so i brought my dodge to the dealership for some work cuz im tired of all the headaches with it. they told me i need a heater core, transmission shaft seal, rear main seal, right valve cover gasket, rear diff service, rear brake service, track bar, sway bar bushings, intermediate shaft, steering box...and i think thats it... $4000 and change. i forget exactly what the guy said. i paid $4000 for the darn truck. its outrageous. but ill update everyone when i get the truck back on exactly what is wrong and how much it woulda cost. im only having the rear diff service, rear brake service, and tranny shaft seal done. the rest of the stuff ill do myself with maybe the exception of the rear main seal. for those 3 things tho its gunna be $586 and change.

can anyone help me out with a site for cheap parts such as the track bar and sway bar and intermediate shaft? and maybe a little advice on fixing the front end stuff myself? and what exactly is the intermediate shaft? is it something i can do myself? the truck is a 1995 ram 1500 5.9L

thanks for the help and ill keep everyone updated

 

the tracbar... go to the fac at the top of the forum and look under tracbar... there should be to options there. I used the thurenfab one and it was pretty good.

as for the swaybar... swaybars arent bad unless they are bent. you most likely just need the bushings. go to a 4x4 site such as central4wd.com or summitracing.com (also my favorite) and look for the bushings you need... there should be a kit for about $30 bux that will include the end links and the bar bushings.

do you really need to change them now, probably not... can be done at anytime. i would rceommend getting the stuff done that is higher priority. As for doing it yourself... hell yeah you can do it. download the manual from the merry christmas thread at the top of the forum, that will help out alot with info on removing and replacing alot of stuff.

hope this helps...

 

Just about all you need is at NAPA. Track bar, sway bar end kits, valve cover gasket, center link, etc.........MOOG suspension parts.

 

on the passenger side there is an axle shaft on the outside, then the CAD unit, and then an intermediate shaft. i doubt you need one unless yours is broken, and you would REALLY know it when you put it in 4wd

 

i think the dealers just trying to scew you over.

 

DEALER SCREWAGE!!!!!

they are probably just trying to replace parts that are fine but because of your mileage and other wear.. they think it's best to replace the entire truck.

 

sway bar endlinks, track bar, steering box, and intermediate shaft... est: $1930...rear brake service was $40.95...rear diff service was $83.78....plus $46.17 for parts (sealant and gear oil)...transmission output seal...$355.60 plus $29.40 for parts...the rear main seal, the valve cover gasket and the heater core estimates arent on the estimate. it cost me $630 and change for the rear diff service, rear brake service, and tranny output seal...but my rear end feels alot more solid now and doesnt make so much noise...now i just need a track bar, sway bar end links, steering box, and intermediate shaft. anyone have any websites with cheap OEM parts? and anyone know a little more about an intermediate shaft than me? what is it? where is it? is it hard to change? thanks for the help...and a little advice, if something is wrong with ur dodge, go to the dealership and spend $45 (thats what they charged me) for the diagnostic charge, find out whats wrong with it and do the work yourself. i got raped by the dealership

 

i told you what an intermediate shaft is right here

power goes from your transfer casr to your front driveshaft, into your differential. fromm the differential, it is split to the two sides. the drives side only has one shaft going to the wheel, but the pasenger side is split into two shaft, with a coupler in between (the coupler is called the CAD, which can disconnect the axle). the shaft between the diff and the CAD is the intermediate shaft. again, its just a shaft of steel with splines on both ends, i highly doubt you need one unless it is broken, in which case you would really hear it when in 4wd.

 

i didnt really understand what you ment by it the first time. i get it now tho...thanks...how can they get away with telling me i need a new intermediate shaft if they didnt rip apart the front diff? and my truck goes in and out of 4 wheel fine and theres no noises or anything noticablely wrong in 4 wheel so i dont think i need one then

 

exactly. if they didn't open it up and 4wd works fine, you dont need one. the only possible thing they could have seen is if they opened up the CAD cover and saw that the splines were all f^%ked up, but again, you wouldn't have a properly functioning 4wd then.

and if they told you you needed a new intermediate shaft, then i would be wary of anything else they said you need. tell them to physically show you where and why its bad.