5th Front Axle BLOWN

[Nate_Bossi]

So… shortly after buying my truck from Lancaster Ram Of The West, I brought it in because both front CV boots were ripped and leaking. I didn’t notice until all the grease was flung out and my axles started clanking pretty bad. Truck was in the dealership for two weeks, then I got the call… they voided my warrantee for putting a front leveling kit on it and 37” tires. So after arguing with them about it I said screw it and bought two new axles and put em in myself. Not even a month later it happened again on the driver side. Once again I had to buy em because the pets aren’t warranted on a truck with no warranty for some reason. Shortly after driver side went out again. And then again. This entire time I did my research and noticed everyone having the same issues. I talked with the parts guy and he said there were something like 80 a month being ordered for the TRX in the US. I was just now up in the Sierras camping and backpacking and passenger side boot completely ripped off the axle. I haven’t been off roading since the first boots ripped because I was scared to rip em again. During all these axle swaps I noticed the boot rubber is more of a plastic. Thin plastic at that. No wonder they tear so easily. Has anyone found a remedy for this issue? I have contacted a few companies who make high performance axles for the hellcat but they aren’t planning on making any for the TRX. I need a fix because this is getting out of control.

On another note I have gotten really good at roadside McGeyver. I clean up the boot and area, cut a plastic bag in 7” wide strips as long as possible. Wrap it around the boot after pumping it full of wheel bearing grease. Then duct tape or even better gorilla tape around it to hold it on to the boot. Usually does the trick. If u are on a long drive u might have to stop and put more grease in it and re wrap it with tape.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Have you removed the leveling kit since the first issue? I just wonder if the leveling kit messed with the front suspension angles and might be contributing to the problem? I’m not very mechanical (like not at all), so it’s just a theory.

 

[DanZman]

I’d contact RCV they probably make or will make you a solution. They are very spendy but they make seriously tough stuff.

This really makes me worried about adding a leveling kit. My GMC ran a simple level kit for nearly 70k mi with zero issues and I drove that truck pretty rough off road.

 

[SorbSRT]

If 80 CV boots a month were being ordered for the TRX, those affected on this forum with boot issues would be screaming, and it’d be a sticky on the landing page. Since you’re a noob here know that we are a vocal crowd. @CatchMeOffroad has been running a leveling kit and 37s since the beginning and may have something to say about your set up.

 

[TedRex]

It doesn't take much of a hole to sling grease. The handling of half shafts is very important prior to and during installation.

Your MacGyver trick is good. For my humvee halfshaft (similar to my TRX) torn boots, I use cling wrap (saran wrap) and shipping tape. Gets you to your destination and beyond.

 

[Boosted]

What leveling kit do you have and is it still on the truck?

 

[Fifty]

I asked my contact at rcv to have a boot set at the very least.

They are looking into making axles but unless people call and ask for them, they won’t make them.

I’m in east Bay Area ca, if someone with an axle out of the truck would bring it by, I could take the measurements and get part numbers for either empi hd boots or rcv oranges.

I could take the cv’s apart and do a video on rebuilds.

But I need someone with a busted axle to come by. Or send me one.

 

[nickinfleet]

Is the CV issue fixed by upgrading the tie rods?

 

[Boosted]

Is the CV issue fixed by upgrading the tie rods?

Tie rods? I don't think the steering is overextending the range of the CV boots. Personally I think it's a design flaw with the boot itself. Either wrong material used or incorrect gap between ribs causing them to rub and wear prematurely. If I'm not mistaken, the CV joints aren't blowing out, it's the boots that are tearing, allowing all the grease to escape and letting dirt/rocks in which is then destroying the joints.

 

[Nate_Bossi]

From what I know the leveling kit does not change any angles on the axles. It simply adds height to the top of the spring thus lifting the body? Everything underneath should be the same correct? And when I pick up the axles from the dealer I handle it like a baby. I know how weak these boots are. They also come with a boot protector for transport. I don’t take it off until I go to install it.

 

[Nate_Bossi]

Tie rods? I don't think the steering is overextending the range of the CV boots. Personally I think it's a design flaw with the boot itself. Either wrong material used or incorrect gap between ribs causing them to rub and wear prematurely. If I'm not mistaken, the CV joints aren't blowing out, it's the boots that are tearing, allowing all the grease to escape and letting dirt/rocks in which is then destroying the joints.

Yeah it is definitely the boot material. It feels plastic more than rubber. This last axle I got was a different part number so maybe they tried to fix the issue? But it felt the same.

 

[Nate_Bossi]

I asked my contact at rcv to have a boot set at the very least.

They are looking into making axles but unless people call and ask for them, they won’t make them.

I’m in east Bay Area ca, if someone with an axle out of the truck would bring it by, I could take the measurements and get part numbers for either empi hd boots or rcv oranges.

I could take the cv’s apart and do a video on rebuilds.

But I need someone with a busted axle to come by. Or send me one.

I could probably send you this busted one. I really do not want to buy another axle from mopar because it’s legit a waste of money. I need a solution. At $500 a pop I can’t keep replacing these every month. Plus they are on back order and it takes weeks to even get one.

 

[5150TRX]

From what I know the leveling kit does not change any angles on the axles. It simply adds height to the top of the spring thus lifting the body? Everything underneath should be the same correct? And when I pick up the axles from the dealer I handle it like a baby. I know how weak these boots are. They also come with a boot protector for transport. I don’t take it off until I go to install it.

They have more angle to them but are within the travel arch.

 

[Nate_Bossi]

I’d contact RCV they probably make or will make you a solution. They are very spendy but they make seriously tough stuff.

This really makes me worried about adding a leveling kit. My GMC ran a simple level kit for nearly 70k mi with zero issues and I drove that truck pretty rough off road.

I just hit them up. Fingers crossed. Also it would be fair to point out that one of the ripped boots was on the inside of the axle and the other four were the outside closest to the wheel. The first two happened when I went off-road, but from all the test videos for the trx I thought it could handle a simple off road day. Since that day almost 7 months ago I have not been off road in fear of blowing my cv boot. One of the times I was in Tahoe and did a donut in the snow on a flat surface. All the other times were just simply driving the truck

 

[Fifty]

A tie rod is not going to change or affect the CV.

As for leveling kits: They are not going to put the knuckle and CV in an arc that it didn’t already go in but it will keep the CV in a position of more angle than was stock. If that angle makes the boot have more friction then it will cause problems.

I have not measured the oem height cv angle and then the angle it would be with different levels.

But the original issue concept was the boot bands were loose from the factory.
But it sounds like the boot material is hard, or not flexible enough and fatigue too easily.

 

[Bdub003]

I just went through this. I have the foutz leveling kit and 37's. I took it in for an oil change and warranty on the grease being thrown everywhere. Of course they start asking if I had a lift and the wheels and tires blah blah. Luckily to my surprise they fixed it under warranty. If not I was selling the truck and getting a srt durango. I understand some stuff should void warranty but there has to be some give and take I think.

Now I'm trying to figure out if I install my incognito or just hold off for a little.

 

[The dude]

I just went through this. I have the foutz leveling kit and 37's. I took it in for an oil change and warranty on the grease being thrown everywhere. Of course they start asking if I had a lift and the wheels and tires blah blah. Luckily to my surprise they fixed it under warranty. If not I was selling the truck and getting a srt durango. I understand some stuff should void warranty but there has to be some give and take I think.

I don’t know what you want from them. They warranty the stock truck as sold, not the truck with whatever modifications the owner decides to do that directly affect the wear of the failed components. Pretty cool that they covered it for you.

 

[Bdub003]

I don’t know what you want from them. They warranty the stock truck as sold, not the truck with whatever modifications the owner decides to do that directly affect the wear of the failed components. Pretty cool that they covered it for you.

Ya I get it but a leveling kit, rims and tires in my mind is cosmetic stuff. If I threw a long travel kit on it then ya I expect a ton of stuff to be voided.

I took it to a dealer who sells trucks after they have modified them hoping they would be a little more lenient also.

 

[BadHabit_TRX]

I don’t know what you want from them. They warranty the stock truck as sold, not the truck with whatever modifications the owner decides to do that directly affect the wear of the failed components. Pretty cool that they covered it for you.

I'm 50/50 here.
You're absolutely right, and if you're going to play you have to be prepared to pay. BUT, it's a known issue on trucks that are stock and low mileage.

A bad part number is a bad part number.

 

[OnTheReel]

They do fail once in awhile on stock trucks, but not five of them on the same truck. To avoid blaming the leveling kit in this scenario you’d have to believe it’s a really bad design, or really bad luck. Especially since the internet in general is littered with people complaining about their leveled trucks tearing up CV axles. Any make, any model.