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Update on 99 ram rear end noise..again

ARGGG... Got the truck back from the sealer a month or so ago with rebuilt rear end at their cost..

On the first trip out of town (towing our travel trailer) we got about 150 miles from home with no problems and then made a left turn onto the freeway from a stop light and got a really load "clanking" sound from the back of the truck..

We were sure that it was rear end problems and pulled over.. nothing leaking, hot, noisy when creeping forward, etc... Continued toward rv park (about 130 miles closer than home) with Good Sam ERS card at the ready... stopped for gas and as we left the station, I had the wife pull the truck & trailer forward slowly for about 40 feet.. I walked along side and heard a rhythmic click form the right rear wheel.. she hit the brake and it stopped making the noise.. brake adjuster hanging up and releasing??

No more noise for the rest of the weekend or on the way back, but about 50 miles from home, the ABS light went on... pulled over and checked fluid level, it was ok... brakes on truck and trailer work fine.. continued home..

Took it back to the dealer, explaining the problem and suggesting nicely that it could have been something wrong on assembly after replacing rear end.. They couldn't find any noise, of course, because it had stopped.. took off both brake drums and said that everything was fine.. same with rear end..

Since it wasn't (according to them) related to past work, they charged $165 for diagnoses and said that the code was for speed sensor.. and wanted over $300 to replace it!!

I guess I'm going to go back into DIY mode here.. from what I've read here it's not hard OR expensive to change the sensor.... the brakes still work fine, speedo and cruise are normal.. no idea if ABS is working...

If the speed sensor is bad, shouldn't it effect the cruise, speedo, odometer, trip computer, or something???

mac

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Reply to
mac davis
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When it gets very bad, yes. It may just be generating an erratic signal right now, which the ABS computer is particularly sensitive to. When it gets worse, your speedo will either not function at all, or only above a certain speed. Ditto with the odometer. If the speedo is working, cruise control isn't affected.

The sensor's about a $30 part (either from dealer, or aftermarket), and takes all of 5 minutes to change. $300.... I _REALLY_ hate people like that. Go ahead, Mike... defend THAT one.

Reply to
Tom Lawrence

Can't defend that one, but, if the dealer took the diff back apart looking for a problem along with the brakes, etc., that could have run the cost up to that range.

Wish I could be of more help, but I (unlike some others in the group) can't intelligently comment or pass judgement on what I don't have ALL the info on

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

Come on, Mike, Mac is one of the good guys here. You have a truck. You have a trailer. You have vacation. CA isn't that far. Becides, he would buy you a beer and I'd come down and buy the second round.

BTW, have you seen the video going around of the Iraqi attempting to fire an RPG from a kneeling position in the street? (~1.2Meg)

Reply to
FMB

Mike... the $300 was what they wanted to change the sensor... it cost us $165 for them to tell us that the brakes were ok.. (and we shouldn't have had to pay anything for them checking the rear end, IMO, since they've rebuilt it twice and it was suspect)

mac

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Reply to
mac davis

Good idea... maybe if we bought him enough beers, we could put him on a flight home and play with his truck and trailer... *eg*

mac

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Reply to
mac davis

Hey Mac, when you replace that sensor, make sure that exciter ring is still in place.

Reply to
TBone

Yeah, I know he's one of the (few) good guys and I would truly love to help if I could, but sadly in about two weeks I'm headed east instead of west. On the evening September 16th I hope to be firmly ensconced in a my lawn chair (non-heated!) on the beach at Camp Lejeune, NC enjoying a cold 'n frosty!

Nope, haven't seen that one. What's the URL?

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

well tehn, that is a mite exhorbitant! Shoot, I woulda' only charged you $295.00!

;^)

it cost us $165

Yeah, I always do stuff like that for free on the odd chance we might have screwed up something. The tech is never happy having to do it for free, but I usually try to make it up to him in some other way as compensation. It's better to be safe than sorry, 'cause I have found on occasion we have loused something up.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Simmons

I'll have to take your word for it, T.. I never get emotionally involved with my truck.. *g*

mac

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Reply to
mac davis

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