My $1,300 hunting rig

[Nambaster]

Looking at the front tires, it was obvious that replacing all 4 tires was necessary.

note: those front end tires were already worn badly due to the misalignment of the truck prior to purchase when the front suspension was shot. I didn’t even bother rotating due to their wear.

 

[Nambaster]

Do you invest $1065 on brand new rubber for a truck that you bought for $1300? Definitely not. Back to the salvage yard I went.

 

[Nambaster]

I found a good donor but she was only sitting on 3 legs. The 4th tire sustained significant damage from a collision and would not be useable. My existing rims were 15” and the donor had 16” rims so the tire/rim package would definitely be an upgrade. The 3 tires were Sailun Terra Maxes size 265/75/R16 my existing size was 31/10.50/R15 which would result in approximately 1” of additional clearance and vehicle height….. if the tires would clear the wheel wells and suspension. I estimate the tread life on the Sailuns to be at about 85%.

 

[Nambaster]

After some frantic searching I managed to find another Sailun Terra Max in 265/75/R16 but, it was mounted on a Ford 5 lug rim and my truck is a dodge 6 lug pattern. So I ended up buying 5 tires already mounted on 5 rims so I could acquire a 16” 6 lug pattern for remounting of the final Sailun. The 5 tires mounted on the 5 rims cost me $204.00

I pulled up to the nearest Llanteria (spanish for tire shop) and had them rebalance the 3 tires and remove and mount the Ford tire onto the 6 lug Dodge rim. Cost for mounting and balancing was $50.00

I then crossed the street from the Llanteria, and sold my (4) 15” rims and the (1) 16” Ford rim to a scrap yard for the aluminum. They offered me $80.

 

[Nambaster]

$174 dollars later, the moment of truth was, “will the tires clear the wheel wells and suspension”

I was super nervous on this one. I cranked the wheel left and did a full circle. I cranked the wheel right and did a full circle. Not only was there no rubbing, but it was alarmingly smooth. A lot of hopping and bouncing in that truck must have been due to the wear of the old tires. She rides smoother than any point in my ownership and now she is 1” taller.

That was definitely $174 well spent!

 

[Pucky Freak]

You are so inspirational, man! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Glad it is working for you but I have been there, done that, with that same version of a Dakota. I will never go back. Possibly the most unreliable vehicle I ever drove. I replaced everything on that truck twice. Only thing that ran strong was the engine and it got 15 MPH going downhill. lol

 

[JAG]

Great thread. It goes to show that it's mentally easier to do your own DIY mods when you have an older vehicle. Love the D-rings on the camper shell idea!

 

[NEWHunter]

Woohoo. She’s alive - the thread and the truck. Thanks for sharing. Great thread!

 

[Cazador7]

Love this build. Goes to show you what can be done with a small budget, a willingness to get your hands dirty, and some unconventional methods! Nice work!

 

[perma]

I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.

 

[Cazador7]

I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.
I will not buy a project truck.

haha i know right. I browse facebook marketplace every day looking for just that haha

 

[Ghillieman]

I have hunted in my minivan for the last 5 years. Removing the child seats and then reinstalling them got old real fast. As a father of 6 kids adding a truck payment to everything else did not have its appeal. I enjoyed browsing the web looking for a good hunting rig. I always pay cash when it comes to cars. I wanted something 4 wheel drive for sure. I considered a few Jeep ZJ’s and some WJ’s. I also thought a Ford Ranger or S10 would be pretty awesome as well. Toyota’s have way too much resale value. After months and months of looking I finally decided to take a look at a 1999 Dodge Dakota 5.2 liter V8 with a 5 speed manual transmission listed for $1,800. After giving her a test drive I could tell the front suspension was shot because it would head bang like a bison galloping on the prairie. The 4 wheel drive on it was rock solid in both high and low range though. It barely had any oil in it when I checked it and I was pretty concerned. The seller talked himself down to $1,300. I was sold.

View attachment 142637

Thats a deal!...good find!

 

[el unit]

Nice work! Cool thread!

 

[RealMuddyboots]

American ingenuity at its finest!! Good job! Should be a must read for every high schooler. I spent many a Saturday "prowling junk yards" in 60's. Nobody had money and it was one hellava game with friends trying to find the "best pick"! American Pickers long before the show!!

 

[Nambaster]

Thought it has been a while since I have given updates on the truck. I loaned it to a friend and he ran a stop sign. Before he could clear the intersection the truck got cornered by a Silverado. The 2007 Silverado got totaled and my truck got crunched pretty good. My friend was super apologetic and offered to pay for an entirely new bed. After we did some shopping we found out that would be in the $700-800 range.

 

[noharleyyet]

 

[Nambaster]

I told him not to sweat the accident. The truck is a disposable camera! with that bumper curled up, I knew the tailgate wasn’t opening so I took the bumper off. With the bumper removed I was pleasantly surprised that the tailgate still functioned. Worse case scenario, I would just go buy one of those trailer lights and wire one of those ugly square tail lights in to make the truck legal.

just out of curiosity I decided to head to the wreck yard to see what was around. I managed to find a red bumper and a taillight from a donor truck for $65. I custom built a few wood blocks to fit in the taillight hole for the screws to purchase and the tail light fit nice and snug…

She is back to legal. She has a red bumper on her now. I am almost up to 191,000 miles on her.

 

[Nambaster]

My 11 yr old son and I always laugh about how my binoculars are worth more than the truck. We’ve spent a lot of time listening to podcasts and chasing animals in the ice cold AC traveling all over. I just gotta make sure I always have enough money sitting around to replace it if it strands us.