So after rebuilding 3 diffs in 3 years on my 2005 Ram 1500 it has dawned on me that Dodge Ram Diffs suck. I do all the regular maintenance, don't abuse the truck and pull a 3500lb camper (well within spec) a few times in the summer. My question is, what is the fix? Or, is there a fix and should I just trade this turkey in on a Ford? One of the best differential shops around recommended that I get rid of it, as opposed to throwing good money after bad. Any suggestions?

 

I've found AAM axles to be pretty stout actually. We see almost NO posts on here about differential problems unless they are the "C-Clip" issue and that's really an inherent problem with the LSD and not the diff itself.
Do a search, there have been thousands upon thousands of members in this section since the introduction of the 3rd Gen Rams and you'll find VERY FEW posts of problems with the actual axle or differential.

I beat the **** out of my '98 2nd Gen - same AAM 9 1/4" rear end and it never hiccup'd once. I tow HEAVY at times with my 3rd Gen - although I do have aftermarket 4.56 gears, but it's been fine HOWEVER I did do a bit of preventative maintenance and pulled the POS LSD out of it when I did the gears and installed an Auburn unit in it.

The stock LSD is the Achilles' heel of this rear differential...

 

Sounds like more an issue of who is doing the work.

 

I had all work done at the dealer. FYI

 

The first time it failed the diff overheated. They said it was full of water. I never had it near water and had the fluid replaced the week before. The second failure was the C-clips. Third was the pinyon failing.

 

there ain't no way a dealer would ever touch my differential..

knowing how is one thing.. experience in doing it is another.. most those clowns at stealerships may have passed the test, but real world experience working on them is zilch..

my guess is that you've been had by a dealership expert, which equates to a novice at a good off-road shop..

the absolute number one thing with diffs is the quality of the install.. I'd guess the second is the quality of the servicing..

the water in it sounds like a fairy tale- unless you'd submerged it somewhere.. the c-clip is likely true- but most don't even know they have a c-clip issue until they drop the cover.. they may suspect it because of chirping tires in corners.. the pinion? how does that happen unless it wasn't properly installed? Okay, I could see a c-clip getting jammed between the pinion and the ring, but hadn't the clips just been replaced?

I'd find another place to work on it.. diffs, if they are properly installed, don't eff up very often.. the common denominator is the stealership..

 

drewactual is spot on. Rear ends reguire a special skill that can only be gained by experience. The tolerances are that precise and being off a thousands or two can mean disaster. A good shop would send your vehicle out one specializing in rears. Even if the dealeship has good mechanics, how may rebuilds do they see a year?

 

Yep, ring & pinion is ALL about the install and shimming the AAM is not easy. Both of the closest dealerships to me farm out their ring/pinion installs to the off-road shop that did my 4.56 install.

Just because it's the dealer doesn't mean they are the best option for repair - but they almost always are the most expensive option...

 

Like I said...

 

The dealer did the last rebuild and my confidence level in their work is as low as Drewactual's. I was thinking that i might take the truck to a diff specialist and install a Detroit Locker LSD. Does that make any sense?