98 Ram 1500 2WD 9 1/4 rear end

The rear end is starting to whine (previous post). At some point I will repair it and will probably have a rear end shop do it. What i am considering is switching to a Posi Trac LSD of some sort while I am in there repairing the "noise."

Will an aftermarket LSD like Tru Trac fit in the current differential housing or do I need to go to the salvage yard and try to find a Dana rear end and then have that rebuilt with an aftermarket LSD. Sounds like factory LSD rear ends are problematic.

 

Committing forum foul by bumping my post back to the top. I am afraid if it gets rolled to second page no one will see it and respond.

 

The tru trac replaces the entire carrier (ring gear) assembly inside your housing. You can also use a "lunch box" style locker like powertrax which fits inside your current carrier and replaces your spider gears.

 

When my anti-spin rear diff made chattering noise accelerating from a stop, I changed the oil to Amsoil 75W-90 Synthetic oil. My noise stopped completely and that was 100,000 miles ago. I've since replaced with fresh Amsoil and am still very happy. Never needed the friction modifier either. Maybe worth a try for you?

 

I have already posted about the noise titled [Read End (I think) Whine]
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...ink-whine.html

The noise I hear is a whine. Speed related, the faster I go the higher pitched the whine gets. It does it at all speeds, and when accelerating or decelerating. I am getting about a 50/50 split amongst my friends that is either bearings (pinion likely) or the pinion/ring gear itself. Most posters on the aforementined thread lean towards the gears. One friend of mine recommended changing oil and replacing with Royal Purple (?) That worked for him on his Jeep Cherokee.

I don't have a Posi Trac rear end now, but I am strongly considering switching to one as I can't **** on the tires now without getting stuck

If I gotta do either a gear job or bearing job, it wouldn't be that much more effort or $ to change it to a Posi Trac of some sort.

So I am wondering if anyone has done this and what brand "locker" did they use and if anyone thinks one brand is better than the other. I was also curious if anyone had done this to their truck and would the "guts" of a Posi Trac fit into my current diffferential housing. If I understand dsertdog's post, it looks like it will. That is great news. Really didn't want to swap out the axle.

Follow on questions. Can I use my same drive axles that are currently in the truck and what gearing would you guys suggest? I don't offroad, mostly city/highway driving but occasionally pull a Sea Doo and utility trailer.

Happy Turkey Day (go Lions)

 

Have a Detroit truetrac, it rocks on a street truck and the random driving through fields, lawns, etc. Highly recommended!

Plenty of guys run it with 35" tires with no problems. I heard rumor that their older model had a tendency to grenade, but that was apparently fixed long ago. I've had mine for over 30K miles and no issues at all. Only very slight chirping of the outside tire on a turn if you're really on the accelerator, like trying to make a corner before an oncoming Ford.

If you're rolling stock tires to up to 31 inches, I'd recommend 4.10 gears. 32" -35" go to 4.56 gears, you won't be disappointed with the upgrade, and it'll be easier on your tranny. Some guys might tell you that your mileage will suffer, but that's only true if all you do is long highway drives. Otherwise the extra grunt will help the stop and start traffic in town.

 

Do it right lock it out. But really a lsd is fine. The only reason I'm locking the rear is for over kill and I'm and idiot like that!

 

"Lock it out" is not always the correct application.

Folks that drive on the street, don't offroad, and aren't aggressive drivers might not have the driving skills to compensate for the locker letting the *** end go on slick roadways.

 

Like I said an lsd is fine. I'm still not sure what I want to do. The first drive home from the gear shop will be intersting for sure.

 

I used the term "locker" in my post. I just read some more about that and didn't fully understand that concept. I was using "locker" and LSD interchangeably.

All I am intersested in adding is some sort of LSD. I have now looked at Detroit True Track and Powertrax No Slip. Anybody have any experience with Powertrax? Kinda intrigued by Powertrax due to the cost and relative ease of installation. A True Track bolts to the existing ring gear, right?

Also, you guys are using "31" and "35" when referencing tire sizes. I guess you are talking about over tire diameter, right? i just run stock 245/70's (whatever size is recommended on the sticker on the inside of the door)