Ram Whining in 4WD??

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Took my Ram out last nite to get groceries with the snow we had & the blustery wind/cold that we have been experiencing. Roads where still covered in good amounts of snow from drifting soo I decided to take the Ram in signature instead of my Acura. Now, the average high for the last two weeks has been mid 20s & with the wind chill -- in the single digits or below zero. I used the truck in the summertime to gather some fire wood at my one buddies house where there was lots of mud to go & from. The Ram never made a noise then or before. Like a whining noise you would hear being in low gear or low 4wd mode im assuming. I had it in high 4wd mode at all times. My fill in the transfer case is Mobil One LS 75W90 gear oil as recommended from a mechanic friend years back to help with that big chain slugging around. Like I said, never made that noise before when I did use it in past winters. I was only going about 45mph max. As soon as I put it back into 2wd mode -- the whining went away completely. When I did engage the 4wd mode to start off, I was stopped & had it in park like I do any other time?? What could or would make that whining noise? Being super cold for a long period of time or what?
 
Does your front differential spin all the time, or just in 4 wheel drive? Check the front diff fluid level. Also, what is the specified fluid for the transfer case? That 75W90 might be too thick for low temps?

And I'm sure you are aware that 4wd can only be used on very slippery roads. If the roads were in good condition, with good traction, then you will wind up the transfer case, which could cause whining I suppose. Shift it back into 2wd to cure your whining issue.
 
4 hi has been pretty silent in every 4wd I've driven. Like quiet enough not to notice your in 4 hi until you turn sharply on pavement.
It wouldn't hurt to climb under there and check levels and see if anything is obvious.
 
I can see a few potential issues. The gear oil in a transfer case that should have ATF is one of them, this is compounded by the fact that it didn't make noise in the summer when the gear oil would have been thinner, but makes noise now when it's cold. The gear oil (hack) in the 231/241/242 cases is a terrible idea and should not be done IMHO due to the inability of the already insufficient pump to move the thicker fluid. I'd focus your initial search at the transfer case and then move on to investigate the front axle.
 
I am guessing that your transfer case is chain driven? My experience with 4wd vehicles is that all chain driven transfer cases whine or make noise. If it is really loud then there might be an issue with a bearing or something. If you haven’t changed the fluid in a while that might be a good first step, especially if you have driven through water.
 
Will change over the transfer case oil to ATF +4 here soon. The front & rear differential both have Mobil One LS 75W90 also with approximately 25 thousand miles on there fills with no leaks or usage.
 
Originally Posted By: thorromig
Will change over the transfer case oil to ATF +4 here soon. The front & rear differential both have Mobil One LS 75W90 also with approximately 25 thousand miles on there fills with no leaks or usage.


Is that what your manual calls for, both the same weights front and back?
 
If you could handle 45mph, there should have been no need for 4wd. It doesn't help you stop any better than 2WD.

If the traction was good enough then, the system could have been binding. Manual 4WD should only be used when traction is poor, which really negates those speeds at all.

So was the traction really good enough to safely drive 45, in which case the system was binding?

-m
 
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