My $1,300 hunting rig

[SaskHunter]

In 2020 all you need is some Harbor Freight coupons and YouTube and you are pretty much ASE certified. Look up whatever you need to fix. Watch the YouTube video and just follow the steps.

I have enough patience to sit in a tree stand or glass on a ridge from sun up to sun down, that's where it ends. I do not have enough patience to mess with my truck, last time I attempted a break pad and disk change, one of them was seized and I almost took a sledge hammer to a side panel in anger...

 

[Blacktailbc]

YouTube is a life saver

 

[elkantlers]

YouTube have literally saved me thousands of dollars.

 

[azelkhntr]

Congrats all round Nam. I had a '96 Dakota with the 5.8 and loved it.

 

[kansasdad]

Inspiring posts. I hope she runs for years and years for you.

 

[JohnCushman]

Check the ball joints. The engine is really heavy and they didn't change the front suspension. I have 2 friends that lost ball joint on the highway in their Durangos (same front end set up) and another friend that lost a ball joint in the woods on an rutty 2 track. I had a 2001 Durango for a while and took it for tires and alignment and had to replace all 4 ball joints.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Inspiring and impressive! I have nowhere near that level of skill and ambition, but I’m definitely a budget rig DIY‘er too. I’ll be thinking about these fixes for my next hunt vehicle

 

[rachele39]

Fun post to follow, your a talented man. I love fixing stuff up and using it. Too many excuses out there, youtube it if you can't figure it out and just get it done. Thanks for sharing.

 

[MarvB]

In 2020 all you need is some Harbor Freight coupons and YouTube and you are pretty much ASE certified.

LMAO ... the guy down the street is charging $85/hr for just that lol...

 

[Nambaster]

Check the ball joints. The engine is really heavy and they didn't change the front suspension. I have 2 friends that lost ball joint on the highway in their Durangos (same front end set up) and another friend that lost a ball joint in the woods on an rutty 2 track. I had a 2001 Durango for a while and took it for tires and alignment and had to replace all 4 ball joints.

With the front end kit that I put on it all the ball joints are brand new. You are right to keep an eye on them though. The nice thing is when they go out there is no shortage of Durango’s and Dakotas at the wreck/salvage yard because the transmissions went out on them. Picking suspension parts is a breeze and those arms and ball joints come out after 16 bolts. The yard usually only charges $35 for them. I would never have bought this truck if it had an automatic transmission because those things were a time bomb. If the battery dies on it, I can push start it. If the alternator goes out, I can disconnect it and still drive it. It has the power of a full-size truck but drive like a heavy midsize.

 

[Nambaster]

This cracking started to become an eye sore to me so I ordered a rattle can of plastidip. It was only like $5 or something. The nice thing about plastidip is if you don’t like the way you did it you can just Pressure spray it off. But if it looks good it can actually last and it is UV protectant.
I had a little plastidip left over so I also gave her a nose job today too. She is usually muddy and dirty all the time.

 

[.270]

Glad you got that manual tranny because you know those tranny suck! I had one go out at 35k. Last dodge I bought. That was 15 years ago.

 

[KB_]

Those 5.2 engines are underrated. I had a 98 dodge 1500 with the 5.2 in 2009. I loved that truck, and it would not die for nothing. I still regret selling it to this day, but I have an f250 now an its been spectacular.

 

[JLS]

Those 5.2 engines are underrated. I had a 98 dodge 1500 with the 5.2 in 2009. I loved that truck, and it would not die for nothing. I still regret selling it to this day, but I have an f250 now an its been spectacular.

The first pickup I ever bought was a 1500 with a manual transmission and a 5.2. It’s funny, they were good motors, albeit underpowered and didn’t get great mileage. I get as good of fuel economy with my Tundra, and passing power galore. That thing is like a rocket ship when you punch it.

 

[JLS]

Nice job on the score. That truck should serve you well with diligent fluid changes.

 

[SoCalHuntr]

I like the kids shoes being on the wrong feet. Reminds me of my middle child HAHA everything is always inside out and backwards...

 

[MO Betta]

Nice score! My first vehicle was a 93 Dakota Sport 4x4, lot of fun memories in that rig. That truck would go just about anywhere.

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool DIY thread OP...all the way round, good job.

 

[duckhunt]

Great thread

 

[Nambaster]

Went out on a long distance pronghorn hunt and returned after a long stalk belly crawling with my muzzle loader getting to 102 yards of a buck and his 5 does when I had 2 misfires in my “Northwest ready” traditions buckstalker only to discover that my passenger side rear wasn’t holding air.

These tires were well worn even before I bought the vehicle and I am now 20,000 miles into ownership and beyond. The front tires were almost worn bald.