Burning rubber smell in 4wd

[Ksilva211]

So went up north this past weekend and the driveway to the house we stayed at was about as steep as it gets and a lot of ice. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive with traction control off and made my way up the driveway on two separate days. Both times when I got to the top there was a smell that almost smelled like burning rubber. No it wasn’t the tires there was very minimal tire spin on the way up. Anyone have this happen to them? It also seemed like there was a lot of friction the truck came to a stop as soon as I let off the gas. Any ideas? Thanks in advance! Also it is a limited 3.92 non torque

 

[duke2001]

So went up north this past weekend and the driveway to the house we stayed at was about as steep as it gets and a lot of ice. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive with traction control off and made my way up the driveway on two separate days. Both times when I got to the top there was a smell that almost smelled like burning rubber. No it wasn’t the tires there was very minimal tire spin on the way up. Anyone have this happen to them? It also seemed like there was a lot of friction the truck came to a stop as soon as I let off the gas. Any ideas? Thanks in advance! Also it is a limited 3.92 non torque

What 4WD mode were you using and why did you disable traction control?

 

[Ksilva211]

4wd high and I disabled it because I didn’t want it to cut power if the wheels did start to slip and bring me to a stop on the hill I was trying to keep momentum going

 

[TruckDriver]

4wd high and I disabled it because I didn’t want it to cut power if the wheels did start to slip and bring me to a stop on the hill I was trying to keep momentum going

Funny you posted this today; I was in the snow this weekend running 4H for the first time (of extended use) - at some point early on I smelled a whiff of burnt oil/rubber smell which went away (as I drove a few 100 miles in 4H); I chalked it up to first time use burn-off etc...

that said, no problems or smells later on...

 

[lonestar_penta19]

I engaged 4H for about 30 miles on a recent trip. I too smelled burning rubber when I first activated it. I have since used 4wd on a couple of occasions and the smell has not returned. Possibly a break in smell as TruckDriver mentioned. Very pleased with the 4wd system. It works great!

 

[Ksilva211]

I wonder what it is that’s “burning off” though. I have owned several new trucks and never noticed this before

 

[duke2001]

I wonder what it is that’s “burning off” though. I have owned several new trucks and never noticed this before

Yes, I am wondering as well. I can't imagine what would be "burning" off just because you engaged the front wheel drive transmission. I have only owned one other 4WD vehicle, a Chevrolet truck, and that never happened. I have tried my 4WD on my Limited, but just long enough to be sure it would engage. This makes me kind of wary about needing to really use it. Hopefully, someone can chime in that is really knowledgeable about these trucks and shed some light on this. I just don't think "burning in" is normal.

 

[TruckDriver]

It also seemed like there was a lot of friction the truck came to a stop as soon as I let off the gas. Any ideas?

I forgot to address this part of your post but I also noticed added drag - that seems normal as the difference between 2 vs 4 driven wheels

I wonder what it is that’s “burning off” though. I have owned several new trucks and never noticed this before

Agreed with you here and like the others, I don't know if it's 'normal' but it certainly hasn't happened on my other 4wd/awd vehicles; but then again it also hasn't returned.

would certainly like to hear from a Ram Tech who might know if or really, why it's normal.

 

[DWWillms]

I too have had this happen on multiple occasions, but the first time was the worst. I park in my garage and can still get a slight smell of burnt rubber after a 30 min drive in the snow/ice.

 

[Ksilva211]

Well I’m glad to see I’m not alone but I’m also not glad to see that it’s happening I can’t imagine a burning smell is normal for any vehicle

 

[grimloktt]

I smelled it too. Was out plowing today.

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[Richard320]

I wonder if it isn't a U-joint or a slip yoke slinging grease at the hot exhaust. In 2WD, the driveshaft isn't going to spin.

 

[OtterRam]

After driving 45 minutes or so in automatic I get a burnt smell in my garage also. Glad to have stumbled upon this thread, hopefully this smell goes away!


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[eye exaggerate]

Has anyone sorted this out yet? I’ve been carrying something in the box for the last two days, that means that my tonneau cover is right up against the cab. I opened my back window on both days to air out the truck and the smell of burning rubber is pretty real, that was at around 80kms/hr. I’ll check to see if there’s a difference in 4auto or not.

 

[Rick3478]

So went up north this past weekend and the driveway to the house we stayed at was about as steep as it gets and a lot of ice. I put the truck in 4 wheel drive with traction control off and made my way up the driveway on two separate days. Both times when I got to the top there was a smell that almost smelled like burning rubber. No it wasn’t the tires there was very minimal tire spin on the way up. Anyone have this happen to them? It also seemed like there was a lot of friction the truck came to a stop as soon as I let off the gas. Any ideas? Thanks in advance! Also it is a limited 3.92 non torque

Trying to read between the lines for clues. Is this your first 4x4? Were you tuning corners on the way, and if so did you realize that puts the drivetrain in a bind that forces tire slippage?

 

[Rick3478]

I wonder if it isn't a U-joint or a slip yoke slinging grease at the hot exhaust. In 2WD, the driveshaft isn't going to spin.

Why would you think that? It's still attached to the front wheels, right?

 

[Richard320]

Why would you think that? It's still attached to the front wheels, right?

Because there is a thing called the front axle disconnect. The front driveshaft is not spinning in 2WD. When it gets put in 4auto or 4wd it engages.

 

[Rick3478]

Because there is a thing called the front axle disconnect. The front driveshaft is not spinning in 2WD. When it gets put in 4auto or 4wd it engages.

I know they did that on some of the Jeeps, but I thought it was only the straight axles. I'll have to check that, but I still think you're mistaken about the driveshaft not spinning. Wouldn't there be a big old bang when you engage while moving?

 

[Rick3478]

I know they did that on some of the Jeeps, but I thought it was only the straight axles. I'll have to check that, but I still think you're mistaken about the driveshaft not spinning. Wouldn't there be a big old bang when you engage while moving?

So I followed up on that. It looks like there is an axle disconnect on the front, but no front shaft disconnect on the transfer case, so the front shaft does whatever the rear shaft is doing. I learned something, but looks to me like "spinning in 2WD" is the answer.

 

[grimloktt]

I'm thinking it's the tires?

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