american axle woes...help!!!

[Seaner]

Dealer replaced left rear hub and bearings yesterday(under warranty), and today the truck locked up on freeway for split second(scary!!!)gear oil smell and smoke from left axle, and quit rolling as I was pulling into service driveway at dealer. With all of the nightmares I have been reading about american axle rear ends, I am worried about how this is gonna turn out. Should I try to insist that they replace the whole diff?? I don't want it to go out later when Im towing my 5er just because they only wanted to fix the "obvious" problems.



When the diff locked up it felt like something stuck and then broke loose all at the same time. Gear oil was leaking from backing plate area, so I am sure the diff got dry and smoked. Anybody got similar experience, advice, good words??? I love my truck, but I am a bit paranoid at the moment!! I hope DC does the right thing for me. #@$%!

 

[roperteacher]

I haven't heard of very many AAM failures on this board... I do read a lot of duscussion on which weight of fluid is best, etc... I would probably insist on a whole new real axle assembly. If it was leaking fluid I hope the tech didn't forget something and thats what caused the failure... Please keep us posted!! What kid of symptoms were you having when you took it in for the ORIGIONAL repair?

 

[jnelson]

Freind of mine had his diff worked on at 72,000 under waranty. diff went out again at 142,000. Fell under the 12 month unlimited mileage warranty. paid $536. 00 labor to fix. lasted 1 week. mechanic said axle is probobly out of wack causing bearing to burn up. dodge replaced the rear end for $500. so he basically got a whole new rear end for $1,036. 00. Not to bad a deal.

 

[Seaner]

I haven't heard of very many AAM failures on this board... I do read a lot of duscussion on which weight of fluid is best, etc... I would probably insist on a whole new real axle assembly. If it was leaking fluid I hope the tech didn't forget something and thats what caused the failure... Please keep us posted!! What kid of symptoms were you having when you took it in for the ORIGIONAL repair?

Truck was dignosed with a mis-machined hub assembly. I was experiencing severe wheel hop in the rear, and when I got the 19. 5's rotated, we(TCI tech and I) ran the truck with rear end on stands and it was obvious that the hub was out of round. I told dealer what we had observed, they diagnosed and agreed, stating hub mis-machining?

 

[Seaner]

I am not trying to say the AAM is bad setup, I just seem to remember reading posts on how much better the DANA 80 was, and that AAM gears are very "brittle" and more prone to breaking.



This failure is no fault of the rear end assembly, but more the fault of a technician failing to re-assemble correctly. Had not 1 issue with diff prior to this hub change. IMHO

 

[roperteacher]

I totally agree with you!! THe Dana 80's I do believe were more of a solid set up. . I have driven CTD's all my life from 1989 to 2007 and the only rear diff problems I have had are from the 3rd gens ( AAM). My 04. 5 had to have the rear end replaced with 600 miles on it. Was howling like crazy and burning up fluid. Tech must have been ok because once fixed, it was OK. .

 

[pcarlson]

We had a rash of diffs come in about a month ago. Carriers and ring/pinnion problems. Most got new carriers and ring and pinnions. Some were just never adjusted correctly from the factory. Most made noise driving loaded and unloaded.



So between that and the front axle joints are you happy with AAM?

 

[Regcabguy]

We had a rash of diffs come in about a month ago. Carriers and ring/pinnion problems. Most got new carriers and ring and pinnions. Some were just never adjusted correctly from the factory. Most made noise driving loaded and unloaded.



So between that and the front axle joints are you happy with AAM?

Hopefully,I've got a good one. I'm just so impressed with the driveability of this truck over my '99. It would have been nice if D/C could have cured the steering and brakes(rear drums of the 98. 5-2001) and kept the Dana stuff. Factory free-spin hubs up front would have been a winner too. Let the guys who don't want to get out and lock their hubs,pay for the fulltime junk.

 

[DPKetchum]

Unless l've missd something other then some pinion seals and the once in a rare moon a axel seal (which failed on Danas also) I've sure haven't seen posts on three differant Dodge sites about any AAM nightmres. Need yours torn down and see what the TECH faliled to torque or tighten. Sounds like a pin or bolt came loose and got between gears? First get it apart and let us know whats found. I'd like to be standing their when it gets broke down!

 

[Seaner]

Unless l've missd something other then some pinion seals and the once in a rare moon a axel seal (which failed on Danas also) I've sure haven't seen posts on three differant Dodge sites about any AAM nightmres. Need yours torn down and see what the TECH faliled to torque or tighten. Sounds like a pin or bolt came loose and got between gears? First get it apart and let us know whats found. I'd like to be standing their when it gets broke down!

I probably should have stated it differently. I guess the "nightmare" I am referring to is more of a DC/technician/dealership issue. Opening the proverbial "can of worms" trying to fix one minor issue, only to create a much larger issue, and trying to fix with a band-aid to save money. That is what I have read about and what worries me. I understand that techs are human and do make mistakes, I don't think the dealer's service dept is incompetent either. My main concern is future problems with the rear end as a result of this incident, I hate having my truck in the shop.



Good news is that they got it back fully broken, which should eliminate the diagnosis questions, and there is no doubt that this problem is a result of the attempt to replace the hub.

 

[Dieselnerd]

The rear Dana 70 on my 1996 4x4 CTD failed at 40,000 miles. Spun the bearings and put a lot of metal in the rear end. I was running Dodge synthetic 75-140 as recommended for towing. It was out of warranty, Dealer supplied parts, I paid for labor. I was only towing a 7000 Fiver at the time. I've had no problems whatever with my '05 and when changing the diff fluid at 15,000 miles it was like new and I now tow a trailer twice as heavy as the earlier one.

 

[Seaner]

Well my service guy called me today and said they are ordering a whole new rear axle assembly for my truck. They expect to have the truck for about a week while the parts come in. They are providing me with a rental vehicle in the meantime, so I am feeling about as good as can be expected at this point. I will post more info as I get it. Oo.