99 Durango??

[HighTrim]

Afternoon guys.....

Was thinking of changing tow vehicles. Anyone pull with the Durango's? This one has the small v8 318 4x4. I usually pull between 14 and 20 foot rigs. Im sure it will be fine for short trips, but how are they after long pulls up north? Tks for each and every reply.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 99 Durango??

I know a few people that tow with them and they are okay. The 318 gets no better MPG than the bigger engine and the 99 is known for front end trouble ..... I think there was even a ball joint recall on them. You might want to check that out.

 

[m_court15]

Re: 99 Durango??

I loved my 99 durango, I pulled a 19ft. i/o with it. It had the 5.9 liter in it though. I would use it to pull my boat on a couple 4 hours trips every year and around to the local lakes. Could barely tell it was there, and stopping power was great.They are notorious for bad transmissions though.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Tks guys,

I wouldnt even question it with the 5.8, just dont have that much experience with the 318.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: 99 Durango??

I routinely tow 7400 lbs with my 5.9 equipped 99. It's been towing heavy (4300+ lbs) since we bought it new and does quite well. It's got 111,000 miles. Longest trip so far was 2000 miles, round trip. My advice is to go easy on the transmission, follow the extreme duty schedule in the manual, and change brake fluid every two years with DOT 4. If you have more than 350 lbs of tongue weight, use a weight distibuting hitch. Spicer ball joints are better than OEM and easy to install.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Wish it was a 5.9 in the one for sale. Yours seems to work well.

Im also looking at a Tahoe and a Yukon. Bit more power than the 318. Any known problems with these trucks? Im pretty sure they have the 350. They are also quite a bit more money though.

 

[sc_shane]

Re: 99 Durango??

My 1999 Durango has the 318 4x4 with towing package from the factory. I'm down here in SC, and I do tow my pontoon through the mountains regularly. She pulls fine.

I've owned my Durango since 2000. I bought her with 15,000 miles on her, and she has over 130,000 on it now. I'd drive it to California tomorrow, pulling my boat, and not thinking twice about it. It is my daily driver to work and around town.

Let me tell you everything I've done to it (minus brakes, tires & oil): Rear speed sensor ($30 NAPA & 15 minutes - around 85k miles); transmission speed sensor ($18 Advance Auto & 10 minutes - around 120k miles); water pump ($85 Auto Zone & 3 hours cussing because it has been 10 years since I last changed one on a 1979 Jeep CJ7 - around 125k miles).

Yep - short list. Now I'm not saying there aren't other little things wrong with it. The drivers windows (power) sometimes needs help getting started, the door lock mechanism (power) on the front passenger will lock, but not unlock under it's own power (key or pulling up the thing works fine), the speakers blew and I replaced them (totally my fault for jamming too loud) and just recently the switch for the blinkers died (and I'm too lazy to crack the steering column to try to clean it or replace the switch). BUT, I could care less about that stuff. There's a guy at work that has a 2001, and he's spent 1000s on repairs, but his kids drive it, so who knows.

All in all, I love my Durango. I plan on driving it until the doors fall off, or I don't feel safe in it.

Now, I'm writing a ton, but I do want to mention my wife's ride is a 2001 Tahoe Z71. It does seem to pull a little easier through the mountains and not blink at hard braking on trailers without brakes, but for the price difference, I'll keep my Durango for just me. My wife drives the kids around in the Chevy. I love my Durango, and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[ddennis]

Re: 99 Durango??

I have a 98 Ram 1500 with the 318 in it. almost 250k miles on it. Rebuilt rear end at 150k, rebuilt tranny at 225k, motor still rock solid, no smoke and plenty of power.

 

[blouderback]

Re: 99 Durango??

I pull my 3400lb 20'er with a 2001 Durango 4.7L. No problems wahtsoever with power or stopping. I have, however, rebuilt the tranny to the tune of $2200. Don't know if it was because of the towing, since I probably only tow about 2000 miles a year with it.

Is the 4.7L the same as the 318?

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Well ty guys for the feedback , I appreciate it.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: 99 Durango??

Is the 4.7L the same as the 318?

No.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Another question.

Does the transmission issue apply to the bigger 1500's as well?
What about the ball joints?

Or is it just the Durangos? Most of the 1500's around here have the 4.7 in them. Or the Hemi, but thats a bit too much for me.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: 99 Durango??

1-There are no trans issues with the Durangos. Our trans problems were pretty much isolated to light duty trans and not medium duty or heavy duty trans'. And yes the 1500's pretty much use the same trans' (there were several different models that could be in place).

2-The only balljoint issues were upper balljoints on 00-01 Durangos and Dakotas where the rubber boot would tear and allow water intrusion with the resultant corrosion and premature wear---there was a recall that addressed the situation.

3-There are actually two different 4.7's--a regular one and an High Output version---selecting the wrong one for the goals you are trying to accomplish could leave you very dissatisfied with your selection.
--
Stan

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Ty Stan for your experience.

I dont like being underpowered, but at the same time, can use the truck quite a bit, and feel the Hemi would probably be a bit too much in gas for me. I assume you would reccomend the 4.7? What is the main difference between the 4.7 and the 5.9, or the 4.7 and the 4.7 HO.

Actually, I dont even know if I have ever seen a 4.7 HO now that I think about it.???

 

[SuperNova]

Re: 99 Durango??

The 318 is an old-school v8 that's been around since the 60's. It's main faults(along with the 5.9) are an intake belly plate seal that tends to leak (sucking in oil and causing all sorts of major problems if left go too long) and a habit of burning exhaust valves under the right conditions.

The 4.7 is a newer generation modular type engine (same family as the 3.7 and 5.7hemi) whose main fault seems to be weak exhaust manifold bolts that tend to break (they've been replaced with better bolts).

There are indeed two versions of the 4.7, although there is no badging used to identify them. You will either need to look at the intake cover (not a reliable source, though) or better yet get someone to check the VIP using the V.I.N. number (you can do this at your local dealer under the pretense of checking for any open recalls or I can do it for you if you give me the last eight of the vin in a pm).

The base 4.7 is very weak and will probably disappoint you if you have to tow in hilly terrain.

The 318 is alright and has been used for years..it's just what we consider a "dirty" engine and has been discontinued (same as the 5.9 and the 4.0 I6).

The Hemi has plenty of power, but as you already know...it's a gas guzzler and has it's own problems anyway.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: 99 Durango??

Well ty again Stan.

Your knowledge is invaluable.

 

[beerfilter]

Re: 99 Durango??

I've never owned a Durango , but , I have owned plenty of Jeep and Mopar vehicles .
I had a 318 in my 89 W250 , TBI injection , manual 4 speed .
Anemic at highway speeds , even with a small popup camper you were losing speed / down shifting on the uphills .
Same 11MPG empty or loaded to the max .
Apples to oranges , I know ...

Still , those old "dirty engines" have a place in my heart , and , I believe the killing of the 4.0 is the WORST mistake DC has made recently , next to the pointles killing of the XJ , to sell the inferior Liberty , to then bring us the Commander . WTF ?

Yes I am a straight 6 fan!
They may not be designed for higher crankshaft speeds , but , for off idle through midrange torque , few other gas engines can match them within the same displacement range .
I'd love to see what they could have done on that same I-6 configuration , by a slightly shorter stroke , bigger bore , OHC , and , crossflow heads .

Sorry , getting off topic .

Get the dirty 5.9 , or , the newer "cleaner" 4.7 in the H.O. version .
Do keep the 5.7 in mind , but , I wouldn't pay a premium for it .
It ain't the legend who's name it was marketed in .

The most important considerations are that it has a factory tow package , or , aftermarket equivelants , and , that the brakes , suspension , and , steering are in top condition .
Next is the weight of the rig being towed , the tongue weight , and , the rated capacity of the tow rig .
After that , consider where you are towing , and , how far .
Fuel costs suck , but , so does doing 30 mph on uphill grades , with a herd of PO'd drivers behind you .

The smaller engine will be a PIA and deliver the same , or , worse , MPG as the bigger engine , especially in hill country , or , flat land with a big load .

Always get the bigger engine , if possible .
People never complain about the extra power , just the mileage .
Keep your foot off the skinny pedal unless you really NEED it , and , you will mostly solve that issue .

JMO

 

[SuperNova]

Re: 99 Durango??

When I say "dirty engine" beerfilter, I simply mean these engines can't be made to comply with new EPA mandates. I totally agree that the 4.0 I6 was one of the best engines made and am equally as sorry to see it left go.

All of beerfilters other comments and considerations are equally as accurate and valid points to think about.
--
Stan

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: 99 Durango??

I pull with a 99 dodge 1500 sport 4x2 which has the 5.3ltr. (318) and have not had any probs at all with it. My boat is a 20' cuddy also pull dunebuggy, snowmobiles(4) etc and have always had pretty good results. I live in Utah and most driving around here is pretty severe. Summertime can be 100+ through the desert going to Lake Powell which is 350 miles each way from my house. If you boat at the closer mountian lakes then your talking a nasty mountian drive up Parleys canyon which has eaten countless vehicles. Wintertime can be -30 as it was this year on a snowmobile trip and had my first breakdown when we went to go home. Bad coolant temp sensor about $20.00 at auto zone. When they go bad they tell the fuel system to choke the engine on start up and it totally floods them out total pita at -20 -30 deg to try to get them restarted. So far so good although I have heard about the air plentum gaskets being suspect. Really need to keep an eye on your oil level and if you start going through oil a lot quicker that is most likely culprit.

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: 99 Durango??

ive had a good bit of experience with the mopar trucks as well, and i can tell you from experience, the 5.7 hemi gets almost exactly the same mpg as a 4.7 in the same vehicle. particularly if you get a 4wd you are going to get about 15mpg with either engine.

my brothers 5.7 regular cab 2wd ram got 14mpg towing 3500+ lbs on a 500 mile trip. not too bad, and of course youve got plenty of power and braking on any of the newer 5.7 equipped rigs.