Drag Link Recall ... Video

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Jimmy07

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Posts
3,254
Reaction score
2,915
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Well for those of us that have lifted our trucks or plan to lift them, it’s a bit of a PITA to recently the steering wheel
I’m guessing that they feel that safety would come before worrying about somebody modifying their suspension.
 

CincyCuda68

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2018
Posts
1,241
Reaction score
948
Location
Ohio
Ram Year
2018
Engine
6.4
I’m guessing that they feel that safety would come before worrying about somebody modifying their suspension.
Haha that’s no fun! I don’t care my, stealership is a joke on all fronts, I don’t let them do anything I don’t have to and I’m not allowing them to weld anything.
I still think that the way FCA is handling this recall is a bit of a joke, if it’s really that dangerous, I’d think they would get those replacement parts going. Like I said earlier I’m gonna go aftermarket and submit for reimbursement. FCA has had over a year to get this fix going and still no parts.
 

GsRAM

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
2,929
Reaction score
2,743
Ram Year
2017 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine
Hemi, 6.4L
Haha that’s no fun! I don’t care my, stealership is a joke on all fronts, I don’t let them do anything I don’t have to and I’m not allowing them to weld anything.
I still think that the way FCA is handling this recall is a bit of a joke, if it’s really that dangerous, I’d think they would get those replacement parts going. Like I said earlier I’m gonna go aftermarket and submit for reimbursement. FCA has had over a year to get this fix going and still no parts.

It's more than a bit of a joke, its major one and fca should be embarrassed. Horrible way to treat customers the majority of which will have the recall done because they dont know any better then they'll get a shock years later when they go for an alignment and can't get one done or the alignment shop will refuse to work on it because steering components are welded.

But by then the truck will likely be on its 3rd owner at least so no skin off FCAs nose, right?

That's my perception of their attitide towards this issue.. Not good.
 

Gr8bawana

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Posts
1,281
Reaction score
1,078
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.7 CTD
No, because the issue is not with the threading on the inside of the jam nuts- those are fine. The issue is with the threading on the inside of the adjuster sleeve and outer draglink end. Even if the jam nuts were permanently welded to the draglink ends, the issue wouldn’t be resolved. So, no, loctite on the jam nuts does nothing.
So then what does welding the nuts do? Anything? Those tiny tack welds will not hold everything together if it's going to pull apart but it does seem to be good enough for the NHTSA? I'll still wait until there are actual replacement parts.
 

Jimmy07

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Posts
3,254
Reaction score
2,915
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.4 Hemi
So then what does welding the nuts do? Anything? Those tiny tack welds will not hold everything together if it's going to pull apart but it does seem to be good enough for the NHTSA? I'll still wait until there are actual replacement parts.
I guess if you don’t get it, you don’t get it...
 

22hemi13

Senior Member
Military
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
Posts
3,805
Reaction score
5,795
Location
Tucson AZ
Ram Year
2014 2500 4x4
Engine
5.7
So then what does welding the nuts do? Anything? Those tiny tack welds will not hold everything together if it's going to pull apart but it does seem to be good enough for the NHTSA? I'll still wait until there are actual replacement parts.
Those tiny tack welds are just to keep the jambnuts from moving. The tq on them things ain’t much anyways. So yes. A simple tack will hold em still. Hell a hose clamp around the backside of the nut will hold em still. But I guess if people cry about a tack weld they’ll lose their **** over a couple cheap hose clamps.
 

Jimmy07

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2017
Posts
3,254
Reaction score
2,915
Ram Year
2017
Engine
6.4 Hemi
Seems to me you're the one who doesn't get it. :893MrT-thumb:
I honestly don’t have a better way of explaining it without repeating what I already explained.
Maybe if I could get you to explain something to me- Since the issue is the threads on the inside of the adjuster sleeve (the piece that actually links the two drag link ends together) could be no good, and could potentially be pulled and separated from the drag link end, how would loctite on the jam nuts stop that from happening?
 
Last edited:

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,226
Reaction score
2,820
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
Son bought his 2018 6 weeks ago and his was already welded. He got new tires today and they checked the alignment and it was off. Not sure if they said anything about the welds but they did re-align it
 

crazy jerry

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Posts
1,167
Reaction score
808
Location
WY
Ram Year
2016
Engine
6.4
Son bought his 2018 6 weeks ago and his was already welded. He got new tires today and they checked the alignment and it was off. Not sure if they said anything about the welds but they did re-align it

did you see the alignment machine printout ? my 17 had a good factory alignment. sucks if yours was off

if fca only wanted to keep the draglink jam nuts from turning they would of just used loctite. cheaper, easier and less time than welding. the nuts are welded, because from what i understand, the drag link threaded ends could pull out of the adjuster sleeve. welding the nuts to the adjuster sleeve increases thread count and makes it a longer one piece assembly. thus requiring more force to pull it apart

ive still yet to hear about anyone with a draglink pulled apart. under the right situation, with stars aligned and full moon, i guess it could happen
 

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,226
Reaction score
2,820
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
i did see the printout. have a copy on my phone. i haven't really looked but my son said it was pretty far off
 

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,226
Reaction score
2,820
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
alignment_sheet.jpg
 

dhay13

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2015
Posts
3,226
Reaction score
2,820
Ram Year
2018
Engine
2500 6.4L Hemi 4.10's 'Off-Road'
No idea. I know very little about alignments
 

marks146

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2015
Posts
89
Reaction score
49
Location
NE Pa
Ram Year
2015
Engine
HEMI 6.4
For the love of all things holy, I let them weld my drag link. I had a P0442 fault code which they ended up replacing the fuel tank pressure sensor under federal emissions warranty. The tech recommended I let them do the recall and in a fit of weakness I let them do it.

They checked my alignment and spot welded the adjuster. So far, so good. We'll see what happens if I ever need an alignment in the future.
 

762-MM

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Posts
38
Reaction score
33
Location
Houston, TX
Ram Year
2014
Engine
6.4L
2014 with 59535 Miles. I check the drag link at least every 8000 miles/oil change. Guess I’ll tighten it back up and consider V06 tack welds.

My steering wheel rapidly became off center tonight. Checked drag link adjuster jam nuts and this:

DBC19232-1C5E-4F09-8B1D-6790CFD3A589.jpeg 2A670426-55E6-47F0-ADB2-7C0441F57B32.jpeg F2BAF7E3-930B-43B0-A026-F60CC62D128A.jpeg
 

Tach_tech

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Posts
3,307
Reaction score
3,556
Ram Year
2017
Engine
5.7L HEMI
Pretty good chance that the threads on your drag link sleeve are out of spec. I’m willing to bet it pulled apart. That’s why the adjusters are welded to the sleeves. It essentially makes it one big nut with good threads on either end.

The threads on the nuts don’t have any issues so they won’t be pulled apart.

I know there people that refuse to get the recall, but that is a good example of why just checking the nuts if they’re tight doesn’t mean it’s ok and nothing can happen.
 

RoadRamblerNJ

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2017
Posts
2,256
Reaction score
2,390
Location
Knoxville, TN
Ram Year
2017
Engine
392 Hemi
No mud on those 3 threads either. Sure looks like it pulled apart, causing your rapid off center steering wheel.

Took my '17 2500 in for oil change last week. They wanted to do the weld. Told him to do just oil, nothing more. No problems at this time.

I thought I read FCA paid for new drag link on a members truck but I can't seem to find the post. I'd like to re-read it but I only do this on my phone and I just can't seem to find it. Anybody recall it? Thx.
 

GsRAM

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2016
Posts
2,929
Reaction score
2,743
Ram Year
2017 Dodge Ram 2500
Engine
Hemi, 6.4L
No mud on those 3 threads either. Sure looks like it pulled apart, causing your rapid off center steering wheel.

Took my '17 2500 in for oil change last week. They wanted to do the weld. Told him to do just oil, nothing more. No problems at this time.

I thought I read FCA paid for new drag link on a members truck but I can't seem to find the post. I'd like to re-read it but I only do this on my phone and I just can't seem to find it. Anybody recall it? Thx.

Yes sir, initially, early on members were buying the Synergy drag link and having it installed and fca was paying the owners back for those costs. They then suspended the reimbursements. So far nothing new on this issue, which leads me to believe the weld is their idea of a permanent fix. Which is absurd!

And as usual, " Ram cares" is nowhere to be found on this topic. Not surprising. Seems to me, the only thing they care about is sending feel good posts. But in the end, they have no teeth to do anything to address the major problems. Just my two cents.

Please prove me wrong Ram cares, Have you communicated these issues to FCA corporate? Is there anything in the works to address our concerns and replace the defective part with a new one that Returns the truck to its original form?
 

762-MM

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Posts
38
Reaction score
33
Location
Houston, TX
Ram Year
2014
Engine
6.4L
Here is my steering wheel corresponding to the pics a couple posts above. Headed to the dealer to see if they can look at it and get V06 done, along with V44 and U53. Maybe I'm expecting miracles, but I have a feeling it'll be "2-3 weeks" before they can see me.

On a positive note, my order of 28 quarts of PUP 0W-40 came in from NAPA. $5.99/qt.

IMG_4758.JPG
 
Top