20O1 Dakota RT Posi, worth keeping?

[747mopar]

Here's what's left of the tags.

 

[747mopar]

Do you have the fender flares?

If you would have been one day sooner lol. Rears are still here but the truck is loaded and headed to the scrap yard next week. I advertised some of the stuff but I'm getting tired of the ignorant questions that come with it and will just scrap the rest.

 

[Cranky]

the rear you have is a 8-1/4,albeit with 6 lug axles.
the trick,is to swap that chunk into a b body/m body/f body or later 8-1/4 Housing,
and using the b body/m body/f body axles and brakes.
it is indeed worth selling or keeping.

side note,while it is unique to find a l/s in a dakota,
they were super common in the durangos.
most all are 3:55 gears,check the glovebox to make sure the l/s code is there.

I ordered a 92 5.2 Dakota with 3.92 gears and limited slip....8 1/4 rear. So the limited slip units had a different bolt pattern the the open diffs?

I did that with my 440 Dart love that 3:55. You just have to remember the ring gear has different bolt positions than a stock 8.25. Just FYI

Believe it or not I have never found a standard Dakota in a u-pull with a SG.

Never.

I have seen literally hundreds.

Durangos with 3.55 SG, yes, but never a Dak unless it was an R/T.

If you ever see a black 1st gen (92) reg cab swb Dakota in a wrecking yard with the 6x9 mirrors (Sport model with stripe delete), check it out. Doubt you'll be lucking but this is how I ordered it. 5.2 with 3.92 limited slip rear. I ordered my 2000 5.2 Durango with 3.92's also....9 1/4 rear.

Well this is an RT with a 5.9, a lot of motor for a little truck.

I weighed a first year RT reg cab at the track and it showed 3900. They weren't all that big but they had some pork on them lol

 

[BeatersRus]

it seems like the R/T-s and some of the durangos got the 3:92 with the 9-1/4 rear.
the rest got the 8-1/4,with 3:55-s.
always check the glovebox before pulling the rear.

my tip,was for those who have the 8-1/4 rear.
its a super cheap way to get a limited slip with a good gear ratio in your 8-1/4.
apologies for any confusion.

to cranky,i meant the wheel bolt pattern on the axles themselves.
durangos are 6 lug,while our older cars are 5.
basically,you are only reusing the center chunk of the durango rear end.
everything else you re use from the car 8-1/4.

• Nov 28, 2018
JP:
You can look in the bottom of the glove box for a label which should tell you axle ratio. The Gen 1's were 3.55 or 3.92. Through some research way back, I found that the 3.55s were selected about 66% of the time, whereas the shorter 3.92 was around 33%. If that label in your glove box mentions "Anti Spin", you have the oem limited slip carrier. The larger 9.25 inch ring gear housing inspection cover resembles a stop sign, whereas the smaller 8.25 inch ring gear housing is kind of round.
Don

 

[747mopar]

Well it looks from as far as I can see that the daughter's 72 Satty has at least the same differential cover so maybe this is dumb luck? The drivetrain is slated to go in her Satty. I'll store the rear away in hopes that it can give up the SG for her build.

 

[moparmarks]

In 1997 they changed the axle spline on the 8 1/4 rear end. So the earlier sure grips won't fit the 97 and later 8 1/4 Dakota rear ends. Ask me how I know.

 

[Cranky]

Well it looks from as far as I can see that the daughter's 72 Satty has at least the same differential cover so maybe this is dumb luck? The drivetrain is slated to go in her Satty. I'll store the rear away in hopes that it can give up the SG for her build.

The rear end in the pic you posted looks a bit on the crusty side.....at least for SE Texas stuff. I'd pull the cover and make sure things look ok inside.

 

[ckessel]

The R/T'S got 8.25's from the factory, the Durango's were all 9.25's as I remember from my dealership days during that time. Mid 90's is when the Dakota's went from 5 to 6 lug. They used the same pattern as the Vipers and I believe the same hub/bearing unit as they were a sealed unit as opposed to the earlier Dak's using serviceable bearings and seals with the 5 lug.

 

[Cranky]

The R/T'S got 8.25's from the factory, the Durango's were all 9.25's as I remember from my dealership days during that time. Mid 90's is when the Dakota's went from 5 to 6 lug. They used the same pattern as the Vipers and I believe the same hub/bearing unit as they were a sealed unit as opposed to the earlier Dak's using serviceable bearings and seals with the 5 lug.

My 92 Dakota had 6 lug wheels and I thought WTH.....and not real sure about the RT's getting 8 1/4 rears with a 360 in front of them but never paid much attention to them either.

 

[747mopar]

My 92 Dakota had 6 lug wheels and I thought WTH.....and not real sure about the RT's getting 8 1/4 rears with a 360 in front of them but never paid much attention to them either.

This is an 01 with 6 lugs.

The "crusty" is common in Ohio when a truck sat for years in someone's yard as this one did. I have no concerns with the internals, typically something this crusty will clean up nicely and look like new inside. We have some very damp seasons, leaving a vehicle sitting in a yard is the absolute worst thing one can do.

 

[Slap Stick]

There is nothing in the glove box on my 92. There is a label on the underside of the hood. It shows the model of transmission, gear ratio and rear brake size

 

[moparmarks]

All R/T's got a 9.25 as well as all 4wds
My 93 had 6 lug.