Well today while driving I started to hear a howling noise when I would take my foot off the gas pedal and start to coast. Well I made it about 27 miles with the noise getting worse and then bam the rear drive shaft hit the ground.

The nut that holds the end on the drive shaft that slips over the pinion gear backed out and let the drive shaft fall off. So I took the end off the drive shaft and put it back on the pinion gear and tightened the nut down. Something didn't feel rightwhen I was tightening the nut. Just felt sloppy in the rear end. Being leary of it I decide to leave the rear shaft in the bed of the truck and put her in 4 high and had front wheel drive. I drove about 14 miles total continuing to my destination (to pick up a freezer) and then went back to the main highway called my brother in law and had him haul me home on his gooseneck trailer. I felt like I may damage something in the rear end if there was something wrong and decided not to risk it.

Get home unload the Ram and start to tear it down. I took the nut off pull the shaft that slides over the pinion and it doesn't feel as bad in my garage. So I think well I am going to tear it down anyway. So I pulled the axles and the gears that attach to them after seeing that I definately had breakage in the clutches. Ring gear seams fine and I didn't pull the whole assembly out just the gears and clutches from the center section.

This all brings me to a few questions:

To ge the Ring gear assembly out do you have to drive a rod or something through from the axle side to puch a sleeve or something in so it will fall out?

After removing the axles and gears one side the passenger side where I cleary had breakage on the washer that sits between the clutches and the gear that the axle runs through. It was broke and not all the pieces to be found which leads me to believe it had been busted for a while. The other side the same washer is cracked and ready to break. So would this cause enough slack run back through the pinion and back the nut off???

My diff is a anti slip and I assume the clutches are grooved for this reason??

I have called several parts places and Advanced Auto Parts is the only one around my town that thinks they can get the right parts. Problem is normally they don't and I am afraid of waiting for a week and not having my truck back together. Any suggestions of places other than the dealer to be sure I get the right Clutches and pieces?

I will contact Dodge on monday to see about parts but thought maybe you guys could give me a good place to get parts like this. Called Jeg's and places like that and they don't carry parts for the later models....2001 okay not late model but they think so.

Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance.....

Kevin.

 

welcome to DF...

that sucks, sorry to hear that... I dont know much about diffs (never torn one down) but I could tell you to go to the top of the forum and look for the Merry christmas thread and download the shop manual... it'll have the info you need to get you thru this issue. it's for a 2001 too...

 

Downloaded the manual and it says you have to use a spreader to get the ring gear assembly out....says only spread .50mm well that sounds like a retarded idea on Dodges part but hey I am new to the Dodge world till about 5 years ago so haven't tore enough of them down to get the hang of it.

Thanks for the help on the manual.

Kevin.

 

What rear end do you have? Is it a corporate manufactured axle? If so then you don't use the spreader ( I didn't have too). You will need a special tool to do the re-assembly though. I got rid of my tru-loc carrier and put in an Auburn L/S carrier. I didn't want to spend the money and then have those little clips break again. Sorta pricey though.. I ended up spending 600.00 to fix mine and it didn't back the pinion nut off. So yours might be a little more.( If you go with the Auburn) Diffs aren't all that hard to rebuild but it does require that you set it up right...

 

In the dash pocket it states it is a corporate 9 so I assume that means a 9" which the ring gear measures. I will put the new clutches and washers and all other parts but the gears in it and hopefully it will be okay for awhile.

Kevin.

 

It should be a corporate 9:25 in a 1500.
You don't need a spreader as stated but you do need a special tool to adjust carrier preload and position. It's basically a long bar with a big (1" or bigger) nut on it that runs down the axle tube.
Count on buyingnew ring and pinion as wheel as all bearings.
Make sure you get some gear marking compound and set the pattern right. A gear change is a tough job for a DIYer.

Good Luck