RE: 2001 Quad Cab 4x4 4.7L powertrain questions

From: Sevrence, Sean (S.J.) (ssevrenc@visteon.com)
Date: Mon Feb 12 2001 - 12:27:29 EST


I just ventured into the LSD market in October. I'm in SE Michigan, so I
share your concern with the winter. Granted, your quantity is more but snow
is snow.

One thing you will notice right off the bat, it is easy to break both wheels
loose (especially with all the torque of the 4.7L!). However, I added
3-70lbs bags of sand over the axle. If I broke the wheels loose, it was
because I wanted to. Once they break loose, they hook up quicker with the
added weight. As far as performance goes in the snow, I have no complaints
and I never even came close to worrying about getting stuck. We had several
8+ inch days this season (stop laughing ;) ) and the LSD pushed me right
through. I have the 16X8 wheels on the '01, and I noticed they float a bit
more on the slush than the 15X7's on my '92. After driving the '92 without
LSD for all those years, I will not be going away from it. The LSD in combo
with the 5spd gave me rock solid performance.

I'm a firm believer in a manual, but you will find it's a love-hate
relationship on this list. It's up to you whether you want to be active in
the driver seat or not. I Just like to have total control (on both accel and
decell) with a manual.

I have no experience with the 4X4's, so enjoy your new truck!!!

Sean
'92 RC Sport 3.9L 5spd - 250,000mi!
'01 CC SLT+ 4.7L 5spd 3.92 LSD Mobil-1!

-----Original Message-----
From: stanley.deforest@valeo.com [mailto:stanley.deforest@valeo.com]
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 11:15 AM
To: dakota-truck@BUFFNET.NET
Subject: DML: 2001 Quad Cab 4x4 4.7L powertrain questions

I'm about to buy a 2001 Dakota QC 4.7L 4x4 and am a newbie to Mopars. I
have a
few questions...

Is the manual tranny preferable over the automatic for longevity? I'm
reading
many tranny horror stories around... Plus I save $900.

Is the limited slip rear end a good choice for mud, snow, and ice or will it
make the truck fishtail more?

How much more stable is the full time 4WD and is it reliable? Is it such a
big
deal to flick the switch when I need it, should I stick with the 'normal'
4WD?

I'm in upstate NY where it is winter 5 months out of the year. No
slickrocks
here, just mud, swamps and snow. Thanks for the help.

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