Diagnostic help needed 03 1500 4x4, loud snap

[OregonFlyfisher]

The 2003 ram 1500 I have has been doing great for me till about twenty minutes ago.

Now this truck had been rode hard and put away wet by its previous owners it has 240114 miles on the odometer, so it has been broke in.

The main reason I bought this truck was for the purpose of rebuilding my credit. I have been retired for three years quit using credit 10 years ago, so I went to a buy here pay here place to get this truck. Needless to say, I am paying much more than its value.

Back to the problem. I was driving up a hill and something went snap and rattled loudly underneath the truck. I thought it was a u joint, I have had u joints go out before, experience told me that was the problem. But crawling underneath and trying to move or shimmy the drive shaft didn't seem to reveal movement.

I shifted into 4x4 to make it up the hill where I could camp for the night.

This is my first dodge. I am usually driving a ford.

I see and feel nothing loose, no extra play in the driveshaft.

I have never had a clutch go out like this, and it doesn't seem likely that was the problem as I successfully drove approximately one mile up hill in four wheel drive, the tranny didn't grind, the clutch didn't seem to slip. And the engine didn't seem weaker than usual. No gear grinding. No oil leaks.

Anyone ever hear of an issue like this? What did it turn out to be?

The only thing I have noticed is sometimes the truck would roll forward a few inches after the engine was shut off.

But I have owned many older pickups and most of them, the ones with standard tranny anyway did the same.

I am totally confused by this.

 

[Marley]

The clutch will perform the same in and out of 4wd.
Check serpentine belt .

 

[OregonFlyfisher]

I am replying to my own post.

Just thought of one other symptom it had before this event.

When I'd stop for a red light and sometimes if going down hill the truck would click a bit, rather a clicking sound that seemed to come from the transmission area.

But with my foot off the clutch and tranny in neutral and roll forward a little it would make the same sound.

Sometimes it would seem to like make whet seemed half a revolution to engage with the rear end afterwards.

I have been babying this beast so it would last to be used as a trade in. But it seems all is lost

 

[Marley]

If it is indeed the clutch then you're looking a pressure plate and throw out bearing.....all is not lost.

 

[HemiLonestar]

I shifted into 4x4 to make it up the hill where I could camp for the night.

Did the transfer case actually engage and the dash light came on? The mechanical linkages have been known to fail and come off on these things.

 

[JohnnyMac]

If it worked in 4wd but not 2wd then I’m thinking rear end or possibly stripped splines off the driveshaft? Get someone you trust to slowly let out the clutch in 2wd (engine running) while your under the truck and if the driveshaft spins but truck doesn’t move then probably bad rear end but if it doesn’t then either stripped splines or broken transmission.

 

[OregonFlyfisher]

Thanks for the replies, it kind makes sense that it could be in the clutch, could have slipped and when the pressure plate caught again it made the loud snap sound.

I think at this point I will just park the truck. Use it as a trade in.

I have fixed the evap issues it had, no more check engine light and I had the front end repaired. That I hope will increase its trade in value. Put too much money and time into this.

 

[OregonFlyfisher]

Well. It happens I guess, shortly after making that last post I took off from where I was camping and started back down the hill, got about a quarter mile and the rattle started then got quiet.
Then I could see my drive shaft laying in the road.
Now I know what the problem was.

 

[lharrell79]

Was it the actual driveshaft u-joints, output shaft on the t-case, or pinion on the diff? All are fixable.