Subject: 2022 Ram 1500 DT — 6’4” Bed Two-Piece Driveshaft vs 5’7” Bed

[Ramanski]

Hi everyone,


I have a quick question for those familiar with the 2019–2024 Ram 1500 (DT) trucks.


I currently own a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie, Crew Cab, 6’4” bed, and my truck has a two-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing in the middle.

I’m curious whether Crew Cab trucks with the 5’7” bed (short box) typically have:

• a one-piece driveshaft, or
• a two-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing.

The reason I’m asking is that I’m experiencing a jerking/lurching sensation from a stop to initial acceleration, and I’m wondering if it could be related to the two-piece driveshaft and center carrier bearing. With the two-piece setup, there are more moving components, and I’m trying to determine whether this might be contributing to the issue.


I’ve never checked underneath a Crew Cab 5’7” bed truck to see whether those models use a single-piece driveshaft, so I’m hoping some owners here can confirm.


Specifically:

• Which Ram 1500 DT configurations have one-piece driveshafts?
• Do Crew Cab 5’7” bed trucks typically use one-piece or two-piece?
• Has anyone experienced jerking or lurching from a stop that turned out to be driveshaft or carrier-bearing related?

Any insight or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Wild one]

Hi everyone,


I have a quick question for those familiar with the 2019–2024 Ram 1500 (DT) trucks.


I currently own a 2022 Ram 1500 Laramie, Crew Cab, 6’4” bed, and my truck has a two-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing in the middle.

I’m curious whether Crew Cab trucks with the 5’7” bed (short box) typically have:

• a one-piece driveshaft, or
• a two-piece driveshaft with a carrier bearing.

The reason I’m asking is that I’m experiencing a jerking/lurching sensation from a stop to initial acceleration, and I’m wondering if it could be related to the two-piece driveshaft and center carrier bearing. With the two-piece setup, there are more moving components, and I’m trying to determine whether this might be contributing to the issue.


I’ve never checked underneath a Crew Cab 5’7” bed truck to see whether those models use a single-piece driveshaft, so I’m hoping some owners here can confirm.


Specifically:

• Which Ram 1500 DT configurations have one-piece driveshafts?
• Do Crew Cab 5’7” bed trucks typically use one-piece or two-piece?
• Has anyone experienced jerking or lurching from a stop that turned out to be driveshaft or carrier-bearing related?

Any insight or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Seperate the driveshaft at the carrier bearing and lube the splines with a good quality anti-seaze.Mark both ends of the shaft at the rear yoke and at the splines so you put it back exactly as you removed it,or just pull it back so it's just barely engaging the splines.You don't want to get it out time with the u-joints or else you'll end up with a driveshaft vibration

 

[crash68]

Which Ram 1500 DT configurations have one-piece driveshafts?

This will be interesting to see what people have.
I know on the Gen4 DS trucks the CrewCab w/6.4 bed could have either a one piece or two w/carrier bearing.

 

[JayLeonard]

I had a 2017 crew cab with the short bed. It had a 2 piece driveshaft. I bought it used with only 7 k miles on it.
I started getting the clunk from the driveshaft. I got the dealership to replace the shaft and no more clunk.
VERY important to maintain end to end orientation if you take the driveshaft apart.

 

[turkeybird56]

2019 Ram 1500 5.7l CC, 67” bed, 4 x 4. One of the first DT trucks made April 2018. Driveshaft one piece.

 

[G-Ride990]

I’ve never checked underneath a Crew Cab 5’7” bed truck to see whether those models use a single-piece driveshaft, so I’m hoping some owners here can confirm.

I have a 2022 Crew cab short box and it has a single piece driveshaft.

Mine is a 4x4 too

 

[Ramanski]

Jay,

Did they replace it with one price driveshaft after the clinking occurred ?

 

[JayLeonard]

Jay,

Did they replace it with one price driveshaft after the clinking occurred ?

Replaced with a 2 piece. It was fine after that but I only kept the truck for another 5 k miles.

 

[olyelr]

My 2026 crew cab 5’7” bed truck has a one piece driveshaft.

For what its worth my ‘16 power wagon (crew cab with 6’4” box) also has a one piece driveshaft. Makes me wonder why poster #4 had a 2 piece. I thought those were only for mega cabs or long beds.

 

[Wild one]

I could see the 4X4's using a 1 piece shaft as they have a slip yoke into the transfer case,and the 2 wheel drives using a 2 piece shaft as the 8 speed doesn't have a slip yoke,so they'd incorporate the slip yoke into the 2 piece shafts at the carrier bearing.The regular cab shortbox 2 wheel drive 8 speed trucks have a really crappy rep for chucking the driveshaft and breaking transmissions or poking holes in gas tanks because of their poorly designed 1 piece driveshaft with a slip yoke incorporated into the shaft itself,it'd be even worse with a longer driveshaft.
With a solid rear axle there has to be a slip yoke in the driveshaft somewhere to compensate for the rear end moving up and down,which means the rearend also moves forwards and backwards everytime the rearend goes up or down.
How many of you guys have a 4X4 and how many have a 2 wheel drive truck,as i'd lay odds that's where the majority of driveshaft differances lie.
4X4's get a 1 piece shaft /2 wheel drives get a 2 piece shaft

 

[Dusty]

I could see the 4X4's using a 1 piece shaft as they have a slip yoke into the transfer case,and the 2 wheel drives using a 2 piece shaft as the 8 speed doesn't have a slip yoke,so they'd incorporate the slip yoke into the 2 piece shafts at the carrier bearing.The regular cab shortbox 2 wheel drive 8 speed trucks have a really crappy rep for chucking the driveshaft and breaking transmissions or poking holes in gas tanks because of their poorly designed 1 piece driveshaft with a slip yoke incorporated into the shaft itself,it'd be even worse with a longer driveshaft.
With a solid rear axle there has to be a slip yoke in the driveshaft somewhere to compensate for the rear end moving up and down,which means the rearend also moves forwards and backwards everytime the rearend goes up or down.
How many of you guys have a 4X4 and how many have a 2 wheel drive truck,as i'd lay odds that's where the majority of driveshaft differances lie.
4X4's get a 1 piece shaft /2 wheel drives get a 2 piece shaft

My 2010 2WD had a one-piece driveshaft. My 2014 and my current 2019 (DT) 2WDs have two-piece driveshafts.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 150212 miles.

 

[Wild one]

My 2010 2WD had a one-piece driveshaft. My 2014 and my current 2019 (DT) 2WDs have two-piece driveshafts.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 150212 miles.

Your 2010 doesn't really apply to this conversation,as it had an RFE transmission with a slip yoke into the tailshaft of the transmission,the 8 speeds don't have a slip yoke into the tailshaft,so they either need a slip joint incorporated into the driveshaft,or they need a transfer case hung off the back of the transmission that has a slip yoke.

 

[JayLeonard]

My 2026 crew cab 5’7” bed truck has a one piece driveshaft.

For what its worth my ‘16 power wagon (crew cab with 6’4” box) also has a one piece driveshaft. Makes me wonder why poster #4 had a 2 piece. I thought those were only for mega cabs or long beds.

My truck was 2 wheel drive/8 speed.

 

[olyelr]

My truck was 2 wheel drive/8 speed.

Ahhh, yea that definitely makes a difference!

 

[Salty1945]

2019 Early DT Quad Cab with 6.4 Bed and I have a one piece drive shaft.

 

[Wild one]

2019 Early DT Quad Cab with 6.4 Bed and I have a one piece drive shaft.

Odds are it's a 4X4. Why are alot of you guys leaving out the important fact,like is your truck 2wd or 4X4. That's a very big factor on whether you'll have a 1 piece or 2 piece driveshaft in the 8 speed trucks.
4X4's will usually have a 1 piece shaft,and 2wd's will usually have a 2 piece shaft,due to the slip joint factor,exception to that fact are the regular cab shortbox 2wd trucks,they use a hokay driveshaft that utilizes an unsupported slip joint incorporated into the driveshaft itself,which means they also have a pile of driveshaft issues.
The 8 speed does not have a slip yoke at the transmission.Unless it has a transfer case with a slip yoke bolted to the back of it aka 4X4,it'll have a 2 piece driveshaft with the slip yoke at the carrier/center bearing

 

[PVilefort]

I suspect most of you are too young to remember but many cars from the 1950s had two piece driveshafts in an attempt to make a flatter floor, especially for the rear seat passengers. Those two piece driveshafts had a center bearing supported by small circular rubber tubes on threaded supports that went into the center driveshaft support between the frame rails. The slip section was behind the center support ball bearing and the splines were grease by two external grease fitting on opposite sides of the slip joint.
I had a standard cab with an 8+ft bed and it has a two piece driveshaft but what was missing was anyway to lubricate the splines, so I installed two grease fittings like that on my 1951 Studebaker Champion with a two piece driveshaft. The significant difference between the RAM and the Studebaker was the presence of a felt seal on the Studebaker and a huge washer that prevented the felt seal from being directly impacted by anything on the roadway.
I guess today's engineers don't know much about what was done 70 or 80 years ago that resulted in slip joints that lasted almost forever with a little thought. There is no such thing as forever lube when it is out in the weather.
Note that I wrote HAD. I sold my truck to a dealer this morning for $20,000. It has 8,113 miles on it. The CarFax value was $24,600.

 

[Wild one]

I suspect most of you are too young to remember but many cars from the 1950s had two piece driveshafts in an attempt to make a flatter floor, especially for the rear seat passengers. Those two piece driveshafts had a center bearing supported by small circular rubber tubes on threaded supports that went into the center driveshaft support between the frame rails. The slip section was behind the center support ball bearing and the splines were grease by two external grease fitting on opposite sides of the slip joint.
I had a standard cab with an 8+ft bed and it has a two piece driveshaft but what was missing was anyway to lubricate the splines, so I installed two grease fittings like that on my 1951 Studebaker Champion with a two piece driveshaft. The significant difference between the RAM and the Studebaker was the presence of a felt seal on the Studebaker and a huge washer that prevented the felt seal from being directly impacted by anything on the roadway.
I guess today's engineers don't know much about what was done 70 or 80 years ago that resulted in slip joints that lasted almost forever with a little thought. There is no such thing as forever lube when it is out in the weather.

Carrier bearings were still common in 1/2 ton trucks right up through the 90's,and to this day. Challengers/Chargers/300's still use a carrier bearing in the driveshaft.A carrier bearing is still pretty common

 

[PVilefort]

What I was getting at was the lack of lubrication issue or lack of an easy method to lubricate the slip yoke as well as some type of seal or cover to keep water, dirt and other crap from getting into the slip joint. Sorry you did not see that. I also detailed what I did on my truck when I saw it was missing the grease fittings for the slip spline joint or connection. It seems you missed the entire train of thought.

 

[Adamcr68]

Carrier bearings were still common in 1/2 ton trucks right up through the 90's,and to this day Challengers/Chargers/300's still use a carrier bearing in the driveshaft.A carrier bearing is still pretty common

^^^ I need the popcorn eating emoji for my phone,