1993 DODGE TRUCK Service Repair Manual

2
- 76
FRONT
SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE

MODEL
44 AXLE

MODEL
60 AXLE

FRONT
AXLE MODEL 44
FRONT
AXLE MODEL #0

DESCRIPTION
TORQUE

Bearing Cap
Bolts
95 to 122 N-m (70 to 90 ft. lbs.)
Brake/Spindle
Splash
Shield 34 to 41 N-m
(25 to 35 ft. lbs.)

Differential
Cover
Bolts
47 N-m (35 ft. lbs.)

Fill
Hole Plug 34 N-m (25 ft. lbs.)
Lower Ball Stud Nut 108 N-m (80 ft. lbs.)
Pinion Yoke Nut 271 to 298 N-m (200 to 220 ft. lbs.)
Shift Motor
Housing
Bolts 14 N-m (10 ft. lbs.) Spindle
Wheel
Bearing
Outer
Lock Nut...... 68 N-m (50 ft. lbs.)
Steering Knuckle Arm Nuts 122 N-m (90 ft. lbs.)

Ring
Gear
Bolts
61 to 81 N-m (45 to 60 ft. lbs.)
Upper Ball Stud Nut 136 N-m (100 ft. lbs.)
Upper Yoke Sleeve 54 N-m (40 ft. lbs.)
J9202-110
DESCRIPTION

TORQUE

Bearing Cap Bolts
Brake
Splash
Shield/Spindle.

Differential
Cover Bolts

Fill
Hole Plug
Lower King Pin Cap Screws...
Pinion Yoke Nut.
Spindle
Wheel
Bearing
Outer
Lock Nut

Ring
Gear
Bolts
(Grade 8)

Ring
Gear
Bolts
(Grade 9)
Upper King Pin Cap
Upper King Pin 95 to 122 N-m
(70 to 90 ft. lbs.)
68 to 81 N-m
(50 to 60 ft. lbs.)
47 N-m (35 ft. lbs.) 34 N-m (25 ft. lbs.) 95 to 122 N-m
(70 to 90 ft. lbs.) 339 to 366 N-m
(250 to 270 ft. lbs.)
.... 217 to 278 N-m (160 to 205 ft. lbs.)

136tol63N-m

(100 to 120 ft. lbs.)
..... 169 to 183 N-m (125 to 135 ft. lbs.)
96 to 122 N-m
(70 to 90 ft. lbs.)
668 to 813 N-m
(500 to 600 ft. lbs.)

J9202-111

•

REAR
SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE
3 - 1
CONTENTS

page

8
3/8 and 9 1/4
AXLE
11
GENERAL
INFORMATION
1
MODEL
60 and 70
AXLES
29

POWER-LOK DIFFERENTIAL
55

REAR
SUSPENSION—2WD
and
4WD VEHICLES
3
page

SERVICE
DIAGNOSIS
6

SPECIFICATIONS
27

SURE-GRIP
DIFFERENTIAL SERVICE
28

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
59

TRAC-LOK DIFFERENTIAL
51

GENERAL INFORMATION

SUSPENSION
Ram Truck rear suspensions
are
comprised
of;

• Drive axle
• Leaf springs
• Dual-action shock absorbers
• Jounce bumpers (used
to
limit
the
travel
of the
suspension) All
Ram
Truck
and
Ramcharger vehicles
are

equipped with leaf-type rear springs.
The
springs
have
a
one-piece, rubber bushing pressed into their main leaf front
eye.
Model
150 and
Ramcharger
ve­

hicles
are
equipped with
a
fixed-rate type leaf spring. Progressive-rate type rear leaf springs
are
standard equipment
for all
Model
250 and 350
vehicles.

AXLES
The
8 3/8, 9
1/4-Inch
,
Model
60 and 70
axle hous­
ings consist
of a
cast iron center section. They also
have
two
steel axle shaft tubes that
are
pressed into and welded
to the
differential housing. The removable, stamped steel cover provides
a

means
for
inspection
and
service without removing
the complete axle from
the
vehicle. Both axle types
are
equipped with
a
remote vent
fitting. A small, stamped metal axle gear ratio identifica­
tion
tag is
attached
to the
housing cover. The rear wheel anti-lock (RWAL) brake speed sen­
sor
is
attached
to the top,
forward exterior
of the dif­

ferential housing.
A
seal
is
located between
the
sensor
and the
wire harness connector.
The
seal
must
be
in-plaee when
the
wire connector
is
connected
to the
sensor.
The
RWAL brake exciter
ring
is
press-fitted onto
the
differential case against
the flange. A rear axle equipped with
a
Sure-Grip differential
is optionally available
for
both
Ram
Truck
and
Ram­
charger vehicles.
The
Sure-Grip
has a
two-piece case
that
is
interchangeable with
a
standard differential.
A limited-slip differential
is
optional
on
Model
60,

and
70
rear axles.
The
Model
60
uses
the
Trac-Lok
differential
and the
Model
70
uses
the
Power-Lok
dif­

ferential.
The
Trac-Lok differential uses
a
one-piece case while
the
Power-Lok differential uses
a two-

piece case. Both
use the
same internal components
as
a standard differential, plus
two
clutch disc packs.
IDENTIFICATION The axle differential covers
can be
used
for
identi­
fication (Fig.
1, 2, 3).
Model
60
axle
has the
assembly part number
and

gear ratio listed
on a tag. The tag is
attached
to the
left side
of the
housing cover
(Fig. 3).
Build date
identification codes
on
axles
are
stamped
on the
axle
shaft tube cover side.

LUBRICANTS
Multi-purpose, hypoid gear lubricant should
be

used
for
rear axles with either
a
standard
or a
Sure- Grip differential.
The
lubricant should have MIL-L-
2105-B
and by API GL 5
quality specifications.
MOPAR Hypoid Gear Lubricant conforms
to
both
of

these specifications.
In
addition,
4
ounces
of
Hypoid Additive must
be
included with
a
re-fill
for
Sure-Grip differentials.
If
the
rear axle
is
submerged
in
water,
the lu­

bricant must
be
replaced immediately. Avoid axle failure resulting from water contamination
of
the
lubricant.

REAR
SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE

3 - 2
REAR SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE

•

DIFFERENTIAL
IDENTIFICATION
DIFFERENTIAL

FILL
PLUG
J9202-40
Fig. 3 Model 60 and 70 Differential Cover Fig. 1 Differential Cover — 8 3/8
Inch
Axle

IDENTIFICATION
TAG

J9203-32

Fig. 2 Differential Cover — 9 1/4
Inch
Axle

•

REAR
SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE
3 - 3
REAR SUSPENSION—2WD
and 4WD
VEHICLES

SPRING
AND
SHOCK DIAGNOSIS
A squeak noise from the shock absorber or spring
bushings can be produced if movement between the
rubber bushings and the metal occurs. This noise can usually be stopped by tightening the attaching nuts.
If the squeak noise persists, inspect for damaged and
worn bushings, and attaching components. Repair as
necessary if any of these conditions exist. The shock absorber bushings do not require any
type of lubrication. Do not lubricate the bushings to reduce bushing noise. Grease or mineral oil-base lu­
bricants will deteriorate the bushing rubber. The shock absorbers are not reflllable or adjust­

able.
If a malfunction occurs, the shock absorber
must be replaced. To test a shock absorber, hold it in an upright position and force the piston into and out
of the cylinder four or five times. The action through­
out each stroke should be smooth and even. The spring eye and shock absorber bushings do not
require any type of lubrication. Do not attempt to stop spring bushing noise by lubricating them.
Grease and mineral oil-base lubricants will deterio­
rate the bushing rubber. If the vehicle is used for severe, off-road operation,
the springs should be examined periodically. Check for broken and shifted leafs, loose and missing clips, and broken center bolts.

VEHICLE LOADING
AND
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
A vehicle should always be loaded so the vehicle
weight center-line is located immediately forward of
the rear axle. Correct vehicle loading provides proper
front tire-to-road contact. This results in maximum
vehicle handling stability and safety. Refer to Spring and Shock Absorber Diagnosis chart for further in­
formation. Incorrect weight distribution should be consid­
ered as a possible cause for erratic steering, spring failure or tire wear. SPRING AND SHOCK ABSORBER DIAGNOSIS

FATIGUE FROM
OPERATION
ON SEVERE
TERRAIN
OR

OVERLOADING
LOOSE

U-BOLT
NUTS
SHOCK

ABSORBERS
NOT

FUNCTIONING
LOOSE
EYE
BOLT
OR
NUT
OR
WORN BUSHINGS WORN

SEAL

BROKEN
LEAVES
WORN

BUSHINGS
UNDERCOATING
ON SHOCK
ABSORBER
CYLINDER
DAMAGED

FLUID

RESERVOIR

VEHICLE
OVERLOADED LEAF-TIP

LINERS
WORN OR MISSING VEHICLE
OVERLOADING OR SEVERE

CORROSION
AIR TRAPPED
INTERNALLY INTERNAL

SHOCK

ABSORBER
DEFECT

J9017-17

3
- 4
REAR SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE

•
SHOCK
ABSORBER

REMOVAL (1) Raise and support the vehicle.
(2) Remove the retaining locknut and bolt from the
frame crossmember at the upper end of the shock ab­ sorber (Fig. 1). BOLT

SPRING
BRACKET
AND STUD LOCKNUT
BUMPER LOCKNUT
OUTER
INNER RETAINER
RETAINER
J90T7-31
Fig.
1 Rear
Shock
Absorber

(3) Remove the locknut and the outer retainer
from the spring bracket stud (Fig. 1).
(4) Remove the rear shock absorber and the inner
retainer from the vehicle (Fig. 1).
INSTALLATION (1) Before installing the shock absorber, ensure
that the bushing is inserted in the shock absorber
eye.

Ensure the shock absorber is positioned on the
stud with the retainers correctly located on ei­
ther side of the bushing (Fig. 1).
(2) Position the inner retainer and shock absorber
eye on the spring bracket stud. Install the outer re­
tainer and the locknut (Fig. 1). Tighten the locknut finger-tight.
(3) Rotate the shock absorber upward and position
the upper end at the frame crossmember.
(4) Align and insert the bolt through the upper
shock absorber eye and the crossmember (Fig. 1).
(5) Install the locknut on the upper bolt and
tighten it finger-tight.
(6) Remove the supports and lower the vehicle to
the surface. (7) Tighten the shock absorber nuts to 82 N*m (60
ft. lbs.) torque.

SPRINGS
REMOVAL (1) Raise and support the frame until all weight is
removed from the rear springs. The vehicle must be raised under the frame
side rail at the crossmember behind the axle.
Use care to avoid bending the side rail flange.
(2) Position support stands under the frame side

rails.

(3) Remove the nuts, lockwashers, and U-bolts that
attach the spring to the axle (Fig. 2, 3 and 4).
U-BOLT

SPRING
SPRING
SHACKLE
FRAME
RAIL

LOCKNUT LOCKNUT
LOCKNUT AXLE TUBE
BRACKET
AND
STUD
NUT
J9017-3Q
Fig.
2
Spring—
W-150 Vehicles

U-BOLT^
U-BOLT
~ '
PLATE

IB*

AUXILIARY SPRING
SPRING

FRAME
RAIL
PIVOT

BRACKET
^ . , _
BOLT

'PIVOT'
WA^HFP
^
in^gJ
\
BRACKET
BRACKET WASHER
^

FRONT
C3>
>>JL
^ T^1
AXLE TUBE
LOCKNUT
——Hr
SPRING BRACKET
J9017-34
Fig.
3
Spring
& Auxiliary
Spring—D-250,
350

Vehicles

•

Fig.
4
Spring
& Auxiliary Spring—W-250, 350
Vehicles
(4) Remove the nuts and bolts from the spring
front and rear eyes. Remove the spring from the ve­
hicle (Figs. 2, 3 and 4).
INSTALLATION (1) Position the spring on the axle shaft tube so
that the spring center bolt is inserted into the locat­ ing hole in the axle tube spring pad (Figs. 2, 3 and

4).
(2) Align the spring front eye with the bolt hole in
the front bracket and install the eye pivot bolt and nut (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). (3) Align the spring rear eye with the bolt hole in
the spring shackle or the rear bracket (as applicable) and install the spring eye pivot bolt and nut (Figs. 2,
3 and 4).
(4) Tighten the spring front and rear eye pivot bolt
nuts until all separation between the metal is re­
moved.
(5) Install the U-bolts, replacement lockwashers
and the retaining nuts (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). (6) Tighten the nuts until they force the lockwash­
ers flush against the spring bracket. (7) Align the auxiliary spring with the primary
spring (Figs. 2, 3 and 4).
(8) Remove the supports and lower the vehicle so
that the weight is being supported by the tires.
(9) Tighten the spring retaining nuts according to
the following specifications:
• U-bolt nuts (1/2-20) - 88 N*m (65 ft. lbs.) torque
# U-bolt nuts (9/16-18) - 149 N-m (110 ft. lbs.)
torque —
REAR SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE
3 • 5

Fig.
5 Leaf
Spring
Disassembly

(4) Insert a long drift or punch into the center bolt
hole and slowly release the vise jaws.
(5) Remove the spring from the vise. Replace the
broken/defective
leaf.
Insert a long drift or punch into the spring center bolt hole.
(6) Position the spring between vise jaws and
slowly tighten the vise jaws. Keep the spring leaves
aligned with the long drift or punch.
(7) Remove the drift/punch from the spring center
bolt hole. Install a replacement center bolt and nut (Fig. 5).
(8) Tighten the nut to 20 N-m (15 ft. lbs.) torque.
An alternate is to tighten until the center of the spring has no gaps. Use a maximum of 54 N*m (40 ft.
lbs.) torque for this method.
(9) Install the alignment clips.
(10) Install the spring in the vehicle. If necessary
refer to the installation procedure.

LEAF SPRING EYE BUSHING REPLACEMENT
(1) Assemble tools shown (Fig. 6). Tighten the nut
located at the socket wrench end of the threaded rod
until the bushing is forced out. (2) Assemble and align the bushing installation

tools.
• Spring front and rear eye pivot bolt nut (1/2-20) —
88 N«m (65 ft. lbs.) torque
© Spring front and rear eye pivot bolt nut (5/8-18) — 135 N»m (100 ft. lbs.) torque
• Spring front and rear eye pivot bolt nut (3/4-16) — 183 N-m (135 ft. lbs.) torque

SPRING
LEAF—REPLACEMENT
If a spring has acquired a set (lost significant
height), it should be replaced. (1) Remove the spring from the vehicle. If neces­
sary, refer to the removal procedure. (2) Remove the spring leaf alignment clips.
(3) Clamp the spring in a vise. Remove the nut
and center bolt (Fig. 5).

3
- 6
REAR SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE

•

NUT PIPE
SOCKET
WRENCH
(DRIVER)

FLAT
THREADED
WASHER
ROD
J8917-20

Fig.
6
Spring
Eye
Bushing
Removal
(3) Align
the
bushing with
the
spring
eye and

tighten
the nut
located
at the
socket wrench
end of

the threaded
rod.
Tighten until
the
bushing
is
forced into
the
spring
eye.

The bushing must
be
centered
in the
spring

eye.
The
ends
of the
bushing must
be
flush
or
slightly recessed within
the end
surfaces
of the

spring
eye.
8ERW1GE DIAGNOSIS
INDEX
page

Driveline
Snap
8

Gear
and
Bearing Noise
7

General
Information
6
Limited
Slip
Differential
8
page
Low Speed Knock
.........................
8
Rear
Axle
Alignment
.......................
7

Tire
Noise
7
Vibration
8

GENERAL INFORMATION
Axle bearing problem conditions
are
usually caused
by: • Insufficient
or
incorrect lubricant
• Foreign matter/water contamination
• Incorrect bearing preload torque adjustment When serviced,
the
bearings must
be
cleaned thor­
oughly. They should
be
dried with lint-free shop tow­

els.
Never
dry
bearings with compressed
air.

This will overheat them
and
brinell
the
bearing surfaces. This will result
in
noisy operation after
repair. Axle gear problem conditions
are
usually
the
result

of:

• Insufficient lubrication
• Incorrect
or
contaminated lubricant
• Overloading (excessive engine torque)
• Incorrect clearance
or
backlash adjustment Insufficient lubrication
is
usually
the
result
of a

housing cover leak.
It can
also
be
from worn axle shaft
or
pinion gear seals. Check
for
cracks
or
porous
areas
in the
housing
or
tubes.
Using
the
wrong lubricant will cause overheating
and gear failure. Gear tooth cracking
and
bearing
spalling
are
indicators
of
this.
Axle component breakage
is
most often
the
result

of:

• Severe overloading
• Insufficient lubricant
• Incorrect lubricant • Improperly tightened components
Common causes
of
overloading
is
from full-throttle
acceleration. Overloading occurs when towing
heavier than normal loads. Component breakage
can
occur when
the
wheels
are
spun excessively. Insuffi­
cient
or
incorrect lubricants contribute
to
breakage
through overheating. Loose differential components can also cause breakage. Incorrect bearing preload
or
gear backlash will
not

result
in
component breakage. Mis-adjustment will
produce enough noise
to
cause service repair before
a

•

RfAR SUSPENSION
AND
AXLE
3 - 7 failure occurs. If a mis-adjustment condition is not
corrected, component failure can result.

REAR
AXLE ALIGNMENT

MEASUREMENT The following procedure can be used to determine
if abnormal rear tire tread wear is the result of a
bent or deformed rear axle shaft.
(1) Raise both rear wheels off the surface with a
frame contact hoist. (2) Attach a one-inch long piece of masking tape at
the center of each tire tread for use as reference marks.
(3) Rotate the rear wheels until both reference
marks face the front of the vehicle. Measure the dis­
tance between the outside edges of the two pieces of
tape.
Record this measurement as the front of tire (FTR) measurement.
(4) Rotate the rear wheels until both reference
marks face the rear of the vehicle. Measure the dis­
tance between the outside edges of the two pieces of
tape.
Record this measurement as the rear of tire (RTR) measurement.
(5) Subtract the (RTR) measurement from the
(FTR) measurement to obtain the amount of wheel

toe.
The acceptable rear wheel toe-in position is 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) to 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) toe-out.
(6) Rotate the rear wheels until the reference
marks are facing downward. Measure the distance
between the outside edges of the two pieces of tape. Record this measurement as the bottom of tire (BTR)
measurement.
(7) Average the (FTR) and the (RTR) distance
measurements. Subtract the (BTR) measurement
from this average distance to obtain the camber. The acceptable amount of camber is 1/16 inch to 3/32 inch
(1.6 to 2.4 mm).
(FTR + RTR) DIVIDED BY 2 (TWO) MINUS
BTR EQUALS CAMBER
If the (BTR) distance measurement is less than
the average FTR and RTR distance measure­
ment, the camber will be positive ( + ). If the (BTR) distance measurement is greater than the average FTR and RTR distance, the camber will
be negative ( - ).
If the toe position or camber is not acceptable, a
bent or deformed rear axle shaft is most likely the cause.

TIRE
NOISE
Check tires that are damaged, unbalanced, incor­
rectly inflated. Tires that have deep treads can emit sounds like axle noise. Differentiate between tire and
axle noise during a road test. Tire noise will usually vary with different road
conditions. Tire noise is sensitive to inflation pres­
sure.
The pitch of tire noise changes when the vehi­
cle speed is varied.
Drive the vehicle over different road surfaces. Note
the changes in the noise. If the noise changes, the
tires are the source of the noise.
Refer to Group 22, Wheels and Tires for additional
information.

GEAR
AND BEARING NOISE
GEAR
NOISE
Axle gear noise can be caused by insufficient lubri­
cant. Incorrect backlash, tooth contact, or worn/dam­ aged gears can cause noise.
Gear noise usually happens at a specific speed
range. The range is 30 to 40 mph, or above 50 mph.
The noise can also occur during a specific type of driving condition. These conditions are, acceleration,
deceleration, coast, or constant load.
When road testing, accelerate the vehicle to the
speed range where the noise is the greatest. Shift
out-of-gear and coast through the peak-noise range.
If the noise stops or changes greatly, check for
insuf­

ficient lubricant. Incorrect ring gear backlash, or gear damage can cause noise changes.
Differential side and pinion gears can be checked
by turning the vehicle. They usually do not cause noise in straight-ahead driving. These gears are
loaded during vehicle turns. If noise does occur dur­
ing vehicle turns, the side or pinion gears could be
worn or damaged. A worn pinion gear mate shaft can also cause a snapping or a knocking noise.

BEARING NOISE
The axle shaft, differential and pinion gear bear­
ings can all produce noise when worn or damaged.
Bearing noise can be either a whining, or a growling sound.
Pinion gear bearings have a constant-pitch noise.
This noise changes only with vehicle speed. Pinion
bearing noise will be higher because it rotates at a faster rate. Drive the vehicle and load the differen­

tial.
If bearing noise occurs the pinion rear bearing is the source of the noise. If the bearing noise is heard during a coast, front bearing is the source.
Worn, damaged differential bearings usually pro­
duce a low pitch noise. Differential bearing noise is
similar to pinion bearing. The pitch of differential
bearing noise is also constant and varies only with vehicle speed.
Axle shaft bearings produce noise and vibration
when worn or damaged. The noise generally changes
when the bearings are loaded. Road test the vehicle. Turn the vehicle sharply to the left and to the right.
This will load the bearings and change the noise