Need truck advice

PolkThug

Now I'm test driving an '01 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4. I'm liking its differential better than the 'one wheel wonder' Toyota diff. Downside is that the Dakota has a lower towing capacity.

This is my first experience with a 4x4, and lucky for me we got about 5 inches of new snow to test it out.

Switching from 2wd to 4wd is completely seamless on the Dakota, just a quick turn of a dial on the dashboard. It makes no extra noise when switching over.

wodom1

PolkThug wrote:

Now I'm test driving an '01 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4. I'm liking its differential better than the 'one wheel wonder' Toyota diff. Downside is that the Dakota has a lower towing capacity.

This is my first experience with a 4x4, and lucky for me we got about 5 inches of new snow to test it out.

Switching from 2wd to 4wd is completely seamless on the Dakota, just a quick turn of a dial on the dashboard. It makes no extra noise when switching over.

Mine doesn't make any noticeable noise when switching to 4HI, but you can definitely hear it when going to 4LO. Does the '01 your testing have the 4.7L?

PolkThug

wodom1 wrote:

Mine doesn't make any noticeable noise when switching to 4HI, but you can definitely hear it when going to 4LO. Does the '01 your testing have the 4.7L?

Yep, the 4.7L "Magnum".

Rivrrat

I have an 05 F-150 with the 5.4 triton. I love it, and it has had less warranty issues than the Nissan hardbody it replaced. Lots of HP and torque for it's size, and if you're not careful, it's a cop magnet, because it's usually going about 10 over what you think you're doing.

Mike682

4.7L magnum is a solid engine. Runs flawlessly in my Durango


http://www.allpar.com/mopar/47.html

Jstas

First off, those guys with blown plugs and no service are full of it and getting shafted by thier dealer. Mine popped a plug (more common on Lightnings due to higher cylinder pressures) and the dealer did all the work and even paid for the rental under manufacturing defect repair. I got an entirely new cylinder head, new plugs and they changed the oil and coolant for me. Didn't cost me one red cent. Ford also DID release a TSB on it because the TSB was referenced in my invoice for the work order. On top of that, the spark plug issue on the N/A engines is not nearly as common as it seems. I know quite a few Lightning and Harley Davidson F-150 owners who have had issues but next to no regular F-150 owners with the issues. Some simple preventative maintenance of just checking the plugs are tight each time you change your oil will keep them from blowing out. They blow out because the aluminum heads expand and contract and the plugs will work themselves loose like they can on any aluminum head, even aftermarket heads. When they work loose, they do not have enough threat contact to keep the cylinder pressures from popping them out. The simple fix is to make sure they stay tight. The expensive fix is to replace cylinder heads at about a grand a pop plus 800-1200 for installation depending on what side blew out.


As far as the 4 wheel drive making noises during engagement, that depends on if the vehicle has a gear and chain driven transfer case or a viscous coupling like in an AWD system. Electronic 4x4 systems are usually clutch and fluid operated with 4LO engaging a chain drive. On the heavier duty 4x4 systems, they usually have a manual stick to shift 2WD--4LO--4HI which enagages a manual, chain driven transfer case. they will make clunking and metallic noises. The AWD systems use clutch packs and bands very similar to an automatic transmission or a viscous coupling like a torque converter in an automatic transmission and they are less likely to make noises. Also, electronic hubs are servo operated with sycronizers in them. Newer ones don't always require you to back up. However, heavier electronic hubs and manual hubs have heavier locking mechanisms with no syncronizes and you will have to back up to set them in the locked position. These will make ratcheting noises until locking mechanism is engaged. If you are travelling at speed in 4WD HI or moving too fast for 4WD LO, they will whine and make grinding noises because the hub gears are usually straight cut and not helical like what is in most differentials.



Rivvrat, if your truck is rolling as much as 10 MPH faster than indicated, are you sure you have a tire size similar to the stock size on there? I see alot of guys jack the trucks up and put 30-35 inch tall tires on a truck with gearing for a 29 inch tall tire and then the speedo is all out of whack because they didn't get the drivetrain computer recalibrated for the larger wheels. Mine is a cop magnet for other reasons but my speedo is accurate to less than 2% which is pretty good for a stock guage.

PolkThug

Jstas wrote:

Rivvrat, if your truck is rolling as much as 10 MPH faster than indicated,

I think he was just saying its easy to go fast because its so smooth. When I test drove the Tundra, I let it slip up to 85 without really noticing how fast I was going.

Jstas

Oh yeah, one more thing on the Ford engines. Alot of people on the referenced site are stating that they found someone to do the work for them for cheap and "redrill" the heads for the spark plugs. That is not possible to do and the repair is more likely a helicoil which would work on a cast iron head but aluminum is too soft for a helicoil to work properly and they will blow out under high chamber pressures and just make the hole bigger. Eventually, it will get so big that the combustion chamber and/or a water jacket gets compromised and the head has to be replaced at a minimum.

The reason Ford has the cost of the service so high is because the service includes replacing the old heads with newer ones from '04 and up. These heads have deeper threads and are less likely to blow out when neglected for 50-80,000 miles. Just because the plugs are supposed to last for 100,000 miles doesn't mean you can ignore them for 100,000 miles.

If you don't check the plugs and keep them tightened, they can work themselves loose. It is not a design flaw nor a manufacturing defect. It is due to the physical and thermal properties of aluminum. Even aftermarket heads will have similar issues. Alloys have gotten better to reduce the amount of expansion and contraction but it will still occur. The issue there is that the aluminum alloy expands and contracts faster than the steel spark plugs and iron engine block and exhaust manifolds. They have to be checked on a farily regular basis. Just like the torque specs on your lug nuts have to be checked more so if you have aluminum wheels. Ford even lists that spark plug and manifold bolt torque specs be checked during several if not all of it's recommended service intervals. If it's in the manual and you aren't maintaining the vehicle properly, it can be argued that the failure would be attributable to lack of proper vehicle maintinance by owner. That is, unfortunatly for them, more likely the issue most of those people on that site are experiencing.

Jstas

PolkThug wrote:

I think he was just saying its easy to go fast because its so smooth. When I test drove the Tundra, I let it slip up to 85 without really noticing how fast I was going.

That I can see. I find myself catching myself exceeding the speed limit by a good deal when I wonder why everyone else is going so slow!

MillerLiteScott

I know from experience that the plugs on the Ford V8 are a **** to get to. I have only owned Ford Trucks. The one I have now is nearly as nice as a luxury car inside and I am very happy with it so far.