Dodge ram 2500 rear and

[Mrkeyz912]

I have a 97 dodge ram 2500 5.9v8. My rear end went out and it is extremely hard to find one around the Savannah, Ga area. My gears are 4:10. Is it possible to swap with another treat end or one that is similar??

[Grit_dog]

Ole boy @Mrkeyz912 wuz a 1 hit wonder…

[Tango424]

Most likley your rear axle is a dana 70  you could look for a 2500 with a v10 in it they have the same 4:10 ratio or likeeveryone else said if the housing is good just get new gears

[Grit_dog]

Idk, think 2nd Gen’s are still all Dana axles. 
Do you really need a whole new 3rd member or just looking for an economical unit for a backyard swap vs having it rebuilt which will inevitably end up costing a grand or so?

If the housing or tubes are trashed, you can use a higher geared one in the meantime and have the diff swapped to your 4.10s later as long as you keep it in 2wd. 
although depending if you’re towing anything, 2nd gen 5.9s are pretty anemic as is, so higher gears will not be favorable for towing, and definitely noticed. 

[RAS43]

Could you have a shop rebuild the rear end? That would be the easiest thing to do IMO.

[nickthehunter]

Yes, you can swap it out for any rear end that was available in that year and model of truck (that will include several “model years”). Two things; the speedometer will be off, and if you have 4x4 both need to be swapped out. 

[blt2ski]

Nick,

Why would BOTH ends need to be swapped out? Assuming the rear to rear replacement was done, and the original 4.10 gears were used in both. There is no need to replace the front end too. Also one can as noted, rebuild the rear, unless the actual housing is broken etc too. 
Now if he switched to a different ratio in the rear, then yes, you need to swap out the front. My son is in the process of doing this with his 05 K1500, going from an 8.5" rear diff with 3.42's to 4.10's. He's getting a 14bolt 9.5" RA with 4.10s, along with the front from the same truck.

Marty

[nickthehunter]

My post was solely based upon the OP’s facts as he stated them: He wants to swap out the rear end, and he can’t find another 4.10.