Rear End

[Coon]

2001 Dodge Ram 4X4 1500 360...Any easy way to find out what gear ratio in my trucks rear end?

[Macgyver55]

An old easy way is to jack up the rear wheels, turn them exactly 1 full revolution and count how many times the driveshaft turns.

[dan z]

you can take off the cover and it should say it in there. I am guessing 3.73 good luck.

not that it matters but thats were my dakota numbers were and they said 3.21

[Coon]

Thanks, it's starting to make a pretty good noise. My guy that works on my stuff said it sound like it's going...He said Dodges are known for it...

[311Hemi]

Have you looked for a label on the hood, it may tell you there. Or there may be a tag somewhere on the rear end?

Otherwise, a dealer should be able to tell you with your VIN.

[caseymcq]

... Otherwise, a dealer should be able to tell you with your VIN.

Another option may be to email the VIN to Dodge customer service and they could get back to you with that information.

I have a GMC that I bought used. Didn't have the window sticker so I emailed GMC customer service and they had the info back to me in a snap.

[BIG DS]

Quote:

Otherwise, a dealer should be able to tell you with your VIN.

Call your local Dodge dealer and give him your VIN and you will have your answer in moments.

Yes they had a problem with the rear-ends. The bearings went out. Some as soon as 15k to 20k miles. The problem was they were assembled and bearing pre-load and gear-lash was set while the axle assembly was still hot from the tubes being welded into the center section. When they cooled off, the tolerances were all wrong. Yours may just be worn out, though. That issue usually showed up before 50k miles.

[Coon]

thanks fellas, i'll call a dealer next week and hopefully i can find what i need at yard somewhere.

[Valv]

Look inside glove compartment, there's the build label. it will say what gear ratio it has. Otherwise look at the differential bolts, one should have a small, but very visible, tag with the gear ratio info.

[rcatcherman]

Mine that year had a 3:55. Got 20 miles per gallon Highway 16 in city. But that VIN# to dealer or google it on line.

[Phred52]

If it hasn't been previously dismantled (so it's missing), on the back side, there is a thin metal tag under 2 of the cover bolts closest to the axle tube. The ratio is stamped into that tag. There's another tag on the diff. case with production info. OR, you can just raise both rear tires off the ground, transmission in neutral, put a chalk line on the driveshaft relative to a spot on the diff case, slowly rotate a tire and count how many times the chalk mark passes that point in 1 rotation of the tire. The last one won't be a full rotation, so if it only rotates a part of a turn, that'll be your fraction. Chances are, being it's a full size, 1/2 ton with a 5.9 liter and an auto trans, it'll probably be a 3.73 ratio, but there were other ratio axles available. I don't believe there were any axle ratios higher than the 3.73 available for the 1500 Ram 4x4 and the next lowest was around a 4:10 or it could've even been a 4:56 (Manual trans). Phred52