2006 Driveshaft is a non-service item

[HBarlow]

My 2006 Ram 3500 with 132k miles developed a bad driveline vibration between 62 and 68 mph last week and at the same time began losing a significant quantity of transmission lube from the transmission extension housing seal. I attempted to complete a delivery from Los Angeles to eastern OK but was losing fluid so rapidly I had to turn my load over to another driver and take the truck to a dealer in Kingman, AZ.



Without even putting the truck up on a lift the technician determined that I was going to be there a week and they would have to replace the entire rear transmission housing because the inner bushing surrounding the output shaft was worn and replace the driveshaft because one or more of the u-joints were bad. Parts were estimated to cost around $1100 plus several hundred in labor. I assumed they were trying to take advantage and told them to replace the transmission rear seal and I would limp it home where I could talk to mechanics and shops I know and trust.



Well, today I'm home. I got the driveshaft out and took it to a trusted driveline shop. What I learned was very disappointing. The driveshaft is a non-serviceable AAM part. The u-joints are held in place not by removable c-clips but by plastic injected into the empty space. It was surprising to look at the crappy looking driveshaft tubes which were not machined for trueness but had external balance weights literally welded on all over the shafts. It looked like something made in a Communist Chinese wheelbarrow factory. The worst feature is that the transmission output shaft and driveshaft front yolk have a shaft and splines identical in size and shape to a 1/2 ton Chevy p/u with 350ci gas V8 engine. According to the machinists at the driveline shop the '06 uses a cheaper, poorer quality part than the '03-'05s. I asked the shop to search for compatible serviceable end parts that will match up to the Dodge 48RE output shaft and AAM differential and fabricate new machined and balanced tubes. They were skeptical because they told me AAM has a tendency to manufacture driveline components that are not serviceable and for which repair parts are not available. I don't know yet what the final outcome will be.



The driveline shop hand tested the u-joints on my shaft for wear or binding and could not find a joint that was worn sufficiently to cause the driveline vibration between 62 and 68 mph. I am worried that the problem is caused by a worn transmission output shaft and splines and similar wear in the driveshaft front yolk. The thought of replacing the driveshaft and the output shaft of the transmission once a year is not confidence building.



I had no driveline problems with my '01 dually in almost 325k miles. It had a quality Dana rear end and probably Dana-Spicer u-joints. I sold a better truck than I'm currently driving!



My love for Dodge duallies suffered a huge hit today. I'm now considering what my options are for the future.



If anyone has any information to shed light on my problem I'd be grateful to hear it.



Harvey

 

[Forrest Nearing]

have the driveshaft shop build you a new servicable driveshaft

 

[sag2]

I looked up both shafts they list for 06 3500 2 piece shaft and one was $402. 00 and the other $444. 00. That is complete with yoke and center support bearing. It will be the same as the one you have, but they are both available.

 

[AMassaro]

have the driveshaft shop build you a new servicable driveshaft

Exactly. I've had cust driveshafts built for extreme duty and the only cost $300-$400 and stood up to 1000hp. Any driveshaft shop should be able to do this and I'm surprised the one you went to didn't offer you this option.

 

[TowPro]

They been using plastic to lock Ujoints for years. You take a torch and heat it up, all the plastic comes out. The replacment Ujoints have inside clips that go on the cups.

 

[HBarlow]

They been using plastic to lock Ujoints for years. You take a torch and heat it up, all the plastic comes out. The replacment Ujoints have inside clips that go on the cups.

A friend who is a former Dodge dealership transmission specialist told me the same thing yesterday. I repeated his comments to the driveline shop machinists. Their reply was, "your friend clearly doesn't know what he is talking about. " "The last thing you want to put on the end of a driveshaft is a torch. " They went on to explain that the torch weakens the metal and will likely result in a metal fatigue failure.



I make no claims here to being a mechanic, technician, engineer, or machinist. I am gathering information and suggestions and evaluating them for truth, accuracy, and appropriateness as a solution to my problem.



As I mentioned in my first post, the machine shop told me yesterday that the end fittings that mate with my transmission and differential are not immediately available and they do not think they can fabricate a driveshaft for my application. I will visit them again this a. m. to see if they have been able to locate the parts in further research. They told me yesterday that my '06 yolk and u-joints are different than earlier Gen III trucks they have worked on.



I am going to call Bill Kondolay at DTT in Abbotsford, BC this a. m. and ask him if he has rebuilt an '06 48RE and if the output shaft is the same as in '03 through '05 Rams. I will also ask if he has a solution to my driveshaft problem.



If anyone has any knowledge of this problem I'd appreciate hearing from you.



Harvey

 

[HGreen]

Its interesting what is being said about non-serviceable driveshaft. MY 06 2500 4x4 quad cab, short wheel base, has a rapid response recall outstanding that says that they need to check the driveshafts for improper machining of the snap ring groove on the yokes that would be used to hold the universal joints in once they are taken apart. Yes, there is a grove on the yokes to hold a circle clip. This listing that was shared with me had about 15 serial numbers on it and was dated 2/06, mine was built 8/06.



Just checked the service manual, the u-joints are to be pressed out, they show using a c-clamp, and snap rings are used to put them back together. See section 3-151 Propeller Shaft.

 

[HBarlow]

Each tiny bit of new information that I receive is more surprising. My driveshaft, lying on the floor at the driveline shop yesterday has no c-clip or snap ring grooves and the machine shop folks were emphatic that my shaft, as installed in the truck, is a throw away item. The fact that the driveline mechanic at the Dodge dealer in Kingman, AZ earlier this week determined that my driveshaft and tailshaft housing would both have to be replaced not repaired without putting my truck on a lift or even removing the driveshaft tells me he may have known something he didn't explain to me. My first thought was he was trying to take advantage, now I'm wondering if he had been there before.



HGreen's post above causes me to wonder if a 2500 SB 4x4 has different driveline components than my LB DRW 3500.



I plugged my truck's VIN into the Dodge recall website about ten to twelve days ago and the response was "no recalls. "



Harvey

 

[brista]

A friend who is a former Dodge dealership transmission specialist told me the same thing yesterday. I repeated his comments to the driveline shop machinists. Their reply was, "your friend clearly doesn't know what he is talking about. " "The last thing you want to put on the end of a driveshaft is a torch. " They went on to explain that the torch weakens the metal and will likely result in a metal fatigue failure.

Your driveshaft shop machinists comments are a load of nonsense. You could ask him what happens when they weld the yokes onto the tubes? What happens to that heat? Fatigue causing failure? Nonsense. I have changed lots of u-joints in light and heavy duty trucks and from time to time have had to resort to a torch to heat or to cut the u-joint out with no issues whatsoever.



Brian

 

[brista]

Each tiny bit of new information that I receive is more surprising. My driveshaft, lying on the floor at the driveline shop yesterday has no c-clip or snap ring grooves and the machine shop folks were emphatic that my shaft, as installed in the truck, is a throw away item. The fact that the driveline mechanic at the Dodge dealer in Kingman, AZ earlier this week determined that my driveshaft and tailshaft housing would both have to be replaced not repaired without putting my truck on a lift or even removing the driveshaft tells me he may have known something he didn't explain to me. My first thought was he was trying to take advantage, now I'm wondering if he had been there before.

I'll look under my truck today while out at the shop and see what I can see and post back.

 

[Hercules130]

I think you need to find a different drivline shop. When i had to replace the ujoints on my 91 toyota, i had to use a torch to heat the caps up and get the plastic to shoot out. I just don't think there is any other way.

 

[brista]

I just looked under my 06 dually. It has a march build date. The u-joints are held in the yokes with resin but there are c-clip grooves on the external side of all yokes on the complete shaft for utilizing replacement u-joints. Hope this helps.



On edit: I see yours in an august build date. Could be a difference. Do the u-joint caps sit flush with the end of the yoke? If so it is likely the replacement u-joints would have the c-clip on the inner part of the caps. This is also a popular u-joint design.

 

[steved]

Your driveshaft shop machinists comments are a load of nonsense. You could ask him what happens when they weld the yokes onto the tubes? What happens to that heat? Fatigue causing failure? Nonsense. I have changed lots of u-joints in light and heavy duty trucks and from time to time have had to resort to a torch to heat or to cut the u-joint out with no issues whatsoever.



Brian

I agree... the "cv" joint on even the AAM trucks is still a "spicer" end IIRC... the ujoint on the diff is AAM, but I am pretty sure mine says spicer on the "cv".



And while that is neither here-nor-there, the fact is they have been using the plastic injected retaining system since AT LEAST 1974 in the dodge trucks (I know, I owned a 1974 ramcharger with it... ). And while the plactic is a manufacturing process, the replacement joints will be held in with clips just like any other ujoint.



If I was in your place, I'd be flat out telling the shop they are a bunch of idiots and that I seriously wounder how they managed to survive on their limited knowledge of drivetrain repairs.



IMO, I'd find another shop.



steved

 

[HGreen]

Found an error in my post, the build date should have been 8/05 not 06. Yes my yokes have grooves for internal circle clips, and the shop manual doen't distinguish between bed lenght when describing disassembly instructions, but does have sections on one and two piece rear shafts.



Also my drive shaft rapid recall does not show up on Dodge's recall web site. I didn't know about it until I took it in for the roll over valve recall and was told about it.

 

[mgoncalves]

The shop doesn't know how to change the u-joints with plastic keepers, and they want you to throw away your driveshaft because they "hand" tested the u-joints?



You need to find a different shop. Even if you have a new driveshaft built, I wouldn't trust that outfit to handle the job.

 

[bmoeller]

Your driveshaft shop machinists comments are a load of nonsense. You could ask him what happens when they weld the yokes onto the tubes? What happens to that heat? Fatigue causing failure? Nonsense. I have changed lots of u-joints in light and heavy duty trucks and from time to time have had to resort to a torch to heat or to cut the u-joint out with no issues whatsoever.

I agree. I've used a torch to cut plenty of rusted in crosses. No problems.



Besides, it doesn't take much heat to melt plastic.

 

[KParsons]

red hot yokes

i must have burned out 8to10 set of u joints on my 94 ford. they go bad every year. i really was hard on them. the heat never seemed to bother them. the shaft was getting very rusty,might of snapped soon!. go to a better shop. get a new one made. kp

 

[Matt400]

I never have have bothered with heat on those, I just press em out snapping the plastic bond. Just make sure the cap is not pointed at anyone!

 

[MoparDave]

I'd run away from that driveline shop, when i worked for Mr. Goodwrench I used heat to replace u-joints on a weekly basis. When the yoke is hot enough the plastic will begin to ooze out and then press the joint out of the yoke.

 

[brista]

Found an error in my post, the build date should have been 8/05 not 06. Yes my yokes have grooves for internal circle clips, and the shop manual doen't distinguish between bed lenght when describing disassembly instructions, but does have sections on one and two piece rear shafts.



Also my drive shaft rapid recall does not show up on Dodge's recall web site. I didn't know about it until I took it in for the roll over valve recall and was told about it.

Looks like you are in business then, get yourself some u-joints and get them changed somewhere.