Still waiting for a driveshaft! 9 WEEKLS!!!!

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Rbertalotto

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My 2021 2500-6.4 with 21K miles threw the harmonic balancer on the drive shaft. The dealer tells me the whole drive shaft needs to be replaced. I had to cancel a four week trip we were going to take to Florida back in March. The truck has been at the dealers since March 14th and it is now May 9.....Three times they told me the parts was to arrive and it didn't show up......I'm leaving on another three week trip on this coming Sunday and I had to borrow a friends truck! Thank God for great friends.....But this parts availability thing really sucks......My dealer has nearly 50 cars waiting for parts. Some have been there for months......
 

turkeybird56

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HEY, my SA has a new EFAN ordered for my RAM, Ordered 1 February, I emailed my SA other day, now delivery date is sometime in late July, and that is not even dialed in. Good thing I have a work a round for the fan problem or I would be without a set of wheels.

Makes me want to go to the Chevy Shop and check out the new LT1 Silverado for 2022, LOL.
 

tjfdesmo

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Doesn't help any, but it is not just Ram. Availability of big truck parts is just as bad. Bad situation, for sure.
 

RandyMarionCDJR

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Part shortages are intense right now friend! Sorry youre having to wait around so much. We have quite a few vehicles we can't get to the ground right now ourselves due to unavailability of a part. I wish they would get these ships moving, trucks running, and supply chains jumping again. Hard to believe they havent came up with a remedy at all as of yet but we will see something shortly *I have high hopes*
 

Dean2

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I would go to a driveline shop and have them rebuild the existing shaft or make me a new one. Not worth the wait for something so simple. I would also claim the fix against the warranty.
 
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Rbertalotto

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Week 11...still no driveshaft. I had to borrow a friends truck for a planned trip from MA to GA.....This REALLY SUCKS!!!
 

Dean2

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I told u how to fix the problem. No way in hell I would wait 2 months for something so quick and easy to source elsewhere.
 
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Rbertalotto

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It is not the driveshaft proper that needs to be replaced....it is the harmonic balancer that is mounted on the universal joint that self destructed . I spoke to a number of drive shaft builders and none have any knowledge about it. Some suggested I don't even need the HB......but RAM said I'd void my extended warrantee on the drive train if I drove it without it. Not as simple as just having another drive shaft built. But a junk yard might be an option......
 
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Rbertalotto

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BTW...The DS and the universal/harmonic balancer is an integral piece.....all balanced together......we tried to just order the universal with the HB on it...No Joy
 

Dean2

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BTW...The DS and the universal/harmonic balancer is an integral piece.....all balanced together......we tried to just order the universal with the HB on it...No Joy
Junk yard is a good option but I will also say you need to talk to a couple of more driveshaft shops. The ones you have contacted so far aren't remotely competent. Any driveshaft shop that doesnt understand harmonic balancers isn't anywhere near up to speed or they are building such great, straight and true driveshafts the when balanced with the new u joints on it there is zero run out and they don't need the balancer. The reason OEM driveshafts have a balancer is they are crappily built. Some have so much run out they still aren't balanced with the harmonic balancer in place. As far as your warranty, either the shaft is balanced or it isn't. I have seen lots of oem shafts with the balancer in place that still vibrates like a son of a gun. It is about the only reason a harmonic balancer gets spun off the yoke. In fact, since it already tossed a harmonic balancer, i would be getting the driveshaft checked for straightness. I have seen OEM driveshafts so out of true that the only way to fix them was remove the yokes and put a whole new pipe in between.
 
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TRX21POWERWAGON22

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ummm I see the lemon law is going to have a field day with this parts shortage. I had to wait 3 months on my TRX for the trailer brake module(not a big deal as I could still drive the truck and I didn't need to tow with it yet). If I needed the truck and it was a driveshaft I would go to a driveshaft shop and send the the bill(probably deny the claim but you may beable to use the lemon law to buy back the truck if the truck is at the dealer longer then 30 days depending on your state).
 

bcbouy

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go get your truck,have a competent shop put in a ds and take it back to the dealer when yours comes in.warranty intact.and you have a spare ds
 

GTyankee

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Go to a driveshaft shop that builds driveshafts for race cars, hot rods, Buses, etc.

The driveshafts i believe are aluminum tube, about 3.5 to 4 inches

Most drive shaft shops will not build a shaft 60" in length, they would not give a warranty on it
they would instead use a carrier bearing, like found on many 4 X 4s
 

turkeybird56

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What PPL said ref parts a PITA, I have an E Fan ordered by Dealer to replace my E Fan, ordered: 1 Feb 2022, projected in stock date: end July 2022, and that is if the slow boat from wherever makes it into port, heck who knows. Luckily I have a work around so can still drive truck.
 
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Rbertalotto

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14 WEEKS!!!! Still waiting! Truck is an absolute mess sitting under trees in the dealers lot. Someone broke into the truck and sold the custom mounted GPS and the video screen for the camping trailer rear camera......Still waiting for the parts tracking info from Chrysler.......This is totally crazy!
 
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Rbertalotto

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I would go to a driveline shop and have them rebuild the existing shaft or make me a new one. Not worth the wait for something so simple. I would also claim the fix against the warranty.
Not possible. The shaft had a huge harmonic balancer on the rear universal joint. Exclusive to Ford and ram.
 

Dean2

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Not possible. The shaft had a huge harmonic balancer on the rear universal joint. Exclusive to Ford and ram.
You obviously didn't read the rest of the stuff I posted. Do as you like, I was trying to help, and I do actually know what I am talking about. If you insist on doing it your way, don't complain that continuing to do the same ineffective thing gets the same unsatisfactory result, not to mention the damage to a new truck from breakins, improper storage etc. Best of luck.
 
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