I wound up getting rid of it and I got another Ram 1500. This time it was a 2005 with about 120k on it.
I’ve had this truck for about 7 months. Today I’m driving down the highway and the stupid driveshaft falls out AGAIN! No broken U-Joint. It just kind of came out of the pumpkin. Just like last time. What the heck?!
I got it towed to a transmission shop and now I’m trying to figure out what to do again.
A few weeks ago, I got a recall notice that has been sitting on my desk for “when I get around to it”.
“The problem is… The rear axle pinion nut on your truck may have been built without an adhesive patch on the pinion nut threads. The lack of this adhesive patch could allow the rear axle pinion nut to loosen and/or the rear driveshaft to separate from the rear axle. A loose pinion nut could cause the rear axle to seize and a separated driveshaft could cause a loss of motive power. Either situation could cause a crash without warning.”
Is this what happened to my truck? What are my odds that Fiat Chrysler is going to pay for the repairs? Did I screw myself by not getting the problem fixed sooner? What’s my move now?
Well, I haven’t had it repaired yet. The tow truck just took it to the transmission shop. I guess I’ll call a dealer and see if they want to tow it to their place.
Yosemite, by the way, thanks for that tip on getting the stuck rims off by standing on the blocks of wood. That one stuck with me and I had to use it on this truck as well when I did the brakes.
Dodge P/U’s have been doing this for years…When mine did it, the cause was always improperly installed U-joints or reusing the U-joint saddle clamps that had been sprung and did not clamp the U-joint caps tightly, allowing the joint to slip back and forth in the pinion adapter. Also, the proper 12-point bolts that secure the saddle clamps to the pinion adapter should always be used…In an emergency, I have cut shims out of thin sheet metal (coffee can) to place between the deformed/stretched saddle clamps and the U-joint cups so the joint stays properly positioned and can’t move…When you start looking up “Rear U-Joints” for Dodge / Ram pick-up trucks, you will find a bewildering number of different joints have been used over the years…Oh, and do you want inside clips or outside clips with that joint?? Good Luck
Insite was referring to a post that I made awhile back. The discussion was wheels, where the hub hole is so tight fitting that you have a hard time getting the wheels off to rotate tires. I think that was the discussion anyway.
My statement was that I raise the wheel off the ground, then place a long 6X6 block…about 2 feet long on the ground perpendicular to the tire. Then I place a 4X6 block on that which should now be high enough to contact the wheel itself. Then I put my weight on that block and swat the end with a sledge hammer. Pops most off with one swat.
Yeah. The secret is using a BIG hammer. I was wailing on the rims with a 3 pound sledge. I probably hit it a couple hundred times and it did absolutely nothing. Stacking the wood up lets you take a swing with a big hammer. The biggest hammer I have is 8 pounds and I just used some 2x4’s, but that did the trick with 4 or 5 swings. Yosemite’s 16 pounder must be a monster! Letting some air out can help get the wood in good contact with the rim.
As for my broken driveshaft, I got the truck towed over to the dealer and so far, it seems like they are going to take care of it. That recall seems pretty legit. .
Lost foam would probably work well. Create a foam image of the desired head, bury it in sand, and pour the hot lead in. The heat will melt/burn the foam, and you’re left with the metal object.
Thank’s for the tip @meanjoe75fan . Sounds much easier that the two piece mold I was going to try making. I’ll try that on the smaller 3# hammer first…that one is really in rough shape.