My 2006 Dodge DRW 3500 MegaCab now has 130K miles on it and it's been a great truck. However a little over a week ago while traveling the ABS and Brake lights came on on the dash. A quick stop and check to verify I have brakes and nothing is leaking of falling off leads me to the common failure, ABS sensor.
So once home and with out the expensive Mother MoPar computer I can't read the code so I pick up a rear axle sensor as it's the most common one to fail. I replace it, and well it wasn't the cause. I then go pick up a front sensor, well it's expensive (compared to the rear) and in a sealed bag, so I wasn't going to just plug it in and test as if it wasn't the issue I could not return it.
Then I realize the front sensors are NOT an easy job, you have to pull the wheel (oh course), then the Dually Adapter, then the Brake Caliper and Bracket, then the Brake Rotor. Then you have the choice of either removing the unit-bearing (hub assembly) to get the brake shield off and out of the way, or bend the shield to get access to the sensor.
So I grab both of my multi meters to test the sensors. Well I could not get any resistance reading from any of the existing sensors, or even the new rear sensor. I could test the sensor on the 94 Dodge I have and get a reading, but the newer trucks use a different sensor. So I bite the bullet and pay a local shop to test for the cause of the failure. Their report, both front wheel sensors. Now when I dropped the truck off I told him I didn't think I had plugged the front sensors back in after my testing, but after the repair I'm guessing he didn't plug them in to test, and it turned out only one wheel sensor was out.
Since the sensors usually fail from the results of a failing unit-bearing or wire damage (I didn't find any of that in my diagnosing) I wasn't putting in new sensors to to have them just fail again as the bearing goes out. I had also found some play in a couple of ball joints while doing my diagnostics so they needed some attention.
So I have him give me a quote for new ball joints, Unit Bearings, and while they are out new Axle U-Joints. He gave me a fair and competitive quote of $1,900 using all Moog parts and also installing the new pinon seal I had on hand (it had a small leak). He said it would take a couple of days work and be just over a week before he could get to it.
So, I started looking at options. Do it my self and stay with the stock (****ty cheap *** design) unit-bearings with all parts being Moog, or going the route I'd always said I'd do if a bearing failed, install a free-spin kit.
After pricing the parts and looking through the top three conversion kits, I settled on doing it my self with the SpinTec Kit. The SpinTec kit had the added benefit of eliminating the dually hub adapters. The other companies required you to buy a 3rd party aftermarket adapter (an additional $400) that would fit the new hub, or find a Ford adapter and have it machined to fit. The Dodge adapter isn't built where it would fit or survive the modifications to fit.
So while the front is torn apart, and you are doing the work I ended up replacing a few more parts (preventative maintenance). Here is the list of new parts I ended up installing:
Wheel Hub Assemblies (SpinTec)
Front Axle U-Joints (Moog)
Upper and Lower Ball-Joints (Moog)
ABS Sensors (MoPar)
Brake Rotors (Bosch)
Brake Caliper (O'Reilly BrakeBest)
Brake Shoes (Wagner, Warranty exchange no cost)
Sway Bar Links (Moog)
While I was doing Maintenance/Repairs I also replaced the weakening Hood Struts, and the dripping Coolant Return Hose and Clamps (the little silicon one between the Turbo and Block that is a pain to replace).
I was able to borrow a Snap-On Ball-Joint tool that helped make the job easier than when I did the ball joints on the 94 Dodge with the O'Reilly borrowed tool. The job took a total of about 24 hours (working slow and sure to not make a mistake) and everything fit very well.
Based on my initial thoughts about the kit I would highly recommend it and SpinTec (an OH based company and part of Solid Axle Industries). I get the alignment checked tomorrow, but today's test drive looks like everything is good.
You see a lot of quotes about the kits giving you a 2-3 MPG increase, and while I don't expect it to be that I do look forward to seeing if there is any effect.
In the end the front axle portion of the work (including the brakes) cost me an additional $700 over paying a shop to put it back with unit-bearings, so I'm happy with that and look forward to many, many more great miles and use of my Dodge tuck.
So once home and with out the expensive Mother MoPar computer I can't read the code so I pick up a rear axle sensor as it's the most common one to fail. I replace it, and well it wasn't the cause. I then go pick up a front sensor, well it's expensive (compared to the rear) and in a sealed bag, so I wasn't going to just plug it in and test as if it wasn't the issue I could not return it.
Then I realize the front sensors are NOT an easy job, you have to pull the wheel (oh course), then the Dually Adapter, then the Brake Caliper and Bracket, then the Brake Rotor. Then you have the choice of either removing the unit-bearing (hub assembly) to get the brake shield off and out of the way, or bend the shield to get access to the sensor.
So I grab both of my multi meters to test the sensors. Well I could not get any resistance reading from any of the existing sensors, or even the new rear sensor. I could test the sensor on the 94 Dodge I have and get a reading, but the newer trucks use a different sensor. So I bite the bullet and pay a local shop to test for the cause of the failure. Their report, both front wheel sensors. Now when I dropped the truck off I told him I didn't think I had plugged the front sensors back in after my testing, but after the repair I'm guessing he didn't plug them in to test, and it turned out only one wheel sensor was out.
Since the sensors usually fail from the results of a failing unit-bearing or wire damage (I didn't find any of that in my diagnosing) I wasn't putting in new sensors to to have them just fail again as the bearing goes out. I had also found some play in a couple of ball joints while doing my diagnostics so they needed some attention.
So I have him give me a quote for new ball joints, Unit Bearings, and while they are out new Axle U-Joints. He gave me a fair and competitive quote of $1,900 using all Moog parts and also installing the new pinon seal I had on hand (it had a small leak). He said it would take a couple of days work and be just over a week before he could get to it.
So, I started looking at options. Do it my self and stay with the stock (****ty cheap *** design) unit-bearings with all parts being Moog, or going the route I'd always said I'd do if a bearing failed, install a free-spin kit.
After pricing the parts and looking through the top three conversion kits, I settled on doing it my self with the SpinTec Kit. The SpinTec kit had the added benefit of eliminating the dually hub adapters. The other companies required you to buy a 3rd party aftermarket adapter (an additional $400) that would fit the new hub, or find a Ford adapter and have it machined to fit. The Dodge adapter isn't built where it would fit or survive the modifications to fit.
So while the front is torn apart, and you are doing the work I ended up replacing a few more parts (preventative maintenance). Here is the list of new parts I ended up installing:
Wheel Hub Assemblies (SpinTec)
Front Axle U-Joints (Moog)
Upper and Lower Ball-Joints (Moog)
ABS Sensors (MoPar)
Brake Rotors (Bosch)
Brake Caliper (O'Reilly BrakeBest)
Brake Shoes (Wagner, Warranty exchange no cost)
Sway Bar Links (Moog)
While I was doing Maintenance/Repairs I also replaced the weakening Hood Struts, and the dripping Coolant Return Hose and Clamps (the little silicon one between the Turbo and Block that is a pain to replace).
I was able to borrow a Snap-On Ball-Joint tool that helped make the job easier than when I did the ball joints on the 94 Dodge with the O'Reilly borrowed tool. The job took a total of about 24 hours (working slow and sure to not make a mistake) and everything fit very well.
Based on my initial thoughts about the kit I would highly recommend it and SpinTec (an OH based company and part of Solid Axle Industries). I get the alignment checked tomorrow, but today's test drive looks like everything is good.
You see a lot of quotes about the kits giving you a 2-3 MPG increase, and while I don't expect it to be that I do look forward to seeing if there is any effect.
In the end the front axle portion of the work (including the brakes) cost me an additional $700 over paying a shop to put it back with unit-bearings, so I'm happy with that and look forward to many, many more great miles and use of my Dodge tuck.
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