2000 Dodge RAM 2500

MY 2000 MODEL DODGE 2500 3/4 TON PICKUP LOST IT'S REAR AXEL UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT HAS CAMPER PACKAGE WHICH INCLUDED A SPECIAL HELPER SPRING ON THE REAR SUSPENSION. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE U-BOLTS HOLDING MY REAR END ON HAD BROKE FREE OF THE SPRING ASSEMBLY. CAUSING MY TRUCK TO ROLL SIDE OVER SIDE AND THE COME TO A REST ON IT'S PASSENGER SIDE. THE REAR AXLE WAS FOUND 100 YARDS AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN NOTED ON THE 2001 SERIES TRUCKS OF THE SAME BODY STYLE AND MAKE. I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY KNOWN AS IL RJ 6 1 MILE NORTH OF I-74. THE TRUCK BEGAN TO GET LOOSE. I NOTICED THE BACK OF MY TRUCK START TO COME AROUND AND THEN WHEN I TRIED TO COUNTER STEER I LOST CONTROL AND ROLL SIDE OVER SIDE ONTO THE MEDIAN. THE REAR AXLE SEEMED AS IF IT HAD SHIFTED BACK ON ONE SIDE CAUSING IT TO SWING THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AROUND. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ALSO NOTED THIS TO BE VERY POSSIBLE DUE TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE. MY INSURANCE COMPNAY NOTED THAT THEY BELIEVE THE U-BOLTS FAILED AND ARE CURRENTLY SENDING THE TRUCK TO CHICAGO, IL FOR AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS STATE FARM INSURANCE. I WAS NOT BADLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT, BUT DOCTORS AND POLICE TOLD ME I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE WALKED AWAY. MR

SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS VAN, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT SWAYS CONSTANTLY AND THE STEERING MECHANISM IS UNABLE TO COUNTERACT THIS. IT LITERALLY IS ALL OVER THE ROAD WITH THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF WIND. WE HAVE A STABILIZER BAR INSTALLED IN THE FRONT. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND MUST BE KEPT IN THE OUTER MOST LANE SO IT WILL NOT SWAY INTO THE GUARD RAIL OR ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS LOOKED IT OVER AND HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY DEFECTS. NONETHELESS, WE PURCHASED IT TO TRANSPORT OUR YOUTH GROUP AND OTHER GROUPS IN THE CHURCH TO AND FROM EVENTS. MEMBERS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE HESITANT TO USE IT.*AK

WHEN DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL TEND TO TRY TO MOVE OVER TO THE SIDE WITHOUT CONSUMER TURNING VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE GETS POOR GAS MILEAGE. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. BRAKES GRAB, PULL, AND LOCK UP. CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55 MPH AND HITTING A BUMP, IT WILL THROW THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE. *JB

THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE DANA AXLES IN WHICH CROSS CASTER ADJUSTMENTS CANNOT BE MADE. I HAVE FOUND THAT ALL ALIGNMENT SHOPS TRY TO ADJUST THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ECCENTRICS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, THEREBY TWISTING THE AXLE TO FORCE THE CROSS CASTER ANGLE. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT (SEE HTTP://DODGERAM.ORG/TECH/SPECS/00_STEER_SPECS.HTML) THIS FORCEING OF THE LOWER ECCENTRICS IS NOT THE WAY TO ACHIEVE CROSS CASTER ADJUSTMENTS. THE LOWER ECCENTRICS ARE FOR CASTER ONLY AFTER THE CROSS CASTER IS SET. I RECENTLY FOUND RECALL #861ON THESE AXLES. MINE MISSED IT BY 6 DAYS. I COULD NOT HELP BUT WONDER IF A RUSH TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AND STILL MEET DEMAND MAY HAVE LED TO SOME BEING BUILT OUT OF SPECS. NEVER THE LESS, THIS TWISTING AND FORCEING CANNOT BE GOOD ON THE VERY AREA THAT THE RECALL WAS ABOUT, THE RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKET. MY PRIVATE ALIGNMENT SHOP COULD NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WILL GET IT BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE THIRD TIME. I HAVE DISCUSSED IT WITH THEM AND I AM ORDERING AN AFTERMARKET PART TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO ADJUST THE CROSS CASTER. THIS WILL NOT BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. OUT OF MY POCKET, A GAMBLE WITH THE WARRANTY, BUT I HAVE TO HAVE A VEHICLE I CAN HOLD ON THE ROAD. NOTE: THEY ARE ALSO ORDERING A NEW STEERING BOX. I AM NOT SURE IF IT WAS REALLY BAD, OR AFTER DAYS OF TRYING TO FORCE AN ALIGNMENT THEY FIGURED TRY THIS. WHEN READING ABOUT THE STEERING BOX, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PREVIOUS SHOP COULD NOT ALIGN THE VEHICLE CROSS CASTER. THIS COULD NOT BE RESOLVED. I REALLY WANT TO STRESS THE TWISTING THAT IS BEING DONE TO POTENTIALLY ALL THESE AXLES. PLEASE CHECK THE WEB SITE I SITED.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH BRAKE MAKING LOUD BUMPING NOISE, AND GRABBING FROM REAR WHEELS WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALER'S SHOP ON FIVE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS HIGH ALUMINUM ACCORDING TO SAMPLE ANALYSIS, THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO THIS. REAR AXLE ALSO HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF IRON AND CHROME IN FLUID ACCORDING TO THE SAMPLE ANALYSIS. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING TRUCK PULLS BADLY TO RIGHT. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER IT WOULD STRAIGHTEN UP. CONSUMER STATES THERE SUPPOSE TO BE A RECALL ON VEHICLE.*AK THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY FELL OFF DUE TO WELD FAILURE. THE VEHICLES SURGES FORWARD RANDOMLY. THERE WAS SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE THE CAB WHEN WINDOWS ARE UP. THE STEERING BOX HAD FAILED AND REPLACED. TIE RODS AND MOTOR COMPARTMENT SEAL FAILED. THE CUSTOMER HAD RETURNED THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. *YH