Attention: TDR Forum Junkies :-{} 
02 Ram 2500 H. O. Cummins, NV5600 with Dana 80 & 4:10 Gears (Amsoil front to back). This rig should pull a Mountain, and did for 12,000 miles. Total miles is 71K and last 12K was pulling a 34 Montana. 2 weeks ago after coming across the Blue Ridge in Tenn, (700 miles short of the end of 3 month pull), I noticed a funny growl coming from the differential. I know the sound of ring and pinion dying. Put the truck in Dodge dealer at Newport Tenn. Bad news was the ring carrier bearings (one in particular). Worst news from tearing the thing down was that the one carrier bearing that really went south was pitted from day one when I took delivery of the truck. Of all the bearings in the Differential, only one was american made (rear pinion timken), all others were Japanese (KOYO). Thats not to say that they're inferior, but Dana had to be remiss when they built the assembly. There is no way that a bearing will pit before the rear end is put into service unless the environment that the bearings or full assembly are placed is not protected from the elements while stored on the shelf. To get the truck out of hock took 1100. 00 dollars. Bottom line for this post is you can spend alot of money thinking your buying something strong and long lifed, and it boils down to the sub-assembly quality that Dodge has outsourced to someone else. I retained all of the bearings for a wall plaque, since I think I know what dodge will tell me to do with them, ,, and it would probably be really uncomfortable.
02 Ram 2500 H. O. Cummins, NV5600 with Dana 80 & 4:10 Gears (Amsoil front to back). This rig should pull a Mountain, and did for 12,000 miles. Total miles is 71K and last 12K was pulling a 34 Montana. 2 weeks ago after coming across the Blue Ridge in Tenn, (700 miles short of the end of 3 month pull), I noticed a funny growl coming from the differential. I know the sound of ring and pinion dying. Put the truck in Dodge dealer at Newport Tenn. Bad news was the ring carrier bearings (one in particular). Worst news from tearing the thing down was that the one carrier bearing that really went south was pitted from day one when I took delivery of the truck. Of all the bearings in the Differential, only one was american made (rear pinion timken), all others were Japanese (KOYO). Thats not to say that they're inferior, but Dana had to be remiss when they built the assembly. There is no way that a bearing will pit before the rear end is put into service unless the environment that the bearings or full assembly are placed is not protected from the elements while stored on the shelf. To get the truck out of hock took 1100. 00 dollars. Bottom line for this post is you can spend alot of money thinking your buying something strong and long lifed, and it boils down to the sub-assembly quality that Dodge has outsourced to someone else. I retained all of the bearings for a wall plaque, since I think I know what dodge will tell me to do with them, ,, and it would probably be really uncomfortable.
