Busted rear diff dodge 2500

[Fixastuff]

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.

Yeah I know. I should have, I don't think fresh fluid would have kept it from breaking but it might have let me know it was about to go out. So I might have been able to just replace the internals and not need a complete axle.

 

[repete]

Yeah I know. I should have, I don't think fresh fluid would have kept it from breaking but it might have let me know it was about to go out. So I might have been able to just replace the internals and not need a complete axle.

it is just sort of a health check. Cannot undo what has been done but at least you know. Kind of like a physical, cannot fix the issue but at least you know a little go/no go on running a marathon.

 

[arto98607]

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.

Ouch, that's getting close to what I paid for my current truck few years ago, but I keep it only for occasional use when hauling is needed.

Fully understand many members here use them for work etc. every day.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d have zero issues with a junkyard pull off AAM rear axle. They are stout. Failures are seldom. Might be 1/2 the price, too.

 

[dieselscout80]

I’d have zero issues with a junkyard pull off AAM rear axle. They are stout. Failures are seldom. Might be 1/2 the price, too.

On my 97 GMC K3500 SRW I did just that and ran that axle around 7 years with no issues at all. The engine finally gave up.

 

[Hay Dude]

On my 97 GMC K3500 SRW I did just that and ran that axle around 7 years with no issues at all. The engine finally gave up.

I did a junkyard axle for only $500 on my beautiful 2008 Chevy Tahoe and it lasted until I sold it and beyond.

 

[Fixastuff]

I’d have zero issues with a junkyard pull off AAM rear axle. They are stout. Failures are seldom. Might be 1/2 the price, too.

If it was just for personal use I'd have no problem with a used one but since this is for my business it's just not worth the risk. This one cost me an entire day and a $2200 rental. When plowing on great days I make 12k+ good day 8-12 and bad days 4-8. So a reman axle is well worth it to reduce the risk(not eliminate, lol) of it happening again.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

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!View attachment 801418View attachment 801419View attachment 801420

I've found the problem on those. I put a new ring and pinion, didn't bust the case. You didn't do anything to cause this. What I have found is some extra pieces in there from the factory. There is a little pocket in the diff that stays full of oil, thrown off the top of ring gear. Pinion has a slinger washer on it that runs in the pocket of oil to lube the pinion bearings. I have found good sized rivet looking things in that pocket a few times. They are black, very hard, and laying there loose. If one falls out, breaks your gears. If a piece of gear gets between your gears, breaks the housing. Don't worry about all them special hitches. Used to, if I crossed the scales and weighed less than 50,000# I was in trouble. Still have the truck, still going fine. 2002 model truck. I knew I had a piece of broke Dodge ring gear on my tool box.

 

[aircommuter]

In a differential you have carrier (side) bearings, front and rear pinion bearings. If the carrier bearings are bad the noise is always there, if the noise is on acceleration the rear pinion bearing is under load and noisy if it’s bad and when decelerating the front pinion bearing gets the load and a noise would be traced to that one. Of course the exhaust brake could mask that noise. When decelerating the front bearing is keeping the pinion from being forced into the ring gear, that’s where your problem came in. Clearances are measured in thousands of an inch.
Differentials are one of the most ignored parts of a vehicle.
I also change all fluids (including coolant)when I buy a used vehicle so I know where I stand and I can see what comes out that could cause me to look further.
Another prevention check is to start your vehicle when it has been sitting overnight and let it run for 20 minutes, shut it off and using an instant read temperature gun shoot each bearing on the serpentine belt. A high temperature can be an early sign of bearing failure.
The American gear differential is an excellent unit used on Dodge and Chevrolet trucks and a host of military trucks. If you want a drain plug just buy a Banks differential cover as it’s the best one. You can see the testing on Bank’s website.
Business has costs and are factored in somewhere. Still usually more profitable than working for others since you have to make money for your employer or you aren’t needed.

 

[Fixastuff]

Shop is putting a Jasper unit in it for me. 3 year warranty. If I was in between work permits I'd do it myself but right now paying someone else makes $ sense.

 

[sportscarclinic]

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.

Not a fan of reman parts in general, especially major powertrain components like transmissions and running gear. The warranty usually has so many disclaimers that it's worthless when you need it, the core didn't get rebuilt because it was well treated, and there's no way to know if the parts used to rebuild the unit are OEM quality. The exception is factory reman parts supplied and installed by an OEM's dealer's service center. I'm hoping that's the route you went.

A low mileage axle from a wrecked vehicle is almost always a much better choice, and usually a whole lot less expensive. Some even come with a decent warranty.

 

[arto98607]

Agree mostly with what you said, however the OP needs his truck now and made his decision.

Shopping for used axles for specific truck may or may not take little more time....

 

[FERLING]

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!View attachment 801418View attachment 801419View attachment 801420

Dog- 'Should have bought a Chevy'

 

[sportscarclinic]

Agree mostly with what you said, however the OP needs his truck now and made his decision.

Shopping for used axles for specific truck may or may not take little more time....

For future reference, Rancho Cordova, CA is home of the nations largest concentration of vehicle dismantlers. There are several in that region that specialize in Mopar parts, and will freight them out to anywhere in the country same or next day. A rear diff for a popular rig like the Dodge 2500 should be very easy to find.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

From MY personal experience, the dog is right!

SR

 

[sportscarclinic]

I've found the problem on those. I put a new ring and pinion, didn't bust the case. You didn't do anything to cause this. What I have found is some extra pieces in there from the factory. There is a little pocket in the diff that stays full of oil, thrown off the top of ring gear. Pinion has a slinger washer on it that runs in the pocket of oil to lube the pinion bearings. I have found good sized rivet looking things in that pocket a few times. They are black, very hard, and laying there loose. If one falls out, breaks your gears. If a piece of gear gets between your gears, breaks the housing. Don't worry about all them special hitches. Used to, if I crossed the scales and weighed less than 50,000# I was in trouble. Still have the truck, still going fine. 2002 model truck. I knew I had a piece of broke Dodge ring gear on my tool box.

In agreement about the special "cushion-y" hitches. If you need one of those your thrust washers and pinion bearings are already on their way out.

 

[Fixastuff]

Dog- 'Should have bought a Chevy'View attachment 802587

He knows best. Lol. I take him work everyday with me and he loves it.

 

[olenjohn]

Ford F350 SuperDuty and don’t look back…..

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Ram 2500 with the cummins. Was towing around 15k. 17.5 is max rating conventional trailer or 20 something gooseneck.

You may want to look up the actual ratings on Ram.com.

As I recall, my 3500 cab and chassis with duals is rated at about 22,000, and that's with 3.73 gears. If your 2500 is a '13 through '18 it came with 3.42 gears.

For those who haven't heard of many issues with AAM axles, I've had my fair share. This is what the magnetic plug looked like with about 2,000 miles on it (after careful break-in).

Normally I change the fluid at 500, and sure feel bad about letting this one go so far before doing the initial rinse. The diff is still alive and well, thankfully, after a few

fluid changes in rapid succession and many more cleanings of the magnet afterwards.

Also, I wish no axles (that has a removable cover) had drain plugs, forcing people to see how things look inside.

 

[nisaacs]

The diff is still alive and well,

Also, I wish no axles (that has a removable cover) had drain plugs, forcing people to see how things look inside.

It may be alive but it is not well. It sounds like it was not repaired, either buy you or warranty.

Why should we be forced to pull the cover to change oil? If the magnet is clean?? If it has more metal than normal, then pull the cover. If you want to pull the cover every time, you are more than welcome. It is a real pain to pull the cover on my '21 Ram 2500. The sway bar and track bar are in the way.