I'm startin to hate this truck!!

[JHardwick]

Okay, I can deal with the alternator bracket as an engineering flaw with a quick fix.



I had a hard time understanding why I had to make 3 trips to the dealer for an air box mixing door/AC problem seein as how they have had heaters and AC in vehicles since way before I was born ... ... ..... not to mention the price tag ... ... ... ... . but I can deal with it.



Now this I am having a terrible time with.



I have already posted this to some degree, but I'm gettin mad now.



@ ~ 25,000mi I need a new rear drive shaft because the u-joints are shot and they can't get the assembly balanced with new u-joints.



@~ 50,000mi same situation with the rear driveshaft, but now I need a u-joint in the front axle and 2 new front hubs.



U-joints are on back order so I took my truck home. They were okay with that and didn't advise otherwise.



Yesterday I'm coming off the highway and this thing starts vibrating so bad it nearly took my eye teeth out!



I got out and crawled under it and the only play I can really find is in the carrier and the left front axle which I knew was bad because of the clinking coming to a stop and the tech @ DC who is on top of it all.



I try to drive off and it literally felt like the driveshaft was loose and beating the dents back up from the underside of the bed!



I finally limped the couple miles to my shop and finished up some work not knowing how I was gonna get home, but thinking f*ck'em they designed this POS!!!



So, a few hours later I fire up the trustworthy Cummins and head to the house ... ... ... ... . very little vibration By the time I drive the 30mi home, the vibration is only as bad as it was when I took it in to DC



I'm starting to think it's the carrier and not the u-joints at all.



Beyond that, what truck needs rear u-joints every 25,000mi and front hub assemblies every 50,000mi?



Crazy.



Another thing I noticed. When you open your door to get out of this tin can, do you hit the door stop? I guess I do and imagine most people do. For some reason, my eye caught the hinge area the other day getting out ... ... ... ..... look at what the hinges are fastened to and how bad it deforms while simply opening the door. The motor may last 1000,000mi, but I'll prolly be without doors!!!!!!!



I'm done now!



On edit ... ... .....



I have another concern. My '99 4x2 dually needed ball joints some where around 70,000mi ... ... ... ... ... yeah, I'm looking foreward to that too Oo.

 

[DarkRAM]

Enough already, I ordered my '05 so I wouldn't have to deal with the Vp44 and the auto transmission any more and your scaring the h*** out of me, now I have to deal with crappy u-joints and unbalanced drive shafts, not to mention the doors falling off! thanks alot. I hope you feel better.

 

[JHardwick]

ummmmmmmmm, no ... ... ... ... truck still ain't fixed and I'm supposed to drag horses to a poker ride Sat morning.



$40,000 and 50,000mi, I should be able to hit the key without any concerns!!

 

[DarkRAM]

you're absolutely right with that kind of investment you should expect more. best of luck getting there without any problems this weekend.

 

[Tomeygun]

just so people dont get the wrong impression,



I have an 03 with 35K on it, and not a hint of these problems... I can only hope this is a rare case of how a dodge HD will last



Jhardwick: sorry to hear of your problems, I would trade that lemon off and get a new one, and roll the dice that you get the other 99. 9% (a good/reliable truck)

 

[Bob4x4]

tomeygun,

I am with you on that. I work on these trucks everyday. I have been very impressed with the quality and capability of the 3rd gens. To date I have had only 1 stock 3rd gen with a fuel system concern. That my friends is a huge improvement from the 2nd gen 24v's!And leaps and bounds ahead of the Chevys and Fords. With the release of the comon rail my diesel work load has dropped drasticly. Lucky for me there are still a ton of Vp-44 trucks still out there.



Bob

 

[catoiler]

Bob,Can you shed a little light as to why my A/C won't blow out the right side?Also some times it is warm and the driver side is cold?These pin heads up here said it is normal!When I get the turbo on I will bring it down for ya to fix right!



Mike

 

[CBradford]

i'm having some rear driveshaft issues also but i don't think it's from the ujoints... ... every once in a while when i have the truck loaded down and hit a dip in the road i was hearing some bearing noise from the rear of the truck... ... . it would whine as the rear suspension compressed and then go away a bit up the road... ... the only other source i can think of is the slip yoke at the back of the tcase... ... seems that the shaft is slipping too far into the tcase and putting a side load on that bearing... ... i have also wiggled the slip yoke and it is loose on the splines..... the joints seem tight tho..... not sure how much the slip yoke should have?... ... also the little plastic/rubber wiper is about to fall off the tail shaft..... any one else having this experience?

 

[DCaswell]

New yoke & seal @ 50k, then 2 U's, also lift pump, inj pump & rear diff. The diff howled from new but when I took it in just after getting it was told "tire noise" & said to self screwem & waited till near end of warranty. Ball joints need replacing soon & have less than 80k on mine. Any suspension & driveline parts that go on now will sure as hell not come from DC. Have my EZ set on 2 now but was on 3 from new till last month. I think that if you are buying one of these trucks for personal use they are perfect but they are not designed as a work truck. Ford owns the market with their 450 & 550 series but I just do not like Fords. Thinking next truck will be an FL70 or T300

 

[ttreibel]

When Dodge goes with the lower bid on these parts we all pay in the end. I feel the design is great it's just the low bid parts that are making the problems. In the 3/4 ton and 1 ton models they really should set them up better with quality joints and shocks and spend a few more minutes setting up the drive line.



I to will probably not use my warranty for replacing u-joints bearings ball joints and shocks who would want the same junk back on your truck? I feel Dodge is just helping out the local chapters ensuring many BOMB parties in the future with the 3rd gens

 

[hasselbach]

wasn't it xcumminsx that said Fords were Crap? This seems to be a common problem among many based on the numerous amounts of posts on these similar issues. Heck, I'd be happy if my truck didn't pull so hard to the right all the time. Made a call to customer service, had a file pulled, they guaranteed me a call back in 48 hours. Yeah, that was one week ago. .

 

[David Pendleton]

Can you give me some more details on your AC problem? I believe I am having similar problems. I've made one trip to the dealer...



Thanks.



Dave

 

[catoiler]

The air flow out the right side vents is about 1/3 of the other side and some times is is hot on the right side while it is cold on the left. The idiots said they tried another truck and it was the same so that is normal!Guess we pay good money for these things only to have some minimum wage fool tell us to live with it! I think Not!

 

[DPKetchum]

Mines got the SAME ac problem. My neighbors 03 does also. His just started this at around 130k mines got only 12,500. Both were ok until recently. I think this ac stuff is going to be a BIG issue shortly. I do know you can turn the temp dial up a air when this is occuring and ac will start to cool back down again. The dealer I deal with said STAR told hem up to 12 degrees differance from left to right side was normal. BULL thats just a cop out. I have two ac thermometers in mine and when its ok there is about 2 to 3 degrees differance and then wham the right side gets real warm. Turn temp dail up a hair and they settle back down to near same temp. ALSO my neighbor has almost 150k on his 03 4x4 6 speed with NO problems other the a flash for check gauges and the up dated powersteering hose. Same brake pads,didn't change any driveline fliuds until 90k and got 90k off first set of tires! He just towed a three horse trailer with 3 horses in it from up north(total 3200 miles in a few days)and averaged 16. 1 mpg.

 

[ntenna]

On the matter of stuff breaking

Well, J- all I cam tell you is to scrap with your dealer. Mine did the airbox fix (dash out and all) at N/C.



Amazes me the varying treatment we all get between dealers.



PS- you sure you don't have a tire belt going? Lots of vibration (hot tire), none after it sits a while?



Jh

 

[catoiler]

This truck does not have the dual air controls!It worked fine till about 14000 miles,and I agree they are trying to take the easy out!!

 

[jsimpson]

Mebbe you oughta go ahead and get the warranty repairs done anyway. Loose ball joints eat tires for lunch. I'm gonna get my ball joints done by warranty until warranty expires. By then, I hope Moog will have replacements.

 

[rbattelle]

Another thing I noticed. When you open your door to get out of this tin can, do you hit the door stop? I guess I do and imagine most people do. For some reason, my eye caught the hinge area the other day getting out ... ... ... ..... look at what the hinges are fastened to and how bad it deforms while simply opening the door. The motor may last 1000,000mi, but I'll prolly be without doors!!!!!!!

I have noticed exactly the same thing. I think the sheet metal on these trucks is very thin.

 

[PJ]

Well, here is my 2 cents worth. My 04 was a total turd from day one. 10 months, Countless alignments, one set of ball joints and a trashed set of BF Goodrich tires and 12,000 miles, the local dealer took it in trade for $3500 less than I paid and sold me my new one for 2% under invoice. I upgraded to a 1 ton and got the atlantic blue. The darker blue showed the cheap paint worse as the rock chips showed up from a block away. So far Im happy as heII with my new 600. It only has 500 miles and is getting 12. 5 mpg, but with hope and next week pulling my 30' trailer up the steepest grade on interstate 5 to break this baby in, Im hopeing Ill have a truck that will be a keeper. The worst mpg I got with my 04 ho 305/555 was 16. 5mpg. . I hope this baby improves soon. Otherwise, Ill be in line for another one in 2006 with the larger cab. As for this truck, the paint is beautiful, (so far) (I installed the mopar mud flaps as soon as it hit my driveway) and since I have the taupe interior, not the dark blue that always looked black to me, Im sport'n a tan beach towel over the driver seat. Looks tacky but it shows the boys in the D/C service department how picky I am and won't put up with any grease or dirt in my new ride. Happy trails to you all. Im driving this puppy for the next year weather its behind a tow truck or limping in on 4 cylinders. This guy is gonna put some miles on and its gonna be towing one of my trailers 75% of the time! Oo. Oo. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of this trucks life!. Gee, it sounds like Im talking to myself! Im just happy to see a 3500 in my garage and not that lame 2500 that was there last month. Oo. I just pity the poor sob that ends up buying it!

 

[robobx]

Mine was near flawless until 50,000 miles. then started eating u-joints for lunch everyday. all three in the driveshaft, and driverside front axle, they wantd me to pay for a new hub/bearing assy. to replace the front axle u-joint, they said they couldn't get it off. have a vibe at highway speeds when coasting. power steering pump screams. A/C is loud as hell. mileage has actually gotten worse. at times it's much louder, sounds like a 2nd gen. i don't know why. I would trade it if 600s weren't getting as bad of mileage as the Hemis... and the dealer only offered me $20k