26th Feb 2004, 12:21

I had the same problem with whining in the gears on my 98 Ram quad cab. A friend of mine replaced the bearings in the rear end and showed me the old ones. They were pitted like the metal had not been hardened properly. He is a Chrysler mechanic and claims this is a common problem. Hope this helps..

-Jeff.

10th Mar 2004, 11:27

I have a 2001 Ram 1500 Quad Long box SLT +. Since new, it has had the following problems, most of which have never been resolved.

1. Will not stop in panic situation - Found this to be typical of 4 wheel anti-lock system. Converted to 2 wheel. Problem resolved.

2. No warm air on re-heating of A/C air. This is intermittent, and dealer says there is no problem.

3. Sure - Grip Rear axle shudder / slippage - This only goes away if the fluid is changed every 6-8 K miles. Dealer refuses to fix this, and, I am now looking for a non LS axle.

4. Truck has heavy duty cooling, but, still runs very hot unless outside temp is below 40 degrees. So far, Radiator, Thermostat, Water pump, Cat converter, and engine flush have been done, but still have same problem.

5. Radio changes channels, and / or goes off and on whenever it wants. Radio, Steering controls, and even the wiring harness have been changed. Nothing works.

6. Speedo randomly will not register. Was replaced about a year ago for this problem, and it went away until last month.

Overall, my experience has been very bad for a truck that cost over $34,000. I guess I should have keep my old Plymouth Valiant. May have been 40 years old, but, it never did (in 28 years of ownership) give me any trouble. Next time, I will buy Japan. USA products are not what they used to be!!

24th Mar 2004, 14:44

I've experienced some similar problems. Here's my list:

At 30,000 miles: Burning oil like crazy. Had intake manifold gasket replaced per TSB???. Had this done at the dealer for 1/2 price which was over $250.

At 50,000 miles: replaced lower and upper ball joints on front passenger side. Also replaced u-joint on that same side. Replaced tie rod end that connects to the steering unit. Replaced track-bar with aftermarket track bar. Did all work myself for about $350.

At 60,000 miles: Found penny size piece of metal in rear diff when changing fluid. Found out it was part of the limited slip clutch pack. Replaced entire pack. Did work myself for about $400. Replaced with Auburn Gear unit.

At 80,000 miles: Clicking problem when turning and slow leak from power steering unit. Plan on replacing either the steering column, pump, or both. Click only seems to happen when weather is cold and it's warming up now. Not sure what to do with this one.

Brakes seem good on the truck, but front rotors warped within the first 10,000 miles. I've left them and the truck has continued to stop well. I get a little lurching on slow stops, but I haven't made a big deal of it. There has been atleast 3 times that I have noticed a delay during an emergency stop. I too attributed this to the anti lock system. Scared me, but I haven't done anything about it.

9th Apr 2004, 11:35

I own a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 extended cab four wheel drive pick up with a 5.9L/360ci engine. I give this truck a ten on all aspects. The rear end has the small whine when turning hard like you guys have said. But mostly the rear end is locked and spins when turning via the limited slip differential. This truck has pulled cars out of deep muddy ditches on a gravel road no problem. Just lock it in 4H and all four wheels are locked. I purchased this truck with 61,000 and it now has 94,000. engine and drive train is just as strong and performs just as well as when I bought it. mine does not run hot, usually the gauge runs just under half. If yours is burning oil then, that may mean you don't let it idle a minute or so before taking off when you first start it. this truck idles low and takes a while for oil to work and get some heat in the engine.

I love this truck.. it serves me well, on or off road. almost a hundred K and running strong.

26th Apr 2004, 13:35

I bought a 1999 1500 Ram Laraime in September 2003. In just six months I am burning oil like crazy, and I the truck is pulling to the left. I took the truck back to dealer and they said that the alignment was OK. My new driverside tire is worn down. Got any suggestions for what to do?

Thanks.

Disappointed.

29th Jun 2004, 20:27

I have a '98 Ram 1500 with a 5.2 liter Magnum v-8. It had a roaring sound coming from the rear that got louder as I accelerated up to about 45 where it was really annoying, then would taper off as I accelerated further. Also not much pulling power. Turns out that the pinion seal was damaged which allowed water to enter the outer pinion bearing and pit it badly. I changed the pinion bearings, seals, and also the pinion itself and ring gear, going to a 3.55 gear ratio instead of the 3.22 that it had in it. Also the side carrier bearings on the open differential. This solved both the roar and lack of pulling power, but added about 500 rpm at 70. I did all of it myself at a cost of under $600.

Since I purchased the truck used in 2000, it had a problem of knocking really loudly when accelerating hard or going up hill. I put in a K&N cold air system and a 160 degree thermostat and that stopped that problem. Cost $300, mostly for the K&N which didn't really help. The thermostat made all of the difference.

The truck has 205,000 miles on it and the only other things I've changed are putting a free flow catalytic converter and emissions legal headers on it. Changed the throttle position sensor at 140,000 and a new water pump at 190,000.

Its been a great truck for me and if it dies on me totally tommorrow, I'll be down at the dealership the next day for a new one.

6th Jul 2004, 07:54

I own a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500. It is at the Dealership right now getting a new rear end. $1300! Of course it is no longer covered under warranty. Many problems with this truck. Had to have the speed sensors replaced ($340). The front dash replaced as it cracked and pieces fell out ($200). The dealer said it was from the Florida heat. I have lived here all my life and never had this problem with my vehicle or anyone I know. The air conditioner leaks fluid. Cannot find the leak so we just put in another can. Running lights no longer work. The cigarette lighter does not work. It does not ride smooth at all. Have had it aligned many times and the tires balanced and within 2 weeks it has a bumpy ride again. This truck is not driven hard. Only about 50 miles per week. I am not happy with this truck. I only have 10 months left on the loan thankfully!