I'm the original poster. This helps greatly. I will do as recommended in the responses. Thanks.
To answer some questions:
towpro wrote:
I see you have a dually so its kind of hard to do a real rotation because the rear inner wheels use a different TPMS frequency than the other 4 tires.... I will swap LF and RR outer, and RF and LR outer. inner stay where they are. This keeps tires rotating the same directions.
Yes, the RAM manual says you can't switch inner and outer because of the tire pressure monitoring system. Then, for whatever it is worth, the picture in the manual shows only swapping front tires left to right and the same for back tires. No swapping of front tires to the back. It doesn't specifically say not to rotate front to back, but side to side only is what the picture shows.
Reality Check wrote:
Just a thought, but what does the manual say?
Nothing. I read the manual and couldn't find any hint about this problems.
AnEv942 wrote:
Using 4WD to climb blocks a lot more effective- climbs instead of front tires pushing, Low range just slower more control. Just easier on the truck.
This brings up a point that I could try 4WD high gear. It might be good enough since I am hearing it could be the low gear that is causing problems not necessarily the 4WD. I never tried that since the original post that got me started on this said 4WD low gear. I can say that in low gear the truck glides up the blocks, very nice and with easy control, especially after my first year I was gunning the engine in 2WD to get onto the blocks.
AnEv942 wrote:
Im of the opinion 4WD should be exercised.
Yea, that is one of my questions. Other than climbing onto blocks I have never used 4WD (but I don't regret getting it because that one time you need it to get unstuck you will be very glad to have it). So I am at least exercising the gears to use 4WD to drive onto blocks (although I could instead try to remember to switch to 4WD once in a while only to exercise it).
However, it could be 4WD drive low gear isn't designed for this to be doing this every day. That it is supposed to be only for extreme conditions. There are periods I was using blocks and was switching ever time I drove the truck.
AnEv942 wrote:
Curious about the lubing of front drive shaft with every oil change, are the Dodges front axles engaged full time?
I assume that the front axle is not engaged unless you turn the knob inside the cap to 4WD. I don't know much about the lube, only that the manuals says to lube the front drive shaft fitting at each oil change, and there is also a sticker under the hood warning that is necessary. Then on my first (and so far only) oil change I had to argue with the Dodge dealer about this. The mechanic said there is no fitting. I did some google searches and told them the results, then they said yea they found the fitting. The google searches said something about it needs a needle attachment rather than the usual lube attachment, and the fitting is on the inside of the wheel in a known to be hard to find place.
rider997 wrote:
Do you leave the truck in 4WD low overnight? I know some GM and Ram trucks tend to get "stuck" in 4WD low if they've been sitting parked and cold for some time in that mode. Fluids are cold, etc.
Yes, I do leave it in 4WD overnight. I drive onto the blocks then leave it in 4WD. You have a point that I could do the switch back to 2WD after driving onto the blocks rather than leaving it in 4WD. However, what others are saying about driving back and forth I couldn't do that when sitting on the blocks. So I don't know. Yes, the one time this happened to me driving around a little (which actually I now read that I am not suppose to be doing on pavement) did get it to switch, so it could be as you say the gears being cold could be part of it.
