[liny2sd]

Long story short:
I do quite a bit of towing, quite a bit of weight, in tough conditions, for long durations.

Before I trek the desert, I really need an oil cooler.

Can anyone recommend a mechanic capable of installing an oil cooler on my ‘99 Durango 5.9L 4x4?

Las Vegas area.
September 1-13.

Thank you!

 

[liny2sd]

Those are my 2 transmission coolers, mounted on the bumper bar. I need an equally badass oil cooler setup.

 

[9t9-5.2]

Are two trans coolers necessary? An oil cooler could replace one.

Looks like you could use a load leveling hitch. Emergency braking in the wet will be a nightmare with minimal weight on the front wheels.

 

[liny2sd]

I like the idea of being overly prepared than underly prepared. After the first transmission cooler let the transmission overheat after a 30 minute tow, I didn’t want to mess around with what SHOULD be enough. Now, I have WAY enough transmission cooling. I also like the NASA approach, building in redundancies in case one fails, I can surpass one & I still have another as a backup. Also, I tow up mountains, across deserts, all in the summer heat, while passing semi’s. I’m of the mentality, I’d rather have too much than not enough. One could say the tires are a bit of overkill too.

BUT, I appreciate the info!!!

So, I want/need a badass oil cooler setup, in addition to the dual tranny cooler setup.

That’s with the load leveling hitch. I did learn subsequent to this photo how to load the load leveling hitch better, removed some weight, re-distributed some of the weight towards the rear, had the helper springs tightened, & had some cutting done on the rear wheel wells. Already have an add a leaf, as well as, the helper spring, plus, tow bump stops, all from ORW.

Thanks for the tip about the rain. I haven’t seen any rain since I bought it though, as a result of being in the southwest. I probably won’t be towing in the rainy season BUT, that is really good to know for safety! I have a trailer brake but, the mechanic who installed it didn’t do it right, and it’s not working now, blew a fuse or something. Brake lights just stopped working too. Another reason why I need a mechanic ASAP, cause those need fixing too. In the meantime, I’ve got tow-grade brakes, drilled & slotted rotors in the front, new shoes in the rear. (Almost everything on the truck is new, rebuilt, and/or built-up. It’s a new build, still working out the kinks, only about 9 months into the build. This summer has been its maiden voyages/test voyages.)

I’m also waiting on another tow wrench in the mail (Amazon) to raise the hitch height 2 notches.

I am open to more tips about the towing as I just started towing for the first time June 2022, with the exception of one tow trip when I bought the camper in March. I understand she squats, & I’m interested in reducing that; however, I do really like how smooth the ride is on the new Bilstein 5100’s. I have been told that tow trucks are a nightmare to ride in when there is no load. I’m not interested in that. I’ll take a little squat for the comfort on the daily. Not interested in spending the money on air ride, though. Plus, that’s too many things that could go wrong on a trail.

Thank you for the tips! Please keep them coming as, I still need a good mechanic ASAP. I also understand, I gotta schedule out a bit to get a “good” mechanic.

Thank you all!

 

[Dart73]

I like the idea of being overly prepared than underly prepared. After the first transmission cooler let the transmission overheat after a 30 minute tow, I didn’t want to mess around with what SHOULD be enough. Now, I have WAY enough transmission cooling. I also like the NASA approach, building in redundancies in case one fails, I can surpass one & I still have another as a backup. Also, I tow up mountains, across deserts, all in the summer heat, while passing semi’s. I’m of the mentality, I’d rather have too much than not enough. One could say the tires are a bit of overkill too.

BUT, I appreciate the info!!!

So, I want/need a badass oil cooler setup, in addition to the dual tranny cooler setup.

That’s with the load leveling hitch. I did learn subsequent to this photo how to load the load leveling hitch better, removed some weight, re-distributed some of the weight towards the rear, had the helper springs tightened, & had some cutting done on the rear wheel wells. Already have an add a leaf, as well as, the helper spring, plus, tow bump stops, all from ORW.

Thanks for the tip about the rain. I haven’t seen any rain since I bought it though, as a result of being in the southwest. I probably won’t be towing in the rainy season BUT, that is really good to know for safety! I have a trailer brake but, the mechanic who installed it didn’t do it right, and it’s not working now, blew a fuse or something. Brake lights just stopped working too. Another reason why I need a mechanic ASAP, cause those need fixing too. In the meantime, I’ve got tow-grade brakes, drilled & slotted rotors in the front, new shoes in the rear. (Almost everything on the truck is new, rebuilt, and/or built-up. It’s a new build, still working out the kinks, only about 9 months into the build. This summer has been its maiden voyages/test voyages.)

I’m also waiting on another tow wrench in the mail (Amazon) to raise the hitch height 2 notches.

I am open to more tips about the towing as I just started towing for the first time June 2022, with the exception of one tow trip when I bought the camper in March. I understand she squats, & I’m interested in reducing that; however, I do really like how smooth the ride is on the new Bilstein 5100’s. I have been told that tow trucks are a nightmare to ride in when there is no load. I’m not interested in that. I’ll take a little squat for the comfort on the daily. Not interested in spending the money on air ride, though. Plus, that’s too many things that could go wrong on a trail.

Thank you for the tips! Please keep them coming as, I still need a good mechanic ASAP. I also understand, I gotta schedule out a bit to get a “good” mechanic.

Thank you all!

I have. 2001 Dakota that I bought with the heavy duty cooling kit already installed.
I tow a lot of heavy loads. Cars, firewood and farm equipment.
I installed an Air Ride kit many years ago.
I have nothing but good things about it.
I have the Air Ride levelers along with the compressor kit with on board controls.
I can easily push a button and bring the back up or down as needed. It’s never failed me.
The brackets were bolt on with some drilling required but since I had a welder I welded the upper brackets onto the frame. The lower brackets were an easy bolt on to the springs.
I installed the compressor on top of my fuse box under the hood. Ran the lines and hooked up the power.
Check it out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.