Drag link weld question (sorry!)

[Ram4Sam]

There always this.......

 

[Grumpy8811]

Once aligned to Thuren spec all these Dodge steering problems are a thing of the past. It steers like any other straight axle truck afterwards. No death wobble, no pulling, no shimmy, no nothing.
Dodge alignment spec numbers are just crap from the factory.
Rant over.

might have to try that .

 

[Cummins2014]

I know this is old news but I'm at the point where the Ram dealer cannot complete an alignment due to the so called fix. I contact RamCare and was told they no longer handle it. It has to go through the dealer to the regional office (or something like that). Dealer started it on their end, I started it on my end with RamCare though I'm not sure why. I have been told a new drag link was denied at whatever level the dealer deals with and they are now trying a different route.

This seems to be total bunk. Poor part by RAM, poor "solution" by RAM, poor customer service by RAM. Has any else gone through this recently and been totally denied? Anyone make it through and get a new part? Dealer has been trying but it seems like the clog is higher up.

Apparently things have changed . I contacted RamCare , two phone calls ,and My dealer of choice replaced my drag link . A bit of confusion on the dealers part to start ,took the truck over ,got a call about noon ,can't do it ,no part . Two part #'s one for the recall ,and one if you are buying off the shelve . Correct part # was ordered ,and a couple days later got it done .

As far as the welds go ,I would not let them weld mine . First recall was to check , retighten to see if they were okay , mine was . From what I understand that first check on the recall if bad ,it was replaced , if not you were sent on your way like mine . Later they recalled all of them to be welded, that was their permanent fix , unless like some contacted RamCare , and got it replaced .

 

[Cummins12V98]

I would not let them weld mine so before I took it in for another reason I mixed up JB Weld and made what appeared to be spot welds and then hit it with black paint. Took it to the dealer and they marked it off the recall list. Later on when I thought my track bar was bad they decided it was the drag link and replaced it with the new part number.

 

[AMink]

Well, I just heard back again from the service writer at the dealer. Ram Care has denied any type of help, from a full replacement to anything else. The dealer won't help either. I asked if they could cut the weld and align and he said they could try that but there'd be a charge. I basically said that's ********. They built a crap part, had a crap fix, now crap on me. This is the simple kind of stuff that brings customers back. Or not. I have the name of the service manager and will be calling him next week to discuss. I know there are other options but this moved beyond that. If others have been given satisfaction, so should those of us who haven't yet.

 

[Topzide]

@AMink, Good luck! I've been waging this battle for quite some time now, with no change. I wouldn't allow them to even weld the drag link from the beginning. It's now radio silence from them when I bring up the subject. The dealers how no power to get it replaced. Ram Cares are the one pulling the strings on this one! Even shops don't want to adjust the drag link if not even been welded! The specs in their machines only list alignment without using the drag link! What a load of CRAP!

 

[Grumpy8811]

how many years now has the drag link and weld story persisted?
If I remember correctly the only reason MOPAR recalled the drag link was because a few slipped thru production with poor threads
where the jam nuts secure the adjusting turnbuckle which potentially could cause the part to lose adjustment or eventually fall apart
given enough time and lack of inspection.

Don't know the numbers of defective threads on drag links but I bet it is miniscule
so it really wouldn't take much to check the tightness of the jam nuts if a person was to worry about it
and not bother with Mopar at all.

it really doesn't seem like it was any more of an issue than the lug nut fiasco
that got blown out of proportion some years back.

 

[AMink]

Don't know the numbers of defective threads on drag links but I bet it is miniscule
so it really wouldn't take much to check the tightness of the jam nuts if a person was to worry about it
and not bother with Mopar at all.

The number may be minuscule but the problem is mine has been welded and now Ram is refusing to fix the fix to the point where I can get a proper alignment. Yes, it would be great to not have to deal with them about it but it was THEIR bad fix on THEIR bad part. That's what has me pissed.

 

[Ozymandias]

There is a time to stop the anger and just buy the updated version, let go, you won't find true satisfaction walking down this road.
It's not worth it.

And yes, RAM sucks if it comes to that drag link recall and solution.

I have high hopes in the new Boss that just started out in Office to solve all these issues in short time as he has with the Jeep Transmission case and the HEMI in the Dodges - coming back to give the Customers what they demand.

 

[petersonj]

There is a time to stop the anger and just buy the updated version, let go, you won't find true satisfaction walking down this road.
It's not worth it

I agree. @AMink , fix it right at your cost and enjoy the truck. If you still can't let it go, then keep your receipts and contact someone higher up the ladder that cares - maybe you will get reimbursed, maybe not - but you will know that your truck is fixed right and can be properly aligned like the rest of the trucks on the road.

- John

 

[Grumpy8811]

I have high hopes in the new Boss that just started out in Office to solve all these issues in short time as he has with the Jeep Transmission case and the HEMI in the Dodges - coming back to give the Customers what they demand.

yeah, this is one of those corporate decisions that makes a person shake their head, figure they have millions invested in development of that new engine meanwhile
plenty of their potential customers would prefer they stick with what they had. So do they offer both or try to force a Hurricane down customers throats..

 

[Ozymandias]

There is no Muscle Car without a V8 - so, dump the V8 means dump the whole brand in case if Dodge.

 

[Grumpy8811]

There is no Muscle Car without a V8 - so, dump the V8 means dump the whole brand in case if Dodge.

face facts, when you let a European make product choices for the American customer, it probably isn't going to go well.

it doesn't help when the Feds were forcing electrification either.

maybe Mopar should take a lesson from Harley Davidson and decide it knows exactly what it is and offer a product aimed at a specific target instead of forcing something on a buyer than has plenty of options to go in a different direction..

meanwhile even Honda and Nissan are not thriving, so they are trying to merge..

 

[sag2]

The number may be minuscule but the problem is mine has been welded and now Ram is refusing to fix the fix to the point where I can get a proper alignment. Yes, it would be great to not have to deal with them about it but it was THEIR bad fix on THEIR bad part. That's what has me pissed.

What is the problem, steering wheel off center, or toe out of specification? If toe is out, by how much?

 

[JR]

Safety recalls do not expire. This is fed law.
Keep pushing. Perhaps try a different dealer.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I never got my drag link welded. After the new style drag link became available, my dealer installed it.

 

[JR]

I am about to schedule an appointment to get my 67A completed. It'll be the first recall I've had performed on my truck since the SCR recall which replaced the cat and eliminated the ammonia sensor. Paint match marks still line up on the jam nuts.

 

[Topzide]

Just got a 600 mile run in after the 67A was done. Ran 75 - 80 through western MD and PA mountains. 16 mpg with winter fuel and about a 1/3 tank of DEF. No trailer but loaded heavy with gear and Christmas goodies. Ran about them same as before on same trip. need to get another one under belt to compare the before and afters. Did find DEF at a TSC for $12.99 5 gall and $6.86 2.5 gal! Was the Travelers brand, which I've run before.

 

[Grumpy8811]

Just got a 600 mile run in after the 67A was done. Ran 75 - 80 through western MD and PA mountains. 16 mpg with winter fuel and about a 1/3 tank of DEF. No trailer but loaded heavy with gear and Christmas goodies. Ran about them same as before on same trip. need to get another one under belt to compare the before and afters. Did find DEF at a TSC for $12.99 5 gall and $6.86 2.5 gal! Was the Travelers brand, which I've run before.

by regulation all DEF is exactly the same, DEF is a specific chemical compound no matter where it is purchased or how much it costs or how cute the advertising is for it.
Only thing that can possibly be different is the age or the conditions that it was stored under.

 

[sag2]

What is the problem, steering wheel off center, or toe out of specification? If toe is out, by how much?

Well the OP never answered. I talked to a technician friend and he indicated that just as I mentioned, the toe can be set using the new procedure for a welded drag link, but steering wheel can no longer be centered. He said when they can set the toe, but not center the steering wheel, they have never been denied replacing the drag link. He said they have done quite a few, and they are a pretty large dealer. He also said that he had never heard of a customer calling the call center requesting a replacement being refused as long as they had an invoice indicating the alignment cannot be properly completed. So sounds like you may need a new dealer.