Converting the front of 2000 dakota from 6 to toyota 5 lug

I'm looking for advice on converting the front of my dak from 6 lug to the toyota 5 lug just seeing if anyone has done this and what all they had to do to make this happen.

When i was building my old dakota I read a lot about guys swapping to the older dakota 5 lug suspensions and its the same bolt pattern as the yotas and rangers i believe.
http://www.customdakotas.com/forums/i-have-question/6520-5-lug-swap.html

There are 3 ways to do it.
1. Full custom frame with the Toyota geometry, so the a-arms all sit where they do in a Toyota. Lots of measuring, cutting, welding, grinding. (Advanced fabrication knowledge required).
2. Strip down your front suspension, and adapt the Toyota suspension to your frame rails. Lots of measuring, drilling, cutting, welding and grinding. (Moderate knowledge of how to Frankenstien shit required).
3. Another way would be to use a Toyota front cilp. Cut off the Dodge frame just behind the A-Arms, and connect the junkyard Toyota front clip to the Durango. You'll have to change/adapt some things on the Toyota frame to except the Durango's bodymounts at the core support, and bumper mount locations. Must be able to measure and weld. (Intermediate fabrication knowledge required).
During this modification, you should consider doing a Z'd front frame. Because when doing a front frame swap, you can set the front cross member and motor section of the frame higher, so the truck will be allowed to lay flat if you are planning on ever bagging it to lay the frame flat on the ground. Hope this helped.


:XL:

i would go to customdakotas.com and ask around there. im pretty sure that impounded dakota did his,
http://www.streetsource.com/Member_Rides/6418_impounded-dakota-1998-Dodge-Dakota.aspx

nah man its not that envolved on the swap all u hv to do is get the front hub assembly off of a pre 87-90 dakota. i meen the spindle and the rotor and caliper. then in the back get a rearend from the same year dakota or an explorer, but on the explorer make sure NOT to get the flange style your gonna need the regular style that accepts the u join on the pinion. hope this helps

Or just get some adapters- (6 lug dodge to the to 5 lug you want) That would be the easiest cheap route. Then you could buy your wheels according to the off set you'll need due to the thickness of the adapters.

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ericlaydsonomaga said:

nah man its not that envolved on the swap all u hv to do is get the front hub assembly off of a pre 87-90 dakota. i meen the spindle and the rotor and caliper. then in the back get a rearend from the same year dakota or an explorer, but on the explorer make sure NOT to get the flange style your gonna need the regular style that accepts the u join on the pinion. hope this helps

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i dont think thoses parts will fit on the 3rd gen.

Alright, i did mine a few years ago, and the easiest way i found to do this was to go and buy 86-88 4x4 dodge dakota front rotors (5x4.5 lug pattern stock), and a set of 97-04 2wd dodge aftermarket hubs (reason being factory hubs are cast, after market are solid steel), take the hubs to a machine shop. Take the rotors to the machine shop also for a direct reference and tell the guys at the shop you want to press out all but one stud. Use the one left over stud as a guide, and plug weld the left over holes, and re drill to the 5 x 4.5 lug pattern. They will also need to turn the hubs on a lathe, and take the outside diameter of the hubs down any where from an 1/8" to 3/16" to fit inside the rotors. Cost me about 200 bux at a machine shop but was well worth it, cause everything bolts right in and fits perfect. And you never run into that "liability" word that you get when you ask them to weld cast.

OK thanks guys this helps alot.

yea either way will work, just depends on how much money you have or dont have!! i have a friend who said that you can use mustage 2 parts as well and the hardest part is that you have to ream out the balljoint holes on the spindles. he used a big brake kit and the m2 drop spindles on his dakota. hope all this helps.