I have a 2004 (not 04.5) ram 2500 with 5.9 cummins six speed standard.
Recently I've had a grinding coming from the front end I've replaced the wheel bearing and although it needed a new one. It did not fix it dosent always grind it comes and goes mostly at 30-45 mph. I have also replaced the brake hardware thinking it was not sliding the pads and that was the grinding nothing. I did take the half shaft out and saw some grinding in the inside lip. The worst is when I put it in 4x4. In 4x4 it makes a horrible popping and grinding like clockwork with the rotation of the tires. about 20000 miles ago I put new ball joints, tie rods. I don't know im at a loss did I put the brakes in backwards against the natural groove of wear on the rotor? Does the brake hardware have too much play and slides rubbing the rotor hinting the on and off grinding? Is the half shaft shot? What is this noise? If someone can point me in the right direction it's probably something stupid easy or error

 

Welcome to the forum. You didn't mention the front u-joints. They can be problematic in earlier Cummins trucks. That is about all that I know about the later trucks and a smarter than me member should chime in soon...Mark

 

As mentioned your symptoms are consistent with front u joints. If it is worse when turning it’s pretty much a lock

Chay

 

Front 4x4 drive shaft broke. I was taking it apart to get to the u joints and there is a little ball pivot in there between the two sets of u joints it was broken. There may be a way to weld on a new one? But I just bought another one all together it came with new u joints already installed.

 

Thanks for the follow up. Keeping all these fixes in the back of mind...