StuartV
Ram Guru
My truck started making a clunking noise a couple of months ago coming from somewhere under the cab. At first it only happened when I made a sharp left turn. Before I had a chance to get it looked at, it seemed like it went away. Then it started doing the same thing again but at totally random times. Not when making a sharp left. But, it only happened very occasionally.
I drove to FL the weekend before Thanksgiving. By the time I got there, it seemed like the random clunking was happening pretty often. My cousin and my brother both went for rides with me to check out my new truck. Both asked "what was that noise" at different times.
It was now happening enough that I was worried something might actually break before I drove back to VA. So, I went to the Tallahassee Dodge dealer. Their service department sent me over to the Express Lane side where they do oil changes and other very basic tech work. I was only 500 miles from needing an oil change, so I asked them to do the service and have a look underneath while they had it on the rack. See if they could see anything that would explain the clunking.
They changed the oil, rotated the tires, and told me that the tech found a TSB for my exact symptoms and the solution was a firmware update. They flashed 3 (I think) computers (PCM, TCM, and something else?) and told me I should be good to go.
I left there and immediately got on I-10 for a run across town. At 80 MPH it had a very noticeable shake. It used to be smooth as glass on the highway. And I soon noticed that the clunk was still there.
I took it back to the dealer on the Monday after Thanksgiving and told them about it. They balanced all 4 wheels (at no charge, since my truck only had just 9,000-something miles), and they told me the tech found another TSB, also for the symptoms I described. This one involved torquing some specific things underneath to spec, which they did.
After that, problems totally resolved. I haven't had a clunk since. They told me that when they balanced the tires, there was one that was quite a bit off. I'll never know if the tech that rotated them knocked a weight off or if the unbalanced wheel was on the back and I didn't notice it until they rotated it to the front (but, as bad as it was shaking, I am pretty darn skeptical that it was that far out of balance before they rotated the tires - it was totally smooth at 80 before). The drive back from FL to VA was so nice, not having the clunk and not having a worry in the back of my mind that something was about to break.
Something else - I reckon it *could* just be my imagination, but I believe the truck is more pleasant to drive since they flashed all the computers. In particular, it feels like the takeoff from a dead stop is smoother now and the throttle response at lower speeds is better. I don't have to mash the pedal as far to get some moderate acceleration in traffic. Unfortunately, the computer updates don't seem to have improved my fuel economy or the accuracy of the onboard fuel economy computer.
I drove to FL the weekend before Thanksgiving. By the time I got there, it seemed like the random clunking was happening pretty often. My cousin and my brother both went for rides with me to check out my new truck. Both asked "what was that noise" at different times.
It was now happening enough that I was worried something might actually break before I drove back to VA. So, I went to the Tallahassee Dodge dealer. Their service department sent me over to the Express Lane side where they do oil changes and other very basic tech work. I was only 500 miles from needing an oil change, so I asked them to do the service and have a look underneath while they had it on the rack. See if they could see anything that would explain the clunking.
They changed the oil, rotated the tires, and told me that the tech found a TSB for my exact symptoms and the solution was a firmware update. They flashed 3 (I think) computers (PCM, TCM, and something else?) and told me I should be good to go.
I left there and immediately got on I-10 for a run across town. At 80 MPH it had a very noticeable shake. It used to be smooth as glass on the highway. And I soon noticed that the clunk was still there.
I took it back to the dealer on the Monday after Thanksgiving and told them about it. They balanced all 4 wheels (at no charge, since my truck only had just 9,000-something miles), and they told me the tech found another TSB, also for the symptoms I described. This one involved torquing some specific things underneath to spec, which they did.
After that, problems totally resolved. I haven't had a clunk since. They told me that when they balanced the tires, there was one that was quite a bit off. I'll never know if the tech that rotated them knocked a weight off or if the unbalanced wheel was on the back and I didn't notice it until they rotated it to the front (but, as bad as it was shaking, I am pretty darn skeptical that it was that far out of balance before they rotated the tires - it was totally smooth at 80 before). The drive back from FL to VA was so nice, not having the clunk and not having a worry in the back of my mind that something was about to break.
Something else - I reckon it *could* just be my imagination, but I believe the truck is more pleasant to drive since they flashed all the computers. In particular, it feels like the takeoff from a dead stop is smoother now and the throttle response at lower speeds is better. I don't have to mash the pedal as far to get some moderate acceleration in traffic. Unfortunately, the computer updates don't seem to have improved my fuel economy or the accuracy of the onboard fuel economy computer.
