Mopar Driveshaft Clunk Repair

[wac45]

It is correct that a new drive line will NOT fix the issue. From talking to a few of the Raptor guys and watching a few videos I have a suspicion that a nickel plated slip yoke may be the cure. Don't take that to the bank just yet. I have more checking to do.

Fingers crossed, thanks for the info

 

[wac45]

Yea I covered this topic last year and pointed to Ford changing the hardness on their yokes via a change in their plating to solve their problem. Someone chimed in and also talked about cerakoat for our yokes but it never went anywhere. Trust me this issue has been beat to death for 2 years and hit from every angle.

Hopefully Ram will step up at some point and rectify this issue. I'm sure it is solvable if they choose to do it.

 

[OnTheReel]

Hopefully Ram will step up at some point and rectify this issue. I'm sure it is solvable if they choose to do it.

Right. Even if I have to buy a new driveshaft myself I don’t care as long as there’s a redesign that actually fixes it. In fact I might prefer buying it instead of dealing with the dealer run-around…

 

[wac45]

Right. Even if I have to buy a new driveshaft myself I don’t care as long as there’s a redesign that actually fixes it. In fact I might prefer buying it instead of dealing with the dealer run-around…

Same here

 

[slivoman]

Picked up my 23 in January and no clunk until it got hotter outside. Happens all the time. Its not jarring, but you can feel it.

 

[OnTheReel]

Picked up my 23 in January and no clunk until it got hotter outside. Happens all the time. Its not jarring, but you can feel it.

Happen to have the PN of your driveshaft? It’s on a white sticker. “53011135AF” is the latest revision. Just wondering if that’s what you have. If so it means that even the newest driveshaft has the issue.

 

[Sinister4]

I think this is the new shaft but not a warranty repair ??? just a TSB

 

[OnTheReel]

I think this is the new shaft but not a warranty repair ??? just a TSBView attachment 98713

Well the TSB says to grease the splines, not replace the shaft. And the “AF” revision is not covered under that TSB as being affected by the clunk problem. So at least it has the illusion of being a fix for now. Ultimately I’m sure one could force the hand of a dealer and/or Ram to get the driveshaft replaced under warranty (as it has been done before). The question is will it be worth it? That’s why I want to hear from 2023 owners with the clunk to see if ”AF” is the one they have. If so, it’s not a fix. On the other hand, if enough people with the “AF” don’t have the clunk, it may be the solution.

 

[JBTRXNJ]

 

[Alienhead]

Well the TSB says to grease the splines, not replace the shaft. And the “AF” revision is not covered under that TSB as being affected by the clunk problem. So at least it has the illusion of being a fix for now. Ultimately I’m sure one could force the hand of a dealer and/or Ram to get the driveshaft replaced under warranty (as it has been done before). The question is will it be worth it? That’s why I want to hear from 2023 owners with the clunk to see if ”AF” is the one they have. If so, it’s not a fix. On the other hand, if enough people with the “AF” don’t have the clunk, it may be the solution.

I can confirm that the AF is the latest drive shaft and that it does not permanently resolve the clunk. Going to the dealer probably will not result in a drive line replacement if it has already been done. Remember the dealer only gets paid if Stellantis feels it is the correct fix. Since it did not fix the problem the fist time it will take a regional rep to OK the same warranty repair for a known issue that they know the repair will not fix. Everyones best course of action at this point is to contact @RamCares to get your issue on the books.

 

[JBTRXNJ]

I’m curious why such a wide spread issue is not universal? What is different about those that don’t have the “clunk”? I mean I guess this is the million $ question and would make identifying a fix much simpler… but doesn’t make sense to me.

 

[OnTheReel]

I’m curious why such a wide spread issue is not universal? What is different about those that don’t have the “clunk”? I mean I guess this is the million $ question and would make identifying a fix much simpler… but doesn’t make sense to me.

Gonna guess that a lot of people “without clunk” either just haven’t noticed that they actually do, don’t have enough miles yet for the problem to present, or they drive in cold weather where the binding is less pronounced or not there at all. Driving style might also play a part.

“Clunk” is also not always the accurate description. Mine right now feels like nothing more than a slight jolt taking up the slack from a stop. Problem is I’ve noticed it, and now I fixate on it.

 

[Alienhead]

I’m curious why such a wide spread issue is not universal? What is different about those that don’t have the “clunk”? I mean I guess this is the million $ question and would make identifying a fix much simpler… but doesn’t make sense to me.

Some people don't care, others traded the truck off and the new owner may chalk it up to being used. Others think it is normal if they came from a Raptor that had the same issue. Others believe an ill informed person who tells them it is a normal part of an all wheel drive system. I have talked to people who experience it but did not realize it was an issue until we had a conversation about it.

 

[Alienhead]

Gonna guess that a lot of people “without clunk” either just haven’t noticed that they actually do, don’t have enough miles yet for the problem to present, or they drive in cold weather where the binding is less pronounced or not there at all. Driving style might also play a part.

“Clunk” is also not always the accurate description. Mine right now feels like nothing more than a slight jolt taking up the slack from a stop. Problem is I’ve noticed it, and now I fixate on it.

Jolt is a good way to describe it. It is very comparable to hauling an empty flatbed and having a little slack at the ball.

 

[slivoman]

Sorry will have to try and find out the PN# for my shaft. As far as the clunk (jolt) if I did not read it here on the forums, I do not know if I would have noticed it at all. Its ever so slight but as others have stated, once you feel it you always feel it

 

[Babylon]

I felt mine almost right off the lot. Left with around 20 miles and right around the time I got home with 50 miles. I know how it feels because my Laramie GT does something similar and I was hoping
I never have to deal with that in the TRX.

Edit:
23 TRX

 

[Sinister4]

Also the tolerance of the splines these thing are mass produced and some may have more slop than others....its not like we get a billet MW yoke or anything LMAO

 

[AZDinoPwr]

The topic has well over a hundred pages on this forum. The clunk is affected by ambient temperatures so we know it’s either tolerancing on the splines or viscosity changes in the grease or both. Given that many folks have tried a variety of grease options and the problem always seems to come back, I’m inclined to think it’s a tolerancing issue that is band-aided by fresh grease. Once the grease is contaminated by metal particles and loses some lubricity, the tolerance issue reappears.

 

[wac45]

I can confirm that the AF is the latest drive shaft and that it does not permanently resolve the clunk. Going to the dealer probably will not result in a drive line replacement if it has already been done. Remember the dealer only gets paid if Stellantis feels it is the correct fix. Since it did not fix the problem the fist time it will take a regional rep to OK the same warranty repair for a known issue that they know the repair will not fix. Everyones best course of action at this point is to contact @RamCares to get your issue on the books.

Good info you put out. I was curious if the AF driveshaft would be the answer. I got RamCares involved a while back after the dealer did the lube kit fix but it didn't last. They said take it back to the dealer and see what they determine which I did. They determined I had the correct driveshaft at the time. My dealer replicated the symptoms and told me this is normal for the awd system on these trucks. I let RamCares know the outcome and after some time they recontacted me and said this condition is not normal according to their engineering contact and they had gotten approval to replace the driveshaft. They instructed me to make another appointment and let them know where and when it was. They said they would have the part shipped to that dealer for repair.

So I went back to the dealer and told them the above info and they said it doesn't work that way, that these things do not get preapproved in this manner. ( I don't think they really believed me until I showed them a copy of my communications with RamCares) The dealer does not want to replace the driveshaft since he said it is a temporary fix at best. I must say my dealer has been good to work with and we have spent considerable time discussing the issue. So at this point my dealer is reaching out to their contact at Ram to determine what the course of action should be. (if any I guess)

So time will tell how this plays out but both RamCares and the dealer have been good to work with although it seems they are not both on the same page right now. This issue is not huge to me but is a bit annoying, as others have noted that once you know it's there you notice it all the time. ( and mine does it 100% of the time) If this is truly normal for this system I can live with it but doesn't seem like it should be doing that. I kind of got my hopes up that Ram had figured out a fix to this when RamCares recontacted me to take the truck back in. At any rate there is a star case number on it so they are aware of the issue if/when a fix becomes available. Still love this truck though!

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Good info you put out. I was curious if the AF driveshaft would be the answer. I got RamCares involved a while back after the dealer did the lube kit fix but it didn't last. They said take it back to the dealer and see what they determine which I did. They determined I had the correct driveshaft at the time. My dealer replicated the symptoms and told me this is normal for the awd system on these trucks. I let RamCares know the outcome and after some time they recontacted me and said this condition is not normal according to their engineering contact and they had gotten approval to replace the driveshaft. They instructed me to make another appointment and let them know where and when it was. They said they would have the part shipped to that dealer for repair.

So I went back to the dealer and told them the above info and they said it doesn't work that way, that these things do not get preapproved in this manner. ( I don't think they really believed me until I showed them a copy of my communications with RamCares) The dealer does not want to replace the driveshaft since he said it is a temporary fix at best. I must say my dealer has been good to work with and we have spent considerable time discussing the issue. So at this point my dealer is reaching out to their contact at Ram to determine what the course of action should be. (if any I guess)

So time will tell how this plays out but both RamCares and the dealer have been good to work with although it seems they are not both on the same page right now. This issue is not huge to me but is a bit annoying, as others have noted that once you know it's there you notice it all the time. ( and mine does it 100% of the time) If this is truly normal for this system I can live with it but doesn't seem like it should be doing that. I kind of got my hopes up that Ram had figured out a fix to this when RamCares recontacted me to take the truck back in. At any rate there is a star case number on it so they are aware of the issue if/when a fix becomes available. Still love this truck though!

All these dealers tell you anything less than a 5 Star Rating is unacceptable. Sounds to me like somebody might get 3 stars.