# Dodge Dakota



## LawnNgarden guy (Nov 28, 2002)

Does anyone use a Dakota to plow sno and how do they work ?


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## Salvatore (Dec 7, 2003)

I used one for the first time last night and had a very bad experience...see "Snow Plow/Sander Fell Apart"....I don't know if this was an isolated incident, or if I am going to have future problems. The truck is lightweight, therefore, needs some weight in the back and a lighter plow - need thinner tires...my tires are too big.


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## festerw (Sep 25, 2003)

Yup there are a few others around too.


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## topher4519 (Oct 31, 2003)

festerw,

If you could please send me the model of the mount for your dakota truck. I have a 1998 dodge dakota and I'm looking for the mount for a meyer's plow?

Thanks,

Christopher


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## meyer22288 (May 26, 2003)

dakotas are great trucks but they can only handle so much use before they give up. i wouldnt want to put a plow on one because i feel a 3/4 ton truck is the smallest truck plow worthy


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## hbrady (Oct 28, 2003)

meyer22288 wrote:

"...i feel a 3/4 ton truck is the smallest truck plow worthy"

These days yes, BUT, our 1977 F150 spent the last 10 years of its life doing nothing but plowing. I would guess this truck had over 3000 miles on it with the blade down before we retired it. They just don't make em like they used to. :salute: 

-Henri


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## festerw (Sep 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by topher4519 _
> *festerw,
> 
> If you could please send me the model of the mount for your dakota truck. I have a 1998 dodge dakota and I'm looking for the mount for a meyer's plow?
> ...


I would BUT Meyer doesn't make a mount for the newer Dakotas, I bought the complete set up from a guy for a 94 Dakota and took it to Jerre Heyer and he set it up for me. Basically what it looked like was the bolt holes dont line up and a new brackets had to be made for the lights so the hood wouldn't hit them when it opened. All in all worth paying him to install it. As for the weight of the plow it's about 450 and I had the torsion bars cranked by my mechanic and have Timbrens installed and it drops about an inch without any ballast in the back.


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## PLOWMAN45 (Jul 2, 2003)

I plow with a 93 dodge dakota club cab 318 auto with a 6.5 meyers and a 1000 pounds of wieght i went through the past storms like nothing and last year over 20 inches no problem also i have a set of 31x10.50x15 on here payup


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## LawnNgarden guy (Nov 28, 2002)

Plowman45 thats what I currently own,The tranny went last june and just getting it fixed this week,I bought a 99 Ram 1500 but hate to beat it up,I agree with others that plows sould be on atleast a 3/4 ton but right now this is all I have . THANX


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## jtwh20 (Nov 4, 2003)

i have a dodge dakota with a curtis home pro on it...

plowing is a breeze...

i only plow driveways, so i don't know how durable it would be to be used on large commercial accounts

is it a small truck? - yes

if you use it within its limits (like anything else) would it hold up - i think so


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## skeloo (Feb 7, 2001)

2001 Dakota 7.5 standard western .Finally had a chance to take some pics


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## skeloo (Feb 7, 2001)

sorry first time did'nt work. hopefully this time


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## PLOWMAN45 (Jul 2, 2003)

thats a nice truck i have a dam 6.5 i wish i went 7.0 aleast :waving:


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## stevejwys (Nov 15, 2009)

jtwh20;120275 said:


> i have a dodge dakota with a curtis home pro on it...
> 
> plowing is a breeze...
> 
> ...


what year dakota do you have and what kind of plow


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## bigmudder77 (Dec 5, 2007)

dakota are a small truck and should only be used for doing your drive and maybe a couple more and when your not using the plow take it off the trannys are lighter than the 1500 and 2500 trannys and when worked hard like the bigger trucks they will loose that tranny fast 

some people get away with it most dont i had a guy that had one never plowed or hauled any thing over 2000lbs and his is still going at 380k the last time i talked to him which has been about 2 months and he got it new and didnt put any thing big in it yet every 50k he goes to dodge dealer for there tranny flush and every 75k he gets the coolent flushed truck runs good he does brakes, u joints, oil changes, brake lines all the small stuff that dont last long to start with he fixes its a 1995-96 with a 318 auto tranny 4x4 with it 

now when i was 15 i had one a 1994 318 auto 4x4 and it had 140k on it and the tranny went out never had a plow on it just was used to go from farm to farm and haul light stuff but i dont think the guy i got it from ever did any thing to it the oil was really black and the tranny fluid was darker than the oil and smelled really burnt it got junked 

last year i did like 4-5 drive ways with a bronco II and it had a very light plow on it like 150lbs with snow stuck to it and it went through some tall snow and keep going till the last big snow fall we got then the motor blew but i got the plow for $150 and i got the bronco II for $200 sold both and made over $600 plus all the money from plowing 

all and all if you get a light plow and do light work and take care of it then it should last for a while but dont think your gonna go and plow 60 drive ways with it and use a salt spreader it will be dead by the time winter is over would be my bet


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## plowguy43 (Jan 2, 2008)

Please don't listen to people like bigmudder77, do some research on the newer Dakota's (and old).

The dakota's have the SAME EXACT drivetrain as the half ton's. The only difference is some of the earlier years could be fitted with an 8.25 rear end. Most V8's came with the 9 1/4 rears which is the same as the 1/2 ton trucks. In 2000 the dakota's switched over to the 45RFE Tranny that was later used in all 2002 Ram 1500's, and 2003 and newer Ram 2500/3500 gassers. In late 2002 early 2003 chrysler "reflashed" this tranny making it a 5 speed hence 545RFE.

The 2000 and Newer Dakota's use a 8" Corporate front Axle (Same again as the Ram 1500) which earlier models- 97-99 used a modified Dana35 or 30. The 5.2 (318) was replaced by the 4.7 V8 which once again is the same one used in the Ram 1500's.

All in all they handle plowing just fine and their drivetrain is part of the reason that the 2000+ are Rated for the SAME PLOW's as any 1/2 ton's. I run a MM1 7 1/2' Fisher on my truck with the Tbar's cranked and some weight in the bed and it does great. Been plowing for 3 years with this truck and it hasn't batted an eye. I redid all 4 Ball joints a year and a half ago and that was it.

And yes, I plow lots as well...


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## Ojibwatoo (Feb 28, 2018)

Will a 7 year old western pro 7'6" work on my 2003 dakota SLT quad cab 4 W/D 3.7


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Sure...the truck is the same age as this thread.


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## jonniesmooth (Dec 5, 2008)

Ojibwatoo said:


> Will a 7 year old western pro 7'6" work on my 2003 dakota SLT quad cab 4 W/D 3.7


Do you have s chop saw and a welder? Then anything is possible.


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## IT_Pro (Jan 17, 2020)

Hello all!

Helping a friend who isn't computer savvy with his truck and plow, (plus lots of other stuff he's not capable of doing) but he has a 98 Dakota and a 7' Meyers plow and needs the mounting hardware for it. I saw LawnNgarden guy's post back in 2003, and I'm hoping he or someone else can lend a hand here.

If anyone knows a part or model number for the mounting brackets, and maybe where he might find them, that would be great!

He lives in Eastern Chester County Pa but NJ, De and Md are close too.

Thanks for any help!

Tom


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