I have an 03 quad cab 1500 2 wheel drive.My Ram is Superchip tuned MSD ignition wires, K&N black tube cold air intake, the rear end has been changed to the 04 SRT10 with 4:10 gears. I've had to have a custom driveshaft built and now Im having problems with tail housings on the transmission. First tail housing cracked on a long trip. The shop that swapped my rear end replaced the tail housing and assured me that they were no problems with u joints or drive shaft. 5 months later on another long trip tail shaft housing completely blew up. Had to have the truck towed back to the shop purchased another tail housing, and being told by the shop that the tail housing is building up too much pressure causing the housing to crack or blow up. So they're adding a vintage yoke to the housing to relieve the pressure, I don't think that this is the case. I believe that there must be some type other lineman tissue with the rear end and the driveshaft going into the transmission. Does anyone have any advice on what could be going on?

This is the first tail that cracked at the face bolting to the transmission.
Inside you can see the crack

Outside crack

2nd tail housing complete blow up.

Custom driveshaft after the aftermath.

 

Wow. There's a new one for me......

If you beat the snot out of the truck every time you drove it, I could almost see that kind of thing happening.... almost.... Are you getting any driveline vibration? Is the driveshaft too long, and it's pounding into the tailshaft, or housing? Are the driveline angles acceptable? Or maybe the shaft isn't long enough.... and putting undo stress on the housing??

 

Im agreeing with HeyYou regarding drive shaft lengths and angles. Im thinking we need more info. Guessing a custom drive shaft was required to work properly with the SRT differential? When first explosion occurred was the output shaft of trans replaced? Looks like that 2nd to last pic shows output shaft sheared off ? If so, is it possible output shaft was cracked on first explosion and it was missed when installing 2nd tail section ?

 

There is a bit more to the story regarding the tail shaft and the differential swap. I did have questions regarding the angle of the drive shaft and also the angle of the rear end when it was put in which I was told all of these things were correct. When the first tail shaft cracked the yolk was taken off of that tail shaft and was placed on the replacement. I was then told that the U-joints and driveshaft we're all fine and in balance. Upon taking my 498 mile trip I was able to drive 402 miles before the second tail shaft housing completely blew up there was a vibration and before I could pull over everything blew apart. When the swap was first completed the original driveshaft had to be cut down to accommodate SRT10 rear end the shop had a lot of problems finding the correct U-joints to work with the rear end and the front end which I believed at that point they damaged the drive shaft trying new U joints. Within less than 30 days of the swap being completed the drive shaft busted off at the rear of the SRT-10 differential doing major damage to my exhaust I also noticed that there was play in the yolk which at that time I was told but that play was okay and there was nothing to worry about. The shop that originally did The Cutting of the drive shaft built a racing drive shaft that was thicker and stronger than the original and would be able to handle the added torque from the SRT 10 rear end. After everything was complete I didn't drive the truck for more than a month and I was out of the country for almost 3 years, when I returned I began driving the truck again and was on another 498 mile trip back home when the tail shaft housing on the transmission cracked I felt a vibration and then the crack happened to dump fluid all over the highway. Got the truck back to the shop we found a replacement tail shaft, the same yolk was used on the replacement. I didn't notice any problems driving in the city or on the highway. Within 5 months I had to make another 498 mile trip when I got up to speeds at 80 miles an hour I noticed the vibration and when I got ready to pull over the tail shaft housing blew up dropping the drive shaft on the pavement and I was lucky that it didn't damage it more than it did. Had the truck towed back to the shop they have had to re-measure and also rechecking the driveshaft and making sure that all angles are correct. They are saying that too much pressure is being built up inside the tail shaft housing. They're saying I need a vented yolk to relieve that pressure on the tail housing. I don't think that it's pressure issue I believe that it may be something with the alignment or it could be the weight of the shaft that is causing pressure on the tail shaft causing them to grenade.

 

Well you definitely got alot going on there. I dont agree with the pressure build up either. Forgive me but I dont understand all your words explaining tail shaft vs tail housing....Yoke and vented yoke for eg.
I dont believe there is a yoke hard attached to the output of the transmission. There is a yoke on the front of the driveshaft which couples to the trans output shaft on a slip joint spline. Never heard of a vented yoke either..but maybe...If there was such a thing I dont know how that would help your issue.

I would be thinking what I originally said. Output shaft of trans was damaged (cracked, bent ??) somehow during initial catatrophe which the cause is now unknown. (If errors were made in driveshaft assembly and angles back then could have been a cause??)

Anyways. damage to trans output shaft wasnt caught on 1st repair to tail housing and subsequently also took out 2nd tail housing??

Im sure hey you and others will have some more ideas.

 

Transmission tail housing

Slip yoke

Driveshaft w/ slip yoke
Here are the parts that are in question, I should've explained myself better.

 

Yes. Exactly.
The slip yoke goes onto the output shaft of the transmission.
The ouput shaft on yours looks broken behind the bearing as seen in your pic.
This will require removal and complete disassembly of transmission to replace

 

"Building pressure" inside the tailhousing is so much horse hockey. If that were the case, it would blow the real seal, and thus, relieve pressure. (and blow fluid.....)

How did the bushing the slip yoke rides in look after the housing blew itself to bits? Was it scored? Galled? Overheated? How much space between the rearmost u-joint, and the yoke on the differential, when the slip yoke is stuffed all the way into the trans? How does the slip yoke itself look? Is it turning blue anywhere???

I still think the driveshaft is too long, and on bumps is pounding itself into the tailshaft of the trans......

 

I'm still thinking pinion angle and/or angle coming out of the trans. I'm going to assume your truck is lowered, as the 04 SRT rear is UNDERSPRUNG (unless you installed it upside down, don't even wanna think about that) and not spring on top like a normal 1500. Two questions:
1. Are you SURE it's a reg cab rear?
2. Can you provide pics of the axle, especially where the springs mount and the pinion