1999 Dodge Dakota 4x4

Hey guys. Just picked up my 99 Dakota 4x4 with a 318 last week and have been doing some basic maintenance first and some other ends such as bilstein shocks and what not.


My problem is when I have it in 2wd it turns just fine, but when engaged in 4wd hi or low it seems to bind and catch almost to the point of stopping the truck. Is this bad cv shafts or something else?

My other question is there a history of any gremlins on these trucks I should know about? I had a 96' Dakota v6 about 5 months ago and most of the issues were with the ecm. Once I replaced that it ran perfect, go figure on the day I sold it lol.

Thanks for the help.

Sounds normal to scrub tires and hard turning in 4wd on dry pavement. Especially in low range. Try it on dirt or in the rain/snow to see if it makes a difference.

No problems with my 99 R/T so far, but that's 2wd so slightly different.

It's a good idea to keep the same brand and model of tires on 4x4's and replace 4 at a time when you replace them. If the tires all have the same wear on them, I would make sure the axles are both the same ratio, front and rear. (355:1 etc)

Yeah all for are michelin 235/75/15 tires that the previous owner replaced at the same time with the same wear. The rear was swapped to a 9.25 from an 8.25 but it is still a 3.55 gear as is the front.

check your ball joints. the recalls were on the 3rd generation Dakota, mostly 4x4 models, and some of the 2wd models, Although I think the recall was like, 00-03 model years? can't hurt to have the dealer check the vin for any outstanding recalls that need performed (if there's a recall for a PCM reprogram, DON'T DO IT! )

completely normal.don't do it too much, you will damage something in the driveline,(eg)front diff,axle shaft/transfer case.In wet-loose environment it will not be an issue.

I agree check the ball joints.They arent hard to replace.I did all 4 on my Durango in about 1 1/2 hours on the rack at work.Headlight switchs were also known to go bad.If power windows be careful if it freezes.They like to pop the cables and then you have to replace the power unit.Rocky

When you did them in an hour and a half, were they the factory original riveted joints, or had they been previously replaced and were bolted in?

They were OE.I was only going to do the uppers but I decided to do all 4.Being on the rack at work and my SnapOn air chisel helped.That and I did a ton of chassis work at the shop.You learn a lot of tricks after over 30 years of doing it everyday.I did screw up on one lower.I didnt have the snap ring positioned right.Took me about abother 20 minutes to get it straightned out after I had it together.Rocky