2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Newbie Needs Help

[GaryDunn]

First off I have to say what a great Web site!! I have now owned my recently purchased 2001 Dodge 2500 4x4 CTD for 4 weeks and have driven it a total of 15 miles. After replacing the clutch, front ball joints, front brakes and inner axel seals, it still sits in the driveway. Turns out that the front axel housing is bent!! Has anyone out there had to have thier front axel straightened and by whom?? Also, which year axels will fit my truck??? Thanks for your replies.

 

[KHelfrich]

any axle form 94-05 will bolt in but you will want 2000 or newer for the dual piston brakes depending one gear ration you could go with a 03 up AAM axle and get 14inch roters but that requires 17 inch wheels or bigger and it will elimniate the CAD or if you can find it you can do what i did the second half of 02 they eliminated the CAD but it was still a dana axle and the 03 up calipers with brackets and roters will bolt right up to the 00-02 axles if you want the bigger brakes and on a side note if you dont want 17 inch wheels the 00-02 brakes will not bolt right up to an 03 up axle they might if you do some grinding on the knuckle



as far as strightening the axle if it is just a tube that is bent then if can be heat straightened but if the pumpking is bent its junk some people will try to straighten it but everyone i talked to said they wouldent cause of the way the the line boring is done for the berings and if you strightened the pumpking you would probaly never get the gears right



ken



by the way i know all this cause i went through it all this past summer

and i brand new loaded housing (meaning housing diff ring and pinion no axle shafts knuckles or any thing) from the dealer is like $1400 at bodyshop cost and i think an empty housing is $1100

 

[Joe Mc]

Please elaborate a bit on the front housing being bent. How was this determined?

 

[GaryDunn]

Joe Mc

To check to see if the axle housing was bent we tore the axel apart, removing the carrier, turned a set of aluminum plugs to install in the bearing area of the carrier with a 1-3/16 hole in the middle. I have a precision ground shaft at 1-3/16 that is 6ft. long that we stick through the hole and can take measuremnts from there. The axel is so bent that we cannot get the shaft through the axel housing when passing through the aluminum plugs.

 

[GaryDunn]

Ken,

Thanks for the insight.