I am pretty sure the engines didn't change from 94 to 96 so, you will need to pull the front passenger tire. Remove the fender well cover- you need to pull the stupid little plastic retainer clips that GM likes so much all the way around the fender well. Needle nose pliers and a flat head screwdriver work very well or you can just rip them out and get replacements as they only cost like 3 cents apiece. Once the fender well is out you will see a series of pulleys with the accessory belt run around them the tensioner pulley will be very smooth and will use a 9/16 open end wrench to loosen, the nut head will be dead center on the pulley facing you. I believe you pull down on the pulley with the wrench to loosen but not sure. It will only move in two directions.
The serpentine belt you can look at the diagram in your engine compartment for actual routing. The tensioner mounts to the left side of the engine. You need to unbolt the whole assembly. Actually, the belt can be loosened by tightening the bolt of the tensioner pulley. When fully tightened, the pulley will act as a swivel.
I don't believe there is an idler pulley on that model, just a tensioner pulley
This means you have a 4.0L. There is no other way.....
Loosen the tensioner pulley. Put the belt around the alternator pulley and the tensioner pulley. Move the tensioner pulley to the right until the belt is tight. Tighten the tensioner pulley.
it has a self tensioner pulley No adjustment required
Since There is no tensioner pulley you have to loosen your alternator.
The 1998 Dodge Dakota tensioner pulley will be the top pulley on the left-hand side of the engine. The tensioner pulley will be able to slide back and forth.
Loosen the tensioner pulley. When the tensioner pulley is loose the belt will come off. Put the new belt on and tighten the tensioner pulley.
I think it is the same as my 98 and you put a wrench on the bolt at the center of the tensioner pulley and push away from the belt.
One bolt holds the tensioner to the engine, take it off to get the tensioner off and then you can get to the bolt that holds the pulley to the tensioner.
On the tensioner, sometimes it has a cover on the tensioner that covers the bolt.
Facing the engine the tensioner will be on left side of engine. There is an idler pulley that looks like the tensioner. The idler will have a smooth surface but the tensioner will have grooves on the pulley & should below the idler. If the tensioner is making noise etc it is prob just the tensioner pulley (grooved one) & you can get just the pulley. Big savings.