Pinion Gear Failure Dodge 3500 /4WD 6.7L Diesel

Factual Questions
1

Trying to find info on Pinion Failure due to rear end collison. I had regular service on my vehicle every 7,500 miles. Had a accident April 2, 2014 backing up in a parking lot and hit a Yukon SUV trying to pass behind me. I slammed into them at approx. 10mph backing up quickly. Now less than 5K later I have a brief engine lag, two times in approx. 60 seconds then a light clattering sound like running on the rumble strip adjacent to the emergency parking. I was driving approx. 60mph, let up and the noise became Schreeching, so I sped up a bit and took it to the dealer about 5 miles away.

The closest dealer had done my last 3 services including a 67,500 preventative maintenance check to the tune of $2,400. They are claiming I was remiss in not have the proper lubrication. I am pointing out that they did all the service. When searching this online I found West Coast Differentials that had pictures of failure. The only on on total breakage described the situation as being off road with large tires spinning and suddenly getting traction breaking the Pinion Gear. The Dealer says “sometimes things just break”. I am wondering if there was enough impact from my earlier accident to have caused a fracture or a weakness in the Pinion Gear that finally broke 5,000 miles later. 77L total on vehicle that I purchase new, have maintained well, no off road use, towed a 29ft. 5th wheel travel trailer possibly a dozen times during the 77k.

Any opinions out there???

2

Was your Ram in the pinion nut recall? There were a lot of them out there, it’s a related part and could be a cause of your problem rather then the collision.

I myself don’t think the accident would do it, but that’s just my opinion

3

I doubt it. Lots of vehicles have been getting rear-ended over many decades, and unless the rear axle housing itself was hit there hasn’t been corresponding damage to the gears inside. And if there were some damage, it’s hard to imagine that a pinion gear, which has to handle all the force to move the whole vehicle, would take 5,000 miles to show it.

4

Hmm…Sounds like a winner. If the pinion bearing preload was lost the gear could move around and eventually fail. I think the tires would slip in a collision; it’s unlikely that gear damage would take 5000 miles to show up.