Front axle

[cgugler]

Hi all. I have a 2017 2500HD tradesman. Had the truck around 6-7 months. I had to replace the tires and get alignment on it here the first part of the year. Long story short, I had to put a new drag link on because the truck fell into the drag link recall. Dealer put it on and then said they could only do half the alignment due to the front axle housing having a small dent in it. Pulled the truck into the shop and crawled under it and sure as heck, there is a small dent in it. I'll attach pictures, but it has been welded on. Did talk to the local alignment shop and they said I'll have to get new adjustable ball joints in order to finish the alignment. Some people have said no big deal, others have said I need a new front axle. Not exactly looking to dish $1500 out just on the axle alone, so looking for other opinions. Have any of you ever had this issue? To us it looks like someone went off roading and hit something they weren't supposed to.

 

[Chuck962500]

Such an easy fix get you some adjustable lower controll arms .

 

[Chuck962500]

Them yellow fellers they adjust unlike women when you come home late .but for real a dana 60 can take a hell of a dent and still be true.

 

[cgugler]

Them yellow fellers they adjust unlike women when you come home late .but for real a dana 60 can take a hell of a dent and still be true.

Haha good one. Just seems like with as thick of a axle as it is, it'd be alright. I've heard say they can bend dents like that out on semis so surely the same is true for this.

 

[Chuck962500]

Those four lower control arms took a hit unless they are the arms that bench press the axle and hold it in place and Oem are weak folded over metal .for real measure the distance from back of tire to the door seam on each side with wheel straight

 

[Chuck962500]

See if your sway bar links are both sitting straight up and down there the first thing to bend bet you there different

 

[Chuck962500]

Just saying up here we smash into stuff and push a solid axle Back all the time .stick it in a gulley .stuff a deer or elk under your bumper at 80 mph and that's the speed limit in Montana highways . And try to take your truck to an 4 wheel drive off road alignment shop .those guys have every trick in the book to get them wheels pointed and your truck going down the road without an arm wrestling coach. Good luck and fix it before your buying tires every 60 days

 

[mtnrider]

Such an easy fix get you some adjustable lower controll arms .

A 2017 has an adjustable radius arm, not control arms.


.

 

[Travelin Ram]

For more accurate answers, you’ll need to post up the as-is alignment numbers, if you have those.

Adjustments to the factory radius or control arms will ONLY adjust for caster on the axle assembly as a whole. Both left and right increase or decrease together. You cannot correct individual wheel caster with that adjustment.

Neither can you correct a camber issue by adjusting the axle mounts.

That is why the shop is recommending adjustable ball joints. That allows adjustment of individual wheel caster or camber.

Depending on your budget and how long you plan to keep the truck I would get estimates on the ball joints vs axle housing replacement. There may be other consequences down the road of the bent housing such as internal wear or failure.

 

[cgugler]

For more accurate answers, you’ll need to post up the as-is alignment numbers, if you have those.

Adjustments to the factory radius or control arms will ONLY adjust for caster on the axle assembly as a whole. Both left and right increase or decrease together. You cannot correct individual wheel caster with that adjustment.

Neither can you correct a camber issue by adjusting the axle mounts.

That is why the shop is recommending adjustable ball joints. That allows adjustment of individual wheel caster or camber.

Depending on your budget and how long you plan to keep the truck I would get estimates on the ball joints vs axle housing replacement. There may be other consequences down the road of the bent housing such as internal wear or failure.

I'll see if I can find the picture of the alignment numbers here.

 

[cgugler]

Here's the current alignment numbers after they did half the alignment.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Here’s where you want to be.

https://www.thurenfabrication.com/pages/2014-2022-ram-2500-alignment

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0510/0529/2724/files/13-22_2500_3500_PW.pdf?v=1638206406

Cross caster (left to right difference) should be 1 degree. Yours is 2.64. That’s why they recommended the adjustable ball joints.

 

[cgugler]

Here’s where you want to be.

https://www.thurenfabrication.com/pages/2014-2022-ram-2500-alignment

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0510/0529/2724/files/13-22_2500_3500_PW.pdf?v=1638206406

Cross caster (left to right difference) should be 1 degree. Yours is 2.64. That’s why they recommended the adjustable ball joints.

Yeah I actually read that article last night. We've got a actual alignment shop we're gonna take it to and they said the adjustable ball joints was a definite without even looking at it..

 

[cgugler]

For more accurate answers, you’ll need to post up the as-is alignment numbers, if you have those.

Adjustments to the factory radius or control arms will ONLY adjust for caster on the axle assembly as a whole. Both left and right increase or decrease together. You cannot correct individual wheel caster with that adjustment.

Neither can you correct a camber issue by adjusting the axle mounts.

That is why the shop is recommending adjustable ball joints. That allows adjustment of individual wheel caster or camber.

Depending on your budget and how long you plan to keep the truck I would get estimates on the ball joints vs axle housing replacement. There may be other consequences down the road of the bent housing such as internal wear or failure.

Just going back and rereading comments on here. I plan to keep the truck for as long as I can. It's a great truck apart from this whole front end deal. Seriously thinking about a rebuild on the front end. I've got a message into a shop locally and sent the same pictures to them. Went and repulled history on the truck. Two front end accidents, one of them the previous owner rear ended somebody. Neither accident was bad enough to deploy airbags and both were reported as a minor damage. I did do some pricing on a new front axle from a salvage yard and they had one for $1700. My only issue with replacing the axle is one of the previous owners put a leveling kit on it. My front passenger tire was the only one that wore differently and wore on the inside.

 

[Travelin Ram]

Leveling kit is just a coil spacer, that’ll stay in place if you change axle housing. Not a factor.

 

[cgugler]

Ahhh, okay. I don't know much about suspension and kits so wasn't sure. With the pictures I posted, is that for sure the axle or is it more the frame? Probably a stupid question but I am trying to learn and figure out exactly what I'm looking at

 

[Daw14]

I thought what I was looking at was frame, however sometimes my eyes do not see str8 . Maybe the new alignment shop will be able to help point you in the correct direction.

 

[cgugler]

I thought what I was looking at was frame, however sometimes my eyes do not see str8 . Maybe the new alignment shop will be able to help point you in the correct direction.

I've went back over it several times and I think it's the frame. But I'm not sure either.

 

[Daw14]

The axel has tires on the ends of it , goes from side to side . First thing you should do is get a Manuel of some kind to help with your knowledge Or find a relative or friend who knows cars and trucks . You can and will be taken advantage of by a holes selling you stuff you do not need.

 

[cgugler]

The axle I do know what that is. Do you have a manual you recommend? And definitely, that is thing I'm trying to avoid. Being a woman in this world of trucks definitely puts me in the way of bei taken advantage of by a holes. Which is why I'm trying to learn about this stuff.