Guyfromthenorth
Member
2019 Ram 1500 big horn 4x4, 100,000km of highway (but rough highway, potholes, etc)
I'm about ready to dig into the front end this week as I think I have a few issues going on.
Issues and thoughts:
1) I have a rumbling\knocking sound in the front end when going over sharp bumps (pavement seams, small potholes\washboards), but not large bumps or dips. I did a ton of digging and found a video on youtube of a guy who had a sound almost exactly like mine (as best I could hear from a phone video) and his was sway bar links. I'm pretty sure that's what my sound is, I'm guessing I just unbolt from the low control arm and see if they feel loose? The dealer is the only place I seem to be able to source new links from, the parts rep said the sway bars often go bad on these trucks and it's not often the links. Anyone with any experience on that?
2) When pulling up close to a drivers side building\wall (drive-thru for example) and rolling at 0 or slightly more, coming to and leaving a stop where the sound can be reflected from my truck to the open drivers window, I often hear a clack sound, it kind of reminds me of a kickshift gearbox on an old ATV or two magnets snapping together. It's not regular or in a pattern, and doesn't feel like it effects driving or handling at all. Could this just be the transmission or torque converter engaging a solenoid or something like that? The transmission shifts BEAUTIFULLY, I mean this is the smoothest transmission I've ever owned, so other than the clack sound I hear randomly in drive-thru's there's no symptoms. Is this normal or could it be a bad CV shaft maybe? How do you test them, besides looking for torn boots and flung grease? I only ask about CV's because my only experience with a clacking sound was my old solid front axle trucks and worn ujoints, but those sounds had a pattern as they followed the rotation of the shaft\tire.
3) I have a howl from the front end drivers side on the highway and any speed above 20mph. I don't feel play in the wheel, handling feels ok, and the tone doesn't change when cornering left or right. It does seem to stop\mute for a half a sec when traveling over a bump or dip in the road (when tire pressure changes from the movement). I'm thinking I'm about due for wheel bearing\hubs so I suspect it's that, but I'm unsure. It could also be the BFG KO's I have, but my only other tires are studded winter tires, so changing to a different set to "test" for sound changes isn't really an option as the winters sound like a chainsaw going down the highway on dry pavement. Thoughts? I changed both wheel bearings on my friends 2015 and it was a nightmare getting them out. 20mins of sledgehammer beating on the back of the hub flange before they finally moved.
To be honest I'm just heavily crossing all fingers that the howl and other odd sounds are NOT the front differential. I had a 2014 that threw a bearing in the front diff and it was a 4000$ part (whole axle replacement), but was luckily within warranty. If my front diff is the issue here I doubt I could afford that and would have to just pull the CV's and call it a 2wd for now lol.
I'm about ready to dig into the front end this week as I think I have a few issues going on.
Issues and thoughts:
1) I have a rumbling\knocking sound in the front end when going over sharp bumps (pavement seams, small potholes\washboards), but not large bumps or dips. I did a ton of digging and found a video on youtube of a guy who had a sound almost exactly like mine (as best I could hear from a phone video) and his was sway bar links. I'm pretty sure that's what my sound is, I'm guessing I just unbolt from the low control arm and see if they feel loose? The dealer is the only place I seem to be able to source new links from, the parts rep said the sway bars often go bad on these trucks and it's not often the links. Anyone with any experience on that?
2) When pulling up close to a drivers side building\wall (drive-thru for example) and rolling at 0 or slightly more, coming to and leaving a stop where the sound can be reflected from my truck to the open drivers window, I often hear a clack sound, it kind of reminds me of a kickshift gearbox on an old ATV or two magnets snapping together. It's not regular or in a pattern, and doesn't feel like it effects driving or handling at all. Could this just be the transmission or torque converter engaging a solenoid or something like that? The transmission shifts BEAUTIFULLY, I mean this is the smoothest transmission I've ever owned, so other than the clack sound I hear randomly in drive-thru's there's no symptoms. Is this normal or could it be a bad CV shaft maybe? How do you test them, besides looking for torn boots and flung grease? I only ask about CV's because my only experience with a clacking sound was my old solid front axle trucks and worn ujoints, but those sounds had a pattern as they followed the rotation of the shaft\tire.
3) I have a howl from the front end drivers side on the highway and any speed above 20mph. I don't feel play in the wheel, handling feels ok, and the tone doesn't change when cornering left or right. It does seem to stop\mute for a half a sec when traveling over a bump or dip in the road (when tire pressure changes from the movement). I'm thinking I'm about due for wheel bearing\hubs so I suspect it's that, but I'm unsure. It could also be the BFG KO's I have, but my only other tires are studded winter tires, so changing to a different set to "test" for sound changes isn't really an option as the winters sound like a chainsaw going down the highway on dry pavement. Thoughts? I changed both wheel bearings on my friends 2015 and it was a nightmare getting them out. 20mins of sledgehammer beating on the back of the hub flange before they finally moved.
To be honest I'm just heavily crossing all fingers that the howl and other odd sounds are NOT the front differential. I had a 2014 that threw a bearing in the front diff and it was a 4000$ part (whole axle replacement), but was luckily within warranty. If my front diff is the issue here I doubt I could afford that and would have to just pull the CV's and call it a 2wd for now lol.
