Please please help grind and clunking

alexander122 · May 31, 2024

2016 ram 1500 when in 2wd and in drive it’ll sit there clunking and wanna just rev but 4 lock the clunk goes away I’m not sure how to add a video it’s only giving option for photo but the drive shaft is good and drives just fine in 4 lock obv the front is pulling the truck but idk why the sound goes away what could it be

Wild one · May 31, 2024

alexander122 said:
2016 ram 1500 when in 2wd and in drive it’ll sit there clunking but 4 lock the clunk goes away I’m not sure how to add a video it’s only giving option for photo but the drive shaft is good and drives just fine in 4 lock obv the front is pulling the truck but idk why the sound goes away what could it be

I left my magnifying glass at home,can you rewrite this so it's readable.You might get more answers when guys can read your post.

Atcer2018 · May 31, 2024

alexander122 said:
2016 ram 1500 when in 2wd and in drive it’ll sit there clunking and wanna just rev but 4 lock the clunk goes away I’m not sure how to add a video it’s only giving option for photo but the drive shaft is good and drives just fine in 4 lock obv the front is pulling the truck but idk why the sound goes away what could it be

From your post I’m assuming the truck is a 4 wheel drive. Let’s start at the beginning. How many miles are on it? When you start the truck in PARK (P), does it make the clunk/grind sound? How about in NEUTRAL (N)? In DRIVE (D) there is a noticeable noise and the truck does not move forward? In 4WD it moves forward and the noise goes away? If the truck moves forward in 4WD it is not driving just fine. As you state it’s most likely being propelled by the front wheels only. I don’t know what transfer case you have in your truck but you refer to 4 wheel lock so I assume you are talking about 4 wheel low not 4 wheel high or 4WD AUTO if your truck is so equipped. Did you crawl under the truck and physically touch the driveshaft? Try to rotate it with the vehicle engine off so you can look for worn universal joints? You won’t be able to turn the driveshaft round and round but you can move it left and right to see how much play there is in the U joints. If they make noise, move excessively or make a banging noise the U joint(s) are worn or broken. Hope it’s the driveshaft or universal joint as transmissions are expensive.

alexander122 · May 31, 2024

The truck is a 2016 ram 1500 5.7 hemi 3.21zf rear end its 4x4 the truck in park is normal and neutral but in drive the driveshaft spins and the left rear not sure about other wheel shakes like a vibration shake it won’t move in drive or reverse but in 4wd it does and noise goes away truck has 90k miles I got it at 75k and since beat the snot out of it I’m not mad just wanting to know what the best option is here to keep some money in the bank until I go back to work the 15th

Atcer2018 said:
From your post I’m assuming the truck is a 4 wheel drive. Let’s start at the beginning. How many miles are on it? When you start the truck in PARK (P), does it make the clunk/grind sound? How about in NEUTRAL (N)? In DRIVE (D) there is a noticeable noise and the truck does not move forward? In 4WD it moves forward and the noise goes away? If the truck moves forward in 4WD it is not driving just fine. As you state it’s most likely being propelled by the front wheels only. I don’t know what transfer case you have in your truck but you refer to 4 wheel lock so I assume you are talking about 4 wheel low not 4 wheel high or 4WD AUTO if your truck is so equipped. Did you crawl under the truck and physically touch the driveshaft? Try to rotate it with the vehicle engine off so you can look for worn universal joints? You won’t be able to turn the driveshaft round and round but you can move it left and right to see how much play there is in the U joints. If they make noise, move excessively or make a banging noise the U joint(s) are worn or broken. Hope it’s the driveshaft or universal joint as transmissions are expensive.

crash68 · May 31, 2024

alexander122 said:
in drive the driveshaft spins and the left rear not sure about other wheel shakes like a vibration shake it won’t move in drive or reverse but in 4wd it does and noise goes away

Just a guess but sounds like the rear differential has puked. Only reason the truck moves in 4X4 is the front drive is pulling the truck.

Wild one · May 31, 2024

Block the front wheels,then jack the back tires off the ground,and pull the rear diff cover. Try rotating the rear tires by hand,while watching the carrier. It's not unheard of for the pinion/ring gear to loose teeth,but if i was to guess i'd wonder more about a broken spider gear

Atcer2018 · May 31, 2024

alexander122 said:
The truck is a 2016 ram 1500 5.7 hemi 3.21zf rear end its 4x4 the truck in park is normal and neutral but in drive the driveshaft spins and the left rear not sure about other wheel shakes like a vibration shake it won’t move in drive or reverse but in 4wd it does and noise goes away truck has 90k miles I got it at 75k and since beat the snot out of it I’m not mad just wanting to know what the best option is here to keep some money in the bank until I go back to work the 15th

OK, as the other posters have already said, it most likely is something broken in the drivetrain. Rear diff gears, u joints or driveshaft. You beat on it for 15k miles so something gave out. If you need to take it to a shop for repair don’t limp it there in 4 wheel low on paved streets with broken parts, that can break even more stuff.

Jeepwalker · May 31, 2024

My hunch is:

-Transfer case motor/fork,etc, not shifting into 2wd. Check wiring at xfer case shift motor, fuses, etc.
-Shift control module on dash

But yeah...check all the things others have suggested.

alexander122 · Jun 2, 2024

Atcer2018 said:
OK, as the other posters have already said, it most likely is something broken in the drivetrain. Rear diff gears, u joints or driveshaft. You beat on it for 15k miles so something gave out. If you need to take it to a shop for repair don’t limp it there in 4 wheel low on paved streets with broken parts, that can break even more stuff.

It can’t be a lot of that as driveshaft is spinning everything is normal besides the clunking coming from hub area and not moving unless in 4wd

Wild one · Jun 2, 2024

alexander122 said:
It can’t be a lot of that as driveshaft is spinning everything is normal besides the clunking coming from hub area and not moving unless in 4wd

9 times out of 10 if the driveshaft is turning but the truck doesn't move,somethings broken inside the diff.Did you pull the rear diff cover and actually look inside the diff for anything not quite right,like broken spider gears.
Fikac was telling you axles on facebook,but i doubt it's a broken axle,as the wheel would start to move outside the diff.
You're gonna have to suck it up,and start doing some investigating on your own,as all anybody on here or facebook can do is guess,so go pull the diff cover.
The diff cover is the round cover roughly in the center of the rear end,pull it,and get some pictures of it's internal pieces,then come back with the pictures if you still can't figure it out.

Atcer2018 · Jun 3, 2024

alexander122 said:
It can’t be a lot of that as driveshaft is spinning everything is normal besides the clunking coming from hub area and not moving unless in 4wd

We are guessing here. As Wild One said you are going to need to physically check out components and eliminate possible problems. From the information you’ve given so far it could be a number of different things but you haven’t told us if you checked out any of the suggestions. You last said the clunk is coming from the hubs. I was under the impression that the truck doesn’t move in 2WD, only 4WD Lo. It’s hard to help out if we don’t know whether it’s a 2 wheel or 4 wheel problem. You haven’t told us what you’ve checked out and eliminated so far. If the truck doesn’t move in 2WD and the driveshaft is turning please do what Wild One suggested and inspect the rear differential. If the truck “drives fine” in 2WD then we can move on to the 4X4 system. Let us know what you’ve PHYSICALLY looked into so far.

Marshall · Jun 3, 2024

You can just jack up one rear wheel and try to turn it by hand, drive shaft should turn in neutral.
if you heard clunks, pull the cover off and you will find bits in the bottom. use a pan under it to catch the oil
Could be a broken axle as well. not common .

Wild one · Jun 3, 2024

Marshall said:
You can just jack up one rear wheel and try to turn it by hand, drive shaft should turn in neutral.
if you heard clunks, pull the cover off and you will find bits in the bottom. use a pan under it to catch the oil
Could be a broken axle as well. not common .

The ZF diff uses C-clips to retain the axle,so if he had a broken axle,it wouldn't take many miles before it started to bugger up the caliper bracket/rotor etc,and the wheel would be trying to leave the truck with the broken piece of axle still bolted to it. It'd make a few more miles then an old drum brake equipped c-clip axle,but not all that many more

Marshall · Jun 3, 2024

true, but with a busted axle and standard diff., he could not go anywhere, unless running 4x4
I lost one on my 150HP Deutz tractor one time, that was fun, but I got her done. Thank god for bridge timbers and planks, and 20t jacks.

EdGs · Jun 3, 2024

Maybe this failure was/is related to the issue in your previous thread where you said it felt as if something was gonna snap.

Sorry, I'm not anymore help, but sounds like something in the rear diff.

I wish you luck on getting it sorted, and please post what you find out along the way.

Wild one · Jun 3, 2024

I think i remember him saying something about being a lead foot and abusing the truck since he bought it.The trucks have serious issues with wheelhop,and if he's encountered wheel hop a few times,i'd lean towards he's broke one of the spider gears,as they're what breaks with wheelhop, especially if you don't get off the throttle instantly.
Be nice if he'd pull the diff cover and give us some decent pics of the ring/pinion and spider gears.

Rebel Guy · Jun 4, 2024

I believe op mentioned the noise coming from hub area. Could be something simple like blown universals. That would account for grinding and clunking noise in that area.

Scottly · Jun 4, 2024

Maybe this is why why Grandpa used to yell, 'Holy Toledo!"

Daw14 · Jun 4, 2024

This is the kid who said he was gonna crash from taking the turn to fast on the interstate , it’s probably better that it won’t move . Jk

turkeybird56 · Jun 4, 2024

Comes under the title: Idjut lol.

Until OP follows suggestions and reports back nothing else to say.

Please please help grind and clunking

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