So, I have a 2009 Ram 1500. Dealership is in the rear end (dirty minded buggers) for the 3rd time. I took ownership 3 or 4 years ago. I can't remember when I bought it. First time it was covered under extended warranty, second time I shelled out $1200+ for them to rebuild, and now it is warranty again because it is failing 6 month / 11,000 miles later. I'm thinking they just keep screwing up and instead of insuring everything is shimmed properly and backslashes are correct, they just keep setting it up the same way. Anyone else have poor experiences with their Dodge rear ends?? It's one of many problems I've had with the truck. So far on top of the rear end problems I've personally replaced the transmission shift solenoid because it only drove forward in 4th gear, the heater blender door actuator (twice), and an exhaust leak which was caused by broken exhaust studs (covered under warranty). The trucks been paid off for a couple years now and I just rounded the 100k mile mark. I plan on putting another poop load of miles on it. Are these problems unique to my truck or have you guys had similar problems? This will be the last newer truck I ever buy. I don't use it commercially, but it gets used as a truck and I am not paying for backup cameras and video screens in my dash. That's a whole rant for another day.
Yes, rams had a diff problem. Pinion nuts were coming loose and allowing the pinion to wad up in the ring gear. There was a hokey fix for it under nationwide recall. That was to drill holes in the flange next to the nut flats and drive roll pins to prevent backing off. I believe building a diff has become a lost art. How many guys you know or talk to, know what a case spreader is or pinion preload for that matter. Last 2 Danas i had my hands in, had way too shallow and way too deep pinion depth. Ring and pinion were too sharp for reuse by the time i got hold of them. One was an 80 the other a 60. Both cost a buttload. I advised both to scrounge complete axles out of the junkyards. Got to rebuild both in the end. If you're 2WD I'd advise the same to you. 11k and you're on the hook for something that should outlast the rest of the truck? Screw that! At least in the boneyard, you got a fighting chance of getting factory fresh virgin assembly.
I'm with funwithfuel on this one! unless you can find someone that knows how to set up the rear and takes the time to do it right (sometimes you may have to press pinion bearing on and off several times to get the right preload, backlash, and foot print). I would rather do a "factory virgin" out of the boneyard than one that has been screwed with by a hack. I'm with you, Buickspec6231 on all the crap they put on trucks now. Glad my hammer still doesn't have a backup camera.
I'll have to inquire further about what they are finding out. They said it will be done tomorrow. I try to do everything on my own, but I don't have the tools to do the differential properly. This repair is covered under warranty because I paid for the last one and it's failing within that time. I agree with you, a rear end should go the longevity of a vehicle, especially up here in Central New York. Usually the salt gets everything before the mechanical bits go bad. The differential hasn't changed much since its conception. There is no G-dang excuse for this stuff. Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna go scrounge the local Pick-n-Pull for a rear to have on standby. It's a 4wd, as are most of the trucks up here. I'll just make sure to match gear ratios.
I would do the same as you and let them take another crack at it since it is still covered under warranty. With some luck they may get it right this time, good luck. If it makes you feel better my wife bought a 2011 Nissan titan (new) and the list of stuff I have had to repair is unbelievable and it only has 60,000 miles on it. I've talk to other folks that have them and they have gotten good service out of them. I'm beginning to think it has more to do with luck than it dose with brand.
If its that same Chrysler 9.25" diff they used in the 2nd gen 1500's they aren't bad to do. I rebuilt the posi on mine in an afternoon. No dial indicator or nothing. Just winged it lol. They do have some flaws. I believe they use a crush spacer for the pinion bearings and over time it gets pounded and the pinion loosens up. Causes a loud clunk every time you go abruptly from coast to drive or drive to coast. You can get a solid spacer kit for them I believe. Gotta love all the half-***ed stuff they do in the automotive world.
When your're searchin the boneyards, make sure you get rears with the same gear ratio, as the rear on your truck, if you have 4WD...
I don't get why the shops don't take an old pinion bearing, use a wheel cylinder hone on it to take a couple thousandth of an inch off so it slides on and off and use that as the setup bearing for determining pinion depth. Obviously that won't work with the crush sleeves, but in my head, it works for shims. Waiting them to call me to tell me it's ready. I'm single, no kids, no GF, no second vehicle. I feel incomplete without my truck. Luckily I have been off work (regularly scheduled days off). Even the dogs are probably sick of me being around.
I HAD a new jeep Cherokee that dumped the rear end.. Had it rebuilt at the dealership.. under warranty. Drove it back to work whining like crazy!! NOW ANYBODY w/ half a brain that test drove the car AFTER the repair could of heard it !! I ended up taking it back & aweek later it was fixed.. I had to tell them what they did wrong.. SO NO, your not alone..
I have not cared for the late model 'No Spread' housings they adjust with setting the pinion depth with a dial indicator for height off the back of case or a tube fixture in the bearing caps to tapping shims in with a hammer for 'preloading' the carrier. My '99 Ford SD has the 10.75" differential, I have destroyed two ring and pinion sets, one to a failed pinion seal/outer pinion bearing(warranty) and the next to the set up by the Dealer "Mechanic" under the warranty from the first warranty after 30,000 miles use. I re-set the last one as howled like hell and I am MOSTLY deaf, tech said was my tires(I knew better), ended up setting the damn pinion depth Old School, pulled and installed the carrier three times, had to re-shim the pinion REMOVIING most of what the dealer had put in it and according to the prescribed method was what it called for(I did try it). Setting side pre-load just pissed me off driving shims in and a 'Light' pre-load as far as I was concerned but has held for over 200k. No holes in the housings anymore for spreaders DANA or otherwise, designed to destroy themselves.
When I had the carrier out of the Chrysler 9.25 in my old beater I literally just marked a pinion tooth and 2 ring gear teeth and pulled it out. Replaced the posi clutches and stuffed it back in making sure my timing marks lined up. Then I just eyeballed the back lash and gave it 1 or 2 holes on the right side adjuster for preload. Not a noise, howl or anything lol. Put 50k km on it afterwards with no issues. Its better to be lucky than good I guess.
No need to time a ring and pinion, you need to set backlash only if not pulling the pinion form the housing, should try to match what you had prior. Setting up a dial indicator prior on those differentials I was NOT pulling the pinion on I would put the backlash back where it was before I pulled the carrier. About the only time I had done that is replacing limited slip clutches that would not hold.
Welp, End of business day Monday and I still don't have my truck. Called them twice today. One time left a message and never got a call back and second time they said the tech just needed to take it for a test drive. They were gonna call back when that was done. Its been 1.5hrs. That's a long darn test drive. I think if I ever need to go back to a dealership with this vehicle, I'll go to the competing Ram dealer about 25 minutes further away. I'm more annoyed by the lack of communication on their end. All I am looking for is honest answers. Not that the truck has been on the lift all day and the tech is trying to find the noise. It took me 1 minute with a floor jack and laying in the driveway to determine the noise was a bearing in the rear.
Too easy to take a junk pinion nut, remove the lock area, then install a pinion to a snug set and test fit the carrier/ring gear. Done that all too many times in the 'Olden' days when we knew what we were doing on crush sleeve bearing presets. Pinion depth will not change with a crush sleeve, if does is not more than a thousandth as the inner bearing won't crush in. Set everything as would for final disposition then disassemble minding the shim loads, lube it all up, assemble with correct crush sleeve and torques, done deal. I always enjoyed gear work, easy money.
WOW! I can't wait to hear the BS story you get when it is done! I don't know were cny is but I'm in western Pa. and if you were one of my customers I would think you are now one of my ex-customers. Even a rear that was difficult was no more than 10 hrs. to do right. (including test drive)
Well, picked it up first thing this morning. Zero cost out of pocket. They allegedly replaced the carrier bearings and pinion bearing. They blamed the delay on the parts truck getting in an accident during a snowstorm in Buffalo, NY and parts not coming in on time. I can confirm the snow in Buffalo. Sometimes things happen. You don't realize how loud a problem slowly builds to until it's gone. New tires tomorrow... After that hopefully I'm done putting money into it for a while. 63- I'm in Central NY. I'm about 30 miles west of Syracuse.
Your right, stuff happens. Good to hear you got it back. I would check for heat after the first few trips and no more than it cost I would change fluid after a tank or two of gas just to be sure.