30 cents added on. (those keeping track, the truck got 17.516 mpg). That extra 30 cents a gallon cost me $13.25 more then it would have a few days before.

Granted, we were going any way, but the big gas price jump (.30 in one day is pretty big in my book) cost less then a single meal at a fast food joint to travel that 774 miles. If $13 (or $170 for that matter) is going to break the hot rod budget, You probably can't afford it anyway. Real life experience: 12 years ago, if you could do everything yourself, and were resourceful, you could put a drivable ride together for $3,500 (it probably wouldn't look pretty, but you could safely drive it). 2 years ago, that same ride cost $8,000 to get road worthy (and still looked rough). I'd be pretty surprised if the same ride could be road worthy for under $10,000 these days.

This is not a cheap hobby, never was. Don't buy into the BS about how cheap you can build something. The big ticket items are less then 1/4 the cost.