I currently do not. However, as soon as my unit bearing and/or U-joints crap out I will replace it with a free spin kit. It seems the U-joints in the front axle as well as the unit bearing fail early on the Dodges (under 80,000 miles). If I'm tearing the front end apart for either a U-joint or bearing I will spend the money one time and do it right.
My dodge ram.
- Thread starter Master-Pull
- Start date
I currently do not. However, as soon as my unit bearing and/or U-joints crap out I will replace it with a free spin kit. It seems the U-joints in the front axle as well as the unit bearing fail early on the Dodges (under 80,000 miles). If I'm tearing the front end apart for either a U-joint or bearing I will spend the money one time and do it right.
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
People say that, but mine has over 200k and I believe it is the original bearings and joints, we are tearing it apart for carrier bearings and I opted to return my spin free kit until it is time to do unit bearings.
-Alex
-Alex
Have you already torn into the front? Many times you destroy a decent unit bearing just trying to remove it to fix something else?
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
It is coming apart tomorrow, the good thing is that if I need to get the hub kit it is a day away since we live so close to Yukon and Randys Ring and Pinion.
-Alex
-Alex
I know its a chunk of $ but I would either do the free spin kit or at least put new unit bearing in it if you really have 200k on them. I noticed the unit bearing going bad on my 97 Cummins on my way to work one day (about 15 miles each way) and it was screaming at me by the time I got home after my shift ended. That's the thing I really don't like about them, if they go bad you are dead in the water very shortly. I'm just glad mine went close to home and not on a road trip. I swapped a 1979 Ford Dana 60 into mine, but the AAM front axle is IMHO much better than the 1994-2002 Dodge Dana 60's so I would just do the free spin and call it good.
blue dog
Adventurer
I disagree, the dana 60 unit is much stronger then the replacement aam axle in 3rd gens. Look at them and compare the beef on the units themselves.
I have bent the short tube on 2 aam units, never one on my 2nd gen with a 60 that has 250,000 miles on her, and hard baja and desert miles. With a 1100 lb diesel over it to boot.
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
Um ok?
Anyways we did carrier and pinion bearings, new seals etc. Got it moving and it was great, the pinion seal was leaking so the guys pulled it apart again and now even with a new seal they can't get it to stop. Got to love the little problems!
-Alex
Anyways we did carrier and pinion bearings, new seals etc. Got it moving and it was great, the pinion seal was leaking so the guys pulled it apart again and now even with a new seal they can't get it to stop. Got to love the little problems!
-Alex
Master-Pull
Supporting Sponsor
Not really, I have been working on other projects (jeep) and slowly ignorning all my toys as I went through training to become and EMT and also become more active at my fire station. I ended up picking up a canopy for the truck which was great for snowboarding trips and it lets me store extra stuff back there. Right now the truck is just a DD and nothing more. I am going to try to make some changes this summer, but we will see!
-Alex
-Alex