Are the Ram 1500 rearends really this weak?
I have around 144,000 miles on my 2004 Hemi Ram 1500 Quad Cab. My family and I decided to take a road trip with our 20ft camper from Springfield Missouri to Pensacola Florida for a week....about 1600...
Forum Discussion
Of course...they know you are stuck...and most act like this...
If a used diff/gear set/carrier...it should already be broken in...if NEW, then
take it REALLY easy leaving town...suggest driving around without the trailer to
break in the gear set
Assume that this half ton has a semi-floater like most half ton's do
The bearing out at the end of the axle by the wheels should not have
tossed debris that far into the diff pumpkin...normally, but not impossible
Most likely the carrier bears went, if it was bearings...
The gear set when it fails will toss flakes of gear facing into the
lube. That will take out the carrier bearings
When over loaded, gear's fail in two ways
#1 is that the face will work harden and 'potato chip' (flake) pieces
to leave a rough surface...that will make a whining noise. Those flakes
will destroy the carrier bearing.
It will heat up before it flakes off and some times smoke to flame out
the vent tube
This failure takes a bit of time and/or mileage and typically tells
by whining or some other noise. Some have described it as whirling
#2 is that the gear tooth/teeth will snap or chip. This is an instant
failure of the whole pumpkin. This is not common, but it happens and
the ones I've eyeballed were street/track racers popping the clutch or
some such.
If a used diff/gear set/carrier...it should already be broken in...if NEW, then
take it REALLY easy leaving town...suggest driving around without the trailer to
break in the gear set
Assume that this half ton has a semi-floater like most half ton's do
The bearing out at the end of the axle by the wheels should not have
tossed debris that far into the diff pumpkin...normally, but not impossible
Most likely the carrier bears went, if it was bearings...
The gear set when it fails will toss flakes of gear facing into the
lube. That will take out the carrier bearings
When over loaded, gear's fail in two ways
#1 is that the face will work harden and 'potato chip' (flake) pieces
to leave a rough surface...that will make a whining noise. Those flakes
will destroy the carrier bearing.
It will heat up before it flakes off and some times smoke to flame out
the vent tube
This failure takes a bit of time and/or mileage and typically tells
by whining or some other noise. Some have described it as whirling
#2 is that the gear tooth/teeth will snap or chip. This is an instant
failure of the whole pumpkin. This is not common, but it happens and
the ones I've eyeballed were street/track racers popping the clutch or
some such.
