i have had that "whine" in every Dodge i have owned since 1972. never caused any problems , i found the most inexpensive cure was to turn up the stereo.

 

I have the whine with a short box and one piece drive shaft. I think it's the tranny, not sure everyone is talking about the same thing.

 

I have the whine... and I have an auto.... I can be going downhill @ 20mph and shift the truck into neutral...and it still whines. I would think that might eliminate it being in the transmission...but I'm not a mechanic.

 

As well as to get the reflash to see if I could improve my terrible mileage. I told em that some folks were convinced it was the bearing on the shaft but they were confident it wasn't. They kept the truck and put an "electric ear" under it and called me the next day and told be it was the diff. I didn't really want em doing unnecessary work on my truck.... But they insisted. They tore it down and called and told me they found scoring. So I went down and the tech took me in and showed me how the locker setup is built and some scoring inside. He also told me there was no preload at all on the pinion bearings and that DC wanted these rebuilt when they found these syptoms. They did it and today I picked it up and the "Owl" was still there.... and then some. I turned right around and went back and put the service writer in the truck and drove down the street about 6 blocks..... and that thing was really putting on the show. His eyes were as big as apples. He wants me to bring the truck back when they get the local DC rep in so they can go over this together. I'm positive, as I was before they rebuilt the diff, that the noise is either the tranny or the carrier bearing on the drive shaft. But mine is getting worse and really obnoxious.

 

After 3 weeks with my new drive shaft.The owl has yet to return..very happy with my quite truck.
odie

 

We need to replicate the results with another truck. I won't get a chance now till the end of the month to attack this again with my dealer. So if anyone else takes a crack at this problem...

Keep us all posted with your results !!

 

I have the noise and have had the diff. rebuilt at 20,000 but it is still there. My truck has 35,000 on it now, do I need to do something before the 36,000 mark? Is there a difference in deductible after 36,000 or something?

 

I have (hopefully had) the exact same owl since September when it started cooling off up here. The colder it gets, the worse it is. I just had my carrier bearing replaced today. It will be Monday before it sets outside again to see if it works, but I'll be sure to let you know.

 

My truck sat outside today for 13 hours straight at 3*F. Absolutely no howl at all. New carrier bearing did the trick.

Brian

 

AK , great to hear the problem was fixed . Enjoy your quite rig
Odie

 

mine has the problem you are describing between 20 and 23 MPH on cold mornings. Is this your expeirence?

 

Mine has had the "owl" since new. Quite honestly, it doesn't really bother me, at least enough that I want a dealer tearing apart my otherwise fine truck.

Am I damaging anything by NOT having this looked at, or driveshaft replaced, or whatever?

 

So what do you guys have to say for people that have a 1 piece rear axle?
Brother in law has 1 piece I have 2 piece and both have the same whine.