I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota

That is a tough call to diagnose. It could be the engine or transmission or one of the engine accessories such as the power steering pump. You can check the accessories by grabbing each pulley wheel and moving back and forth to check for play. As for the engine and transmission you can check the fluids and look for small particles of metal. You will need a good light source to do this as the particles are very small. The presence of metal would indicate damage.