Just picked up a 92 Dakota V8 for towing

Grassroots style towing that is

Does anyone else have any experience with these trucks? I'll be using it to tow my recently acquired Honda Challenge 2nd gen Integra. I'm guessing the total weight will be about 5000lbs which shouldn't be a problem on the flats or mild grade, however, I have the darned Grapevine grades here in SoCal to cross. It's 5% up and 6% down.

So what all do you guys suggest I do to improve my chances of going up and most importantly down the grades? I have some time before the 'teg is ready to see the track so I can make the Dakota a bit more modern and uprated. Specifically I'm looking to:

1. Improve the handling (it's wallowy)
2. Have good tires that won't blow out
3. Have good brakes that won't mind the long 20 mins 6% decend with 5000lbs behind it. I don't have a trailer so I plan to rent one when I need it for now, I believe the UHAUL ones have surge brakes?
4. It needs a hitch, I'm thinking a class III hitch should do it?

Trade it for a dually.

Many pros and cons of using such a light weight tow vehicle. But the biggest con outweighs the greates pro. The wheelbase is too short.

Here we go again... :D

Yes a dually would solve the world's hunger problems but given I'll be towing about 7 days a year it's not an option for me.

Seriously though, the wheel base is the same as the 1/2 ton trucks at 131in. Just slightly narrower. It's a club cab so it's not the size of the Ranger you might be thinking about.

I have used an Astro to tow so I am one of the biggest offenders of the "undersized" tow vehicle rule.

I now see it as having Jackie Chan try out as a defensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The guy is one hell of an athelete and as strong as an ox but he would not last once strapped in and under use.

I'm not really a big fan of surge brakes, but if it's all you've got, it's all you've got.

I've been using a '99 Durango for... 9 years... to tow a dual axle open car trailer with a detachable tire rack and a 2400lb Datsun 240Z with another 500lbs of equipment in the back.

I have electric brakes and wouldn't go without, but I have towed a VW Toureg on a UHaul trailer with surge brakes for a friend... Don't try this at home... It was a harrowing experience and the delayed effect of the surge brakes really was "unnatural".

I have no problem up here in NorCal except when I'm pulling up the entrance at Laguna Seca.

For that reason alone, I'm on the hunt for a Cummins Turbo Diesel powered Quad Cab. I realize that's not always an option and you can "get away with it" on a smaller tow vehicle as long as you're very careful about how you tow. Most people aren't and still drive like they're in their sports car and not a death trap towing a 5k lb blunt object at 70mph.

As long as you exercise caution, you can greatly improve your statistical chances of survival. :D

Anyway, here are my recommendations:

1. You didn't say if it was a manual or automatic transmission. If it's automatic, make sure you have a trans fluid oil cooler. Regardless of whether it's manual or automatic, run full synthetic. This will greatly improve your tranny's life expectancy.

2. Full synthetic motor oil

3. Flush and replace your brake fluid with... You guessed it, DOT4 full synthetic brake fluid.

4. Full synthetic differential oil. If it's a 4WD, make sure you do it in both front and rear differentials.

5. The biggest, beefiest brakes you can get. If you're stuck with the stock brakes, stainless steel braided brake lines and HD brake pads are a MINIMUM requirement. You probably don't need them on the flats, but coming down the grape vine, you'll need them about half way down.

6. Class 3 hitch should be fine.

7. Small diameter but wide tires will improve your contact patch for stopping and give you shorter gears helpful with towing. This will be murder on your fuel economy, but that 3k lb UHaul trailer is going to hurt you more than the tires.

8. Definitely refresh the suspension and if you can afford it, put a set of helper air bags on the rear leaf springs so you can level the truck when the bed is loaded and the trailer weight goes on. I prefer air bags over helper springs because the springs are murder on your body, the truck and it's handling when you aren't loaded down.

I had two Dakotas, a 91 and a 2001. I bought both new. They tow nicely but I had lots of non-towing problems with the automatics. And make sure that you turn the overdrive off when towing.

Neither gas gauge worked properly for very long. I sold the 2001 with 35,000 miles on it and bought a Tacoma, which doesn't tow as well, but it's reliable.

I tow about as much as you do.

Thanks guys, so what tires, brake pads etc do you recommend? Does anyone make heavy duty brake pads/rotors for tucks? My truck knowledge is zilch. The best I came up with was an old DILSYDave post recommending BFG E rated tires. However, I now see almost all trucks in my area sporting Yoko Geolanders...how do the two compare? When you talk about the air-bags and helper springs I'm looking them up in my greek dictionary. OK I've heard of them but no idea what and how they work and what they do.

Also, should I get the trailer hitch installed at UHAUL? Or should I buy one from Jegs/Summit and bolt it on myself? With the way things have been I really don't mind paying to get a hitch installed as long as they do a good job but again I don't know if UHAUL is good for that stuff or not.

BTW, the truck is a 2WD auto.

woodyhfd, funny the gas gauge on this truck doesn't work either :) I knew going in this wouldn't be a Toyota when it comes to quality but the price was excellent and I love the size and the brawny V8.

Bolt on the hitch yourself. It's easy. Make sure your tires have an 'E' load rating and you'll be at least safe.

I've towed thousands of miles with a couple of Dakotas, for you my best piece of advice would be to buy your own trailer or borrow a quality unit from a friend. The u-haul car trailer weighs in at twice what it needs to, always has marginal tires and lights, and who knows when or if some idiot ever tried to adjust or maintain the brakes. That's all OK if you're using gross overkill for your tow rig, but if you're trying to run something close to it's weight limits you don't want any part of that.

For the hitch, U-haul sells them outright as well as installs them, and is usually pretty competitive on price. I usually call the two u-hauls closest to me for their prices outright and installed, then check e-trailer.com, then decide if I want to climb underneath or pay someone to do it and just check up on them later. For something not new, though, like your Dakota, I would also call local truck salvage yards, usually they sell used hitches for $50-75.

For the trailer, you really want electric brakes, (and any time you get close to the limits like that I would also strongly recommend a weight distributing hitch.) Get a double axle trailer so you can get away with a little less tonge weight, and the lightest you can afford.

That's good advice but I'm limited in the parking space as-is so I won't be buying my own trailer anytime soon. I was thinking since my track car is a FWD that's a perfect candidate for a tow-dolly and it'll be a lot less weight for the truck to pull as well.

The equalizing or load-distributing hitches are the parts that go on the towed trailer right? For now I just need a standard Class III receiver hitch?

A tow dolly is a good option unless you break something on the back of the car.

I'll second the "avoid the U-haul trailer" theme. You can probably find a local no-name trailer place that will rent you a decent car hauler for the same or less money.

I subscribe to the undersized tow vehicle. Jeep Liberty with tow package. Double axle trailer with electric brakes, App. 4000 llbs. Been all over, all kinds of weather. No problems. I use OD all the time except going down hill. Air Lift,s in the back. Amsoil lubes through out.

I towed a heavy car hauler through the rockies in Colorado and New Mexico with a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee 318/4WD. The trailer alone is about 2000 lbs (it's a dual axle with surge brakes, electric winch, battery, tool box, etc.) and when I loaded a Starion onto it I was probably pushing 5000 lbs. It actually did just fine. No brake fade at all and it never felt out of control or like I was overloading the truck.

Just keep your speed down, leave lots of braking room and use smooth throttle & brake inputs. Use engine braking on long downhills and generally stay out of overdrive. I don't think you'll have any problems with the Dak.

J

One note on the trans fluid - I believe that's one of the transmissions made in the infamous "Never put Dextron in 'em" years. A lot of Chrysler transmissions from the '90s used a specific transmission fluid and putting normal transmission fluid in it can damage the transmission. You'll definitely want a trans cooler.

Nice pics Jay. I didn't know those G.Cherokees had the 5.2L engine too, always thought they were 4.7L. BTW, what kind of oil pressure do you see under normal driving conditions on yours? mine sits just a hair above L even with the20w-50 oil...not sure if it's the gauge/sender or if it's rod-bearings are going out. It only has 82k miles on it though.

I actually parked my Dakota next to a new Chevy Avalanche 1500 and my truck has a longer wheelbase (131 in) , I was quite surprised. The Avalanche sits higher and looked a bit wider. Though being lower my truck should have some advantage having lower CG.

Matt, you're right the Dexron ATF is not recommended but I bet that's what it probably has in it right now since there is a half used bottle of it in the truck

Sorry, it's my dad's Jeep and I haven't driven it in months, so I don't really remember what kind of oil pressure it sees. I don't think it sits anywhere unusual when driving though.

I agree on the trans cooler - but then, the Jeep doesn't have one and it survived (that trip was in July by the way.) But it can't hurt.

J

Those jeeps got 5.2s and even 5.9s FWIW

Tow dolly will be a very good way to go, just don't try backing up with it. If the back end gets stuffed, you'll just have to figure out something else, and someone at the track will come up with something. Add a good trans cooler, good cooling system flush, some helper/overload springs, and bolt on a class2 or 3 hitch. Good tires are a must, but with a tow dolly the hitch weight is generally 200# or so, well within the capacity of most normal tires. The biggest thing will be allowing enough time to get back and forth. You don't have to spend a fortune, but spend wisely.