Home Free ! On tuesday I managed to get back on the road. Did as hey you said, filled the diff and waited , then topped off. Got the new p/s pump in, I did overfill at first, had to pump some fluid out to keep it from leaking. Lots of torquing bolts and rechecking. Took er for a spin around the block. No noises from the u joints, hubs, or anything else. Seemed pretty happy ! I did not attempt to engage the 4 wheel drive, I will soon, Im just a bit reluctant, I know if something is F'd it will show in 4 wheel drive. I havent drivin it since the test drive. Trying to hold off till I get new tires. Really want to get to the rear shocks also, but of course I started taking some heat from the HOA as I finished this job. Thanks for all the help thus far fellas, I really appreciate all of you popping in here to help get me through this.

 

Coolness. Do NOT engage 4wd on a high traction surface. Grass, Dirt is fine, but NOT on pavement.

 

Thanks again HeyYou, I will follow that advice.

 

What I paid to do this :
Parts:
Timken hubs (delivered) $ 170
U Joints; it took 5 ! (I Damaged 3) $121
Axle seals (2 additional to the ones that came with the tool) $27
Front Shocks $92
Power Steering pump $62
Serpentine Belt $45

Parts Total $517

Tools:
Seal installation tool kit w/seals (delivered) $200
Hammer and new breaker bar $33
3/4 t bar and socket for axle nut $60
3rd breaker bar and adapter $ 25
bolt extractor (didnt work) $13
map gas torch $56
RTV, silicone, grease, gear oil, p/s fluid, brakecleen, nuts and bolts $50
Total tool cost $437

Complete cost Parts and Tools $954

In the end, I do not regret doing all this myself. The shops I called (several in different parts of the state) had all quoted $800 for JUST the seals. Granted I wouldnt have had to replace the P/S pump (if I hadnt blown it trying to get the hubs off!). AND ..I was without my truck for about a month. I rarely regret buying tools, except maybe the ones you know youll only use 1 time. However I might be able to resell that seal tool on ebay or something. The additional repairs I did ( u joints, hubs, shocks, p/s pump, belt) would have added quite a bit to the quoted $800 cost. Also, I gained confidence to tackle more difficult repairs, and learned a bit about my truck along the way.

Hopefully next up for my Ram; Rear shocks, new tires, alignment, replace the headliner, and seasonal maintenance such as oil change, spark plugs, trans , rear diff, and transfer case fluid check, and possibly adjust the shift bands on the tranny. As well as some cleaning stuff, battery terminals, air filter and a stereo upgrade..... Then she'll be all set for boating season !

 

And you can't put a dollar amount on the value of that. You are well on the way to repaying yourself. You learn something every time, and apply that knowledge to the next project. Eventually, you will get to the point that there ISN'T a project you are afraid to undertake, and you already have all the tools to do what you need.

Of course, then you start looking for a place to put all those tools.... and that leads to having a garage/shop/mancave, whatever you want to call it... and then you start taking on other projects, just because you can. It's a long spiral, but, it sure can be fun.

 

Congrats on the assembly. Sorry I couldn't be more involved towards the end, ive been training on tanks the last 2 weeks and my mind is like jello. Hey you got you covered and back on the road. He's a good guy always willing to help. Almost 1000 dollars and an unforgettable experience. Lol. Bet you don't want to do that again. Congrats again and enjoy.

 

Congratulations on a huge job! The high one gets from doing a job previously unattainable is quite illuminating.

I have questions:

Where did you get your PS pump? Does it leak at the high pressure point? Does it make noise?

I put a new (Napa reman) one on last fall since I figured that's why my new Redhead wasn't working. It leaks and I used the o=rings in the box. It whines pretty good too. Just curious if I should worry about ever having factory quality again or live with it.

 

Thanks buddy! All of the help from the fellas on here was indispensable. I might not have attempted this had I not felt like I had some help from this site. So far nothing seems to be leaking, certainly not the seals.

To answer your question, I bought my ps pump at Parts City. Again I havent noticed any leaks. I notice a bit of noise when its cold, but once shes warmed up, it runs quiet. I might just need to top up the res.

Im still shopping for tires online. I noticed when I looked at the tag inside the door, the factory spec tires where 225/75/16. I have been shopping for 265/75/16, which I found to be more expensive. Recommendations anyone ? Again, the primary use for my truck is too pull my (18ft) boat to several different lakes, all of which are about an hours drive, often over mountain passes. I DO use it to commute fairly often as well, but its only about 5 miles from home to work. True "off road" for me is very rare, rugged dirt roads on the other hand are fairly common. And, since I live in the central mountains, we do get plenty of snow, in fact its supposed to snow and rain for the next 8 days straight. I love the looks of the aggressive tires, but prefer to have the most practical and hopefully economical choice for my application. What do you guys think ? Should I be looking at A/T 's , H/T's, or all season's ?

 

Pull a build sheet for your truck, and it will tell you what tires actually came on it from the factory... My door sticker on the 96 said 245's, the build sheet said 265's.... (and the speedo was accurate....) You can get one from here. Click on "Equipment Listing" in the left column, then, on the next page, enter your vin. LOTS of useful information. (ignore the power rack and pinion steering though, that's a lie. )

 

Thanks again, and cool link. However im not sure if its lying to me. lol. States it came with 245/50/20 ? 20 inch tires huh ? dunno about that. I did just pull the trigger on a set of hankook all terrains from walmart. Got em for 440 delivered.

What would you recommend for quality spark plugs ?