2003 Ram 2500 CCLB

[mr.mindless]

in my experience, impossible to find squeaks are usually the center pin in a front CV shaft. usually found shortly after friction welding themselves together and exploding.

[M4wdFab]

probably a CAD axle that doesnt spin front shaft in 2wd though

[mr.mindless]

good point

[Harrison]

3rd gens did not have CAD - and about once every month or two I see a horror story on the 3rd gen Cummins Facebook page where someone is on the side of the road after their front driveshaft double cardan came apart. Transfercase blown apart, holes torn in floor, wiring and plumbing along frame rail torn and dangling.

There is a sticker on the rad crossmember about greasing the pivot ball in the front double cardan but the fitting is apparently very hard to find. I rebuilt my front driveshaft and put lockout hubs in and I admit I have never bothered with it 

[M4wdFab]

same note on my 4500s drive shaft.  there are no fittings to grease.

[M4wdFab]

but good info.


easy enough to remove it for diagnosis.  ebay drop in replacements should be cheap to swap if needed. 

[mr.mindless]

Driveshaft and transfer case explosion was the first major automotive surgery (beyond brake jobs and bolt-ons) and relative self recovery I did. Was a great way to spend Christmas break of I think sophomore year learning about input shaft lengths and spline counts and gear cutting changes that limit interchange.

Popped in Sandusky Ohio on 12/23 whatever year.

[mr.mindless]

Not sure if it’s still true but they were one of the only ways to rent any sort of vehicle before turning 25 back then.

[etk300ex]

Good info, will check. 

[etk300ex]

Everything's a project!  Good exercise though, if I ever had to pull it out on the side of the road I would have been unprepared and I'm sure its well past it grease interval and it appears my font pinion seal leak is getting bad enough I should attend to it. 

It spins by hand pretty easy with no sign of slop.  The t-case side bolts came out real easy.  Shaft is stuck to the flange though, I didn't try real hard yet.  For the axle side, my T40s are all too short and I don't want to strip them. 

Ordered long T40 and a grease injector needle. 

I see they sell hex bolts to replace the T40's.  At $6 a piece and $14 shipping.  That's a bit steep and I'll have the correct tool now anyways...


On another topic, I greased everything I could find.  I could not get the top ball joints to accept any grease.  Any tips?

[etk300ex]

I got some grease in there. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[M4wdFab]

the pinion seal trick is to take a cut wheel or rotary tool of some sort to cut a small reference mark on the pinion shaft and pinion nut.  so that you can remove the nut, pull the flange, change the seal, put back and have the same preload on the pinion by tightening down to only where your marks match up and no further. 


taking it off and then running it back home you risk over crushing a crush sleeve if its not something you do daily.  then bearings kaboom. 

[etk300ex]

Removed.  Non-greaseable pivot ball, which I assume means it’s been replaced.  All free, no play.  Reinstalled. 

[etk300ex]

I’ll order the pinion seal and drop it off

[etk300ex]

Am I missing something here or is the 1. Pinion seal and 5. Pinion seal sleeve one piece?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk