ok...got a 01 Ram 360 Sport reg cab OFFROAD. start the truck up and put it into drive...clunks REALLY bad. figured it was my U Joints.... well i go up underneath and grab my axle and try to twist it so if there is any play ... but its solid.... my buddy said that since i got 4.10 gears that dodges are just made that way.....i dont think so.... could my U's be bad and still not play when i grab the axle? ANY advice place help!!! wanna nip this in the bud before i put my transgo in... also itll do it when it shifts in and out of gears if i let off the accelorator while driving....another buddy said something about my lash setting in my rear end and it could have somethign to do with it...im a motor guy....i dont do rearends...so im pretty much seein in the dark on this one....thanks for the help

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nevermind

i have an f-150 and my u joints went bad and i couldn't feel any play either and when i took it apart there wasnt even any bearings left. why i didnt feel any play i dont know

It's not uncommon to have a clunk in the rearend.

thanks fellas,,, anyone else have any input? please share..more the better,,, if i were to remove my rear pumpkin to inspect my gears... what am i looking for specifically? loose? etc etc... and how can i make any adjustments?

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nevermind

well i have an 04, and it clunks really loud, i took it to the dealer and checked other trucks and they all do it too...i wouldnt worry too much

Is it a new clunk or has it been there since you owned the truck? When you check the U-joints, there should be a minimal amount of play in the pinion of the axle, but none in the joints. I'm assuming the truck was in park when you checked it. Was the weight of the vehicle holding the truck from rolling? If so you won't be able to tell what's loose.

The best way to check driveline components is to chock the rear wheels so the truck can't roll. Then put the truck in neutral and crawl under it. Wiggle the driveshaft and see where the play is. If the shaft moves seperate from the pinion yoke (bottom) or slip yoke (top), that u-joint is bad. The pinion should be able to wiggle a little on the axle, but only a very little. There should only be 0.002" of movement at the yoke (this translates to 0.006" or so at the outer edge of the ring gear for you mechanics that might jump on me about this). If it's more than that, there's a possibility of internal problems in the axle. If all that's tight, check your transmission mount. I had one of those go bad that made a HORRIBLE bang when shifting out of drive, or when you hammered on it hard. After that I'd start suspecting that the transfer case chain may have stretched. This is most often the case if you can hear a ratchet sound when you're coasting.

Good luck with it. Hope this info helps.