Recently I noticed a clunking/grinding noise in 4H when my wheel is turned. There is no problem with the 4wd, it engages and disengages fine, just it makes a horrible grinding and clunking when I turn the wheel, which gets worse the more degrees its turned.

Since discovering the noise, I've noticed a significant loss of HP in regular 2wd. In order to accelerate from a stop, I'll push the gas to about 2000-2100 rpms, and the truck crawls through 0-30 mph (above that is alright). If I push harder to get it to accelerate like it normally would, it jumps to 2500 rpms and downshifts for about 3 seconds, and gives a little more power, then hops back up into gear. There is really just no low end horsepower, and its harder to accelerate in higher speeds as well (60-75 mph).

When it is in 2wd, there is a clicking sound coming from the front end that speeds and slows with the revolution of the tires. The sound has gotten progressively worse as I've tried shifting it in and out of 4H and 2H to try to troubleshoot the noise. The sound does not exist in 4wd.

These problems all matriculated today. The 4wd clunking occured about a week ago, and the horsepower (or throttle response maybe) has been bad for about a week as well. Just today while I was driving I thought about the noise in relation to the horsepower, because I had noticed a MINOR clicking in the front end. I shifted it into 4H, then back into 2H, and immediately felt a difference in performance. The truck starting accelerating smoothly from 0-40 without any jumps in gears like it used to (its a 5.9 with a TON of power), and the problem seemed to be fixed. Just for the hell of it when I got back off the highway, I put in it and out of 4wd a few times, and it went right back to the same decreased performance. It feels like I'm pulling a trailer...

I know a little about mechanics, but not too much. It almost feels like it may not be disengaging out of 4wd all the way, and the motor is still trying to put power to both axles, but because only one is turning in 2H.. it has only half the power. This would explain why it fixed itself when I put in it and out of 4H.

Any ideas?

 

Not 100% sure on this but here is a start. I have recently went through a Transfer case repair...almost a rebuild, due to losing the silicone seal between the two halves of the the case.

I'm also getting ready to do do a axle joint replacement due to clunking in 4H & 4L in front end when steering.

I talked to some mechanics and issue that came up is the front 4x4 actuator. The vacuum on the Dodge kicks the 4x4 system in once the transfer case is engaged. the actuator is in cylinoid looking thing on the front axle. It is supposed to turn/rotate freely. If the actuator is bent it will bind and make the front hubs bind up. Can prevent engagement and release from 4 wheel drive.

You may want to check this out.

 

Check your U- joints on the front. 2001 ram 1500 4 wd. I have had to replace mine twice. They are not made for extended operation ie. 6 months of winter.

 

Thanks lizardhunt that sounds like a good place to start. Any idea on how that could be tied to my truck accelerating like a honda civic?

 

Well the grinding noise when in 4 wheel drive when ur turning can be b/c if ur on the road and doing that its normal, never do it its bad for your truck. Its ok when your in the grass or on a slippy service.

The clicking noice can be a ujoint on the drive shart or on the axel rods check them

Next to the transmation is a line that controls the i guess the power to the transmation hard to explain maybe some1 else can explain it but that can loosen up and case that problom. Tighting that can fix that problem

 

I take it that you are in 2WD when this happens? and you are putting it in 4WD to "fix" the problem as it goes away after you cycle the transfer case?

The 4WD is eigther engaged or dis-engadged. Even ifthe transfer case is in 4WD mode and the Hubs are unlocked you shouldn't be able to see a noticable HP differance assuming that everything in the transfer case is in working order IE not a bunch of metal parts flying around inside.
If the hubs are locked and the transfer case is in 2WD unless something in your differential is jacked then you shouldn't see a power loss again.
So from that i would think that you have a problem in eighter you transfer case or front diff. I would try to get the front hubs to lock manually somehow and leave it in 2WD. (Once the hubs lock the 4WD light should come on as i belive that the locking mechanism for the hubs located on the front axle also is the signal sender for the light on your dash - not 100% on that)to see if you have the "HP loss" and then make it so the hubs can't lock and put it in 4WD. That's where i would start and it wouldn't require too much effort to get that going. To my knowlage the front hubs lock when you have a vacum present and disengadge when you loose the vacum.


As far as you clicking soundI am getting the same thing however i am not loosing power that I know of. The clicking usually occorse and stays when I am in 2WD and make a slow turn to the right and will stay until i go to 4WD then back to 2WD. So i haven't quite narrowed it down. Still looking into my front axle to see if it has a posi/locking diff and see if that could be the culprit. as a turn might cause a faster rotation from on wheel over the other causing the locker to...well lock...

As stated above i would also look at all the U-joints. wich i am going to have replaced as soon as i can start working on the truck again since they are cheap and mine are all rusty

Not sure if I am directing you in the rightdirection, but that is what I am going to try. Would do it right now but i am moving across country in a little over a week and don't have time to mess with it.

Hope this help ya,
- Mike

 

I gotta go with the replacement of your U-joints. Had the same problem last year. Your steering wheel at low speeds will also be a bit jerky. Perhaps, it seems like you lost some horsepower due to the binding of the joint.

 

Transfer case grinds when changing positions when in Nuetral

 

grinding in transfer case wehn transfer case is in nuetral or when tranny is in nuetral?

 

Okay, number one, i'm an idiot, number two, a little more info.

The HP loss is coming from the fact that its not shifting properly (nothing to do with the transfer, I just didn't think of it before). It's either staying in 2 when it should be in 1 or staying in 3 when it should be in 2, that's why it will suddenly "jump" and downshift for a few seconds to accelerate. It seems to have smoothed out and is shifting kinda right, but its still funky from time to time.

The clicking is now occuring intermittantly in 2H, has a distinct "chuka - chuka" sound. It is intermittant though as I said, and comes and goes. It's definately coming from the front axle/drivers side wheel.

The U-joints look okay.

I think the problem is orginating in the transmission. 2 Reasons: Not shifting properly, and the there is still a shaft spinning in the tranny when it is in neutral.
When both the transfer case and tranny are in Neutral, and I go to push it into 2H, if I do it slowly, it grinds and whizzes like metal on metal, and if I force it, it drops in with a loud clunk and the whole truck jerks (cause its slamming in on a spinning shaft).

Next step is ripping the damn thing apart. This is all i can tell from looking at it/toying around.

And GOTMudd the grinding in 4H isn't the tires on pavement, its a cracking and clunking sound coming from around the tranny/front axle that sounds like pieces of metal are snapping and falling off...