Ram suspension problem

richclover wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

I still wonder why Ram went away from the 2012 style drag link. It was super easy to do any adjustments.

Do you still wonder why Dodge ram was forced to recall trucks and repair or buy them back because of suspension problem which was the largest safety recall in automotive history?

Which recall are you referring to, Fish?

I went Dodge/Jeep/Ram for several reasons. Nearest Ford dealers are over an hour away, Dodge/Jeep started galvanizing body panels, the Cummins and the Hemi.

The local Ram dealer, third owner in the last few years, has become more questionable WRT service, unfortunately...

I see you’re a Ford guy ;)

This is the one I was referring with the biggest penalty enforced by the NHTSA... but doesn't pertain to your truck.

NEWS: Fiat Chrysler to pay up to $105M in penalties to NHTSA; Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles
Detroit Free Press @ July 27, 2015

JUNE 2015 -- Fiat Chrysler agreed to pay largest fine ever from NHTSA, submit to three years of oversight of recalls, buy back half-a-million vehicles and offer financial incentives for repair of 1 million Jeeps

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will pay up to $105 million in fines and penalties to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, submit to oversight and buy back nearly half-a-million of the vehicles it has recalled, penalties issued Sunday for the auto company’s lax attitude toward addressing safety issues in millions of its vehicles.

NHTSA said it was concerned about slow completion rates on recalls the automaker announced, slow or inadequate notifications to consumers, faulty approaches to fixing the safety issues and improper actions by dealers.

The penalty, the largest ever issued by the regulatory agency, reflects a tougher approach to automotive regulation in the wake of high-profile recalls last year by General Motors and airbag supplier Takata. It comes less than a month after NHTSA held a hearing to present evidence of Fiat Chrysler low recall completion rates for more than two dozen recall campaigns covering 11 million vehicles.

“Today’s action holds Fiat Chrysler accountable for its past failures, pushes them to get unsafe vehicles repaired or off the roads and takes concrete steps to keep Americans safer going forward,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a statement. “This civil penalty puts manufacturers on notice that the Department will act when they do not take their obligations to repair safety defects seriously.”

The order requires Fiat Chrysler to pay a $70 million cash penalty and spend at least $20 million on meeting performance requirements included in the consent order. The automaker could be required to pay another $15 million if an independent monitor discovers additional violations

NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind was appointed in December by U.S. President Barack Obama with a mandate from Congress to crack down on the auto industry.

“Fiat Chrysler’s pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers, and the driving public, at risk,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture.”

The fine announced Sunday tops $70 million fines and penalties assessed against Honda Motor Co. in January for lapses in recalls of air bags made by Takata Corp. NHTSA said that penalty was a result of Honda’s failure to report 1,729 death and injury claims to NHTSA between 2003 and 2014.

In addition to the penalties, the order requires FCA to:

? Offer to buy back more than half a million vehicles with defective suspension parts that could cause the vehicle to lose control. The vehicles, mainly Dodge SUV and Ram pickup trucks, were built between 2008 and 2012. The consent order does allow Fiat Chrsyler to repair and then resell the vehicles it buys back from the current owners. The automaker declined to provide an estimate on Sunday of the potential cost of its obligations beyond the civil penalties.

? Offer owners of more than a million Jeeps Cherokee that are prone to deadly fires to trade their vehicle in for above its market value, or receive a financial incentive to get a trailer hitch installed for additional protection.

? Agree to work with an independent monitor approved by NHTSA for the next three years. The monitor’s job will be to assess, track and report the company’s recall performance.

An independent monitor, while unusual, is not unprecedented. On July 9, NHTSA announced that Forest River, an Indiana-based maker of recreational vehicles, agreed as part of a consent order to pay a $35 million civil penalty as well as an independent monitor to conduct periodic audits of the company’s safety practices.

Fiat Chrysler, in a statement on Sunday, acknowledged that some of its recall processes and procedures have fallen short.

“We also accept the resulting consequences with renewed resolve to improve our handling of recalls and re-establish the trust our customers place in us,” the company said in a statement. “We are intent on rebuilding our relationship with NHTSA and we embrace the role of public safety advocate.”

The automaker’s statement on Sunday reflects comments made recently by CEO Sergio Marchionne, who said the automaker has been slow to change its practices in a new, tougher regulatory environment.

“We have to continue to work with the agency to put us on the right path,” Marchionne said.

The order comes just two days after Fiat Chrysler was forced to issue a recall notice for 1.4 million cars and trucks so it can beef up the software in the vehicles and protect them from cyber-security attacks. That recall was prompted from a story published last Tuesday by Wired magazine that showed how two security experts were able to remotely hack into and take control of a Jeep Cherokee.

Fiat Chrysler also said Saturday it would recall 667,406 Ram trucks in North America to prevent the inadvertent deployment of side-curtain air-bags. The automaker said some of the pickups for 2013-2015 Ram 1500, 2500 and 2500 pickups may be set to deploy at low thresholds. The company said it is aware of two potentially related injuries, both described as minor, but no accidents.

NHTSA’s investigation into the automaker’s slow recall completion rates was prompted by Fiat Chrysler’s slow handling of a recall covering 1.56 million Jeep Cherokee and Liberty SUVs for model years 2002-2007 for the Liberty and 1993-1998 for the Grand Cherokee. The Jeep SUVs have rear-mounted fuel tanks that NHTSA says are more prone too fiery rear-end collisions than SUVs made by other automakers.

The automaker agreed to recall Jeep SUVs in June 2013 and install tow hitches on them to provide additional rear end protection. But it took more than a year before the automaker was ready to conduct any of the repairs and only about 21% of the SUVs were repaired as of May 31.

The automaker frequently points out that it can be difficult to convince customers to respond to recall notices when many of the vehicles are more than 10 years old. In May, Fiat Chrysler said its dealers have more than 60,145 trailer hitches on their shelves and an additional 314,254 are in warehouses ready to be shipped.

The automaker also has taken steps to beef up its ability to quickly react when it identifies a safety issue. Last August, FCA appointed Scott Kunselman to the newly created position of senior vice president for vehicle safety and regulatory compliance. Kunselman reports directly to Marchionne.

In its statement Sunday, Fiat Chrysler said, “It has agreed to address certain industry objectives, such as identifying best practices for recall execution and researching obstacles that discourage consumers from responding to recall notices.”

Owners of vehicles who have questions about the recalls can call the company at 1-800-853-1403.

A list of the 23 Fiat Chrysler recalls that NHTSA investigated can be found here: http://www.safercar.gov/rs/chrysler/index.html

Owners of any vehicle can look to see what, if any, recalls apply to their vehicle by entering their vehicle identification number at this NHTSA Web site: https://vinrcl.safercar.gov

FishOnOne wrote:


Do you still wonder why Dodge ram was forced to recall trucks and repair or buy them back because of suspension problem which was the largest safety recall in automotive history?

1. Ford Motor Company (1981)
> Vehicles affected: 21.0 million
> Issue: Unexpected movement after shifted into park
> Components affected: Gear position indicator, transmission

The largest auto recall occurred in early 1981, when the Ford Motor Company announced the recall of 21 million Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles from the 1970 through 1980 model years. The recalled vehicles contained defective parking gear that could fail to engage after the vehicle was shifted to park, often leaving the car in reverse. Instead of issuing repairs, Ford provided car owners with a dashboard sticker warning them to set the parking brake and shut off the ignition before exiting the car, lest “unexpected and possibly sudden vehicle movement” occurs. At the time of recall, the U.S. Department of Transportation had linked the malfunctioning parking gear to 6,000 accidents resulting in 98 fatalities and 1,710 injuries.

2. Ford Motor Company (1996)
> Vehicles affected: 7.9 million
> Issue: Ignition switch short circuiting
> Components affected: Ignition

Ford Motor Company recalled in April 1996 nearly 8 million cars and trucks with short-circuiting ignition switches, the bulk of the company’s production stock for the 1988 through 1992 model years. The recall came after Ford had received over 1,100 complaints of fires caused by short-circuiting ignition switches, which caused a known 30 injuries throughout the United States and Canada. According to documents obtained as part of a class action lawsuit, Ford was aware of the potential for ignition switch fires for at least a year prior to the recall.

3. General Motors (1971)
> Vehicles affected: 6.7 million
> Issue: Separated motor mount causing engine to lift
> Components affected: Engine

In December 1971, General Motors announced that it would recall 6.7 million Chevrolet automobiles to fix faulty engine mounts. According to owner accounts, the rubber and metal mounts meant to separate the engine from the vehicle frame had been breaking, causing the engine to lift several inches. In some cases, the elevated engine would cause the car to accelerate and the brake lines to stop functioning.

4. Honda (2015)
> Vehicles affected: 6.3 million
> Issue: Airbags sending shrapnel into vehicle
> Components affected: Airbags

Honda recalled a total of 6.3 million cars with faulty airbags in 2015. When deployed, the defective airbags had the potential to blast shrapnel into the vehicle, striking the driver and passengers. The airbags were made by former Japapanese airbag manufacturer Takata, which had supplied the malfunctioning airbags for some 40 million vehicles around the world. As of 2016, the recalled airbags had been linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries.

5. General Motors (2014)
> Vehicles affected: 5.9 million
> Issue: Ignition switch could shut off engine and airbags
> Components affected: Ignition

In 2014, GM announced a series of recalls related to faulty ignition switches that could lead the car’s engine to shut off and prevent the airbags from deploying. The recalls involved many of GM’s most popular, best-selling models, and to date they have been linked to at least 124 deaths.

6. General Motors (1981)
> Vehicles affected: 5.8 million
> Issue: Fracturing of bolts connecting control arm to frame
> Components affected: Rear suspension

In February 1981, General Motors announced the recall of 5.8 million mid-size automobiles due to fix faulty bolts that could rust, fall out of a car’s rear suspension, and cause the vehicle to lose control. Affected models include the Chevrolet Malibu and Monte Carlo; Pontiac LeMans and Grand Prix; Buick Century and Regal; and the Oldsmobile Cutlass. At the time of the announcement, GM said it had received reports of 22 injuries related to the defective bolts.

7. Chrysler (2018)
> Vehicles affected: 4.8 million
> Issue: Short circuit preventing cruise control from disengaging
> Components affected: Cruise control

Fiat Chrysler announced in May 2018 the recall of 4.8 million Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge vehicles from the 2014 through 2018 model years. The recall was announced after the company discovered the potential for a short circuit to prevent a car’s cruise control system from shutting off. According to the company, no accidents had been attributed to the bug at the time of the announcement.

8. Chrysler (2016)
> Vehicles affected: 4.6 million
> Issue: Airbags sending shrapnel into vehicle
> Components affected: Airbags

One year after Fiat Chrysler announced the recall of 4.1 million vehicles with faulty airbags, the automaker announced the recall of an additional 4.6 million vehicles in May 2016 because of the same issue. The announcement was one of a series of recalls by major automakers related to the 40 million vehicles with malfunctioning airbags provided by former Japapanese airbag manufacturer Takata. The defective airbags had the potential to blast hot shrapnel into the car when deployed, and as of 2016 had been linked to at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries.

9. Ford Motor Company (2009)
> Vehicles affected: 4.5 million
> Issue: Overheated speed control deactivation switch could cause fire
> Components affected: Cruise control

Ford Motor Company announced in October 2009 the recall of 4.5 million vehicles due to a faulty cruise control deactivation switch that can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat, smoke, and burn. The malfunctioning switch can ultimately cause a fire, even when the car is off and unattended. The announcement was one in a series of recalls related to defective switches supplied by Texas Instruments.

10. Ford Motor Company (2005)
> Vehicles affected: 4.5 million
> Issue: Corroded speed control deactivation switch could cause engine fire
> Components affected: Cruise control

In September 2005, Ford Motor Company announced the recall of 4.5 million light trucks and SUVs. The recall was announced after the company discovered that in some of its vehicles brake fluid could leak into and corrode the cruise control deactivation system, which could ultimately result in an engine fire. Affected vehicles include the Ford F-150s, Ford Expeditions, Lincoln Navigators, and Ford Broncos for the 1994 through 2002 model years.

FishOnOne wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

I still wonder why Ram went away from the 2012 style drag link. It was super easy to do any adjustments.

Do you still wonder why Dodge ram was forced to recall trucks and repair or buy them back because of suspension problem which was the largest safety recall in automotive history?

Which recall are you referring to, Fish?

I went Dodge/Jeep/Ram for several reasons. Nearest Ford dealers are over an hour away, Dodge/Jeep started galvanizing body panels, the Cummins and the Hemi.

The local Ram dealer, third owner in the last few years, has become more questionable WRT service, unfortunately...

I see you’re a Ford guy ;)

goducks10 wrote:

I still wonder why Ram went away from the 2012 style drag link. It was super easy to do any adjustments.

Do you still wonder why Dodge ram was forced to recall trucks and repair or buy them back because of suspension problem which was the largest safety recall in automotive history?

richclover wrote:
2018 Ram 2500 Tradesman, Cummins. Towed the camper to Mesquite, NV, and noticed a persistent steering pull to the right. I blamed it on the slope of I-15 and, maybe, the crosswind working on the camper.

But, driving home without the camper the same thing happened.

Off to the local Big O tire shop. Alignment was very close to correct and after adjustment, the truck still pulled right. Wheels rotated front to back, then left front to right front... No change. Brakes checked, no dragging brake.

But wait... I noticed the truck looked to be not level sitting in the garage. The right front wheel well measured about 2” lower than the left. Right rear is about 1 1/2” lower than the left.

Measurements confirmed by the local dealer today. No reason found yet. Confirmed no broken springs, coil all around. Shocks are okay. Ball joints okay.

10,000 miles on the truck...

Has anyone heard of a similar problem?

You may want to check for any loose bolts on the rear suspension as they have been known to come loose.

Grit dog wrote:
^ Never seen that as part of any vehicles warranty coverage.
One could reasonably argue that alignment was off from the get go on a new vehicle and have a good chance of getting it covered, but doubt it's an official thing.

And not really applicable to the OPs situation, unless the steering pull started right after the dealer did the goober fix on the drag link adjuster.
In which case I'd been back to the dealer first.

On that note, this whole weld the nutz thing is a debacle and has smelled funny since it came out. Just, historically, have NEVER seen a tie rod or drag link adjuster loosen itself up on its own. My WAG is there were some left loose during production. Jose and Enrique fell asleep on the assembly line a few times from too many Tequilas at lunch break. And since no one has video evidence of them sleeping on the job, the cause is unknow and therefore, out of an abundance of caution, has become a recall.
If it is a concern I can think of at least 3 different, easy, ways off the top of my head to rectify it without breaking out the Lincoln and the 7018 rod. All of which are less invasive, more easily reversible and not as knee-jerk as "Welder up!"
But this would put just a leetle beet of responsibility on the vehicle owner to have an IQ over room temperature which open up the company to liability from the masses that are working in sweater weather IQ regions!

I totally agree; it is a BS fix that I refuse to get done to my truck. My dealer has called me half a dozen times to bring the truck in and I tell them to forget it until they come up with a proper fix. I have checked the nuts several times and they have been tight as tight can be so I’m not at all worried about it.

Grit dog wrote:
^ Never seen that as part of any vehicles warranty coverage.
One could reasonably argue that alignment was off from the get go on a new vehicle and have a good chance of getting it covered, but doubt it's an official thing.

And not really applicable to the OPs situation, unless the steering pull started right after the dealer did the goober fix on the drag link adjuster.
In which case I'd been back to the dealer first.

On that note, this whole weld the nutz thing is a debacle and has smelled funny since it came out. Just, historically, have NEVER seen a tie rod or drag link adjuster loosen itself up on its own. My WAG is there were some left loose during production. Jose and Enrique fell asleep on the assembly line a few times from too many Tequilas at lunch break. And since no one has video evidence of them sleeping on the job, the cause is unknow and therefore, out of an abundance of caution, has become a recall.
If it is a concern I can think of at least 3 different, easy, ways off the top of my head to rectify it without breaking out the Lincoln and the 7018 rod. All of which are less invasive, more easily reversible and not as knee-jerk as "Welder up!"
But this would put just a leetle beet of responsibility on the vehicle owner to have an IQ over room temperature which open up the company to liability from the masses that are working in sweater weather IQ regions!

I was surprised when he told me.
If I was a manufacturer I wouldn't warrant the alignment except when driving right off the lot. After that, could be anything that knocks it out.

Grit dog wrote:
^ Never seen that as part of any vehicles warranty coverage.
One could reasonably argue that alignment was off from the get go on a new vehicle and have a good chance of getting it covered, but doubt it's an official thing.

And not really applicable to the OPs situation, unless the steering pull started right after the dealer did the goober fix on the drag link adjuster.
In which case I'd been back to the dealer first.

On that note, this whole weld the nutz thing is a debacle and has smelled funny since it came out. Just, historically, have NEVER seen a tie rod or drag link adjuster loosen itself up on its own. My WAG is there were some left loose during production. Jose and Enrique fell asleep on the assembly line a few times from too many Tequilas at lunch break. And since no one has video evidence of them sleeping on the job, the cause is unknow and therefore, out of an abundance of caution, has become a recall.
If it is a concern I can think of at least 3 different, easy, ways off the top of my head to rectify it without breaking out the Lincoln and the 7018 rod. All of which are less invasive, more easily reversible and not as knee-jerk as "Welder up!"
But this would put just a leetle beet of responsibility on the vehicle owner to have an IQ over room temperature which open up the company to liability from the masses that are working in sweater weather IQ regions!

I was told when I had mine welded that it was welded because the adjuster tube portion of the adjustment parts could possibly crack.
I still wonder why Ram went away from the 2012 style drag link. It was super easy to do any adjustments.

^ Never seen that as part of any vehicles warranty coverage.
One could reasonably argue that alignment was off from the get go on a new vehicle and have a good chance of getting it covered, but doubt it's an official thing.

And not really applicable to the OPs situation, unless the steering pull started right after the dealer did the goober fix on the drag link adjuster.
In which case I'd been back to the dealer first.

On that note, this whole weld the nutz thing is a debacle and has smelled funny since it came out. Just, historically, have NEVER seen a tie rod or drag link adjuster loosen itself up on its own. My WAG is there were some left loose during production. Jose and Enrique fell asleep on the assembly line a few times from too many Tequilas at lunch break. And since no one has video evidence of them sleeping on the job, the cause is unknow and therefore, out of an abundance of caution, has become a recall.
If it is a concern I can think of at least 3 different, easy, ways off the top of my head to rectify it without breaking out the Lincoln and the 7018 rod. All of which are less invasive, more easily reversible and not as knee-jerk as "Welder up!"
But this would put just a leetle beet of responsibility on the vehicle owner to have an IQ over room temperature which open up the company to liability from the masses that are working in sweater weather IQ regions!

richclover wrote:

Grit dog wrote:

noteven wrote:
Keep in mind dealers are working from specs developed by the OEM and don’t get paid for warranty work unless OEM procedures are followed.

Good info in this thread.

Keep in mind, unless there’s more to the story, the OP took his twisted truck in to the dealer and left with no resolution. It ain’t rocket surgery!
And it appeared the OP was expecting a bill, not warranty.

Right, no resolution and, in fact, worse. The alignment adjustment the dealer added left me with the steering wheel off center. Easily fixed by cutting a weld on the draglink jam nut, making the adjustment and welding again. Which the 3rd tire shop did as part of the fix.

The dealer spent significant time looking for the problem, including putting the truck on their alignment rack. I’m thinking alignment is not covered by warranty on a 10,000 mile truck so I might get a bill for that. Their non-productive “investigation” I will argue against paying for.

Update on Monday.

Meanwhile I put some I-80 miles on the truck this morning. Happy to say that it’s driving 99.9% better. Thanks to Plains Tires, Bear River Drive, Evanston, WY.

FYI, I was told by Ram mechanic that you are entitled to one free alignment as long as your mileage is below, 11,000. I did not have to pay for mine when I took it to the dealer because my mileage was under 11,000.
Of course they didn't do it right so I wouldn't have paid for it anyway.