Busted rear diff dodge 2500

[Fixastuff]

I was towing the excavator 3 hours away to a job I'll be working on for a month and a half. About half way there rolling along 60mph with cruise on, see a red light ahead and tap the brake to start coasting to a stop the hear a pop from the rear.

Press go pedal and it just revs,(with some clunking from rear) no drive. Stop at light and no go, put it in 4wd and drove into parking lot. Look under truck and diff fluid is pouring out, gear busted a hole in the casing.

Replacing it with reman rear axle with a five year warranty. Luckily I was able to rent a suitable truck(for a month) went back to pick up excavator, take to job site, then picked up broke truck and towed back to shop in my hometown, the picked up plow and hauled to job site. Was a long day was driving and towing stuff/loading unloading from 9am to 11:30pm. Having your own business can be tough but even days like this it's better than working for someone else!

 

[dodge man]

What kind of truck, diesel, gas, 2500, 3500, how heavy were you towing?? It looks like the front of the case. Maybe the pinion went out from a bad bearing or it just broke.

 

[Fixastuff]

What kind of truck, diesel, gas, 2500, 3500, how heavy were you towing?? It looks like the front of the case. Maybe the pinion went out from a bad bearing or it just broke.

Ram 2500 with the cummins. Was towing around 15k. 17.5 is max rating conventional trailer or 20 something gooseneck. Its weird to me that it broke during deceleration instead of acceleration. Wasn't making any noise or whine before going out either. I had the engine brake on maybe I shouldn't use it?

Only had the truck a couple of months probably should have changed the fluid when I got it. Too late now. Lol.

 

[dieselscout80]

Ouch

How many miles are on it?

 

[Fixastuff]

150,000

 

[dieselscout80]

How much heavy towing?

 

[Fixastuff]

How much heavy towing?

Who knows? Haven't had it very long.

 

[dieselscout80]

Ok

I was just wondering.

Last year we bought a 2020 Ram 2500, but with a 6.4 gas engine. It has about 72k miles and about 9k miles of towing according to the trailer tow counter.

 

[zzvyb6]

Consider a 'cushion' type truck hitch to reduce the f/a bucking that's hard on the hypoid cut type gears. They even have them now for goose neck hookups for the very same reason.

 

[dieselscout80]

Consider a 'cushion' type truck hitch to reduce the f/a bucking that's hard on the hypoid cut type gears. They even have them now for goose neck hookups for the very same reason.

Interesting I hadn’t considered shock loads when I got my Convert-A-Ball AM-SC-V4 2-1/2 Inch Heavy-Duty Cushioned Ball Mount - 4 Inch Drop.

https://a.co/d/hs6Ispu

 

[Hay Dude]

Ram 2500 with the cummins. Was towing around 15k. 17.5 is max rating conventional trailer or 20 something gooseneck. Its weird to me that it broke during deceleration instead of acceleration. Wasn't making any noise or whine before going out either. I had the engine brake on maybe I shouldn't use it?

Only had the truck a couple of months probably should have changed the fluid when I got it. Too late now. Lol.

No, you should definitely be using the exhaust brake. The exhaust brake on my Ram 5500 has preserved my brakes way beyond what I expected. I tow about 30% of the miles I drive. Still on my original brakes with 42,000 miles and 3+ years.

 

[dodge man]

Changing the fluid in back could be important especially if it was never changed but I’d say it was on its way out when you got the truck.

 

[sd455dan]

Who knows? Haven't had it very long.

Weird... Should be an AAM rear axle. Looks like it split the pinion housing portion forward.
Have heard of Very few AAM rear axle problems. Mine is right at 150K as well with Cummins power.

RAM is pleased with these axles enough to sign a contract through 2030 with AAM and they have been using them since 2003 on the HD 3/4 and one tons.
jmo but either a freak occurrence or something bad in its earlier life.

 

[Hay Dude]

I think they are used in other brands/models of trucks and they seem to be pretty trouble free. Reminds me that I need to get both my diff fluids changed in near future.

 

[dodge man]

I owned a 2004 Dodge with a Cummins I bought used with 100,000 mikes on it. Not a lot of service records but in the owners manual someone wrote the rear differential fluid had been changed once. I changed it right away and it looked awful. I’ve changed it on other vehicles and fluid looked brand new. You just never know how it was treated early in its life.

 

[nisaacs]

Changing the fluid in back could be important especially if it was never changed but I’d say it was on its way out when you got the truck.

I agree, probably neglected in it's early life. My '21 Ram 2500 is a pain to pull the cover so I installed a drain plug. I changed it at 500 miles after break in, then just changed it again @ 26k. I do need to get a flush type pipe plug.

 

[dieselscout80]

I agree, probably neglected in it's early life. My '21 Ram 2500 is a pain to pull the cover so I installed a drain plug. I changed it at 500 miles after break in, then just changed it again @ 26k. I do need to get a flush type pipe plug.

View attachment 801515

Good idea.

Is that where other AAM have a drain plug?

 

[nisaacs]

Good idea.

Is that where other AAM have a drain plug?

I don't think AAM has any, I know Dana don't or at least they didn't used to. I think the new Fords with Dana use the bottom cover bolt as a drain.

Edit: The new Ram 4500/5500 Banjo Axles might have a drain, I think Ram is using AAM on these trucks now. But the Salisberry axles don't.

 

[Fixastuff]

Reman axle $3600
Truck rental for month $2200
Labor ??

I'm also going to have to have them do transmission fluid/filter, transfer case fluid, fuel filters and new shocks.

Thankfully we got good footage in the first day so all that's paid for and a good chunk of the 43 day air bnb house.

The ground is wetter and stickier than home so can't get as long of a pull as back home without the conduit breaking but it's still going well.

 

[repete]

When I buy a used vehicle the first thing I do is pull it in the shop and pull the pans and covers and inspect and change all fluids and filters.
The only exception being in-tank fuel pumps and filters.