95%? More like 99.9%! I've never even seen a Durango with mud on it. Try to find lifts etc for Durangos and you won't, because no one uses them for anything but carrying shopping bags home from Nordstrom.
The main reason why you dont see many lifts currently avalible for the 1998-2003 is a simple fact of engineering, not because people use them as grocery getters.
In 1998-1999 the durango (1997-1999 dakota) had a steering "rack", that used a steering "box", then in 2000-2002 the durango/dakota got rack and pinion steering, then in 2003 dodge changed the spindles on the durango/dakota to handle dual pistion calipers, pre 03 durango's and dakota's used single pistion...
1998-99 rango's and 1997-99 dakota's used a dana35 with "bolt on flanges" for the axle shafts .... 2000-2004 dakota's and 2000-2003 durango's used "tulips" and splines for the axle shafts... every "lift kit" had to be completely different to handle these major drive-train design changes.......
I see many people use WJ's and XJ's as grocery getters too, my girlfriend doesn't wheel her 1997 TJ; I use my Mitsubishi Montero as my DD; and have no desire to modify it. The thing is Jeeps, have lots of modifications out for them because they didnt "change" major drive-train components like dodge did, for example the same teraflex long arm kit fits TJ's that range from the 97-06 model year.....
so most of the lift kits (Rancho, tuff country) used drop brackets and modified cast spindles.
Because dodge changed so many aspects on the truck, in such a little time period, a completely redesigned kit had to be made for each suspension "change" and thus those kits are $$:Wow1:. most of them are not even manufactured anymore. I dont blame them. I wouldn't sell/engineer a lift kit that only worked for two model years....
Aslo, it's wayy easier to lift a coil sprung solid axle suspension vs Torsion Bar IFS because, in most cases TB IFS needs LCA and differential drop bracket's and new, longer uprights that cost lots of $$$ to engineer, test and manufacture... you can get away with same coilspacers and control arm's on a jeep for a model that lasted a decade...
I mean, the durango was a great offroad-vehicle from the factory.... it had an optional V8, a good fully boxed frame, and the big CHRYS 9.25" rear axle that's pretty damn tough; diffidently stronger then a D44 but a little weaker then a D60. You can crank the stock torsion bars (for free) and fit 32's with no rubbing, and go have fun... without breaking anything
The front end however, was not very good. Torsion bar, 1998-99 rango's and 1997-99 dakota's used a dana35 front center-section that's weak but in 2000-2004 dakota's and 2000-2003 durango's they switched to a CHRYS C205 mm front axle, it's cast aluminum and weaker then the cast iron dana 35.... both will hold up behind 33's if you have a v6 and baby the throttle, if you have a v8 you have to be extremely careful.... Corbin wheels his 03 v6 Dakota with 35's and has yet to break it...
