NHTSA Complaint #10502269 — 2004 DODGE RAM 1500

I WAS DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEED, AROUND 70 MPH. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE TRUCK AND I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER WENT TO ZERO. I WAS STILL MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED. THE FAULT CODE IDENTIFIED A FAILURE IN THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I PULLED THE DIFFERENTIAL COVER OFF AND FOUND WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. I ALSO FOUND PIECES OF WHAT WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS C CLIPS FROM MY LSD CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE INDUCTIVE PORTION OF THE SPEED SENSOR PROTRUDES INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING AND WAS HIT BY THE FLYING PIECES OF C CLIPS. THE CARRIER BEARING ALSO HAD A GROVE CUT INTO IT BY THESE CLIPS AS THEY WORKED THEIR WAY OUT. I AM TOLD THAT IF I HAD NOT CAUGHT THIS, IT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN CARRIER BEARING FAILURE AND LOCK UP OF MY REAR AXLE. I REMOVED ALL OF THE METAL C CLIP PIECES AND REMOVED THE REMAINING C CLIPS THAT HAD NOT YET FALLEN OUT. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANY CONNECTION, BUT MY LEFT REAR LEAF SPRING CRACKED IN HALF ON THE LOWER MAIN LEAF. I HAD TO REPLACE THE SPRING ASSEMBLY AT MY COST. I NOW HAVE A PERMANENT WHINE AT LOW SPEEDS AND CURRENTLY HAVE 125,000 MILES ON MY TRUCK. I AM CERTAINLY GLAD THAT I FOUND THESE METAL PIECES WHEN I DID! THERE APPEARS TO BE MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS FAILURE IN MY TRUCK MODEL, RANGING FROM MODEL YEARS 2003 THROUGH 2006 RAM 1500 EQUIPPED WITH THE 5.7 HEMI. AT THIS TIME, CHRYSLER HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PATTERNED FAILURES IN THESE REAR DIFFERENTIALS. *TR