yesterday i was doing a major tune up to my ram and i pulled the rear differential cover on my 03 ram 1500 4x4 w/ hemi. on the magnet there was two pieces of metal (clutch pack retainer clips). so for a temporary fix, jsut so i can move the truck to get all my other stuff in the shed, i cleaned it out and took some roofing tar paper made a gasket put the cover back on and put some walmart fluid in it. today i went to around to price a new limited slip and install. out ofthe 2 places i could think of one doesnt do aftermarket installs and the other quoted me $1000 for just an auburn or eton posi installed and a couple hundred more for a lower gear (4.56). to me that seemed high just for a new limited slip installed. i want the 4.56 gears and figured for a couple hundred extra why not but then i have to do the front which i was quoted another $600-$700 for. so all in all if i wanted just a limited slip installed it is $1000 and it would be another $1000 for gears installed. is $2000 for all of this high because it seems high to me? my truck soon will have 100000 miles on it and i have owned it since 80000. i am not nice to my truck but i do take care of it and i dont know how the previous owner was to it. i dont want to spend $1000 on limited slip installed. i would like to save my money and do this myself but i have never done a rear end before. i am stuck between a rock and a hard spot on what to do. any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

If you have never messed with rear ends and ratios before I would suggest not starting now. Sounds like you love your truck, the problem with your plans is the fact that finding the parts / people to do it is rare, one shop, so they can charge what they want, where you going to go other wise? You may wanna do your homework on rear ends from other years / newer trucks. Find one to your liking and start searching the scrap yards for a rearend you can bolt in, not build. Also on that train of thought you may even find a truck that was tricked than trashed and bam; a great rear end (not likely but I have found stranger in a scrap yard). Or just stick with what you had, your truck has some miles on it and when you decide to get a new one, order the drive train you wanna get (factory or mpossibly after market).

 

Moe's Performance is running a deal right now: gears, DTT, and install kit for $786 including shipping.Seems a pretty good price. From what I've read lately the Auburn and the DTT have issues. I think I'm leaning toward the DTT, thougn.

 

Guess I should ask -- are the gears or the housing hurt? If the clips just fell into the bottom of the pumpkin, you should be OK as long as they didn't hurt the gears or the housing on the way. You should be better off actually, since the clips are now gone. The Chrysler Trac-Lock may not be the greatest LSD around, but its Achilles heel is the clips. Once they're gone, the biggest weakness is, too.

 

The Stock 9.25 is plagued with clip failure. It happened to my truck just after installing 4.56's... this was before the clip failure was a commonly "KNOWN" issue. So those clips not only took out my carrier but they also took out my brand new gears. I now run a Detroit true Trac and MOTIVE 4.56 gears... Love them both.


Know days its a well known fact that the factory 9.25 is a ticking time bomb. Its not a matter of IF but more like when it will go. For most I hope it happens when its under warranty... but I feel the factory is hoping it happens after the warranty... thats a money maker for them.

Take the very good advice mentioned above by MikeHTally, you really need to remove the rest of the clips from the carrier... if you don't it/they could be grinding the inside of your housing... this has been well known to DESTROY the entire housing requiring you to buy a COMPLETE rear end from Left break to Right break.... So its in your best interest to STOP driving and remove the rest of the clips. Just some good advice that could save you several thousands of bucks...

If your planning gears, you really need to consider swapping out the factory LSD carrier for a performance carrier like the Auburn or Detroit true track.

Install labor for both Gears/Carrier should not be much more then 350.00 (LABOR ONLY) It should cost no more to install gears and or a carrier... since they have to install the new gears onto the NEW/USED carrier either way... adding a new carrier should not cost more in labor... its the same job. Air Ram performance has better daily prices on gears with FREE SHIPPING! Click here for details.





SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

I would go with a detroit tru trac if you want one that can hold up to some power.

 

While agree the Detroit True Trac is a GREAT option, (and its the one I run in my truck) I feel they are BOTH great options. Just because the DTT is better does not meen the Auburn isnt a good choice for the track... because it is a great choice for the track. Heck the Auburn will take just about as much as the DTT... for a hudred bucks less I think the AUBURN is more then enough differenctial then the average person needs. It is in fact built for racing applications. Ive been running an Auburn POSI in my 69 Pontiac for years before I took it off the road.

While I agree if I had to chose one as being better then the other I would side with the DTT BUT this does NOT mean the Auburn is in anyway a bad choice.

If you have the money, chose the DTT... if you dont then go with the Auburn and NEVER look back.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

so i dont need those clips in there at all and wont have any problems? i did find another place that does work around here and he said he could tear down and replace the clip for around $100. i have been thinking about doing that. i spent more time thinking about it and i have had my truck for 20000 miles and have been doing burnouts like crazy. now that i have some descent tires i am going to try and preserve them so the only thing i will be doing is offroading every once in awhile. will i have any worries about the clip breaking when i am being easy on it? i would still love to do the gears but i am short on money and i question it at 100000. i plan on keeping my truck until i start nickel and diming it to death. i figure i will have it for another 75000 max if it makes it that far. i am still not sure on what i am going to do but i am going to price out some things today and make up my mind.

 

I can assure you that your burn outs had NOTHING to do with the failure. I can also asure you that paying 100 bucks to have the clips replaced is a waste of 100 bucks. You would be better off putting that hundred bucks into a Auburn POSI or a Detroit True Track.

Paying 100 bucks to replace a clip that will fail again is nickel and diming at its finest! I would not just replace one... I would have them all replaced if you decided to do it. I think they have a new part number for those clips that are said to be stronger...

You can also remove the clips to prevent and further damage. You would be better off doing that then having it rebuilt.

SPEED SAFE, AIR RAM

 

Sorry for somewhat of a steal but Im approaching the 65k and im thinking of opening up and breaking the clips to have the warranty cover it with a new diff or do w.e they to fix it.
Is it possible to open and break of clips?
Can i remove clips and run the diff without them? What is their purpose?
What does the factory do if you take it to them under warranty? (new clips,new diff)