Rear axle grinding noise

[Scuba diver 71]

2019 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 5.7L e-torque, 3.92 rear end. My first ever serious issue with this truck started happening at 110k miles. I started noticing a high pitched grinding/whining noises from the back sounding almost like badly worn brake pads. A mechanic at my dealership couldn’t pinpoint the issue saying the sound is normal so I bought a “chassis ears” tool on Amazon and quickly figured out the problem. Amazing tool btw. My right side carrier bearing at the diff is making the noise. I will most likely be dropping the truck off at the dealership to overhaul the differential. The quoted me around $1000 in parts (all new bearings and seals) and $1200 in labor (7 hours of work). Not sure if I can trust the dealer though to put it together to factory standards. The other option is to buy a slightly used rear end for between $2k - $3k and swap it out. I still love this truck though. So comfortable and well built. So much more reliable than my previous 2014 Ram eco-diesel which had to have the engine replaced at just under 100k miles and in 4 years I owned it collectively spent about 4 months at the dealership.

 

[Scuba diver 71]

2019 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 5.7L e-torque, 3.92 rear end. My first ever serious issue with this truck started happening at 110k miles. I started noticing a high pitched grinding/whining noises from the back sounding almost like badly worn brake pads. A mechanic at my dealership couldn’t pinpoint the issue saying the sound is normal so I bought a “chassis ears” tool on Amazon and quickly figured out the problem. Amazing tool btw. My right side carrier bearing at the diff is making the noise. I will most likely be dropping the truck off at the dealership to overhaul the differential. The quoted me around $1000 in parts (all new bearings and seals) and $1200 in labor (7 hours of work). Not sure if I can trust the dealer though to put it together to factory standards. The other option is to buy a slightly used rear end for between $2k - $3k and swap it out. I still love this truck though. So comfortable and well built. So much more reliable than my previous 2014 Ram eco-diesel which had to have the engine replaced at just under 100k miles and in 4 years I owned it collectively spent about 4 months at the dealership.

Wound up buying a barely used rear end for $2300 and swapped it myself. Took me 8 hours to do but still better than paying for a new one at the dealership. I’m trying to give away the one with bad bearing.

 

[AllAmer1719]

Interesting. I’m at 115k miles and sounds like mine is gone now. 2020 3.21.

 

[KGWhip]

Even more interesting is mine I has the same symptoms at 62,000 miles. 2021 1500 hemi limited. Trying to get it in to the dealership is hard. Sounds like the same thing. Like worn rotors and pads. That’s what I thought it was for the past month and a half. No time to check and when I did find the time I was surprised to find that the brakes were ok. Checked the dif fluid and found it to be a half quart low. Was told that the factory does that. Could that possibly lead to premature wear on my seals and bearings?

 

[2021EcoDiesel]

Even more interesting is mine I has the same symptoms at 62,000 miles. 2021 1500 hemi limited. Trying to get it in to the dealership is hard. Sounds like the same thing. Like worn rotors and pads. That’s what I thought it was for the past month and a half. No time to check and when I did find the time I was surprised to find that the brakes were ok. Checked the dif fluid and found it to be a half quart low. Was told that the factory does that. Could that possibly lead to premature wear on my seals and bearings?

My 2021 had about 2.5 quarts in it from the factory and took about 2.75 quarts to fully fill back up when I changed the fluid. Anything less than full could cause premature wear I’m sure but losing any rear end component at that low of mileage is still disappointing. Though it’s not unheard of.

 

[KGWhip]

2019 Ram 1500 Limited 4x4 5.7L e-torque, 3.92 rear end. My first ever serious issue with this truck started happening at 110k miles. I started noticing a high pitched grinding/whining noises from the back sounding almost like badly worn brake pads. A mechanic at my dealership couldn’t pinpoint the issue saying the sound is normal so I bought a “chassis ears” tool on Amazon and quickly figured out the problem. Amazing tool btw. My right side carrier bearing at the diff is making the noise. I will most likely be dropping the truck off at the dealership to overhaul the differential. The quoted me around $1000 in parts (all new bearings and seals) and $1200 in labor (7 hours of work). Not sure if I can trust the dealer though to put it together to factory standards. The other option is to buy a slightly used rear end for between $2k - $3k and swap it out. I still love this truck though. So comfortable and well built. So much more reliable than my previous 2014 Ram eco-diesel which had to have the engine replaced at just under 100k miles and in 4 years I owned it collectively spent about 4 months at the dealership.

My 2021 had about 2.5 quarts in it from the factory and took about 2.75 quarts to fully fill back up when I changed the fluid. Anything less than full could cause premature wear I’m sure but losing any rear end component at that low of mileage is still disappointing. Though it’s not unheard of.

I agree and I never tow. It’s been in 4 hi and 4 low one time. And just out of warranty. It started at around 59,000 but I thought it was brakes. Identical sound.

 

[Cbty2050]

My 2021 had about 2.5 quarts in it from the factory and took about 2.75 quarts to fully fill back up when I changed the fluid. Anything less than full could cause premature wear I’m sure but losing any rear end component at that low of mileage is still disappointing. Though it’s not unheard of.

You missed a step on fluid checking. It's most likely filled to spec from factory, unless you checked it correctly you assume it's low.

 

[2021EcoDiesel]

You missed a step on fluid checking. It's most likely filled to spec from factory, unless you checked it correctly you assume it's low.

Oh, I'm not assuming it was low. Those are just rounded numbers. I refilled with bags not bottles, so I'm sure I lost some fluid somewhere in the bags when refilling. But yes, my current fluid level is just beneath the level of the fill plug.

I normally work on turf, agricultural, and construction equipment. But a fair amount of it translates to vehicles as well. that same procedure is used on some Toro machinery, others just say fill until it dribbles out of the fill port, then re insert the plug when the dribble stops.

 

[Cbty2050]

Oh, I'm not assuming it was low. Those are just rounded numbers. I refilled with bags not bottles, so I'm sure I lost some fluid somewhere in the bags when refilling. But yes, my current fluid level is just beneath the level of the fill plug.

I normally work on turf, agricultural, and construction equipment. But a fair amount of it translates to vehicles as well. that same procedure is used on some Toro machinery, others just say fill until it dribbles out of the fill port, then re insert the plug when the dribble stops.

Oh ok.... my bad. I will try to put 2.75qts in my rear diff next week and report back.

 

[2021EcoDiesel]

Oh ok.... my bad. I will try to put 2.75qts in my rear diff next week and report back.

Zero worries friend, that's just what I have written down in my little service notes I keep for the truck. Not for nothing but no ones perfect, and I could certainly be wrong!

And @KGWhip I hope you can get that bearing situation sorted out in short order!

 

[Rick3478]

Wound up buying a barely used rear end for $2300 and swapped it myself. Took me 8 hours to do but still better than paying for a new one at the dealership. I’m trying to give away the one with bad bearing.

Where you located? I might take it if the trip is practical. I have 3.92 and you can never have too many spare parts.