Hey all,

Over the past few days I have noticed a weird clicking noise, sounds like running with a stick along a picket fence but metallic sounding. This happens only when I engage the transfer case and it sounds very much like it is coming from the left front wheel.

I am wondering if it is maybe a dry bearing ? Where the drive axel meets the rotor assembly. I know it is not the main front drive shaft as the u-joints are solid and almost new. I have not had the hub assemblies apart before so I am not sure how they work, or how the 4x4 engages. ie my Toyota have spring packs that wound together to lock it in. very poor design by the way and I swapped them out for warn manuals, or my jeep had a vaccum to lock it in.

I am going to tear things apart thursday but was hoping to get some of your opinions as to what the problem might be as well as maybe a short description as to how the 4x engages, before I start the job.

The truck is a 96 Ram 2500, 5 speed


Thanks

 

Your front axle might now be competely engaging, check for some vaccuum leaks first. On the axle and on the t-case. That could cause it to only partly engage.

 

id check out the front axle u-joints too ive had no luck with them im on my 3rd set at 155 000 kms[:'(] just reach under there and see if you have any play in it if there bad there fairley easy to change:
1 remove tire
2 remove calaper by taking out 2 bolts on the back side
3 remove axle nut
4 remove hub 3 bolts on back
5 remove axle
be varry careful taking out and putting back in the axle not to scar the axle seal its a PITA to change and scars easley

instal in reverse order

 

Ok, so the 4x4 engages by a vaccum system. Does it lock the drive axels at the front diff ? Which end of the drive axels are free until the system is engaged. In my old Toyota is was the hub end that locked up, but from what I can see of the Ram, (which aint much so far because all I did was stand looking at it in the snow today) it looks to me like the system must lock up at the diff ? The Haynes manual is no help with this at all, time to buy the factory repair manuals.

The noise is intermittent, sometimes when turning, most pronounced when going slow. I thought it might be a bearing because for a while it seemed to only make noise after 4x had been engaged for a while. Might still be for that matter.

 

Should be a vaccuum line going into the axle by the diff if I'm not mistaken.

Also on the top of the forum, check the thread "Merry Christmas" Theres a FREE factory service manual PDF in there.

 

Thanks Socha, You know I've seen that thread several times but have not looked inside it. This will sure come in handy.

 

Well despite the fact that I knew it wasn't the ujoint thats exactly what it turned out to be. Some how one of them went dry and was really loose. I've never heard a ujoint sound like that before, but I guess it's because I change them at the first sign of slop. The things is I had just lubed and inspected them in October, I guess a seal went bad.

 

well im on my 3th set since ive had the truck (bought it at 70 000kms) and now close to 160 000 kms no idea if they were changed before i got it its redicules no one can tell me why im going through them so fast. wen you get your new ones make shure there greasable and at each oil change give them a shot of good synthetic grease wen i did it the first time i dident get greasable ones the secand time i did but dident grease them nuch this time i am going to religousley greas them (not too much or youll pop a seal) and see how long they last. anouther tip if you do it your self be vary carfull pulling out and puting in the axle the seal is easley scarred and a pain in the a$$ to change i messed up my pass side one wen i did them the 2nd time it really pissed me off lol. wen they went bad this last time they dident make any noise and no vibration ither wen i was doing an oil change i was just having a peek at everything since i had it on a hoist at work and they both had lots of play in them

 

greaseable is the only way to go. I change my oil every 3 months and do a complete chasis lube at the same time. I was surprised to see the joints went dry, but it looks like I tore the seal some how.

 

too much grease can be just as bad as not greasing because if you put too much in you will pop the seal alowing the grease out and dirt and water in thus f-ing the joint