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Hey Dodge Guys

Started by barbender, August 13, 2018, 09:53:26 PM

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barbender

I know there's a lot of other Dodge 3/4 and one ton drivers on here- I have an 03 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4. I love the truck, but the truck loves front tires. It scrubs the inside edge, like it's toed in badly. I just had it aligned recently, after getting new ball joints and the drive axle u-joints. I'm wondering if any of you have experienced the same or similar. I'm trying to figure out if I have a mechanical problem (I was just under it tonight, watching while my wife worked the wheel back and forth, everything looks tight) or if it is just the nature of the tires I have (Toyo M55, they are a commercial off road tread). Thoughts?
Too many irons in the fire

armechanic

I have 5 dodges and one ford.  It seems that 4x4 are just hard on front tires, rotate every oil change.  Might check front to rear alinement, make sure the rear is tracking strait with the front.  I only use the correct size tires also, no big mudder tires or lift kits for me.
1989 Lt 40, D6C CAT, Home made wood processer in progress.

Corley5

The 02 that we had was hard on aggressive tread tires.  They HAD to be rotated very often.  Like at least every 3,000 miles.  Less aggressive off road tread wasn't nearly as bad.  They'd go twice as long. 
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

mike_belben

Unit bearings are still good?  Track bar bushing at the frame end is still tight? (It looks like a tie rod end.  This is primary cause of death wobble in those trucks.. Or atleast in the 2nd gens it was)
Praise The Lord

Mooseherder

Quote from: barbender on August 13, 2018, 09:53:26 PM
I know there's a lot of other Dodge 3/4 and one ton drivers on here- I have an 03 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4. I love the truck, but the truck loves front tires. It scrubs the inside edge, like it's toed in badly. I just had it aligned recently, after getting new ball joints and the drive axle u-joints. I'm wondering if any of you have experienced the same or similar. I'm trying to figure out if I have a mechanical problem (I was just under it tonight, watching while my wife worked the wheel back and forth, everything looks tight) or if it is just the nature of the tires I have (Toyo M55, they are a commercial off road tread). Thoughts?
My 2004 Dodge DRW 3500 4x4 is having similiar issues and I've been chasing it for a couple months.  I went in for an alignment because it was pulling to the right with new tires.  They changed most everthing under there with what they said was heavier duty parts than original along with the passenger drive axle u-joint.  I left there and my truck was pulling to the right even worse than before.  I went to a different place for alignment and they got it better.  I was happy with it for a couple days then it was pulling to the right again.  I went back in and that's when the Mechanic showed me there was no more room for adjustment on the dials. Each one was at the end.  He said it could be remedied by using offset ball joints.  I haven't done that yet.   The first place had my truck for 5 days.  So frustrating I won't even start to tell you about it.

KirkD

First thing you do is upgrade the drag link to the newer style or at least look and see if you have the new style on it yet.

This is Dodge's solution to the problem that doesn't exist and that they corrected in 2010.  This kit ties the front wheels together eliminating independent toe in and out.  The idea is to cut down on tire wear and death wobble.  This will not make up for other worn front end components such as steering gear box and ball joints. All 03 to I think 09 should have the newer style steering box and power steering pump installed. If you do the steering box at the same time you won't have to buy the upgraded pitman arm the new steering box comes with it from dodge.

There is a lot of talk in the Dodge forums on this topic it is not cheep to do but it will make your truck safe and drive like it should.
Wood-mizer LT40HD-G24 Year 1989

mike_belben

Maintaining a dodge 1ton is a lot of work.  Seems like you gotta go through them every 3 years.  
Praise The Lord

coxy


Brad_S.

 I have an 04 and experience inside tire wear, especially on the driver side front. 

 Thanks to this thread, I can now put a name to what I have been experiencing more and more ... "Death Wobble".  I have been trying to describe to my mechanic what I am experiencing. Now I can show him videos of what is happening and links on how to fix it Thank you! 
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

mike_belben

If the steering wheel is thrashing side to side out of control and youre afraid for your life, thats DW.  5 link front suspensions such as dodge and jeep cherokee are very sensitive to loose track bar joints.  My 88ish f350 with leafs had a track bar and that was also the cause of its DW.  A k30 chevy did it over tires, surprisingly.  Jeeps have all been track bar for me.  

A 2nd gen dodge basically needs a track bar every year.  Buy the parts store one with warranty and just keep changing it out.  I finally cut the balljoint end off and built a double shear captured bushing end welded over the stock bar with tabs welded at the frame, and a good poly bushing at the axle end of it.  That cured the DW.  

Steering column lower bushings also go bad on those, and someone makes a tap in insert for like $60 to fix it.. New part is unobtainium.  Then theres the steering box brace and f350 outer knuckle conversion to delete the unit bearings, crummy brakes and full time hubs.  It kinda never ends. 
Praise The Lord

JB Griffin

Buy a Ford and be done with it. (I say this as I am in the process of puttin ball joints and nearly every steering component on mine :D)
2000 LT40hyd remote 33hp Kubota with 6gpm hyd unit, 150 Prentice, WM bms250, Suffolk dual tooth setter

Over 3.5million bdft sawn with a Baker Dominator.

barbender

Brad, my inside wear is more pronounced on the driver's side as well. I think the Y link front steering linkage is partly to blame, from what I can understand. It changes the toe as you steer side to side. I've had death wobble on both my 97 and 03. The 97 needed the front end rebuilt, the 03 was as simple as replacing the steering stabilizer shock.
Too many irons in the fire

OH logger

I have a 2016 Ram 3500 and have never had this. am I lucky or have they fixed this issue? mine has 70,000 miles on it. and not too many of those aren't pullin a  log trailer :)
john

mike_belben

I dunno but ill throw in some more fun dodge guy trivia.  

Q: Youve been catching an occasional odd wiff of something hot, kinda like coolant, kinda like plastic but all seens well.  You may even correlate the occurance to pulling a trailer at night.  Musta drove by a burn barrel or something. Hmm.   Then the headlights flicker or quit and you smell it again.  Whats that smell?  

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.
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A. The headlight switch and related wiring about to light on fire.  The same switch that dodge just kept on using even though it was a chronic cause of melted wiring and plugs.  If the dash is hot around the switch shut the lights off quick!


Round 2.  

Q.  Lately the starter hesitates to begin cranking when you turn the key.  Itll click then take a second or third hit before engaging. What is it?  


.
.
.

A.  Your starter solenoid plunger contacts have worn, corroded and now begun to arc.  Soon they'll weld, go full load amps on both batteries and ignite the main cable insulation, burning the truck down.

Round 3.

Q.  Your trusty old 12v is getting hard to start in the mornings and runs rumbly for a while until it purges the air it seems to be getting in the fuel system over night lately.  What is it?  

.
.
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A.  Among a plethora of other things, theres a good chance the temp sensor on the fuel heater bowl has quit and thus the heater is staying on way too long and has begun melting the plastic inside the plug connector.  Fuel doesnt leak onto the ground because of the connector seal holding it back, but air is sucked in through the melted hole and fuel is swimming around that hot copper electrode, threatening to burn the truck down.


Round 4

Q.  Youve survived death wobble, rebuilt the front end and lived to tell about it.  Then your trans starts hunting for gears and dropping out of lockup.  Whats that smell?

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A.  No, its not the governor pressure sensor or transducer, and its not a bad passenger side ground connection.  Its the smell of your hair smoldering as you contemplate burning this stupid frigging dang truck down.  


If you got all 4, my condolences.  Youre a dodge guy and its terminal.  Check your fire extinguisher to make sure its charged and keep loppers handy to cut the battery cables in an emergency.
Praise The Lord

Corley5

Never had any of those issues with my Dodge.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

gspren

Has Dodge/Ram made a comfortable seat yet? Every time I ever went shopping for a full size truck I drove them all and Dodge seats sucked, I really wanted a Cummins but my butt said no. I haven't looked since 2013.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Mooseherder

Never had the death wobble problem.  I dunno but the 2019 Dodge Trucks appear to be the best ever built truck.  Can't really complain about my 14 year old Dodge either. It's been good and will last another 14 with normal wear type maintenance every so often.  It goes from Florida to Maine every year and sometimes twice.  My Son In Law sells Chevys and Fords to companies who operate Fleets.  He said Chevy will have a new Truck around September.  Ford sells no matter what.  Big brand loyalty there.  He gives 2019 to Dodge.  They nailed it. A lot of good Trucks and options coming soon from what I have read, especially Chevy.  Ya just want to part with that hard earned cash to get one.

Bandmill Bandit

In 1996 Dodge got my butt OUT out a Ford and in their truck because of the SEATS! MY last Dodge is 2001 With 398 000 KMs. The new dodge LOST my butt to a 2018 Super Crew F150 Lariat  3.5 Eco Boost with all but a glass roof because of the SEATS. Nothing else compares so far. 

Chev and Dodge have some ground cover to catch up right now. But it will happen I am sure.        
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

mike_belben

Quote from: Corley5 on August 19, 2018, 06:15:24 PM
Never had any of those issues with my Dodge.
I had em all and then some by 200k.
Praise The Lord

Corley5

285,000 miles on mine when we gave up on the body.
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

mike_belben

That too.  My rockers are gone, right past the pinchweld and into the floor. 

I think that truck will get recycled into an older crew cab fummins eventually.
Praise The Lord

OH logger

the seat in my 2016 ram is way more comfortable than my brothers 2007 chevy and his 2017 chevy. my other brother has a 2012 ish f150 and his is real comfortable too...and no my other brothers name is NOT Darryl!! :D
john

pineywoods

I went with a 2004 dodge 3/4 ton cause I couldn't find what I wanted. Should have done like a friend, He salvaged a late model F250 with a blown up powerstroke. Then shoe-horned in a 12 valve 5.9 turbo cummins. A few tweaks on the pump and turbo, now he has a real nice truck.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

DPatton

Quote from: OH logger on August 20, 2018, 08:13:07 PM
the seat in my 2016 ram is way more comfortable than my brothers 2007 chevy and his 2017 chevy. my other brother has a 2012 ish f150 and his is real comfortable too...and no my other brothers name is NOT Darryl!! :D
I drive either a 2011 or a 2013 Chevy daily. In my opinion they have the worst seats out there. However on the plus side I have never had any of the issues Mike brought up.
TimberKing 1600, 30' gooseneck trailer, Chevy HD2500, Echo Chainsaw, 60" Logrite.

Work isn't so bad when you enjoy what your doing.
D & S Sawmill Services

JB Griffin

Quote from: mike_belben on August 20, 2018, 02:29:18 PM

I think that truck will get recycled into an older crew cab fummins eventually.
That would be the best thing that ever happened to that truck. :D 
Id like to do the same, but with only 266k on my 7.3psd its got ALOT of life left in it. And I ain't pulling a good running psd to do that.
2000 LT40hyd remote 33hp Kubota with 6gpm hyd unit, 150 Prentice, WM bms250, Suffolk dual tooth setter

Over 3.5million bdft sawn with a Baker Dominator.

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