The “Baby Ram” Dodge Dakota: 1997-2004

Dakota review | Specs & Techs | Interior / electrical

The second-generation Dakota (body code DN) ran from 1997 to 2004; its “baby Ram” look fit the times, and it switched from being called a mid-sized pickup to “the most capable compact pickup.”  With a sophisticated, well-tuned suspension, the Dakota provided a luxurious ride combined with good cornering and high capability. Under the hood was a standard AMC 2.5 liter four, a 3.9 liter V6 (based on the LA series V8s), and a 318 cubic inch V8 engine; the 360 (5.9 liter) V8 was added in 1998 for the quick Dakota R/T. Originally the Dakota was a two-door pickup, but the Quad Cab, with four doors, was added in 2000 (keeping the Club Cab wheelbase and compensating with a smaller bed). Also in 2000, the 318 was replaced by the new 4.7 liter V8. The four cylinder would be dropped in 2002, and was not missed since the V6 gave almost the same gas mileage.

According to Chrysler, the majority of Dakota buyers purchased their trucks to fit their lifestyle needs: they bought the Dakota for personal transportation, buying it instead of a car to get the utility, durability, and reliability of a truck.

"Essentially, our current customers co-wrote our strategy," said Tony Richards, General Manager, Jeep-Truck Product planning. "They told us we had to demonstrate competitive superiority in these seven areas in order to reach them. With this as a guideline, the team developed a truck that either met or exceeded customer expectations in each of these areas."

Durability and Reliability: By borrowing from Ram's frame design concept, body dimensional integrity was improved, providing higher torsional stiffness. Electro­coated frames provided better resistance to corrosion, while full body anti-chip primer gave an additional measure of resistance to paint chipping."We logged more than four million miles of chassis testing and increased our durability testing by 50 percent over previous launches," Richards said. "We set a very aggressive internal target to be best-in-class in durability and reliability."

Overall Size and Roominess: Already the biggest truck in its class, the 1997 Dakota was made even bigger With a width of 72 inches, shoulder, hip and head room were improved. With a full-facing rear bench seat in the Club Cab, Dakota provided six-passenger seating.

Powertrain Performance: Dakota boasted the only V-8 engine in the compact market, and added 10 more horsepower (230) and an additional 10 ft-lbs. of torque (300).  This was in addition to the powerful four- and six-cylinder engines. These power-plants supported the highest hauling capacity and towing capability among compact trucks. In addition, gearing was altered for a lower first and second gear (2.74:1 instead of 2.45:1 in first gear), to provide a better launch feel and quicker low-speed passing; the new 45RFE transmission used with the 4.7 liter V8 was 18 pounds lighter than the old 46RE, had less inertia, and less parasitic drag, to increase gas mileage.

Ride and Handling: The Dakota team went back to the basics to create a chassis that could be tuned with a solid frame structure, truly optimum steering and suspension geometry, generously sized wheels and tires and appropriately sized shock absorbers and bushings, the chassis will respond to tuning, allowing for best in class steering, ride, and handling. "We put our money into getting the basics right," said Dennis Moothart, Executive Engineer for Truck Chassis Engineering. "We didn't abuse our purpose by creating a multitude of optional suspension packages. We [created] one basic package each for the two- and four-wheel drive models and one optional handling package with bigger tires, wider wheels and a rear stabilizer bar."

Vehicle Quietness: was developed by viewing the truck as a total unit.

Safety and Security: For the first time, Dakota had standard driver and passenger airbags; adjustable turning loops in the shoulder belts provided better positioning; and rear wheel ABS was standard (four-wheel ABS was optional). The largest outside mirrors in the class provided better visibility.

Styling: The aggressive look sets owners apart from the crowd, with enough differentiation from Ram to create their own identity. Inside, seat travel was increased along with rear seat access on Club Cabs; a new instrument panel follows the shape of the grille.

For Dodge, the road back to truck acceptance began nearly twenty years ago with the introduction of the 1987 Dodge Dakota. Bigger and stronger than the Ranger and S-10, it signaled the beginning of a Dodge Truck re-birth. Five years later, the introduction of Magnum engines put Dodge at the top of the list for power-hungry truck buyers.

For more, see “Using CATIA and common body architecture to create the Dodge Dakota.”

2000 Dakota engines

1997 Dodge Dakota best-in-class features

• Highest trailer towing capacity - 6800 pounds (2WD regular cab with 5.2 L V-8 engine)
• Highest gross combined weight rating - 10,500 pounds
  
• Best ride and handling
• Tightest turning circle
• Highest payload - 2600 pounds
• Quietest interior
• Most stable steering column
• Largest pickup box
• Roomiest regular and club cabs
• Highest domestic US seating position
• Largest glove compartment in class
• 6 x 9-inch power mirrors provide the largest optional-mirror field of view
• Most powerful and fastest accelerating engine - Magnum S.2-liter V-8
• Most powerful domestic US four-cylinder engine - Magnum 2.S-liter
• Widest range of available powertrains

Exclusive Dodge Dakota features

• Transverse, rubber cab-to-box sealing flap on regular cabs
• Front wheelhouse liners
• 40-20-40 seat
• Forward facing, three-passenger club cab rear seat
• Only V-8 engine available
• Only domestic US compact pickup with electro-coat painted frame
• Large-diameter spool-type engine mounts
• Only compact pickup with a standard passenger air bag
• Straight-line gauge pointer illumination
• First Dodge truck to provide adjustable turning loops for outboard front passenger shoulder belts
• First Dodge truck with a vehicle theft alarm

Dodge Dakota performance upgrades

Many people have written to ask us about performance upgrades for the Dakota. Here are some suggestions, suggested by a longer, more substantial Mopar Muscle (January 2001) article:

• Mopar Performance computer. Recommended by several people, this allows for higher engine speeds, more fuel, and more spark advance.
• Installing a bed (tonneau) cover - this cuts wind resistance while protecting the bed from the elements (and, for that matter, keeping whatever is on the bed from public view). These covers are easy to install, and help gas mileage slightly.
• Ram air package - Mopar Performance sells one. This provides additional cold air to the engine, and has a washable K&N type cone filter instead of the restrictive air path of the standard intake. It's fairly easy to install but will lengthen engine warmup times, shortening engine life, raising pollution, and eating fuel.
• Exhaust system. Mopar Performance sells headers with oxygen sensor mounts, as well as a complete catback exhaust system to reduce airflow restriction. A Dynomax dealer may be able to install a similar, custom-made system for less money.

Quality and production

To improve quality, the Dodge City/Warren Truck Assembly Plant underwent a $170 million renovation that included a new body shop, a new 96,000 sq.ft. full-body anti-chip paint shop and a new test track facility, where every vehicle produced went through a series of road tests that simulated all road conditions.

At full production the Dodge City plant, located in Warren, Michigan, was expected to produce 1,016 Dakotas a day on two, eight-hour shifts The plant employed 3,905 people in 1996 who produced Dodge Ram and Dodge Dakota pickup trucks All major body panels for both the Ram and Dakota were provided by Chrysler's Warren Stamping Plant located next door.

International Dodge Dakota pickup trucks sales

The Dodge Dakota was expected to add to Chrysler Corporation's rapid international expansion. Similar to the US market, light trucks made up most of Chrysler's international sales, specifically the Chrysler Voyager and Caravan minivans and the Jeep® Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicles. Since Chrysler's re-entry into the international arena in 1987, sales have increased year-over year by double-digit percentages to 204,362 units in 1995. For the first four months of 1996, international sales were up 32 percent over the January - April period of 1995 for a total of 70,493 units. Light trucks, including pick-ups, made up 75 percent of Chrysler's total international sales volume.

The new Dakota was expected to open up even more markets in Latin America, Asia­Pacific and Europe. "There is strong market potential in countries like Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela, Great Britain and Scandinavia," said Thomas C. Gale, Executive Vice President of Product Design and International Operations. "In Brazil, for instance, sales of large and medium size pick-up trucks increased 66 percent over the four year period, from around 30,000 in 1992 to just over 50,000 units in 1996. And the market shifted from virtually 100 percent large pick-up trucks to more than 60 percent mid-size pick-up trucks. In 1995, the sales of mid-size pick­up trucks totaled 30,000 units. Other international markets showed similar trends," said Gale.

"In fact, nearly 40 percent of the Toledo, Ohio, produced Jeep Cherokee vehicles are shipped outside the United States and half of all Cherokees assembled worldwide are for customers outside North America." Chrysler's International Operations overlooks assembly facilities for Jeep vehicles in Austria, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt and Venezuela. All Jeep vehicles are available in left-hand and ride-hand drive versions.

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