Hello, I have a 94 Dakota 5.2 Litre automatic 4wd with Chrysler 8.25 axles and a limited slip diff. Both axles can be pulled out about 1/16th" and I believe that is what is causing the rear end to wobble. If that is the case then according to Chilton there is no provision for adjustment. Would appreciate some guidance as to how to go about fixing this if in fact "end-play" is what I have going on here. Thanks, Name#59 AKA Louis

 

That play is normal. How exactly does the truck behave?

 

Thanks for the reply....about 4 years ago there would be a very slight wobble (actually a shudder) after the rear tires went over a speed bump at low mph. Now it doesn't matter what the surface or speed is it shakes just about all the time. If I shake the back of the truck sideways real hard I hear a metal to metal clunking sound at the rear wheels. The tires are balanced and brand new. If i let go of the steering wheel it will track straight for about an 1/8th of a mile before slowly wandering to the right. I have jacked the truck up and twisted, turned, pushed and pulled and even beat on all the joints, rods, arms etc with a rubber mallet and all seem to be tight. I can't think of anything else to tell you....

 

I guess there's a lot of things that could be causing that. A u joint is a common culprit for that as well and it would make sense that it would get worse over time. Blown shocks can certainly cause a shudder as you describe but not constantly. I'd imagine torn leaf spring bushings could do the same. A real bad wheel bearing too...so many things could cause that.

The axle play is because the axles are retained by c clips which sit in a groove on the axle shafts inside the differential. It's not wear or anything, just how they are.

I'll try and think of what else to look for and I'll post up if I have other ideas.

 

OK, thanks...am about to get under there again a see what I can come up with.....

 

Axle bearings...your axle could be wallowed out.

 

would the axle still be tight? the only movement was in and out...the 1/16".

 

If the bearing was exploded it would have play but a bad bearing itself won't necessarily cause excess play. As he mentioned a bad axle shaft could also be a possibility, but seeing how the problem has gotten gradually worse I'd be more inclined to suspect that the cause is a part that wears naturally.

Have you changed the diff fluid lately? A clogged breather or water in the axle can destroy bearings pretty quick.

 

Been out of town. OK, an alignment tech discovered a problem in the ball joints and that it was only possible to detect movement IF the axles were raised and not just the body. I found this to be true so had worn ball joints replaced and an alignment and that made only a slight difference. Had the truck put on a hoist, engaged the 4wd and then watched all the moving parts. All appeared OK but there was a fairly loud grating sort of noise coming from the transfer case. The tech doing this check said it sounded like a bearing. The tech is a tire and alignment kind of guy so he didn't know anything other than take it to a shop that does work on transfer cases. I will do that tomorrow. Recently had a lube and fluid check but did not replace any fluids. Thanks to all who had suggestions, I do appreciate the help and since this appears to have little to do with the rear axles I will close this thread and open another if and when other problems come up. Thanks again...#59

 

just because your tires are new and balanced does not mean you can rule them out. What brand of tires? You can get a bum tire in any brand but the tendency on an older vehicle is to go with cheaper end tires....you could still have a bent wheel, some nimrods that run wheel balancers just hammer weight on with no regard for any shimmy or wobble that can often be seen while the wheel/tire is spinning on the balancer. This would be my 1st place to check and check again. That play you talk about is between the C clip and the side gear in the center section of the rear end and is common not just on Dodges.....,.