Just had my fuel pump replaced on Wednesday. Took the truck on a road trip to deliver some furniture to my Daughter, which involved crossing a couple of 2,500 foot passes. Whenever the truck started to slow down while on a grade under load, I would turn the OD off, which is what I normally do. This time, I noticed a speed-related sound that sounded exactly like a playing card in bicyle spokes, but only under load - it wasn't present when I took my foot off the gas, and RPMs didn't seem to be an influence. Speed was, as the rate of the tick-tick sound increased with MPH. It was present whether or not OD was engaged, but seemed a little louder when OD was turned off.The sound seemed to be coming from the base of the windsheild, behind the instrument cluster.

My exhaust pipe broke off from the muffler, and I will need new front U-joints soon, but mechanically, eveything appears to be okay, and nothing is visibly loose or broken. Engine runs fine. Definitely not a wheel bearing issue. It may only be a coincidence that it showed up after the fuel pump replacement, but I never heard it before. Any ideas?

1998 Ram 1500 Sport, Quad Cab, 5.2L 46RE 4x4, 175,009 miles.

 

Take it back to the shop for their advice. But the only sound these trucks have ever had under load is ping which is more like marbles in a tin can behind the firewall.

 

Maybe thats what my sound is or my cat is bad. To the OP as RamMan said take it to the shop for their advice

 

Check your front U-joints. I had a kind of a ticking sound, I could hear it only when I drove windows down and by the concrete wall. Didn't find anything, until couple of weeks later RH U-joint failed and almost took the axle shaft ears with it. It was much fun to remove the hub with crappy tools, then use the cut-off wheel to remove the U-joint from the stub shaft so I could drive back home.

 

Just a question how did you run the angle grinder is you were on the side of the road? lol

 

U-joints can make all kinds of odd noises that don't really sound like u-joints.

 

I was lucky, this guy came by, who had grinder, and extension cord with hooks that you can throw over the power line.... Naah, we were just a kilometer away from my ex-father-in-laws house, and there were no sharp turns so i just drove carefully over there.

 

Got the exhaust done, which is what the shop recommended, but the noise is still there. Check bug/eyebrow shields, they're tight. Getting the u-joints replaced on Wednesday, so we'll see... Thanks for the feedback.