Dodge Repair: Ram rear axle pinion gear: too much end play

Question
QUESTION: 2000 ram 1500 I rebuilt it now I have bout 16th play in diff gear (in and out) if I pull out it turns easy both ways if I let it go its hard to turn to the left  and easy to turn to right what did I do wrong

ANSWER: Hi Scott,
I have no personal experience in rear axle rebuilding.  But I do have the '04 manual, not the '00 manual but which should be the same, and there are three possible rear axles covered: 9 1/4, 10 1/2, 11 1/2, and they are about 30 pages each. As yours is the smallest truck I would believe it has the 9 1/4.
Which parts if any did you replace? There are size markings on some of these parts which when you compare the old to the new size it may then require the addition or subtraction of shims. That is the case for the pinion gear (which you are calling the differential gear). Or you may have not noticed the shims for the original pinion gear when you removed it and so they were not put back in. Without the shims you would experience too much end play of that gear
I can copy one of those page sets and attach them to emails I would send to you directly if you don't have such a manual. Let me know and if you tell me your email address don't use the @ symbol, instead use 'at', or the address will be erased from your follow-up question.
Roland


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: OK WELL I JUST REBUILT MY REAR END (2000 RAM 1500 2 WHEEL  9 1/4 355)  WELL I DIDNT REPLACE WHEEL BEARINS   BUT ANY WAY IT STILL SOUNDS LIKE A AIR PLANE   THERE WAS NO SHIMES AT ALL that was in the rear end, none came out so none went back in,,, ALL BEARINGS ,SPIDER GEARS ,,RING AND PINION GEARS CRUSH SLEEVE ECT ALL BEEN REPLACED and still sounds like it did b 4 I replaced stuff   ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE,,,,, I DO HAVE A MANUAL AND DONT TELL ME MUCH          ALSO SINCE I DID ALL THAT WORK MY TRANNY IS ACTIN UP WHINNIN ACTS LIKE THERE NOT ENOUGHT FLUID WHICH IT DOES ,,IM REALLY STARTIN TO THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH SOMETHING ELSE IM REALLY LOST   ALSO LOST MY JOB CAUSE THIS PROBLEM SO MONEY IS A PROBLEM   ALSO THE TRUCK HAS 387672 MILES ON IT ,,IM VERY MECHANICLLY INCLINE BUT IM STUMPED       mrdimauro06atyahoo.com    YES ILL LOOK AT THOSE PAGES AND C IF I C SOMETHING DIFFERENT      I HAVE A FEW FRIENDS WHO R MACHANICALLY INCLINE AND THEY R CONFUSED AS WELL     AGAIN THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE AND KNODLGE I REALLY DO APRESHACATE IT   HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

Answer
Hi Scott,
I'll copy and send those pages to you tomorrow morning, Friday. Look at the pinion gear section where you will see the discussion of the shim sizing. It may not have had a shim when it was built, but compare the size number shown on the old gear with that of the new gear and that will tell you what shim you need to remove the end play. Of course there could also be some wear of the housing so look at that issue in deciding how thick a set of shims you will need.
Roland