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Rear Diff Problems! Help!

3K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  TinMan68 
#1 ·
Alright so I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 SS/T. It is stock from factory other than exhaust. I traded my dad a 95 Corvette for it when I started driving. It has 158,000 on it and it has no problems other then body. Engine is well taken care its been driven nicely all its life except for some back road raceing and my wreck last year. For the past 4 years or so its been making this terrible whine from the rear. At first we thought it was the new tires on the rear then I thought it may be a bearing in the tranny but I honestly think its a bearing in the rear end, Im not sure which one. Ive had some of my buddys ride with me and they say its the rear pinion bearing. I have replaced the U-joints on the drive shaft which didnt help at all so those are out of the picture. I tried to move the drive shaft around to see if it was the pinion but I couldnt really get it to wiggle back and forth or side to side at all it seemed soild. I drive it daily and put anywhere from 100-250 miles on it each week. It is the 9.25 rear end which ive read this is a common problem but I want to fix this right. Now I have the money to drain the rear end and check it out but this will be the first time ive worked on a rear end and im not sure what to look for. Ive read online articles on how to rebuild rear ends step by step but ive never found a site to narrow down to the cause of the whine. It is barely noticeable when going under 20mph but the faster you go the louder it gets. It is more of a high pitch hum then anything and it will quite down a little when you let of the gas and the tranny dis-engauges but it turns into a almost roar like gride sound when you slow down to 20 while braking if you are off the gas. What should I do to figure out what is wrong? I will not take it into a shop and waste all my money I am more then willing to do it myself im 17 with nothing to do other then school and work and I have been working on vehicals with my grandpa all my life and currently work at cummins so I have acess to every tool needed. Any info, input or advice would be awesome! My truck has shown no difference in performance since the whine started, still spins tires tranny never slips nothing it just whines constanly and is imbarising if you ask me. If you know about this feild of work comment give me your two cents, the sooner the better!:smileup:
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Ill just go into Advanced Auto and order the kit sometime. I think they have Motive, Pro King and a few others and brand better than the other? and I know I need a tool to go in the axle houseing and has a nut like end on it to tighten or losen something can I buy or rent one or should I just make mine ?
 
#4 ·
If you are un-sure of the aftermarket to rebuild your rear axle, you can go to Mopar and buy one of there rebuild kits. Everything is included in the kit.
 
#6 ·
Im honestly not sure. From all of the research I have done and having a few of my mechanic friends go for a ride in it they all seem to point to the pinion bearing. I would love to buy Mopar parts due to the performance factor and it was made perfectly spec wise for my rear end but since im in highschool and cummins laid me off this summer im not working as a bus boy for $8 an hour money is the one factor holding me back. If i get my phones camera to work I will take a video from the cab if you can even hear it over the exhaust on the camera. I was driving it last night with the radio off to listen to it and the whine is very loud and high pitch and constant while my foot is on the gas almost like the sound of a lifted vehical with mud tires going down the road or going across a concrete over pass on the interstate and when I let off you can hear the tranny kick into neutral and the whine doesnt completely go away but it quiets down alot. I want to drain it and look in there but gear oil cost so much just to drain it knowing im going to have to buy more oil when I redo it. Kinda sucks big time. I mean its been like this a few YEARS with no change to it and it takes all the power like a champ but its kinda embarrassing to drive with friends and have them asking what the annoying sound is since my truck is known as "fast" and "bad ass" but yet it needs a new rear end, its almost now worth bragging about anymore.

I hope yours is not this bad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MrLfnF3bP8Y


informational, good to know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD0CEyapQK4

crazy Canadian working on a Jeep rear end, almost identical to the Ram

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jrUVrvforo
I cant watch any videos at school since you tube is blocked but I will watch them at home and try to take a video of my own for you guys to listen to how bad it sounds.
 
#5 · (Edited)
#7 ·
Many people have the same problem that you do. I have a 2000 Grand Cherokee Limited that does the same. For some reason Chrysler didn't put enough preload on the bearings and when they broke in they ended up with too much clearance and you got the whining or howling noise. I drained about 20 ozs of fluid out and replaced it with Lucas oil stabilizer and it made it more livable. That was 35,000 miles ago. So they will run a long time like that you just need to get used to the noise.
 
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