anyone else here have a 5.2 dakota?

[loi]

just curious how you like them compared to a comanche.

 

i am picking up my first dakota tomorrow. 2wd long bed reg cab auto.

 

i still want a nice comanche, and am kicking myself for not buying the best one ive ever seen for 1400, so i am still on the hunt. i feel like once i find the right com - 4x4 long bed auto 4.0, stroker, or v8 custom (the guy on here won't sell me his) i won't want the dak anymore.

 

either way should be a fun truck to have. it has peeling white paint, so it may get a flat black repaint, and its def getting some blacked out alum rims.

[Burls]

what year is the truck? The 318 is a very reliable motor, but don't expect much in the way of mileage. I had a 99 2wd club cab with the 3.9. I loved everything about the truck except for the lack of power & horrible mileage(14-15 all hwy at 65).

[1990 Pioneer 4x4]

Just got rid of my 5.2L Dakota after 10+ years. It was an awesome rig, plenty of power; hard to compare to the MJ.

 

Then i got this new 4.7 L.

[Pete M]

except for the lack of power & horrible mileage(14-15 all hwy at 65).

 

holy crap. on a good day I can get the same highway out of my 5.9 dak. :ack:

[loi]

92

 

i am anticipating poor mileage, no worries

 

i meant just the overall feel of it honestly

 

i will be getting this, and then the absolute smallest most efficient pickup i can get, maybe a diesel pup, and then eventually sellin the dak when i find the right com.

[terrawombat]

My Dad had a '94 Dakota 5.2L for about a year and used it to haul a 16' utility trailer that routinely saw 2500+ lb. It got the job done and it was a nice looking truck, but it had this really strange problem where it would just randomly die, without warning, and would not start back up. Left us stranded dozens of times. We'd often go back to get it with a tow truck hours later and it would fire right up and drive back home. Never had anyone look at it and I was 10 years old at the time, so I wasn't able to diagnose the problem and fix it like I would have done if we still had it today.

[Suuperman]

I bought a '98 new in '98. It was my first brand new vehicle and I loved it.

 

5.2, short bed reg cab. Would smoke my GF's '98 GT 'stang. I lowered the rear on mine 2" and had a fiberglass tonneau.

 

Compared to an MJ...well...overall they're roughly the same size. BUT the dakota weighs more (full frame) and I believe is slightly wider/longer so it can tow more. Plus the V-8.

 

I'd take an MJ over a dakota any day and I am a dodge fan...but back when I bought my dakota I did not even know what an MJ was and at that time had not owned a single jeep. Now 12 years later I've owned 15 jeeps...and no more dakotas!!

 

I don't remember what the fuel economy was on the dakota I had...back then it didn't matter as much to me as it does now and I can remember paying around $1 per gallon even in '98. Of course I paid $3.01 yesterday to fill up my wife's honda. yay.

[whowey]

My Dad had a '94 Dakota 5.2L for about a year and used it to haul a 16' utility trailer that routinely saw 2500+ lb. It got the job done and it was a nice looking truck, but it had this really strange problem where it would just randomly die, without warning, and would not start back up. Left us stranded dozens of times. We'd often go back to get it with a tow truck hours later and it would fire right up and drive back home. Never had anyone look at it and I was 10 years old at the time, so I wasn't able to diagnose the problem and fix it like I would have done if we still had it today.

 

 

 

Its a cracked wire in the wiring harness behind the steering column... My 94 did exactly the same thing. Cost me a heap to finally find it.

 

Nice truck.. good power.. it could tow and haul as much as larger trucks. At the time hated having to get an auto to have a 5.2l.

[kro10000]

I had a 92 v8 auto longbed 4x4, and yeah it did not do very well on gas. The auto trans in those things are junk, mine had to be rebuilt at 80k, and 40,000 miles later the torque connverter clutch started going out. It had plenty of power though, in one of my stupider moments I maxed out the speedo (125 mph) and it was still pulling

[loi]

speeding isnt always stupid. this dude keeps flaking on me, and i found an r/t on craigslist rather cheap, with half the miles, and its not a scam. if its still for sale i may just snatch that up. i like top speed. the only reason i don't have an srt-10 ram is i just plain don't like them. the newer ram style dakota isnt my bag either, but i can't seem to nail down a second gen dak with a 5.9 in it.

[kro10000]

speeding isnt always stupid. this dude keeps flaking on me, and i found an r/t on craigslist rather cheap, with half the miles, and its not a scam. if its still for sale i may just snatch that up. i like top speed. the only reason i don't have an srt-10 ram is i just plain don't like them. the newer ram style dakota isnt my bag either, but i can't seem to nail down a second gen dak with a 5.9 in it.

 

Well... it was on a gravel back road, and shortly afterwards I found out my pitman arm and idler arm were pretty much shot :eek: , it definitely was a lot of fun. I don't think I would ever want to go that fast in an MJ.

[freakjeep93]

speeding isnt always stupid. this dude keeps flaking on me, and i found an r/t on craigslist rather cheap, with half the miles, and its not a scam. if its still for sale i may just snatch that up. i like top speed. the only reason i don't have an srt-10 ram is i just plain don't like them. the newer ram style dakota isnt my bag either, but i can't seem to nail down a second gen dak with a 5.9 in it.

 

Well... it was on a gravel back road, and shortly afterwards I found out my pitman arm and idler arm were pretty much shot :eek: , it definitely was a lot of fun. I don't think I would ever want to go that fast in an MJ.

 

it is defiently fun but it can get expensive quick. i was caught at 150kl/h (90 mp/h) in a 100 zone(about 60 mp/h) and i got off with a warning because i had no job and a super cool cop. but he said it was a 500$ ticket and 5 points off my license. at the time i had just gotten my licnse 2 months before and only had 2 points lol.