Clunking in `93 Dakota

From : msyjsy

Q: 93 dakota 5.2 119k has a little bit of train noise. sometimes when coasting there is a little tug when you get on the gas and is always a clunk when you put it in reverse. i thought it might be u-joints but when i twist the driveline i do not see any movement in the joints themselves. it seems a little slack in both the differential and the at the output shaft. i do not know if it is excessive or not from what i have read on the net these early dakotas had noises in these areas right off the showroom floor. just having troubles deciding if things are ready to fall off or if this is all normal and to be expected. there are holes in the bed where it appears someone had a goose neck in there so were probably hauling a fifth wheel. seems it was well cared for though and runs really strong. just replaced the cat and opened up the exhaust so it now has 3 to breath all the way through with an xlerator muff. going to replace the windshield this morning. and need to get a new right side axle on the front. other than the clunking it will look and drive like something with only 50k on it. can anyone tell me if they have these noises should i be worried or not. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington .

Replies:

From : cminzey

it sounds as though your backlash in the rear end is excessive and this is normal for wear you could take it in to a driveline repair place and they can adjust this in about a half a day depending how good they are it should only take about 4hrs .

From : msyjsy

4 hours sounds like an expense. would it all be shop time or is there parts involved. have a friend who mentioned something back in there he is going to do my axle but he admits that the rear end is territory that he is not qualified to go. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington it sounds as though your backlash in the rear end is excessive and this is normal for wear you could take it in to a driveline repair place and they can adjust this in about a half a day depending how good they are it should only take about 4hrs .

From : dddd

i had a 5.2 93 dakota and from the very first week had clunking noises somewhere. i took it back to the dealer about 10 ltimes and sometimes it would clunk sometimes not. they could never figure it out. i sold it to a relative in 2001 and he still has it and pulls a very large boat. it still clunks occasionally for him. at times it seemed as if the bed was shifting because it would do it when starting to move and then clunk again when i tapped the brakes for the first time. that theory was shot down and we still dont know what it is doing but it doesnt seem to be harming the truck in any way. i sometimes regret getting rid of it but at the time i didnt need a pickup. i have since bought a 2003 1500 with the 4.7 engine and love it. no problems what-so-ever. dddd 93 dakota 5.2 119k has a little bit of train noise. sometimes when coasting there is a little tug when you get on the gas and is always a clunk when you put it in reverse. i thought it might be u-joints but when i twist the driveline i do not see any movement in the joints themselves. it seems a little slack in both the differential and the at the output shaft. i do not know if it is excessive or not from what i have read on the net these early dakotas had noises in these areas right off the showroom floor. just having troubles deciding if things are ready to fall off or if this is all normal and to be expected. there are holes in the bed where it appears someone had a goose neck in there so were probably hauling a fifth wheel. seems it was well cared for though and runs really strong. just replaced the cat and opened up the exhaust so it now has 3 to breath all the way through with an xlerator muff. going to replace the windshield this morning. and need to get a new right side axle on the front. other than the clunking it will look and drive like something with only 50k on it. can anyone tell me if they have these noises should i be worried or not. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington .

From : msyjsy

i never did note that sometimes it will clunk when you brake. i will watch it very close to see if it gets worse. thanks for the info. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington i had a 5.2 93 dakota and from the very first week had clunking noises somewhere. i took it back to the dealer about 10 ltimes and sometimes it would clunk sometimes not. they could never figure it out. i sold it to a relative in 2001 and he still has it and pulls a very large boat. it still clunks occasionally for him. at times it seemed as if the bed was shifting because it would do it when starting to move and then clunk again when i tapped the brakes for the first time. that theory was shot down and we still dont know what it is doing but it doesnt seem to be harming the truck in any way. i sometimes regret getting rid of it but at the time i didnt need a pickup. i have since bought a 2003 1500 with the 4.7 engine and love it. no problems what-so-ever. dddd 93 dakota 5.2 119k has a little bit of train noise. sometimes when coasting there is a little tug when you get on the gas and is always a clunk when you put it in reverse. i thought it might be u-joints but when i twist the driveline i do not see any movement in the joints themselves. it seems a little slack in both the differential and the at the output shaft. i do not know if it is excessive or not from what i have read on the net these early dakotas had noises in these areas right off the showroom floor. just having troubles deciding if things are ready to fall off or if this is all normal and to be expected. there are holes in the bed where it appears someone had a goose neck in there so were probably hauling a fifth wheel. seems it was well cared for though and runs really strong. just replaced the cat and opened up the exhaust so it now has 3 to breath all the way through with an xlerator muff. going to replace the windshield this morning. and need to get a new right side axle on the front. other than the clunking it will look and drive like something with only 50k on it. can anyone tell me if they have these noises should i be worried or not. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington .

From : scotty

93 dakota with 150 thousand sometimes clunked going into reverse since 70 thousand. -- the sick in soul insist it is humanity that is sick and they are the surgeons to operate on it. they want to turn the world into a sick room. and when they get humanity strapped on the operating table they operate on it with an axe. i never did note that sometimes it will clunk when you brake. i will watch it very close to see if it gets worse. thanks for the info. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington i had a 5.2 93 dakota and from the very first week had clunking noises somewhere. i took it back to the dealer about 10 ltimes and sometimes it would clunk sometimes not. they could never figure it out. i sold it to a relative in 2001 and he still has it and pulls a very large boat. it still clunks occasionally for him. at times it seemed as if the bed was shifting because it would do it when starting to move and then clunk again when i tapped the brakes for the first time. that theory was shot down and we still dont know what it is doing but it doesnt seem to be harming the truck in any way. i sometimes regret getting rid of it but at the time i didnt need a pickup. i have since bought a 2003 1500 with the 4.7 engine and love it. no problems what-so-ever. dddd 93 dakota 5.2 119k has a little bit of train noise. sometimes when coasting there is a little tug when you get on the gas and is always a clunk when you put it in reverse. i thought it might be u-joints but when i twist the driveline i do not see any movement in the joints themselves. it seems a little slack in both the differential and the at the output shaft. i do not know if it is excessive or not from what i have read on the net these early dakotas had noises in these areas right off the showroom floor. just having troubles deciding if things are ready to fall off or if this is all normal and to be expected. there are holes in the bed where it appears someone had a goose neck in there so were probably hauling a fifth wheel. seems it was well cared for though and runs really strong. just replaced the cat and opened up the exhaust so it now has 3 to breath all the way through with an xlerator muff. going to replace the windshield this morning. and need to get a new right side axle on the front. other than the clunking it will look and drive like something with only 50k on it. can anyone tell me if they have these noises should i be worried or not. -- from the desk of jesse a. harrington .