Well the clunk I have is the carrier bearing. It finally went with 68,xxx miles. Should I just go ahead and just spend the money on the one piece aluminum drive shaft? How much does a carrier bearing run? How about a aluminum drive shaft? What are the pros and cons? Does anyone have a part# for my truck for a new drive shaft? Thanks alot!

 

I got a 1-piece driveshaft from here http://www.doghousediesel.com/catalog/i259.html

It is the same 1-piece that Dodge changed to for the 2008 models and newer. You get a genuine Mopar one piece aluminum driveshaft. You'd have to make contact with the fellow, he'd need your truck info, but if you have a QC longbed I believe you'd use the same shaft as my Mega. Again, make sure, don't jut hit the buy button.

They are 6061 Aluminum, about 6" diameter, really built well, good looking piece.

Then, you can just unbolt/take off your old carrier bearing assy and NEVER have to deal with it again. Weight reduction, less rotating mass weight, NO driveline vibrations, no shudder, no clunks . . all is well.

I really do not see any cons to changing these two piece units out. I guess Dodge didn't either as they are now standard equipment. Years ago, we did not have the technology we have today regarding aluminum. It used to be a theory that IF you went past a certain length, due to the weight of steel, you had to go two-piece, too much weight on the tranny and a bunch of other reasons as well. Now, aluminum has been put to the test in a myriad of hammerings in the sled pullers, drag strippers, etc and it is being used more and more in drivelines - becoming sort of the new industry standard.


CD

 

CD, thanks for that link! They have a lot of neat stuff and links to some great write ups/tech articles on there.

If I ever need to replace anything drive train related....U-joints, carrier etc., I may go ahead and get that one piece aluminum driveshaft. Looks beefy! So far im not having any problems at 126K miles, but im sure eventually it will come.

..

 

Hey CD, did the 1 piece get rid of your problems? Was it vibration? Thanks!

 

Will the aluminum one handle 1200 ft/lbs of torque?

 

Ouch, just looked at it... Over $500 with shipping. Maybe I could have one fabbed up locally for half the price. I saw another thread where someone bought a Dodge one piece for under $200.....

 

Or Try Car-part.com , Find One With A Lifetime Warranty, Prolly Get One Around 250 Shipped To You.

 

Problems with the center carrier bearing all the time. Shim one way for unloaded ride, shim another for loaded ride, no happy medium. Vibrations at different speeds. Factory JUNK is what the two-peice shaft is all about.

CD

 

Well, the guys out there sled pullin' are using them, what do you suppose the torque is doing that stuff???? Because I really do not know what their torque levels are, but I bet they exceed your amount. No one seems to be complaining any more who has switched to the 1-piece that pulls.


CD

 

My dealership quoted me $599 PLUS the shipping, and their shipping quote was MORE than the fellow I gave the link to.


That fellow did not buy THIS shaft, he bought another shaft for a completely different model truck. I checked with a local shop about getting one fabbed up, when they looked at the 6061 and the joints, they were just as high as the link I gave you.

CD

 

I looked it up, it was Raspy that posted that he replaced the driveshaft

Maybe his is different.

 

So what is this drive shaft that I found on Dodge Truck Parts .net after getting numbers from another forum???

52123122AA List $274.00 Price $205.00
Universals & rear axle - Rear axle - Propeller shaft - Drive shaft
Drive shaft, ram 3500, 1 piece driveshaft, 4wd, 5.9l diesel, auto trans 2006 - 2007

It's a Dodge shaft made from 6061 aluminum.... Here's a link. Maybe I have the part number wrong?????

https://www.dodgetruckparts.net/oem-dodge-parts.html

 

Yep, that's the one for my truck anyway.... I just ran it through the parts finder.

Hey if you guys want one and still think they cost $575, I'll sell you one for $400!!

 

I, too, wanted a one piece shaft and really got turned around in this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...e-t202733.html

Wound up shimming the carrier and calling it a day after getting lost at about the 141st reply. I could swear we settled on part 52123161-AB for the '06 auto in that thread, but at >$400 and "no return if no fit," I passed. So, if you buy that $205 shaft, let us know if it fits.

 

I would hold off for the time being. I have the 52123161 on my truck right now and it doesn't fit properly. It works but is about 2" too long and almost bottoms out on the transfer case. I'm trying to find out if the automatic shaft is shorter but haven't had the time yet. If you have a 2wd I have no idea. If you have a late '05 or newer with the G56 then the shaft will fit perfectly.