Will I think that most everyone on the list understands what you are doing
and why. I do not feel that your truck should be driven like i drive
mine. I bought mine to drive it like this as sad as that is... Heck i went
through over half my original rear tires in the first 1000 miles, I did not
think i would hit 3k with them at the time. well luckily the lower tread
was a lot harder and they made it for 3 mo 8k miles. After that i started
to respect my tires since i had already smoked one set in a semester...
when i got rid of them they were near slicks, less tha 1/32 of tread in the
deepest parts... but I gotta tell ya it was fun... now i have 16k on my new
rear tires and they are barely worn, less than 20 or so good burnouts on
them right now. I just think that that could be more harm than good, shift
at 3k or 3500 rpm, it will no thurt it. I have abused mine to the tilt and
I can grab second safely at 55mph, it squeals like a pig and occasionally
hops a bit but i love the feel of downshifting. What can I say this is why
i bought the truck, use yours as you see fit just please do not try to save
it so bad that you ruin it. Also as is the case with a babied car it is
usually easier to hurt at high RPM... just a thought... My advice in the
rare instances I hand over the keys is to keep it off the limiter and no
huge burnouts...
Chris
>Ok, I think most of you misunderstand what I'm trying to do with my
>Dakota.My Dakota was given to me.I just think I owe it to my father to take
>care of it to the best of my ability.I've never been one to cuase abuse to
>vehicles on purpose.When I drive other people's vehicles for my business or
>at my other job(I AM a mechanic during the week), I do not "hot-rod" them.
>I'm not "scared" of high rpms, as I may have suggested.I just don't find it
>anywhere near neceassary for what I do with my truck.My Uncle, who I spend
>as much time with as I can(He has prostate cancer that has spread to
>back,and I don't know what I'll do when he passes-he's taught me so
>much),basically taught me how to care for a vehicle.He has& has had lots of
>high-mileage vehicles.His '80 model Chevrolet 4x4(350 4-bolt,SM465
>4-speed,NP205,3.73 axles)has 360,XXX miles on the original,unopened
>drivetrain(It has always been shifted at about 16-1800 rpm and it cruises at
>1800-1900.It's never "had the soot blown out of it") His 1961 model
>Chevrolet C-60 10-wheeler has 480,XXX miles on the original,unopened
>drivetrain.He drives it up and down the east coast,and runs the 427 at 4000
>rpms all day long( I replace the valvesprings,rockers,and lifters every
>fall,and I had the heads completely off this fall for a total rework).It was
>built to take it,though.The Dodge D300 custom I use at work and what not has
>530,000 on the originsl transmission & rearend(NP435 wide-ratio,Dana 60 rear
>5.13 gear).The original 318 cu.in. motor failed in the Dodge when another
>boy decided he would "blow the soot out of 'er"(bent a pushrod,then dropped
>a valve which in turn took out #3 piston). Now I work on cars all day long
>and you can definitely tell most of the ones that have been given hell.I
>have also built cars/trucks that are "built",as in built to take some
>serious abuse.The 327 I built 2 years ago has been making 7.90(1/8
>mi.)passes since the day it was built.2 years later, it still turns the same
>numbers.It sees 7000 rpm on a pretty regular basis.Now,that said, What does
>everybody think that I should be doing with my Dakota? Should I drive it the
>way I have been,or should I get out and give it hell to see what I can tear
>up?? The transmission's already on it's way out,what should I aim for next?
>Blow the bottom end of the motor apart? Break the spiders out of the
>rearend? How many rpm's should it turn on a daily basis? Maybe I'll go make
>a pass at the strip just to see how much wear I can cause on a pickup truck
>that I have to rely on to get me everywhere I need to go.Sorry if I sound a
>little annoyed. I just get frustrated when I try to take care of things that
>mean alot to me and people look down on me for it. Please, give me input on
>how better to make my Dakota last longer.After all, that's all I'm trying to
>do for it. I just want to see it stay with me for as long as possible.Please
>give me some feedback on this. I apparently need help as to how to better
>care for my Dakota.
>
>Will Coughlin willcoughlin@hotmail.com
>'00 reg.cab,2wd,4.7L/hd5-spd/3.92sg(9.25")
>http://www.geocities.com/willcoughlin/index.html
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