2017 Ram 2500 Suspension Problems

The contact owns a 2017 Ram 2500 trailered to a 2022 Quality Cargo trailer. The contact stated that while transporting the trailer, the contact noticed that the trailer was not aligned correctly. The trailer was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the leaf springs had started to detach from the axles. The trailer was not repaired. The trailer was traded and replaced by another trailer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

I TOOK MY 2017 RAM 2500 INTO THE LOCAL DEALER, URSE DODGE, FOR A DRAGLINK RECALL. RAM'S REPAIR FOR DRAGLINK RECALL WAS TO WELD JAM NUTS. THE WELDING OF THE JAM NUTS COMPLETELY DISABLED THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE LINK FOR PURPOSES OF PROPER ALIGNMENT TO THE TRUCK. I HAVE TALKED TO RAM CUSTOMER CARE AND THE LOCAL DEALER URSE DODGE, BOTH URSE AND RAM CUSTOMER SERVICE CLAIM THAT WELDING THE IS THE RECALL REPAIR AS OF NOW. NOWHERE CAN I FIND ANY STATEMENTS OF A FINAL AND PERMANENT REPAIR COMING. I NOTICED TIRE WEAR ON MY TIRES AND TOOK THE TRUCK FOR AN ALIGNMENT TO NTB IN BRIDGEPORT WV. (I HAVE HAD MY TRUCK ALIGNED THERE ABOUT EVERY 5000 MILES FOR THE LAST YEAR, OR APPROXIMATELY 6 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. TRUCK CURRENTLY HAS 67,000 MILES ON IT.) ON THIS OCCASION MY TRUCK WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT BUT NTB COULD NOT ADJUST IT BECAUSE URSE DODGE HAD WELDED THE JAM NUTS. I CALLED URSE, AND THEY MADE ME AN APPOINTMENT TO CHECK MY ALIGNMENT. ON MONDAY 7-1-2019 THE MECHANIC AT URSE DODGE CUT THE WELDS FROM THE JAM NUTS USING A DIE GRINDER, CUTTING TOOL, ALIGNED MY TRUCK, AND THEN TIGHTENED THE NUTS WITHOUT RE-WELDING THEM. THIS IN EFFECT "UN-REPAIRED" MY RECALL. MY CONCERN IS, 1. THE ORIGINAL WELDING AND THE HEAT AND OTHER REACTIONS TO THE JAM NUTS HAVE WEAKENED AND STRESSED THE METAL IN BOTH THE JAM NUTS AND THE ADJUSTING SLEEVE THE NUTS WERE WELDED TO. 2. THE CUTTING AND REMOVING THE WELD, WITH THE HEAT AND THE PHYSICAL DAMAGE INVOLVED IN REMOVING THE WELD, HAS FURTHER WEAKENED AND STRESSED THE METAL. 3. THE DRAGLINK IS NOT ABLE TO PERFORM TO IT'S ORIGINAL ENGINEERED DESIGN WITH THIS WELDED FIX. 4. THIS "FIX" WILL COST CONSUMERS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER TIME REPLACING NOT ONLY THESE ALTERED DRAGLINKS, BUT TIRES THAT WEAR BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO ADJUST THE ALIGNMENT TO SPECIFICATIONS. 5. THIS TEMPORARY REPAIR COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THESE VEHICLES. *BF *DT*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 RAM 2500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN RECALL REPAIR THAT REQUIRED WELDING THE ALIGNMENT BARS AND NUTS. THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED THE REPAIR WAS GOLDSTEIN CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (968 NEW LOUDON RD, LATHAM, NY 12110, (518) 785-4156). WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVING AN ALIGNMENT FROM AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE WELDING REPAIR WAS DISCOVERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER BACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER RECALL FOR THE FULL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT APPROVE ANY MORE REPAIRS AND TRANSFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF ANOTHER ALIGNMENT WAS NEEDED, IT WOULD BE HAMPERED BY THE PARTS BEING WELDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

DURING A RECALL SERVICE OF MY RAM TRUCK AT LOCAL DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE SHOWED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE OUTER LAYER. BOUGHT, AND GOT 4 NEW TIRES INSTALLED. GOT ALIGNMENT. TRUCK LEANS NOTICEABLE TO THE FRONT RIGHT. ALIGNMENT PERSON TOLD THAT TRUCK HAS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM.

VEHICLE WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND MECHANIC INFORMED ME OF FRONT TIRES ARE CUPPING SIGNIFICANTLY. THEY INFORMED ME THIS IS NOT NEW FOR A NEW TRUCK. TOOK THE TRUCK TO DODGE THEY TOLD ME IT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL IF YOU DON'T ROTATE TIRES ENOUGH. THIS IS VERY INCONSISTENT. I DID ROTATE TIRES BUT WITHIN 5000 MILE PROBLEM. REPRESENTS ITSELF AND TIRES HAVE TO BE REBALANCE TO OFF SET UNEVEN WEAR.

FRONT SUSPENSION, SPECIFICALLY STEERING SYSTEM GOES INTO A SEVERE WOBBLE OR SHIMMY WHEN A DIP OR POTHOLE IS DRIVEN OVER. THE SIDE TO SIDE WOBBLE IS SO SEVERE YOU HAVE TO COME TO A COMPLETE OR NEAR COMPLETE STOP TO GET THE TRUCK TO COME OUT OF IT. I'VE HAD IT TO THE DODGE DEALER TWICE AND A LOCAL SUSPENSION/ALIGNMENT SHOP AND THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. LOOKING ONLINE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN DESCRIBED MULTIPLE TIMES AS THE DODGE RAM "DEATH WOBBLE".

HAS VENT FOR FROUNT DRIVE AXEL IN WHEEL WELL HE CATCHES RAINWATER AND GET YOU INTO THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL ON FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE SAYS DRIVE AXLE IS NOT PART OF DRIVETRAIN AND WILL NOT COVER WARRANTY ALL DODGE RAM FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE'S 2017 MODELS WILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ENOUGH WATER GETS IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL IT WILL BURN UP THE GEAR NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE SOMEBODY HAS A FRONT IN LOCK UP AND CAUSES