Differential or Transmission Clunk

[Pyleketerson]

2021 Laramie 2WD with etrorque.... same issue, although it doesnt happen all the time. I mostly feel it after I come to a complete stop then take off again. It has now become something I cannot unhear....

Yes, exactly!

 

[CRAIG4FSU]

On this truck, how many others do it?
This doesn't appear to be a wide spread issue and most here don't even understand what they are seeing or hearing

I rented a ‘21 300S (5.7), ‘22 1500 Limited that had this clunk. The ‘22 2500 we drive at work has it. My ‘21 1500 has it.

It’s something in the drivetrain.

 

[RamCares]

I rented a ‘21 300S (5.7), ‘22 1500 Limited that had this clunk. The ‘22 2500 we drive at work has it. My ‘21 1500 has it.

It’s something in the drivetrain.

Hey there,

If you decide to take this into your local dealership for diagnosis and repair, we'd love to get you some assistance. We're available via direct messaging.

Callie
Ram Cares

 

[BowDown]

I rented a ‘21 300S (5.7), ‘22 1500 Limited that had this clunk. The ‘22 2500 we drive at work has it. My ‘21 1500 has it.

It’s something in the drivetrain.

What did you do to your Ram today???

Not too many camping days left so wife and I spent 2 days out in the woods. Just 15 miles from the house. Low last night was 32 degrees. Dog kept us warm: Camping again next weekend if the weather holds out. My friends from Quebec come down for their thanksgiving and we ride dirt bikes around...

5thgenrams.com

 

[CRAIG4FSU]

I rented a ‘21 300S (5.7), ‘22 1500 Limited that had this clunk. The ‘22 2500 we drive at work has it. My ‘21 1500 has it.

It’s something in the drivetrain.

What did you do to your Ram today???

Not too many camping days left so wife and I spent 2 days out in the woods. Just 15 miles from the house. Low last night was 32 degrees. Dog kept us warm: Camping again next weekend if the weather holds out. My friends from Quebec come down for their thanksgiving and we ride dirt bikes around...

5thgenrams.com

 

[2019rebel35s]

It’s normal, nothing wrong with your truck. It’s a 8 speed trans charachteristic. My 13 did it and my 19 does too. I mainly notice it on freeway on ramps waiting for our metering lights. Slow stop and go traffic. On and off the throttle, seems like something is wrong, but it’s not. Feels like major backlash In the drivetrain.

I have a 2019 ram rebel and experience same thing when I let off the gas coming to a light or when I apply the gas leaving a stop sign and am wondering if it is a problem I have a full warranty but don’t want to bring to dealer right away before I do the reaserch the truck is mint but it does do that weird Jult when slowing or speeding up at a slow speed occasionally and it can be alarming

 

[RamCares]

I have a 2019 ram rebel and experience same thing when I let off the gas coming to a light or when I apply the gas leaving a stop sign and am wondering if it is a problem I have a full warranty but don’t want to bring to dealer right away before I do the reaserch the truck is mint but it does do that weird Jult when slowing or speeding up at a slow speed occasionally and it can be alarming

Hey there,

If you do decide to take this into your local dealership, please reach out to us. We can assist with diagnosis and cost assistance and are available via direct messaging.

Callie
Ram Cares

 

[Jordan2929]

I have a single piece aluminum drive shaft and I've had the clunk for about 30,000 miles. Every few thousand miles I would remove the driveshafe and grease the slip yoke for the splines on the transfer case-to-driveshaft connection using the ford XG-8 PTFE grease. The clunk would become much more mild for about a week or two, but always come back. I eventually got annoyed enough, and had enough passengers say "whats wrong with your truck" to do something serious about the issue, I know where the issue is, but I just don't understand why it keeps coming back.

These new rams come with the 5-link rear end which means they "wrap" on acceleration and braking much less than a leaf spring truck. Meaning they don't need as much room for the driveshaft to slide in and out of the transfer case, and when they do, it's a much quicker jolt to the splines causing more friction in a smaller area, not to mention I believe the output shaft diameter for the transfer case is too small. I also believe the output shaft is much harder than the driveshaft yoke, but there's not much I can do about that. All of this together is causing galling on the spline mating surfaces, which then leads to excessive friction on the shaft and yoke. Thus causing the torque coming out of the transfer case to lock the splines together, until the weight and acceleration of the truck moving forward (or backwards) causes the driveshaft to overcome the friction between the splines creating a loud pop or clunk noise..... or so I thought....

Now, when I opened up the transfer case to inspect for further issues I noticed how much play the output shaft had moving in and out (about 3/8") which is exactly where the noise is coming from. The splines are in fact locking together under friction, but the noise (or most of it) is actually coming from the output shaft moving forward and backward inside the transfer case. But when I manually moved the transfer case into 4wd it caused the shaft to have much less play (‹1/8") which made sense because I noticed the clunk much less when I was in 4wd.

So my solution was to use valve lapping compound to "mate" the output shaft and slip yoke together, carefully marking which orientation they were so I could install it the same way after lapping. After lapping the splines for about 1 minute I carefully cleaned all of the very abrasive compound out of the splines which took about half an hour and alot of rags. Then assembled the transfer case and added fluid. I then applied the ford spline grease to the driveshaft splines only, generously covering all the splines. Next, I Installed the driveshaft, being careful to make sure it splined together the same way I lapped it earlier, and manually worked the yoke in and out a couple inches to make sure the grease got in all of the grooves. And when I went to test drive it it was completely silent, which it hasn't been in over 30,000 miles. Only time will tell how long this works... But, if it does comes back, I know I'll be installing a new output shaft and driveshaft yoke.

 

[BowDown]

I have a single piece aluminum drive shaft and I've had the clunk for about 30,000 miles. Every few thousand miles I would remove the driveshafe and grease the slip yoke for the splines on the transfer case-to-driveshaft connection using the ford XG-8 PTFE grease. The clunk would become much more mild for about a week or two, but always come back. I eventually got annoyed enough, and had enough passengers say "whats wrong with your truck" to do something serious about the issue, I know where the issue is, but I just don't understand why it keeps coming back.

These new rams come with the 5-link rear end which means they "wrap" on acceleration and braking much less than a leaf spring truck. Meaning they don't need as much room for the driveshaft to slide in and out of the transfer case, and when they do, it's a much quicker jolt to the splines causing more friction in a smaller area, not to mention I believe the output shaft diameter for the transfer case is too small. I also believe the output shaft is much harder than the driveshaft yoke, but there's not much I can do about that. All of this together is causing galling on the spline mating surfaces, which then leads to excessive friction on the shaft and yoke. Thus causing the torque coming out of the transfer case to lock the splines together, until the weight and acceleration of the truck moving forward (or backwards) causes the driveshaft to overcome the friction between the splines creating a loud pop or clunk noise..... or so I thought....

Now, when I opened up the transfer case to inspect for further issues I noticed how much play the output shaft had moving in and out (about 3/8") which is exactly where the noise is coming from. The splines are in fact locking together under friction, but the noise (or most of it) is actually coming from the output shaft moving forward and backward inside the transfer case. But when I manually moved the transfer case into 4wd it caused the shaft to have much less play (‹1/8") which made sense because I noticed the clunk much less when I was in 4wd.

So my solution was to use valve lapping compound to "mate" the output shaft and slip yoke together, carefully marking which orientation they were so I could install it the same way after lapping. After lapping the splines for about 1 minute I carefully cleaned all of the very abrasive compound out of the splines which took about half an hour and alot of rags. Then assembled the transfer case and added fluid. I then applied the ford spline grease to the driveshaft splines only, generously covering all the splines. Next, I Installed the driveshaft, being careful to make sure it splined together the same way I lapped it earlier, and manually worked the yoke in and out a couple inches to make sure the grease got in all of the grooves. And when I went to test drive it it was completely silent, which it hasn't been in over 30,000 miles. Only time will tell how long this works... But, if it does comes back, I know I'll be installing a new output shaft and driveshaft yoke.

The splined slip yoke is for the up and down movement of the rear axle during suspension travel, not axle wind-up/wrap.

My experience with re-greasing the splined shaft is that it lasts about 25-30k miles. I have a different grease that I'm going to try next time recommended by a high performance drive shaft shop recommended.

I don't know that I would have lapped the splined section of the driveshaft, that's going to create more clearance and magnify the problem. It's binding up because it wears out the grease on the splines, not because the slip joint isn't smooth

 

[Jordan2929]

The splined slip yoke is for the up and down movement of the rear axle during suspension travel, not axle wind-up/wrap.

My experience with re-greasing the splined shaft is that it lasts about 25-30k miles. I have a different grease that I'm going to try next time recommended by a high performance drive shaft shop recommended.

I don't know that I would have lapped the splined section of the driveshaft, that's going to create more clearance and magnify the problem. It's binding up because it wears out the grease on the splines, not because the slip joint isn't smooth

The wrap of the axle naturally moves the driveshaft forward and backward, even if it may be slight. I also agree that it is for the up and down motion of the axle, but typically there will be much more friction on the splines from torque during acceleration than when hitting bumps.

I also thought about the effect of lapping the splines and what it would do for the tolerances, so I did put my indicator on it before and after to see if there was any difference, and fortuantely there wasn't. Now, if I was more agressive and lapped it longer I'm sure there would start to be tolerance issues, but not in my case.

And to be honest, after dealing with this for so many miles and greasing it 8-10 times with extremely short term results, I was fine with any consequences that occurred. Because my next resort was to sell the truck. Like my previous post said, it's completely silent so far but we'll see how long it stays that way. I'll definitely update after a few thousand miles since I haven't had any "fix" last longer then a couple hundred miles.

I also should have stated that the dealer installed a completely new driveshaft because of a bad u-joint a few thousand miles before this whole thing started, and may have caused all of this by installing the shaft with zero lubricant or maybe it was even dirty when they installed it.

And let us know how the grease you try next time works out.

 

[DeckArtist]

I picked up my Longhorn Tuesday night. So far I have less than 150 miles on it.

Today driving home from work, I started hearing a clunk and can feel a slight jolt when starting and stopping in slow moving traffic (such as creeping your way up to a stop sign, waiting for your turn to go).

I'm disturbed by this and don't know if it will continue doing this until something self-destructs.

The clunk sound appears to be coming from the rear end. Maybe the differential or transmission....

I have a 3.92 gear ratio and a non-etorque engine.

Is this normal?

On another note, I can hear something rolling around inside the dash every time I stop or start moving. Guess the boys at the factory dropped something in there during assembly.

You think the assembly people would take pride in their work!

Any ideas on the clunk noise?

My 2016 had that....u-joint.

 

[BowDown]

The wrap of the axle naturally moves the driveshaft forward and backward, even if it may be slight. I also agree that it is for the up and down motion of the axle, but typically there will be much more friction on the splines from torque during acceleration than when hitting bumps.

I also thought about the effect of lapping the splines and what it would do for the tolerances, so I did put my indicator on it before and after to see if there was any difference, and fortuantely there wasn't. Now, if I was more agressive and lapped it longer I'm sure there would start to be tolerance issues, but not in my case.

And to be honest, after dealing with this for so many miles and greasing it 8-10 times with extremely short term results, I was fine with any consequences that occurred. Because my next resort was to sell the truck. Like my previous post said, it's completely silent so far but we'll see how long it stays that way. I'll definitely update after a few thousand miles since I haven't had any "fix" last longer then a couple hundred miles.

I also should have stated that the dealer installed a completely new driveshaft because of a bad u-joint a few thousand miles before this whole thing started, and may have caused all of this by installing the shaft with zero lubricant or maybe it was even dirty when they installed it.

And let us know how the grease you try next time works out.

The 4 link in these trucks really prevents any rotation of the axle, it would be limited to how much movement the bushings allowed.

How is the grease you're using lasting? I've seen others say that they use the ford grease and that the results were very temporary.
This is what I used and it's gone 30k miles
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. 02292-029S Ultra Red Supreme Grease, NLGI #2, 14 oz..
I've since bought some Ultra Red 238 but yet to use it

Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. 02382-029S Ultra Supreme Grease, NLGI #2, 14 oz. https://a.co/d/6DHzS0C


TRXs dealing with it too belut they seem to have a different DS

Fixing the "clunk" yourself.

So, long story short, I followed the vid below on my wife's 21. I figured it looked pretty easy and the last thing I wanted to do is was wait a couple of weeks for the opportunity to try and convince my dealer that the driveshaft slip yoke needs to be lubed...and have them take a week to verify...

www.ram-trx.com

Seems kinda dumb using WD40 on this though but it's his truck

Here's the recommendation for the Ultra 238

Maintenance Information

1310 CV Driveshaft Maintenance Video 1350 CV Driveshaft Maintenance Video

www.adamsdriveshaftoffroad.com

 

[Jordan2929]

The 4 link in these trucks really prevents any rotation of the axle, it would be limited to how much movement the bushings allowed.

How is the grease you're using lasting? I've seen others say that they use the ford grease and that the results were very temporary.
This is what I used and it's gone 30k miles
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. 02292-029S Ultra Red Supreme Grease, NLGI #2, 14 oz..
I've since bought some Ultra Red 238 but yet to use it

Schaeffer Manufacturing Co. 02382-029S Ultra Supreme Grease, NLGI #2, 14 oz. https://a.co/d/6DHzS0C

Lately I've been using the Ford XG-8 PTFE grease which is made specifically for slip yokes, and because of how many people told me how great it was... and to be honest I think it's junk, way to thin in my opinion and as soon as any oil from the transfer case gets on it, it turns to slime. I'll order some of the grease you linked and give that a try.

Not sure why ram puts the 2 piece driveshafts in some trucks and the single piece aluminum shafts in other trucks like mine is. It doesn't have anything to do with trim level, cab size, bed length or anything else I could think of. They must have a few suppliers that make different styles.

 

[BowDown]

Lately I've been using the Ford XG-8 PTFE grease which is made specifically for slip yokes, and because of how many people told me how great it was... and to be honest I think it's junk, way to thin in my opinion and as soon as any oil from the transfer case gets on it, it turns to slime. I'll order some of the grease you linked and give that a try.

Not sure why ram puts the 2 piece driveshafts in some trucks and the single piece aluminum shafts in other trucks like mine is. It doesn't have anything to do with trim level, cab size, bed length or anything else I could think of. They must have a few suppliers that make different styles.

I suspect mine has the 2 piece rear section (3 piece drive shaft) due to the air ride.
I think there could have been a better design than what they did which is why I called the above shop for a zerk greaseable slip joint.

I've read that the ford stuff was junk, the grease I'm using is very tacky and think but made for this type of use. The 238 version is what this shop recommended vs a new driveshaft which was $800+.

 

[JerryBsizzle]

I believe I need to do the grease job on mine. I've developed a clunk anytime I start to accelerate, forward or reverse. If I really ease into it then nothing happens, but when I accelerate like normal it's like a noticeable clunk/pop. I really hear it in my parking garage when I throw it in reverse. It doesn't happen when I put it in forward or reverse, only when the truck starts to move. Called my dealer, earliest they can look at it is 6-8 weeks from now yikes.

I don't anticipate them fixing it anyway so I'll just do it myself. I think I've researched enough to determine it's a grease thing. 5'7" bed, one piece driveshaft. If anyone has helpful tips or tricks I'm all ears. Thanks

 

[RamCares]

I believe I need to do the grease job on mine. I've developed a clunk anytime I start to accelerate, forward or reverse. If I really ease into it then nothing happens, but when I accelerate like normal it's like a noticeable clunk/pop. I really hear it in my parking garage when I throw it in reverse. It doesn't happen when I put it in forward or reverse, only when the truck starts to move. Called my dealer, earliest they can look at it is 6-8 weeks from now yikes.

I don't anticipate them fixing it anyway so I'll just do it myself. I think I've researched enough to determine it's a grease thing. 5'7" bed, one piece driveshaft. If anyone has helpful tips or tricks I'm all ears. Thanks

Hi Jerry,

We are sorry to hear about this. If you decide to go the dealership route, or try getting an appointment in place with another dealer in your area, please let us know. We are available via private message and would love to offer an extra layer of support at that time.

Lex
Ram Cares

 

[JerryBsizzle]

I believe I need to do the grease job on mine. I've developed a clunk anytime I start to accelerate, forward or reverse. If I really ease into it then nothing happens, but when I accelerate like normal it's like a noticeable clunk/pop. I really hear it in my parking garage when I throw it in reverse. It doesn't happen when I put it in forward or reverse, only when the truck starts to move. Called my dealer, earliest they can look at it is 6-8 weeks from now yikes.

I don't anticipate them fixing it anyway so I'll just do it myself. I think I've researched enough to determine it's a grease thing. 5'7" bed, one piece driveshaft. If anyone has helpful tips or tricks I'm all ears. Thanks

Update**

I just greased the slip yoke and it's totally fixed. So much better! When I pulled it out it was BONE dry. I used Lucas Red n Tacky. We will see how long it last.

 

[Peckadelic]

Be curious to know how long this remedy lasted for the driveshaft. I have the one piece as well.

Truthfully, i'm curious why grease would even help the issue. It's a metallic pop/knock as a result from movement. Wouldn't those splines be locked into a reciever? Where does the noise even come from? Doesn't make sense to me but i'm not a automobile engineer. Anyways..

Wondering if it would be worth my time to take mine off and throw some grease in there. I've dealt with the drive train noise since probably around 2-3k miles. I'm at 20k now. I'm replying to this post ~5 months after you did the job. @JerryBsizzle Did it ever come back? I've had the dealer change not only the drive shaft, but they also put a new rear end kit in. Noise is still there. After the last few visits of having them look at my truck for a week with nothing fixed, i decided to just deal with it for the last year.

Here's the noise i'm having.

@RamCares Would love some assistance with this if you have the ability. The dealers I have used have not been able to fix the problem adequately.

 

[kapinallinen2]

Be curious to know how long this remedy lasted for the driveshaft. I have the one piece as well.

Truthfully, i'm curious why grease would even help the issue. It's a metallic pop/knock as a result from movement. Wouldn't those splines be locked into a reciever? Where does the noise even come from? Doesn't make sense to me but i'm not a automobile engineer. Anyways..

Wondering if it would be worth my time to take mine off and throw some grease in there. I've dealt with the drive train noise since probably around 2-3k miles. I'm at 20k now. I'm replying to this post ~5 months after you did the job. @JerryBsizzle Did it ever come back? I've had the dealer change not only the drive shaft, but they also put a new rear end kit in. Noise is still there. After the last few visits of having them look at my truck for a week with nothing fixed, i decided to just deal with it for the last year.

Here's the noise i'm having.

@RamCares Would love some assistance with this if you have the ability. The dealers I have used have not been able to fix the problem adequately.

If this was a front-wheel drive car, my bet would be on a bad CV joint.
That sounds like noise from the rear suspension, control arm bushing bolt loose, allowing it to rotate.
Does it do it every time when you hit the gas?

 

[Peckadelic]

If this was a front-wheel drive car, my bet would be on a bad CV joint.
That sounds like noise from the rear suspension, control arm bushing bolt loose, allowing it to rotate.
Does it do it every time when you hit the gas?

Nope, Only from a stop. I believe I have figured it out after reading everything offered here. I think all my slip yokes need lube. There will be play near the torque converter sometimes, then sometimes in the rear, then sometimes both. I'm tempted to rip off the drive shaft and try something, but I also hear the noise eventually comes back.

The noises are directly underneath the cab, lined up with the drivetrain.