1996 Dodge Ram Van noise

When I run my 96 B2500 V6 to about 45 or 55 miles an hour it starts making a humming sound, perhpas from the rear end. It seems to be a low sounding/vibrating sound that is quite loud. It's hard to hear the radio over this humming/roar/vibrating sound. When I get up past 65 or maybe 70 + miles per hour the noise disappears and all seems normal and it's a quiet comfortable ride.

Interstate and freeway driving is fine, but it gets annoying when driving on a 55 mph road.

Is this normal or is there something I should have checked out?

Thank you!

How many miles ?

ever had the rear end serviced ? Sounds like its time for a rebuild ...

the only other thing that comes to mind is tires off the top of my head

It may be tire noise, but I'm leaning towards rear axle bearings. Unfortunately the Chrysler 9.25" rear has this problem from time to time. My '94 is beginning to show signs of this.

We had a customer with a '97 Ram Van that would sing you a song at highway speed. He needed axle bearings and a pinion bearing.

To confirm the noise is coming from the rear, have someone sit or lay in the back of the van while you drive down the road.

Now that my van's electrical problems are fixed, and I'm driving it, I also have this same noise. And it's right around 55mph. How hard is it to change the rear axle bearings, or would I be better off having someone else do it......Brad

It just hit me today that I used to get this noise at about 55mph uphill under load, such as towing or just really getting on it. It only happened like 3 or 4 times a year but when it did it it was load and I thought the rear of the trans was gonna blow apart. One one trip my wife was laying down on the bed in the back when it happened and she said it was comming from the rear end, she said it right under nieth her, from the frt seats it always sounded like it was the tail shaft of the trans.

Well any way, I had the rear end gears replaced and all new bearings installed, and I relized today that I have not heard that noise at all in the last 3 years or so since the rear was done, so most likely it was in the rear end, I recently (1 yr ago) towed a 10k lb trailer back and forth from NY to NH on 2 trips, if it was gonna make a noise it would have done it while towing that trailer, so my guess is it was in the rear end.

I had forgotten all about that noise untill i was sitting on the thrown doing some thinking a little while ago, funny how things just come to ya all of a sudden.

Brad,

It's not a hard job persay, but if it's something you've never done before, you may want a professional to handle the job. Just my advice.

After reading what DANVAN had to say, I think I will get a quote on replacing all the bearings, that is after I check out the fluid situation. Its raining here now, so that will have to wait till tomorrow. Can I drive with it like that, without fear of something flying apart??? I don't know if I can afford it before VANFEST...Brad

BTY, I did not do the work on the rear end to get rid of the noise, I did it for more towing power, Like I said earlier, the noise only happened a few times a year, and since the rear was done I had forgotten all about the noise, so its just a strong guess that it was coming from the rear end.

I'm getting new rims and rubber this thursday, so I will definitely rule out them then, as being the noise makers. It appears as though one of my rear tires might have a busted belt. So maybe thats the problem, or not properly balanced. We will see, on trip to VANFEST.