Exhaust Upgrade

When we installed a new hood...        read full caption When we installed a new hood recently, the folks at Dallas Auto Body painted our roll pan at the same time. The roll pan is made by ProFinish and is included in the kit. Here it is—and, boy, is it red.

Remove the tailgate by unhooking...        read full caption Remove the tailgate by unhooking the cables and lowering the tailgate halfway so it will...

...lift out of the groove...        read full caption ...lift out of the groove in the hinge (arrow).

We had a hitch for this Dakota....        read full caption We had a hitch for this Dakota. Both the hitch and the bumper must be removed and can’t be reinstalled. Make sure you unhook the wires going to the license-plate light.

Get a friend to help you hold...        read full caption Get a friend to help you hold the roll pan in place while you start the bolts in the ends of the roll pan, which will—in turn—thread through a pair of predrilled holes. When the edge of the pan is aligned with the edge of the bed, tighten the nuts to the bolts.

Attach the top of the pan...        read full caption Attach the top of the pan using screws and install the license-plate lights in the pan.

To remove the lights, simply...        read full caption To remove the lights, simply pinch the clip in the back of the light and remove. Then just pop it back in place.

We assembled our exhaust on...        read full caption We assembled our exhaust on the floor to ensure we had all the pieces and that they fit.

After the factory exhaust...        read full caption After the factory exhaust is removed, lay out the MBRP exhaust under your truck, but DO NOT install the clamps yet. Since the MBRP exhaust uses the factory-located hangers, these can hold the new pipes in place.

With the exhaust in place,...        read full caption With the exhaust in place, we added the extension pipe between the cat to the muffler and clamped the exhaust from the front, working our way back. By starting from the front, we made sure the driveshaft was clear.

The tailpipes are held in...        read full caption The tailpipes are held in place by inserting the supplied bolts through a predrilled bumper bolt hole in the frame. Extra washers are supplied to shim the tailpipe so you can center it in the roll pan opening.

You need to make sure the...        read full caption You need to make sure the exhaust is not rubbing the spare tire before you clamp it down. If you need to move the exhaust away from the tire, now is the time to do so. Clamp it solidly to hold it in place.

Make sure the exhaust doesn’t...        read full caption Make sure the exhaust doesn’t come in contact with the spare tire at any point; otherwise, your spare could be flat when you most need it.

This was the most difficult...        read full caption This was the most difficult part of the job, because I have very large hands. The average-sized person won’t have any difficulties getting their hands over the rear-end to tighten this clamp.

Our ’Cuda-style exhaust...        read full caption Our ’Cuda-style exhaust looks great, and it took only a couple hours.

When Dodge introduced the 5.9 Magnum V8 in its Dakota truck line, the new engine was received with open arms from the truck crowd. When people upgrade the little hauler, it usually begins with a K&N air filter and perhaps a Mopar Performance chip. Now, thanks to MBRP Exhaust, your Dakota can breathe easier and sound like a musclecar to boot. MBRP has been selling top-quality bolt-on systems for several years and currently has 10 kits to fit both Dakota club and quad-cabs. MBRP also has outfits for the ’98-’01 Durango and all ’94-2000 Ram trucks. We received the ’Cuda-style kit from MBRP, and it comes complete with stainless exhaust tips and a ProFinish rear roll pan to complete the look. You can also purchase MBRP’s split-duals kit, which retains the factory bumper.

As with all the company’s kits, the Dakota outfit is available in aluminized or stainless steel; we opted for the aluminized. Since a bolt-on kit usually doesn’t bolt on easily, installing this kit was a pleasant surprise. A do-it-yourselfer could install it with minimal tools on a nice, shady driveway. You might want to farm out the painting of the rear roll pan as we did. Not long ago, the folks at Dallas Auto Body of Lakeland, Florida, painted both our Dakota hood and pan. Now follow along as we get our hands dirty and help the Little Dakota breathe easier.