Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and have learned much from it.I have a 2002 1500 with a 3.92 Limited-spin diff. I just want to let you all know that today I went out to change my rear end fluid at 40,000 miles. I found about a half dozen bits of metal in the bottom of the pumpkin. They were about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. I took the bits to my local Dodge dealer and they said I needed to get truck to the shop and not to drive it untill they looked at it. I had it towed in and hope to find out something tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be anything to major. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will cover it under warranty. Does anyone know if that 7year 70,000 waranty covers this. Anyway my advise to anyone that is coming up to 36,000 miles you should change your fluid just to be safe. Other than this problem it has been a great truck.

Thanks, Dave

 

any noise or growling from the rear end?Are these left overs from the machining process?I onece found a washer in the case of an A-833 4 speed,i wonder if they properly cleaned the axle housing before assemble,,,,,,,,

 

Its been so long since I've seen this but there was a piece in the rear of the 3rd gen trucks that had a failure. I know its the same 9 1/4 from all these years but there was something failing in them. I had mine observed when I changed gears for the failing part.

Does that ring a bell with anyone?

 

FYI:

The same Exact thing happened to me @ about the same mileage!!!

Lets back up a bit, about 1 month B/4 I serviced my diff;2002 QuadCab Wfact/20's
Was cruisin down the freeway,all of a sudden I hear this really bad Clankin/Bang noise comming from the rear of the truck,I meen it was a BAD sound!!
I pulled over,checked everything I could see,Nothing!!
Got back in the Truck,took off,No Noise ever again!!

Same as you,went to service my Diff,I removed the entire cover because of a bit of "Weepage";was going to change the gasket while I was there!
I too had Lots of metal in the diff,with some Chunks too!
I Immediatly got on the horn with DODGE to get they're take on the situation!
They told me to bag a sample and bring it to them!
Too make a Looooong story short!
The Bang/clunk I heard about a month B/4 was the Bearing on the D.S Axle cratering!

Spent the Big Bux on the Expensive Dodge fluid,filled it up and took it in!

DODGE Replaced the Entire Rear End,instead of just fixing the bearing failure!
I also found out that this is a Very Common problem in the Trucks with the Factory 20's!!

 

I didn't hear anything from the rear end and it seem to work fine. I was just doing preventive maintance. Good thing I did. Could have been a big problem down the road. I keep you updated when I find out something today.

2002 Ram 1500 4.7

 

Yes covered under 7/70. I have found the clips braking that hold the track lock clutch pack together and takeing out the hole rear end housings. Mine should be here tommrow to replace on my truck, While there we are going to slap in a set of 4.56 gears.

 

As noted, yes should definitely be covered under warranty!

Good luck.

 

It's a known problem with the 1500 LSD, the clips in the LSD break and that is the metal that you are seeing in your rear end.

 

I had just changed rear diff with about 55000 miles on it and there where very few metal shavings but nothing major, and I have the LSD. I guess I got lucky for now.