The other day i was driving on the hwy with my wife and my 3yr old daughter and 10mth old son. I heard a strange noise when i let off the gas. I decided to get off the next exit but didnt make it. Out of know where the truck started to shake and the rear locked up and the drive shaft broke free from the rear and was laying on the ground. I was lucky to get the truck off the hwy on the shoulder. This is the 3rd time Dodge has had my truck for rear issues. They did a complete rebuild 12k miles ago then it leaked and they fixed that 3k mile ago no this again. I dont tow or put alot of stress on the truck and only drive about 20 miles a day.
the tuck only has 56k on it now. It is still covered under the warr but this time scared me with the lil ones in the truck with me. Are there any known issues with these? and what would have them do becides the fix as i really dont trust it anymore.

 

Only a very few (very few) threads I have seen where the rear locked up and cause snapping of the drive shaft. I can think of maybe 2?? MAYBE 3.

But I would THINK for it to lock up something in the diff went really bad and caused binding which caused the lock up. Please let us know what the dealer says.

Im certainly interested.

 

I agree with weed, very few threads on diffs completely locking up. Sounds like your dealership doesn't have a good diff mech if this is a reoccurring issue. Have you tried talking to the service manager about it or taking it to a different dealership to get a second opinion?

I am curious to hear what they say about it.

nateroach

 

Need a little history here... Why was the rear end completely rebuilt 12k miles ago. Very rare for a AAM 9.25" rear to need a rebuild at 150k miles let alone not even to 50k. Even a total "C-Clip" failure usually does not necessitate an entire rebuild and if the LSD clips were the culprit, you should never have had them leave the stock LSD in there if that were the case.

Obviously whatever caused the first issue was not dealt with properly by whoever did the work if you are still having rear end issues.


Two things we need more of for sure, dealerships with good rear end men and women with good rear ends in general...

 

The first rebuild was for the same issue. I'am hoping to have it back today and will let you guys know what they say.
Also they gave me a loaner 2011 Ram 1500 that rides alot better than my 2007. I see the 1500 doesnt have leafs in the rear now.

 

Do you have factory LSD? I'm betting the C-Clips let go originally. You didn't see any broken clips or filings at your 30k rear diff fluid change?

Yep, the 4th Gens sacrificed a little hauling/towing for a more car-like ride. Personally, I'd take a SFA with leafs both front and rear. Call me old school, but I like it when a truck is a truck, you can build off it as high as you want and it will haul a house, LOL...

 

I purchased the truck used - it was a lease. It had about 35k mile on it when i got it. All is stock.

 

Ok the truck is home fixed again. They overhauled the rear diff. Replaced Pinion and Ring Gear. Reset all adjustments, Road Test Good. The parts are Seals, BRG Kit D?, Shim, Bearing D, Gear Kit, Flange, Lubricant, Sealer. All Covered under Powertrain Warr. No deductible.
I still dont trust it anymore.

 

You still have not said if this truck has the Mopar Factory Limited Slip.

Do a search on here for "C-Clip", it's really the only weakness in the 9.25" AAM axle, but it's a HUGE one!

Short of having a balky LSD, I really can't imagine you'd have a problem. However, THEY DID EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW TO PROPERLY BREAK IN A NEW RING AND PINION, didn't they?

IT IS VERY CRUCIAL THEY BE ALLOWED TO SEAT PROPERLY OR YOU'LL BE BACK THERE AGAIN. Could this be why the second set failed? Did you have the break-in lube replaced at 500 miles when they repaired the rear 12k miles ago? I'm not trying to be an a$$ here, but a new ring & pinion (even if set perfectly at install) has no chance of longevity of not broken in properly and may be your entire problem. The phosphorous coating they ship new gears with will break down the gear oil VERY QUICKLY, so if you were still running the oil they put in there at your last rebuild, it could be the reason your rear end failed with only 12k on the rebuild.

If you have ANY questions on how to break in a new Ring & Pinion, then go here:

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...new-gears.html


Another excellent source for information regarding a ring/pinion or axles in general is Randy's Ring & Pinion. Their sales people know more technical sh*t about axles than most places tech people.

http://www.ringpinion.com/FAQ.aspx#37

 

Oh and another thing to watch for is any "whine" coming from the rear axle. This means the installer DID NOT set the ring and pinion correctly. The AAM (Chrysler Corporate) axle is the single hardest to set a ring and pinion in. If not shimmed perfectly, gears will basically chew each other up over time.

Seen LOTS of places (especially dealerships) tell people that a little whine is normal. NOPE! Any hint of whine and you need to take it right back there and have them re-set the ring and pinion before they pattern in that way.

Looks like they used an install kit with new bearings, so really, if they set the gears correctly AND you break them in properly, there is no reason to think you'll have another issue. I re-geared at 19k miles for the larger tire change with the lift and mine have been perfect ever since. Did a re-gear in two other trucks I've owned (also for higher gears for larger tires) and never had a problem...