Hi all,

Maybe someone out there has gone threw this and can help me.

I have a 97 Dodge Ram 1500 pick up...

Last night when I was backing up it made a pop sound as the truck started to move, so then I put it in drive and went forward - no pop sound. Then I started to back up again and again a pop sound but nothing when I go forward. At first we throught it was the back brakes since I recently had them serviced. We also checked the u-joint while we were done there - it was fine, hardly any play.

Again this morning when I went to back up I heard a pop sound, so I took it back to the shop where I had the brakes done and he thriught the same thing.... the brakes. So he took the tires off and doudle checked his worked... and it wasnt the brakes. SO again I was going back and forth while he was watching and listening... but he wasn't sure what it could be. He says it might be the drive shaft but isn't 100% sure, but he could take it apart for a fee and see if its that... but I just don't have the extra cash to do it.

He did say he remembers reading something online a while ago about a popping sound in Rams but can not remember what it says. And that I should try to google it... which I did but found nothing yet. So I was hoping that maybe someone in a forum might know.

So if anyone could give me advice I surely can use it. I just cant afford to pay someone like 100 bucks just to tell me what the issue is without fixing it... it would be different if he would take it off the repair bill but he wont. Please help Thanks

 

Often times, it is a shock.. other times, it is distributing weight differently on the leaf springs.. either are likely..

 

And "take your drive shaft apart"????? Huh... That's an interesting concept..

 

Thanks Drewactual, will have to check that. Yeah I really didn't think u could take the drive shaft apart... and he wasn't sure if it was that to start with. I just can't see spending like $100 just to tell me it could be a issue with a drive shaft... its not like I am rich and can blow a hundred bucks for a I think.

 

there really should be ZERO play in the u-joints. if there is play, you could get clicking, clacking, or popping noises, and then the needle bearings fall out, and then the drive shaft falls out.

test with truck on level ground, wheels blocked, trans in neutral and no tension on the driveline. twist the u-joints against each other. should be no play in the crosses or the bearing caps. inspect that the grease seal is intact all the way around, and no bearings are about to fall out.

i also have a pretty loud pop/snap after i back up and then shift to Drive and start to move forward. i haven't figured it out yet.