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Wierd Clunk and Jerk

3K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  spun360 
#1 · (Edited)
My father's Ram is acting up:

2001 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 360 (5.9l) 3.55:1 4X4

Truck is pretty much bone stock with the exception of the few things that have been done to it in the year before he bought it. From what I can see, all that has been done is a little jet chip (or whatever those are called), and from the way it shifts I think it may have an aftermarket valve body in the tranny. Other then that, I dont think anything else has been modified on the truck.

My dad mainly uses this truck for towing a 5th wheel camper and a 4 wheeler trailer behind it, so its almost always under a pretty good load.

So what happens is this:
When driving down the road, there is a clunk sound every once in a while and you can feel a slight jerk when this happens. Sometimes it happens 10 times in a minute, sometimes it happens once in 10 minutes.

This issue is more apparent when towing a trailer, but is still noticeable even with no load on the truck.

Things that have been checked:
Rear differential,
Universal Joints,
Spark plugs have just been replaced,
Cap and rotor has been thoroughly cleaned and spark plug wires are in good condition.

My dad thinks its a misfire in the engine. I think its in the drive train, but its hard to say for sure. He's had a few different shops look into and they were not able to re-create the problem.

There is no check engine light, therefore no diagnostics codes. I would think in the event of a misfire the PCM would trigger the CEL, but maybe not in this year of truck?


We are open to any suggestions. Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
pay close attn to your shift points. it may be the overdrive solonoid going bad.
 
#3 ·
x2
 
#5 ·
hit the switch and see if that changes the condition!
 
#6 ·
It doesn't, that's why I was wondering.
 
#7 ·
ok. This "jerk" is it in a forward motion? like the engine loses power for just a bit and then regains power?
 
#8 ·
Sort of. Its a very fast clunk and jerks at the same moment (like .5 sec or less). It doesnt really feel like any noticeable loss of power at that instant, but because it happens so fast its really hard to tell.

The jerk it self is not very dramatic. Only sometimes you can really feel it. Other times you can only hear it, but it is very noticeable still.
 
#9 ·
I think there can still be codes even when the CEL isnt on. I would scan it and see if there is anything there.

Does is happen even when cruising with no load at lower speeds? Or does it only happen when you have it under load ? If its under load i would lean more towards spark/ignition but if it happens all the time it could be drive train related. keep us posted.
 
#10 ·
Its definitely all the time, even at lower speeds. More specifically lower RPM range. 1500-2500 RPM area. But it does happen more when under load.
 
#11 ·
check the engine and trans mounts for torn rubber.
 
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