Buying a used 2500 has been the most expensive used vehicle I have ever had to deal with. This year has seen an engine rebuild, transmission rebuild, u-joints replaced, center bearing support and stabilizer links replaced. Now the rear differential is whining. I hope to keep the carrier but the gears and bearing will be replaced. I have spent more in repairs this year then what I paid for the truck a little under 3 years ago. I looked at videos and books on differential repair but getting the tools and trying to do this work from jack stand just does not make since. I hope to not have to repair another differential anytime soon. The transmission was not faulty but the bell housing was cracked on inspection about a week after getting back from the engine replacement. I cannot afford to RV with this type of tow vehicle expense. So I think we will be selling the fifth wheel in the spring.

 

sorry about your bad luck........do you need advice on rebuilding your differential?

 

I studied it a lot but decided that after trying to get all the tools needed to do the job correctly paying $450 labor is probably worth it. It the parts that are expensive with the ring and pinion costing $500 and the master rebuild kit at $300. I did find a new axle assembly on ebay but its in Green Bay and I would probably need to rent a motor lift to move it being the 10.5 axle weights around 500lbs. The shop doing is a driveline shop but they don't stock the 10.5 axle parts for the dodge so the parts are ordered. I would have been better off spending more and find a truck used by an RVer rather than a work truck. I hope this is it for major repairs.

 

I picked up my Truck yesterday. Drove it the local roads to work. It is quite a bit quieter than it was before. Looking at the old gears not sure why they were so loud. There are 3 ring teeth that are chipped at the toe. The dealership replaced the pinion seal in June so I am thinking maybe they did something wrong. The bearings seems like they were catching on something when I rotate them. I am wondering if something got into the bearing when the dealership changed the seal. Which might have affected the torque readings.

The shop that did my rebuild said the pinion flange was not very smooth where the seal sit and recommended I replace it. I also had the driveshaft balanced.

It does run much quieter now. I wished I had found this driveline shop for replacing the u-joints instead of the dealership. The dealership is real close to my work so it made drop off easy.

 

I went with an Auburn lsd a couple years ago in my Ram. Drove in the snow today and it did awesome. Just as good getting around as my 4x4 work truck.

 

I have the 2500 which has a different type of LSD from the standard 1500 LSD.
But my dad tells me they got 14" of snow in Olney, IL. Last winter they got a lot of snow in Albion where I went to high school. We did not get any snow in Chicago just cold air.