ticking noise?

[Nick Manchester]

I have a 2019 ram classic 4x4, it has a 1.5 inch level with rest the truck stock. so lately my truck started making this annoying ticking noise and i really only hear when driving at speeds above 20mph to around 45mph. it sounds rotational like a tick tick tick tick. Above that speed road noise is too loud to hear it. One thing i figured out was is if i turn on 4 wheel drive it goes away. i checked the cv joints and there i some play on both inner joints and both seem to have the same amount, dont know if thats normal. Has anyone experienced this issue, any help would be great.

 

[Burla]

How did you level, spacers or struts? How soon after level did this show up? Not louder when turning? Sounds like you have a guess it is cv, and with this info that would be my guess even though usually the symptoms are a little different. There is only so many things it can be, this would be usual suspect. Usually you just replace the entire axle. If you used spacers, good time to move to bills.

 

[Nick Manchester]

I bought the truck used with leveling spacers already installed prior to purchase. I do want to get rid of them but waiting for the struts to go bad first so my extended warrenty will pay for them. I got the truck last year with 44000 miles on it and the noise just recently started about 2 months ago that we noticed. I now have 60000 on it. noise isnt effected by swerving the wheel back and forth or going around curves. Sound stays pretty constant until 4 wheel drive is engaged in which it goes completely away. The sound isnt loud, if the radio is off and windows up you can hear it but with radio on at a comfortable listening level you dont hear it unless you are trying to. I need to take it in to the shop just dont want to miss something obvious that my warrenty wont cover. Yes those spacers are going bye bye and bilsteins are replacing them. Hoping i can get that under the extended warrenty since struts are covered.

 

[RAM0359]

Does the ticking noise mostly go away when the engine warms up? If so it could be broken Manifold bolts. Not uncommon, with yours lifted it may have put some stress in that area or may keep the ticking from going away. I've got some broken manifold bolts and mine ticks at start up when cold but goes away after warm up. I do not have a lift kit on it. Good luck.

 

[Nick Manchester]

i thought the same thing, i had that issue with my prior 2006 ram. it doesnt sound the same and it doesnt matter if engine is cold or warm. The sound really sounds rotational almost like a card in bike tires. it also goes away when you engage 4 wheel drive which has me thinking driveline/ cv axles

 

[Burla]

Try and button down which side it is on, no reason to change both axles so low miles. The part is only a 100 bucks or so. Have someone stick there head out passengers side to verify what side you think it's on.

Have yo jacked it up in neutral, but it might not matter? try rotating it? make sure not in 4x4.

 

[Nick Manchester]

ive tried listening to it with windows down and havent been able to hear it. with windows up and radio off it sounds like drivers side. sitting on passengers side it still sounds like drivers side but both inner cv joints have the same amount of play. my extended warrenty covers them so better replace both if thats what it is so i only have to pay 1 deductible

 

[Burla]

Good luck with warranty, if they denied it they would actually have a point. Spacer levels and even strut levels actually are known to cause issues with cv joints and ball joints. I had spacers and my ride was so binded I went to bills, which i love, but at 2.8 I blew a cv joint and needed a new axle. I have had bills set to 2.1 for many many years, and all is good. Maybe they will fix it, but if they didn't just know their position is just.

 

[Nick Manchester]

Yeah that’s a good point. I’ve got to talk to my mechanic about it so hopefully it will all be good. If not I’ll do it myself. I was a mechanic years ago and have switched careers and still did all my own work till I got this truck. The spacers on the truck are suppose to be 1.5 inch. When I switch to bils I was thinking of keep it the same. I like a little rack for when I haul or tow so I’m not squaring lower in the rear. I see a lot of there here and it looks awful and unsafe on the road.