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Thread: Dakota Radiator Support Center Brace and Trans Cooler Project

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    98Dak408's Avatar
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    Default Dakota Radiator Support Center Brace and Trans Cooler Project

    I’m in the process of rebuilding my transmission for my 1998 Dakota R/T, and since excessive heat was detrimental to the longevity of the unit, I decided to upgrade the transmission cooler. I also decided to beef up the radiator support center brace since it is intended to make that portion of the frame more rigid, and I have seen distortion in that area under torsional loads of various vehicles. It will also be used as a mounting platform for the transmission cooler. Along with larger DOM steel tube, I also added a bottom cross bar to enhance strength. Triangulation of design is very strong. I then welded on tabs in which to mount a 28,000 GVW stacked plate transmission cooler. The back of the cooler is about 2.5” from the front surface of the radiator, so it should not interfere with the cooling of the radiator. I do not intend on using the A/C so it will be removed. I may also have to modify the radiator overflow bottle since I added the bottom bar of the brace. Still have to plumb it but this is the basic design.


    Stock radiator support center brace and transmission cooler. Not identical to OEM but came with replacement radiator. (A little dusty too. )


    Beefed up radiator support center brace.


    Beefed up radiator support center brace with transmission cooler mounting tabs.


    Assembly with cooler attached.

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    Awesome!! Looks great!! Be sure to post up some results as far as the difference in trans temp goes!!
    Colby
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    I would be interested in this, for sure.


    DRTC #1064


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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheezie View Post
    Be sure to post up some results as far as the difference in trans temp goes!!
    I'll share my results. I installed a B&M plate style cooler bypassing the radiator. Temps ran 20°/30° cooler.
    If you haven't lived for something, you'll die for nothing.

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    OG DRTC

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    Running th tru-cool 4739 as a stand alone tanny cooler and my Martin Saine built transmission my trany temps run between 145 degrees and 180 degrees. It only reaches 180 degrees in stop and go city driving in 100+ degree temps. I paid $140 for mine off Ebay about 8 years ago.

    [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Tru-Cool-LPD4739-4739-Pressure-Transmission/dp/B00803CTDA"]Tru-Cool Max LPD4739 4739 40, 000 GVW Low Pressure Drop Transmission Oil Cooler with Thermal Bypass : Amazon.com : Automotive[/ame]

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    Very interested! Richard, darn you...always trying to find a way into my wallet!!!

    Will this still be able to be used for those of us with A/C? I don't know how much room you would have to play with if the condenser was still installed...

    Also, for the overflow bottle, I just installed a new fan/shroud combo, and mounted a jaz overflow bottle below the battery and PS pump. I can take a picture of it if you like.
    Matt
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    Very interested! Richard, darn you...always trying to find a way into my wallet!!!

    Will this still be able to be used for those of us with A/C? I don't know how much room you would have to play with if the condenser was still installed...

    Also, for the overflow bottle, I just installed a new fan/shroud combo, and mounted a jaz overflow bottle below the battery and PS pump. I can take a picture of it if you like.
    Hey Matt, this is basically something I am playing with for my truck and wasn’t sure if I would produce them or not. I have a ’98 Dakota, and the ’97-99 Dakotas are different than the ‘00-03 Dakotas in regard to the radiator/cooling set up. I don’t have a ’00-03 Dak to look at to even see if they have the same mounting holes in the front of the radiator support for the ’97-99 crossbar attachment. Any pics of this area in the ’00-03 Daks are welcome. I’ll have to see if the A/C condenser will fit with the 1 1/2" thick cooler I am using but I doubt it. I was able to get the OEM overflow bottle to fit by heating and indenting the portion where the bottom crossbar goes. This is a prototype that is not carved in stone. It becomes more difficult when trying to produce something that will work with most all stock components in place. But again, I don’t have a ’00-03 truck to examine at the moment.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post
    Hey Matt, this is basically something I am playing with for my truck and wasn’t sure if I would produce them or not. I have a ’98 Dakota, and the ’97-99 Dakotas are different than the ‘00-03 Dakotas in regard to the radiator/cooling set up. I don’t have a ’00-03 Dak to look at to even see if they have the same mounting holes in the front of the radiator support for the ’97-99 crossbar attachment. Any pics of this area in the ’00-03 Daks are welcome. I’ll have to see if the A/C condenser will fit with the 1 1/2" thick cooler I am using but I doubt it. I was able to get the OEM overflow bottle to fit by heating and indenting the portion where the bottom crossbar goes. This is a prototype that is not carved in stone. It becomes more difficult when trying to produce something that will work with most all stock components in place. But again, I don’t have a ’00-03 truck to examine at the moment.
    Richard,

    Understandable, it really is tough to get an easy install part that will fit with little "massaging" needed. I'll take some pictures for you, though I warn you...it's a daily driver, so I cannot promise it will be the cleanest Dakota you've seen...
    Matt
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    Richard,

    Understandable, it really is tough to get an easy install part that will fit with little "massaging" needed. I'll take some pictures for you, though I warn you...it's a daily driver, so I cannot promise it will be the cleanest Dakota you've seen...
    LOL. That's cool. My truck is a daily driver too, and as you can see, it's not a show truck. I can really appreciate the guys that are able to keep theirs super clean though.

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    Want!
    - Mark

    2001 Dakota R/T - HCI and a few other things.
    Broken again... Rebuild underway.

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    OG DRTC

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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post
    Hey Matt, this is basically something I am playing with for my truck and wasn’t sure if I would produce them or not. I have a ’98 Dakota, and the ’97-99 Dakotas are different than the ‘00-03 Dakotas in regard to the radiator/cooling set up. I don’t have a ’00-03 Dak to look at to even see if they have the same mounting holes in the front of the radiator support for the ’97-99 crossbar attachment. Any pics of this area in the ’00-03 Daks are welcome. I’ll have to see if the A/C condenser will fit with the 1 1/2" thick cooler I am using but I doubt it. I was able to get the OEM overflow bottle to fit by heating and indenting the portion where the bottom crossbar goes. This is a prototype that is not carved in stone. It becomes more difficult when trying to produce something that will work with most all stock components in place. But again, I don’t have a ’00-03 truck to examine at the moment.
    The supports mount behind the radiator on the '00+ trucks. You would have to worry more about clearing the e-fan and stock shroud more than anything. Or any aftermarket e-fan for those who are running them. Probably wouldn't work too well in that regard.

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    The braces mount the same iirc. Its the radiators and shrouds that are different. From 99-2000 is the change. I have mine removed and has been removed for years. It looks like that brace sits right where a 2000 and up radiator and condenser mount.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hskr View Post
    Running th tru-cool 4739 as a stand alone tanny cooler and my Martin Saine built transmission my trany temps run between 145 degrees and 180 degrees. It only reaches 180 degrees in stop and go city driving in 100+ degree temps. I paid $140 for mine off Ebay about 8 years ago.

    Tru-Cool Max LPD4739 4739 40, 000 GVW Low Pressure Drop Transmission Oil Cooler with Thermal Bypass : Amazon.com : Automotive
    That might be too cool. I've read that these trannys like the temp to be at least 170* for things to be happy. Read that on the interweb though, so I don't know how accurate that is. That seems to be the rule of thumb that the Hemi Ram guys go by too. FWIW.
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    That might be too cool. I've read that these trannys like the temp to be at least 170* for things to be happy. Read that on the interweb though, so I don't know how accurate that is. That seems to be the rule of thumb that the Hemi Ram guys go by too. FWIW.
    Another guy on the forum tried that cooler and it apparently blocked too much air to the radiator and he was running too hot coolant wise. He later removed it and installed a different cooler.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Jassole View Post
    That might be too cool. I've read that these trannys like the temp to be at least 170* for things to be happy. Read that on the interweb though, so I don't know how accurate that is. That seems to be the rule of thumb that the Hemi Ram guys go by too. FWIW.
    Talked to Martin about it after he rebuilt my transmission and he said that was good. He doesn't like any temps over 170 degrees and said the 160-170 range is good.

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    Decided to experiment with an engine cooler as well and placed one below the trans cooler.






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    I was looking at a members 2001 Dakota today, and realized it does have the front radiator support brace in front of the radiator as does my 1998 Dakota, as well as a support brace behind the radiator, which the 1998 Dakota does not have. I guess Dodge may have figured they needed additional support there.

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    I mocked up the lines for the trans cooler, engine oil cooler, and radiator overflow bottle. I made a bulkhead for the lines for ease of assembly and disassembly from either the front or inside the engine compartment, as well as a platform the secure the lines a little better. The -10 lines for the engine oil cooler may be a little overkill but I had that stuff left over from another project so I used it. -8 would probably be fine otherwise. Now I have to figure out the plumbing from inside the engine compartment. I may add a little slack to those lines in case of flex but there really shouldn't be much if any.





    Last edited by 98Dak408; 12-04-2013 at 05:27 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 98Dak408 View Post
    I was looking at a members 2001 Dakota today, and realized it does have the front radiator support brace in front of the radiator as does my 1998 Dakota, as well as a support brace behind the radiator, which the 1998 Dakota does not have. I guess Dodge may have figured they needed additional support there.
    My 2000 only had the one that was mounted to the rear of the radiator, and mounted to the rear of the brace. I removed it when I mounted my fans.
    weird.

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    My 2000 only had the one that was mounted to the rear of the radiator, and mounted to the rear of the brace. I removed it when I mounted my fans. weird.
    Yeah that is strange. So far I know that my '98 only came with the one in the front. Your 2000 only had the one in the rear of the radiator, and another members 2001 had both one in front and one in the rear.

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    Not sure if I am totally happy with the routing of the lines as far as aesthetics goes. I'll have to give that some more thought. (But I may see how well it works before I put more time into it.)

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    My 2000 had one brace behind the radiator, and it was the same for my 2001. It didn't have 2.


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    My '99 only had one in front of the radiator. I left it off when I did the engine swap. Didn't think it was that critical.
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    I appreciate the feed back! I wonder if the origianl owner (unknown to me) of the 2001 I looked at added the front brace, or if for some reason it did come out of the factory like that?

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    Richard i deleted mine, didnt think it played a big roll in anything, but what do i know! Lol

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