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Lift for 97 dakota

EXTREMETOWNIE

Active member
Joined
Oct 18, 2022
Member Number
5646
Messages
43
I want to run 33's or 35's on a 97 Dakota. Just something to run forestry roads in. Any suggestions or advice on a lift please.
 
I don't think my wife would appreciate me taking a saw saw to her truck. I guess I need another option.
 
EXTREMETOWNIE said:
I guess I need another option.
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You answered your own question in the first post, you need a lift kit. I doubt anyone here is going to be able to tell you which lift kit to buy because it's not really what this website or the one that shall not be named that most of us came from is/was about.
 
It’s been years, but it seems like Rancho and tough country were the only companies making a drop bracket lift for those. That, crank the torsion bar bolts to lift the front some, or a body lift are your options outside of using a sawzall.

I would stick with 33s.
 
Aggie06 said:
It’s been years, but it seems like Rancho and tough country were the only companies making a drop bracket lift for those. That, crank the torsion bar bolts to lift the front some, or a body lift are your options outside of using a sawzall.

I would stick with 33s.
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My buddy back home built a brand new V8 extra cab Dakota of that body style eons ago on 35's and I believe he used a Pro Comp 6" lift and a body lift to get the tires to fit in the wheel wells because they were way to narrow to fit at a normal height.
 
Looks like anything much more than this, gets to $1500+ real quick:laughing:


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Aggie06 said:
It’s always been like that. I feel like the drop kits also have massive torsion bar brackets.
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I come from the land of spend all your money on tires an then figure out how to make em fit. Cuz a fancy lift aint happenin. Body lifts and cranked up torsion bars were where it was at for a long time:lmao:

33's also seemed pretty big back then:laughing:
 
Steve300xcw said:
I come from the land of spend all your money on tires an then figure out how to make em fit. Cuz a fancy lift aint happenin. Body lifts and cranked up torsion bars were where it was at for a long time:lmao:

33's also seemed pretty big back then:laughing:
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Damn straight.

I only knew one guy running anything over 33s when I was younger. He had a 2nd gen 1500 with 40 inch ground hawgs.
 
I thought a body lift and torsion bars where the answer. I just wanted a second opinion.
 
Not sure why you need to lift a truck for fire roads. I'd screw the bars up a hair, get some good shocks. Pocket locker in the back and a winch.

All of that will get you way further in and out of whatever you are doing then lifting an IFS truck with anything else.
 
Skinny said:
Not sure why you need to lift a truck for fire roads. I'd screw the bars up a hair, get some good shocks. Pocket locker in the back and a winch.

All of that will get you way further in and out of whatever you are doing then lifting an IFS truck with anything else.
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I've wormed toyota's on 265/75's into places that I had no business being :laughing:
 
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Skinny said:
Not sure why you need to lift a truck for fire roads. I'd screw the bars up a hair, get some good shocks. Pocket locker in the back and a winch.

All of that will get you way further in and out of whatever you are doing then lifting an IFS truck with anything else.
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Maybe you are right. A winch was for sure, but I was just thinking I needed a lift. Maybe just some more aggressive small tire. Thanks.
 
Hell even thats not really needed. It is nice though

Toss a saw, shovel an a decent bottle jack in the truck an go party.
 
spend your money where it counts. a rear locker and some good tires that fit will do more for you than the lift. years ago one of my buddies had a v8 dakota and followed us around just fine with a 32" tire and rear locker. ill try to dig up some ancient pics.
 
I went and actually looked at the tires. They are 235-75-r15. They are so tiny, that why I thought I needed bigger tires with a lift. Mud terrain tires in that size are dirt cheap. I guess I got the advice I needed.
 
Yea those are tiny.:laughing:

I bet you can stuff some 31's in there without tryin to hard.

I cleared 32x11.5's with no lift on a first gen tacoma. Just running different wheels. As much as I hate to admit it. I dont think they gained me much if anything over the 265's I had on prior
 
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It's like seeing someone explain how they need a $250k 4wd Sprinter to go exploring and camping.

1) that would get stuck on a fucking curb
2) it's not going to fit
3) you could do the same amount of exploring in a Subaru for a tenth of the cost

It all looks cool but 31s, a locker, and some sliders gets you on 90% of the shit out there. The other 10% are for the people that want to spend the money.
 
I can see why new folk think they need it these days.

I'd say for just a woods cruiser even the sliders and locker are optional.
 
Skinny said:
It's like seeing someone explain how they need a $250k 4wd Sprinter to go exploring and camping.
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How is that any different than all the fuckwads who insist upon massive overkill tow rigs and whom IBB generally agrees with? :stirthepot:
 
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