1999 Dodge Durango Suspension - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

1999 Dodge Durango Side View Articulation

Metal Row
* Rockwell Tech, Mar. '09
* Teardown, Apr. '09
* Axle Buildup, May '09

Metal Row * Rockwell Tech, Mar. '09 * Teardown, Apr. '09 * Axle Buildup, May '09

Creating your own suspension system doesn't have to be an overcomplicated nightmare. From the first time we fired up the torch to the last Nylock nut, our Heavy Metal Mudder's suspension was an exercise in matching function, simplicity, and off-the-shelf parts. Still down in East Texas with the Rockwell experts at Old Town Customs, we sat down in front of the monster Durango and begin exploring suspension options.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was the 2 1/2-ton Rockwell's top-loading third member, which rises nearly 10 inches above the axletubes. This isn't an issue if you don't mind building the rig super-tall or pushing the axle a few feet in front of the truck, but we wanted to keep the '99 Durango sitting low and have the tires remain in the general vicinity of the wheelwells.

1999 Dodge Durango Drivers Side View Desert

Purple Past
If you've followed our Heavy Metal Mudder project from the beginning, then you noticed the most obvious change isn't the new axles or suspension, but the color of the paint. It was no secret that we were not in love with the purple, so the crew at Old Town Customs called in a couple favors. Thanks to John Wright of Nacogdoches, Texas, we were able to transform the painfully purple paintjob into a more fitting shade of military tan.

Purple Past If you've followed our Heavy Metal Mudder project from the beginning, then yo

After examining a variety of suspension configurations, we decided on a coil-spring multilink system that would keep the massive 2 1/2-ton Rockwell axles in check and allow our Durango to flex its skills in a variety of terrains. When scouring around for coils to support the Durango with, we found that its overall weight (approximately 4,300 pounds) is very similar to that of the Jeep Wrangler JK and WJ Grand Cherokee. After pulling a few measurements, we decided that a set of Rock Krawler 3 1/2-inch front JK springs would work great in the front, while a set of RK 8-inch rear WJ springs seemed the perfect fit out back.

Creating your own widgets to get your 4x finished is always a part of the process, but any time you can use readily available aftermarket components, we suggest you do so. It's not that we don't like to fabricate, but oftentimes purchasing items such as control arms and axle brackets will save you time and money. We can't tell you how helpful it was to be able to call up manufacturers and simply ask them questions about their parts and see if those parts would work for our application.

Just because they don't list any parts for your ride doesn't mean you can't make some of their existing products work for your vehicle. A perfect example of this is our Teraflex JK long-arm lower control arms. They are made with beefy flex joints and strong tubing. If we were to ever jump, roll, or do some crazy wheeling acrobatics that destroyed our suspension links, we wouldn't have to go back to the fab table. Rather, we would just place a phone call and have a new control arm delivered to our door.

1. No, you're not seeing things. That is in fact a plump trucker-chick gusset. An Old Town Customs original, the heavy-set bracket reinforcements are a strong and admittedly hilarious way to give whatever you are building a little extra strength. Available in a variety of sizes, the curvy trucker-chick silhouette makes quite a few appearances on our Heavy Metal machine.
1. No, you're not seeing things. That is in fact a plump trucker-chick gusset. An Old Town
2. Carl Yarbrough, owner of Old Town Customs, designed weld-on control-arm mounts that encompass both sides of our '99 Durango's boxed frame for strength and rigidity. They are equipped with a set of Teraflex Jeep Wrangler JK long-arm lowers and a custom set of Rock Krawler uppers, so we combined the benefit of greaseable and rebuildable joints with lowers that, if destroyed, could be easily replaced by making a phone call.
2. Carl Yarbrough, owner of Old Town Customs, designed weld-on control-arm mounts that enc
3. The front coil mounts were placed outside the frame to help with clearance and add stability to the rig. Supporting the weight on the front of the Durango are Rock Krawler 3 1/2-inch front JK coils springs along with a 3/4-inch Daystar coil isolated to give the spring a little cushion.
3. The front coil mounts were placed outside the frame to help with clearance and add stab

4. Rock Krawler's universal bumpstops are a vital part of the suspension system. Used to dial in and limit the Durango to 6 inches of uptravel, the bumpstops are cheap insurance. If our Mudder ever gets airborne, the third member won't drive up through the engine's oil pan.
4. Rock Krawler's universal bumpstops are a vital part of the suspension system. Used to d
5. With the Durango's gas tank mounted parallel to the driver side of the frame, our 3/8-inch Old Town Customs Rockwell axle mounts needed to be moved a little farther out to keep the arm placement symmetrical and allow for clearance. This required us to mount the RK 8-inch WJ rear springs inboard a little more than we would have liked, but so far they have seemed to work fine. The rig has not felt as tippy as we first thought it would.
5. With the Durango's gas tank mounted parallel to the driver side of the frame, our 3/8-i
6. Without a doubt the most vulnerable parts of a steering Rockwell axle are the boots. To protect rocks and stumps from peeling away our closed-knuckle grease keepers, we installed a set of bolt-on protectors from Old Town Customs.
6. Without a doubt the most vulnerable parts of a steering Rockwell axle are the boots. To

7. In an effort to keep the steering high and protected, we installed OTC 2 1/2-ton high-steer arms at each knuckle. To find out more about how we put the steering system together, flip to the "Going Full Hydro" story in this issue.
7. In an effort to keep the steering high and protected, we installed OTC 2 1/2-ton high-s
8. Earlier in the build we removed the factory front crossmember to allow more room for the axle and our suspension components. To reinforce the front portion of the frame, we plated and connected both sides with a 0.120-wall piece of DOM tubing. We will be doing more in later issues, since our Mudder is going to need some type of winch mount and tow points.
8. Earlier in the build we removed the factory front crossmember to allow more room for th
9. Shocks are an extremely important part of any rig. As you might have guessed, the 2 1/2-ton Rockwells are far from light. We needed a shock with a bit of adjustment so we could dial in the ride and control the best we could. The Pro Comp MX-6 with fluid reservoirs was the perfect fit for what we were looking for. The MX-6's wide adjustment range and easy-to-use control knob takes out the bounce, and the extra fluid capacity prevents the shocks from fatiguing, as the suspension is sure to get punished as we slam from one mud hole to the next.
9. Shocks are an extremely important part of any rig. As you might have guessed, the 2 1/2

10. There is no question that the 5.9L oil pan and our front track bar are close, but after cycling the suspension numerous times and rechecking our measurements, we dialed it all in. By mounting the track bars on opposite sides front and rear, we hoped to prevent any odd tracking movements. This will also help to prevent the suspension from unloading and favoring to one side.
10. There is no question that the 5.9L oil pan and our front track bar are close, but afte
11. By now it's no surprise that our Heavy Metal Mudder will be running the legendary Interco Bogger. These tires come in at 44 inches tall and 19.5 inches wide, so we went with the mud-dominating tire for its giant goo-throwing paddles, beefy construction, and cool looks.
11. By now it's no surprise that our Heavy Metal Mudder will be running the legendary Inte
12. Opting to stay with the factory six-bolt military wheel pattern, we enlisted the help of Off Road Connection to make us a set of 15x10 beadlock wheels. Made to order, our custom steel wheels have 6 3/4 inches of backspacing, and that nets us an overall width of 98 inches.
12. Opting to stay with the factory six-bolt military wheel pattern, we enlisted the help

SOURCES
Pro Comp Dept. 5.0 1147 W. Brooks St. Ontario CA 91762 909-988-3044 et="new">www.procompelectronics. com	Teraflex www.teraflex.biz
Interco Tire intercotire.com	Rock Krawler www.rockkrawler.com
Old Town Customs N/A www.oldtowncustoms.com	The Off Road Connection www.offrdconnection.com