Worse thing you can do. I've been thrown out of multiple establishments for not being allowed to watch the mechanic, even from a distance. Even left one's property and watched from the next business over, the manager came out and told me to get back in the lobby or otherwise leave the area. They usually only see me once. There's a few places that will let me watch, and I go back to them when I can.

Insurance and mechanic frustration is one thing. But it they really want you gone, it means theres something fishy.

 

Bottom line, if you can not confirm that the diff cover has been removed yet, and the inner workings of the differential have been visually checked over, there is NO WAY to know for sure what condition your rear end is in. Did you ever look on your glove box door for possible verification of differential type?

 

That is true.

I just jacked up the rearend and checked it myself. Lo-n-behold, BOTH wheels spin in the SAME direction! So it is a Posi, Traction-Loc, but NOT an OPEN rear end like the mechanic claimed.

No way did they add the friction modifier that is required in Posi/Traction Lock rear ends.

So yes, I will be going back to the shop ASAP and insist they redo the job.... RIGHT this time!

 

Here's a pic of the mini-build sheet from the glove box door. Still waiting on the full build sheet I requested a few days ago from Chrysler.

Not sure if either of these links will show up or not. ??

https://flic.kr/p/qwcKKC

https://www.flickr.com/gp/61156352@N03/R494w5

 

did you have the transmission in park or neutral?

If it's any kind of locker and the trans is in park, both tires should be locked up. If it's an open, they will spin opposite directions.

If the trans is in neutral, the tires will spin the same direction regardless, unless there's a heavy resistance in the transmission. The axles will be engaged together through the spiders, and they will spin the driveshaft.

 

I had it in Neutral...turned a rear wheel and the other spun in the same direction.

I was thinking if the tranny is in Park, neither wheel would turn. I'll have to recheck it tomorrow then. Thanks man.

I did swap out the front shocks this AM. Big difference looks like a 4x4 now! LOL! After I swapped them out, I went for a short drive. Still a lot of noise coming from the rear end AND the RF area. I did notice before that a Control arm bushing on the rightside/rear is SHOT. I'm talking metal to metal bad. I'm certain that is were the front noise is coming from. Not real concerned about that at the moment, just want to get a handle on the rear end noise.

Something REAL weird today..... I was doing donut maneuvers in a parking lot (not fast and/or spinning the tires) real slow. I got the rear end to make the noises. Then as I was leaving, pulled out from a stop (heard the noise again) and I STOPPED..... the noise CONTINUED while I was sitting in the middle of the road with my foot ON the brake. WTH ???????? I duplicated it a couple more times. I'm baffled !

At this point, I'm thinking this old truck just possessed and has GREMLINS !

 

If you have the OEM rear axle in your truck it is unlikely it is a trac-loc. It's an 8 1/4 and usually it would be the 9 1/4 with the trac-loc.

It may have been replaced. Grab yourself a couple of quarts of gear oil and drop the cover.

 

Are you positive sure on where it's coming from? This almost makes it sound like your fuel pump possibly cavitating, but that would be coming from right behind the driver's seat. Front pump bearing would be under your feet, input shaft/clutch drum would be under your console. Nothing behind the cab really moves at a dead stop.

 

Did the Manager place you under "Citizen's Arrest" ? LOL ?

 

Not at all, my 97 with an OEM 8.25" axle and 3.92 gears HAS a factory Trac-Loc as do many other Dakota trucks. Just because it's not a 9.25 doesn't necessarily mean is an open diff.
It IS however, by the looks of his glove box sheet an open diff. The trac-loc would be listed IF it had one. Now as for the noise continuing when you are stopped...........THAT is something completely different all together.