2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission HA! What a mechanic.

[NETim]

It all started with vibration at road speed. The vibration seemed to emanate from the front end, the passenger side in particular.



The passenger tire was feathered on the inside edge, the driver's side, on the outside edge. That, coupled with the miles count at nearly 77K and the vibration, had me looking at the front end.



The track bar had movement. Most, if not all, of the tie rods/tie rod ends had slack in 'em.



Wholesale replacement of front end parts. FE alignment. Tires rotated.



Vibration lessened but now it seems to be coming more from the truck's hindquarters.



Driveline inspection. The u-joint just in front of the rear axle seems to be sloppy. I take it to the neighborhood mechanic and tell him I think that u-joint might be bad.



He slides under the truck and about 1. 5 seconds later, and without touching anything, he announces, "It's shot. " Just by looking. It was that bad. So much for my mechanic'ing abilities.



Truck drives like a dream now with the new front end, SSI track bar and a good u-joint in it.

 

[SRath]

My truck has been a paint shaker for so long that individual vibrations are impossible to discern. I have had smoother rides on the motocross track. If I posted photos of my front tires you would recoil in horror.

The upside of that is the amount of fuel it has saved me. It is SO miserable to drive, that I will do anything to get out of having to drive it. Ride my motorcycle in downpouring rain. Cruise for chicks in my '90 Subaru Justy. Borrow my wife's S-10 momsbus. Hitchhike.

Despite being extremely busy with the steering wheel at all times (and it is even worse when the truck is moving), I recently noticed a new instrument in the tire-howling symphony that is my truck in motion: A clunk.

I draw the line at clunks.

So $165 later, my front driveshaft is completely rebuilt. The driveshaft shop noticed evidence of loose u-joint straps on the shiny-in-spots u-joint caps. New straps were also purchased.

During the few days my front driveshaft was removed, I still had a "clunk" so back under the truck in search of more bad news I go...

I couldn't really find a decent u-joint on the rear shaft either, and it had three chances. The carrier bearing is also suspect. I also found the rear u-joint strap bolts were slightly less than finger tight and halfway backed out. Apparently, when I had the transmission shop fix my 5th gear nut, they failed to torque or loctite those dinky bolts. I have no doubt that was what caused the loose front driveshaft straps, too. And you have to believe that a driveshaft slopping around in the straps probably contributed to accelerated u-joint failure.

It amazes me that I didn't twist my rear driveshaft right out of the pinion yoke. Now the truck is in my shop, (well, halfway in anyway since it won't fit all the way, but who needs security or weather shelter?) getting a bumper-to-bumper bite-the-bullet fix-it-once-and-for-all going over. That should only take about $5000. Nothing that cannot be fixed and even improved. It is the down time that concerns me. I'm talking months. Not for the repairs; for the time I will need to scrape $5K together that can be spared for this truck.

It will be far cheaper and faster to bring the old K30 Chevy out of mothballs and drop the new engine in it. Maybe even a new paintjob.

If I had only ignored that danged "clunk" none of this would be happening...

But the good news is: I think I may have the only '96 Ram in existence with a flawless, uncracked dash still!