Last Fall, the staffs of seven emap USA magazines got the opportunity to make the all-new Dakota Quad Cab their canvas in order to build vehicles that best illustrated their individual markets. In the case of our sister publication 4-Wheel & Off-Road, the goal was to use Dodge's new Dakota Quad Cab as the foundation for a thoroughly impressive four-by. "Once Dodge saw what we had in mind, they quickly agreed to our scheme," says Craig Perrone,a writer for 4WOR, "but unfortunately, a truck wouldn't be available until a month before our set-in-stone deadline for completion!" A completion that would have it on display at the '99 SEMA/AI Show in Las Vegas.
"Sure, we could have changed our minds and gone the easy route. You know, bolt on a lift kit, add some 33-inch tires, and call it a day-but that wasn't part of our plan. We wanted to build one of the most radical and custom project trucks ever seen. Adding to the difficulty was that our truck, besides looking awesome, also needed to be functional-actually, it needed to work great. The truck would have to be able to throw mud, blast over sand dunes, and crawl over rocks with the best of them," writes Perrone in his article that appeared in the March 2000 issue of 4WOR.
With the only stock components in the plan being the frame and the body, a live-axle conversion, front and rear Dana 60s, a mega-horsepower Mopar Performance Parts Wedge crate engine, and super-stout running gear were all in the works. Also floating around in the staff's scheming brains was a seriously custom suspension that would have lots of wheel travel and be able to accommodate massive tires.
The concept definitely involved lots of skilled labor and custom fabrication, so 4-Wheel & Off-Road needed a shop that they could trust to meet the hurried deadline without sacrificing high expectations. "No small task, but without hesitation we contacted Maurice Rozo at Off Road Unlimited (ORU)," says Perronne. "We had seen Maurice's work before and knew it was of the highest quality. The crew at ORU was eager to join in the madness, and as soon as we took possession of our Dodge Dakota Quad Cab, it was dropped off at Off-Road Limited and the cutting began."
In addition to the driveline concerns, there was also the suspension details. "We had to make a completely custom suspension for the Dodge. Like our driveline, we wanted the suspension to work well. It needed to have a great ride and a decent amount of articulation. To top things off, we wanted to run 39.5x18 Boggers!" writes Perronne.
Part of the challenge was Maurice Rozo's insistence on using coil-overs at all four corners, despite the tight timeframe. Maurice and the crew at ORU definitely were up for the task and completed the truck in time for the deadline. Yes, a from-scratch suspension system worthy of the finest show and the greatest articulation.
Check out the following photographs to determine the extent of the modifications under this wild Dakota and you'll understand why a crowd gathered around the monsterous truck at the '99 SEMA/AI Show.