Hey guys, been stalking this site for a while so you could say things are pretty serious lol. Anyways I have an 06 ram 1500 5.7l 4x4 (2wd, 4wd high, 4 lo and neutral) that I bought last year. The previous owner beat the hell out of it but took decent care of it at the same time.. I've been slowly doing things to it, mechanically, preventative maintenance stuff as well as appearance upgrades. I recently changed rear diff fluid, checked front diff for fluid level and topped off. I thought the axle actuator was leaking fluid so I took it off and checked/cleaned it and the gasket. Now, when I put it into 4 high, it vibrates during acceleration but smooths out around 35-45 mph. When I try and put it in 4lo (at much lower speeds) it doesn't engage. It just blinks 4lo and that's it. When I turn it back to 2wd it acts like it's still in 4wd for a min and then a decently hard clunk is heard. I've changed the front shaft u joints (doesn't have any on the c.v. axles just fyi) before I take apart the actuator again, do any of you guys have any ideas of what could be going on? Are the cv axles supposed to spin with front tires when it's not in 4wd? I'm pretty sure the c.v. axles need to be changed but that wouldn't cause it to not disengage properly or not shift into 4lo would it? Thanks for any advice

 

Everything you said sounds normal. When you go to 4hi there is a lot of running gear, especially noticable on dry pavement, that will cause vibrations. 4lo can or should only be accessed by coming to a complete stop, putting trans selector to neutral, then selecting 4lo. Same to get it out of 4lo. Yes, it takes a few seconds for the 4hi to disengage, and the clunk is normal. Again, more noticable on dry pavement.

 

And yes, your axles will spin regardless of 4 or 2 wd. You would need lockout hubs to keep the CV axles from turning.

 

ok, I've never checked it before so wasn't sure. Last year the few times I had to use 4x4, I don't remember it doing that. That definitely puts my mind at ease. Thank you for replying. One mod I did (because my wife constantly complains about the money I spend on the truck) was removing the stock muffler and only leaving the 2 resonators. It actually sounds pretty decent until that damn MDS kicks in. It'll kick in during a 2nd or 3rd gear shift, while accelerating. I thought it was only for cruising speed. I've done the tow/haul for a while which I found out it still kicks in. So I'm honestly thinking about putting the stock muffler back on until I am able to buy a programmer to take it off. I'm actually in my garage right now, about to do the folding rear seat DIY and then adding a pair of round off road leds behind the grill. If i dont like the performance I get behind the grill, I'll have to find a different place. Sorry for talking you ears, or eyes off. This is why I don't post, I'll just ramble on lol. Anyways, thanks again for the input

 

We don't mind.

Where abouts in Michigan?

 

I live in the northern lower, Cadillac mi. Are you from Michigan as Well? I would just look at your profile but I'm honestly still trying to find my way around here lol

 

Yep. Other end of the state. I can throw rocks at Ohio, with some small expectation of actually hitting it.

 

that sucks man. I'd hate to live that close to Ohio 😂. Up north here we've been getting pounded by snow and icy roads. I had to have my truck in 4hi bringing my kids to school today just to keep me from fish-tailing every 10 seconds

 

We are supposed to get 7 inches today/tonight..... That should be fun. Went out and made sure my snowblower tractor would start and run, moved my truck into the garage..... and cleared some obstacles in prep for blowin' the driveway tomorrow. We will see what actually happens..... Last time I heard "deep snow expected", we got an inch, that all melted the next day.

 

I have to chime in on this topic because I've had my truck for almost a year now. Last month the brake seized up on the front passenger side tire and I had to get the boot and brake replaced. I just got the truck back out of the shop and I had the same issue as the OG poster. I will be using 4x4 when on ****e dirty icy roads and when I get back to the highway I'll shift to 2WD. Once I get up to highway speed there's a loud and noticable BANG in the back.. then the truck runs fine. I can recreate the problem taking the previous steps and it never used to do this to me ever.

2004 Dodge 1500 300,000 km.