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Dodge Dakota Suspension and Axles

113 messages,  Last post on Oct 22, 2009 at 4:47 PM

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#60 of 113 Special tool for carrier bearings adjustment? by tjfitz Feb 17, 2008 (5:49 am)
I'm going to replace the differential carrier bearings in my 1990 Dodge Dakota rear wheel drive and have read that Dodge says to use their tool C-4164 (costs about $60) to spin the adjuster used to tighten and loosen the load on the bearings.   There is an interesting discussion about using a torsion bar from a 1970s era Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth vehicle as a substitute for the special tool. Several posts in the discussion say the bar works perfectly, but the discussion ends with the man who asked the original question having his truck up on stands, the axles removed and a friend taking time off work to help only to find the torsion bar didn't fit! http://www.dodgedakotas.com/boards/gen/19427.html   I'm thinking of haunting the local junkyards to see if I can find one of those torsion bars to do my job, but am I heading for the same problem as the poster on that discussion? I'll be doing this job lying on my driveway outside in a North Dakota winter, and would probably have to lie in the snow in the junkyard to remove a torsion rod, so I don't want to waste a lot of effort, and would really be grateful for any input.
#61 of 113 Re: 2002 4x4 4.7 [roddinphxaz] by kcram HOST Feb 17, 2008 (2:35 pm)
Replying to: roddinphxaz (Jan 31, 2008 10:29 pm) Check the Dodge Dakota 4x4 Issues discussion for better ideas, but it sounds like you may have popped an axle shaft joint.   kcram - Pickups Host
#62 of 113 Re: Noisy rear end after differential fliud change [dodgemon] by docgreen Mar 10, 2008 (3:41 pm)
Replying to: dodgemon (Jan 23, 2008 11:29 pm) I have a 2002 4x4 QC and it came with a 7 year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty, and they replaced both my front and rear diff. at the dealership...no charge. If yours is not in the same boat, beware. If you only replace the bearings, it will quiet down for a good month or so until those wear out too. So get the entire thing fixed right once at a reputable 4x4 shop.
#63 of 113 My torsion bar doesn't fit, either by tjfitz Mar 12, 2008 (6:22 pm)
I finally got everything together, including the weather, to allow me to remove the differential carrier from the Dakota and on inspection found the carrier bearings and races are in very rough shape. I was relieved to find that, and am hoping the pinion gear bearings are OK. Also found the ring gear of the differential is indeed 8.25 inches diameter.   I'll bring the carrier to a local machine shop to have its bearings pulled and new bearings pressed-onto the carrier.   I got an old Chrysler motors torsion bar from a local junk yard for $2 and found it measures very close to 1-1/2 inches across the flats of the hex end. However the hex end is too big to fit the differential bearing adjusters (as found by the man at http://www.dodgedakotas.com/boards/gen/19427.html). The hole in the adjusters is very close to 1-29/64 inches across the flats. I still don't want to buy the Dodge part and am thinking of having the same machine shop skim some metal off the six flats of the torsion bar so it will fit the adjusters. It all depends on how much they would charge and whether they can machine that kind of metal.
#64 of 113 front differential clunking by dodge96 Mar 24, 2008 (8:10 pm)
My front differential just started making a noise like a flat tire flopping on the road. I took the cover off and everything looked fine. When I had it up on jack stands I turned the front tires and could hear a lesser version of the noise but still could not pinpoint the problem. Replies to this message: rich14 (Jun 30, 2008 4:44 am)
#65 of 113 CV joint causing noise? by tjfitz Mar 25, 2008 (2:42 am)
dodge96, hope you find your problem. If you check post #61 in this thread, there is a link to Dodge Dakota 4x4 Issues. I looked there and the last two posts talk about noise that might be caused by a CV joint connecting to the front differential. I've had some pretty bad noise from an inner CV joint on another car, and found that one of the ball bearings inside had come loose and when I put the car in reverse, it sometimes sounded like someone was hitting underneath the car with a sledge hammer. Going forward, it was fine. After about 5 years (!), I replaced the joint. Replies to this message: dodge96 (Mar 25, 2008 7:48 pm) tjfitz (Mar 26, 2008 6:57 pm)
#66 of 113 Differential back together and in-service by tjfitz Mar 25, 2008 (5:07 am)
I got a vise-grip-attaching dial indicator from Harbor Freight (took 5 weeks to deliver!), rented a slide-hammer type axle bearing puller from Checker Auto Parts for $5 a day, bought 3 quarts of Royal Purple lubricant, bought new differential carrier bearings/races, had the old ones pulled and new ones pressed-on at a local machine shop, got new axle oil seals and went after the job of reinstalling the differential's internals. I didn't do a thing to the hypoid-cut pinion gear that sticks into the differential's box on the end of the drive shaft, and hope my only problem was the carrier bearings.   It really didn't take too long to establish the amount of backlash (free movement) between the pinion gear and the big ring gear. Before removing the differential carrier, I just stuck the dial indicator against a ring gear tooth and worked the ring gear back and forth by hand (the axles had been pulled from their tubes) until it looked as though I had found what seemed like the average backlash all around the ring gear. I suppose I checked four different ring gear positions.   Then I loosened the carrier bearing cap bolts and eased the heavy carrier out and inspected what I could see. It all looked good except for the carrier bearings, which were badly pitted both on the rollers and the race surfaces.   I installed the whole business, following carefully the procedure found in http://www.dippy.org/svcman/sm03a.html   It was a little difficult getting the little pinion gears of the "spider" into the right positions to mesh with the side gears and then slip the pinion gear shaft back in. The pinion gears kept falling out and I had to reinstall them and sometimes search for a cup washer that would drop into recesses in the case. Eventually I got them in, slipped their shaft in, and soon had it all in and looking correct.   I continued on, checking the ring and pinion gear backlash then going from side to side of the pickup, using the big torsion bar to reach down the axle tubes and tighten or loosen the carrier bearing adjusters until it seemed to me from the dial indicator readings that I had a suitable backlash, then I tightened the carrier bearing caps and using a borrowed plumber's pipe wrench on the end of the torsion bar, put a guessed 70 ft-lbs of torque on the adjuster on both carrier bearings.   My only mishap was to read 90 in-lbs as 90 lb-lbs for the torque to put on the bolt securing the adjuster lock. (It seems those small bolts actually don't need as much torque after all!) I sheared a bolt and had to go to NAPA to get a replacement. The salesman there recommended I buy a set of left-handed drill bits to back the sheared bolt out. It worked! I never knew there was such a thing as a left-handed drill bit before that day.   Putting the axles in was an simple job, and the "C" lock rings on the end of the axles go in easily, although they liked to fall out of their slot into the gears and dark places in the case if I was not careful. Amazing that those little rings are the only things preventing the rear axle from pulling out of the differential.   I used Royal Purple "Max-Gear" 75-90W lubricant because the race performance shop had only that and Shaeffer oils in stock. Maybe I should have gone by often-repeated recommendations on this board and got Red Line. As it was, the Royal Purple cost $14 a quart! Well, it's in there.   There is an interesting study done by Amsoil comparing all the differential lubes that makes it look as though Royal Purple wasn't the best choice. The study is available to read on-line through https://www.amsoil.com/products/gearlubes/WhitePaper.aspx?zo=1173195   I cleaned up the cover and differential case and put sealant (butyl rubber calk-hope it works out) and bolted it back on. So far, no trace of an oil leak there or at the axles.   The hardest part of the whole job was putting the rear brakes back on. All the springs and adjusters and tangs and slots that have to fit just-right made it a real time-consumer for me.   With that finally done, I soon had the tires back on and the pickup off the jack stands. Generally I get so excited at the end of a big job that I rush the "tires on the ground" step. In the past, I have forgotten about a bottle of welding gas behind a car and knocked it over, and on another occasion forgot about axle stands and backed off them and put a big dent in a fuel tank. This time I actually looked around the pickup and underneath for any potential dangers before getting behind the steering wheel and starting the engine.   The rear end is quiet now, and the swishing/grinding noise is gone. However I notice a whining that comes and goes with load, and I think it might be the pinion gear-ring gear adjustment being a little loose. If the noise is too much I might eventually do something about like what was done on a Jaguar as detailed by a real do-it-yourselfer at http://bernardembden.com/xjs/diff/index.htm Replies to this message: bpeebles (Mar 26, 2008 6:01 pm)
#67 of 113 Re: CV joint causing noise? [tjfitz] by dodge96 Mar 25, 2008 (7:48 pm)
Replying to: tjfitz (Mar 25, 2008 2:42 am) Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, tjfitz! That sledge hammer noise is exactly what I heard, except it was when I was driving about 40. Scared the sh out of me the first time. When you say inner CV joint would that be inside the differential? I checked all the cv joints in the boots on the left and right front axle's and they looked fine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again Replies to this message: tjfitz (Mar 26, 2008 6:57 pm)
#68 of 113 Front Differential Clunking by dodge96 Mar 24, 2008 (1:37 pm)
My front differential just started making a noise like a flat tire flopping on the road. I took the cover off and everything looked fine. When I had it up on jack stands I turned the front tires and could hear a lesser version of the noise but still could not pinpoint the problem.
#69 of 113 Re: Differential back together and in-service [tjfitz] by bpeebles Mar 26, 2008 (6:01 pm)
Replying to: tjfitz (Mar 25, 2008 5:07 am) THAT IS GREAT NEWS! I applaud your efforts to get your diff repaired. I am duly impressed!   Even though I have rebuilt engines and maintained mechanical things all my life - I do not think I would attempt what you have done.   I suppose you were NOT laying on your back in a dirt driveway - LOL

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