Just thought I'd share my repair adventure from last night.

I have a 99 ram 4x4 (I bought it before I was "enlightened"). My wife uses it to haul my daughter and her horse to riding lessons every week, and she noticed a loud ticking coming from the front wheel. I had noticed it a few weeks ago and thought it was something minor so I left it til I had time to lok at it.

When I checked it, I quickly found that the u-joints were shot. Two of the caps on each axle had no needle bearings left, making it slap around when you drive (hence the ticking).

I replaced the joints with little trouble, and noticed that the rubber "dust slingers" that keep dirt out of the axle tubes were chewed up pretty bad. It's a dana 44 axle (similar to the one on my 78 f150) so I thought I'd just order two replacement ones, like I did for my 78.

Two parts stores said they have no listing for that part, so I called the dealer. The parts guy couldn't find it either so he talked to a tech. (Now this part is a rubber ring that slides onto the back of the knuckle. For my ford, they were $5 each.) The tech gets on the phone and says, "That part isn't supposed to come off. It's part of the axle shaft." I was floored!

I explained it to him in detail and described how it got destroyed to make sure we're talking about the same part. We were. He told me that to replace it, you have to replace the axle shaft.

I then asked him if my radiator hose sprung a leak, would I have to replace the engine to fix it. He didn't laugh.

Is it just me or is that really stupid?

Kevin K.

Hmmm. Now, where is that number for the Ford dealer...

 

Uhh, if it's the same D44 as in your Ford, how can it be a horrible Dodge design? My guess, it's just another annoyance from the parts department. Someone, somewhere, was paid to dissasemble that truck, and document everything. So they got lazy.
Who knows.

 

Good point. I suppose you're right.

However, some auto manufacturers do get axle's partially assembled and put their own inerts into them. I'd have to believe that do#@e had something to say about the design of the axle for their own vehicle. But who knows.

Either way, it's a rediculous situation.

Kevin K.

 

LOL.. Yeah, what a pain in the butt. I've found that, especially on Dodges, the main cause of U-joints puking needle bearings is simple, who-ever put em in over-tightened em, crushed the cap, and poof, time to do it again..