> OK, now a very quick venting. It PISSES ME OFF that CC would first
>announce the truck in the various configurations to be available at a
>given date, then they push the date back for what ever reason. Now they
I expect the production gap due to this summer's strike really messed
up the production schedule. Durango's were supposed to be in the
showroom by now, or so I thought.
As a business, Chrysler has to make a profit. If they are selling every
unit they can crank out, they don't need a performance vehicle to boost
the product's image. When and if they get caught up with backlog, I
would expect a higher-profit setup like the R/T will be produced. And
they may simply not have the resources to retool for Durango AND 5.9l
Dakotas.
>this. What kind of additional maintenance can I expect with the 4X4 and
>what can I expect to break on it. It will be used for on road 98% of the
>time with the off road limited to either the beach or small dirt back
There are more U-joints to lube, and another pumpkin to keep full of
diff lube. I don't know if in street-only use the 4x4 requires alignment
more often that 4x2s -- judging by the off-the-lot experiences of 4x2
owners, I doubt they are any worse. You lose about 1 mpg to push the
weight around, and you should change the xfer case lube (AT fluid)
about every fifth oil change or so. You get a higher center-of-gravity,
but higher ground clearance. IMHO a 4x4 Dakota with the optional
31x10.5-15 tires looks about right -- the 4x2s look more like a minitruck.
[Go ahead, my e-Nomex is on.]
Jim
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Tread Lightly on Public and Private Lands -- Abuse it and we'll lose it!
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