Just got back from a long trip to Utah and back from Katy Texas pulling about 13,000 lbs ( 24 ft gooseneck trailer, off road truggy and 2 4-wheelers ) with my 07 DRW 3500 - about 1400 miles each way. Burned about 1000.00 in fuel - avg'd about 11.8 MPG for the entire trip. While in Utah,,I was pulling a loooong 7% grade, and was not paying attention,, RPM's drug down to about 1600,,truck set 65 on cruise,,6th gear OD - I felt the clutch slip briefly- two short spurts about 1 second long...I immediately shut off the cruise and downshifted. Is there something in the computer that detects slippage and defuels the engine ? It was so brief that I couldn't believe that it actually happened if I had not seen the tach jump twice... I was real careful with it all the way back to Texas,,,once closer to home the speed limit jumps up to 80,,so I wound it up and cruised - no problem pulling hills - no slippage - been fine ever since...Think I need a better clutch or just pay better attention ??waytogo Once I unloaded and parked the trailer I noticed that I had a bad driveline vibration only when coming to a stop. The dealer had found a dry and seized up u-joint on the rear drive shaft once before..I think it's doing it again...after 3 days of no trailer it has almost gone away though... I'm due for an oil and filter change this weekend,,so I'll drop the driveshaft while i'm under it and see what's up.. I love the truck,, but the lack of simple things like zerk fittings on the slipshafts and u-joints drives me nuts....The front driveshaft (front axle 4x4) says in the manual to grease when changing the oil,,,damned if I see ANY zerks on the front shaft at all..... Oh well,,just some rambling observations...
Don't know for a fact, but it is plausible. If you have the skills and time, maintaining your own vehicle is the best bet. If this is a long bed, you could also have a problem with the carrier bearing that only shown up when the truck is loaded & squatting. Agreed...planned obsolescence; they want you to come in to the dealer, pay their rate for their parts, and do it frequently! Go to Napa (I know they have it) and pick up a needle grease gun adapter. On the cardan joint (double u-joint), look for a stainless ball pressed into the cross or T joint. Insert the needle adapter and give the cardan a couple good squirts of grease. Tony
Tony nailed the front driveline. As for the clutch, yes, you may need a better clutch. Couple of things working against you there. besides being a stock clutch, which usually with slip with a little over stock power, its a dual mass flywheel. The flywheel is mounted on a flexplate like a torque converter is in an auto. The flexplates like to crack and break. Even with stock power this can be an issue. Start saving your change for a South Bend clutch!
that is what mine did when the dual mass came apart. Diesel Nut can send you a nice south bend clutch that will stop all your problems . I love mine. I just dont understand why they would use a piece of junk like that from the factory?
Well I was right,,,the rear u-joint at the rear axle failed... spit the needles out of the cap on the way home from work a few nights ago. I pulled the rear shaft and saw that there were no retaining clips holding the caps in the yokes,,,hhhhmmmmm the grooves are there but no clips.... after a little online help from the brotherhood at CK5, http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241654 I had it done in no time. great info,,,this must be what dodge is referring to. good to know,,waytogo I towed the truggy up to Alto,Texas this past weekend and the clutch did fine,,but I wasn't pulling near the same weight or grades. waytogowaytogo Thanks, guy's
I know my UJoints were held in with some kind of glue that had to be heated up in order for the joints to be beat out. It took a little bit but they finally popped out. My joint looked like it had been dry since the day it left the factory. I put a greasable one in there from NAPA. Scotty
