lost it on the way to work this mornin. guess i get to yank my trans out again... whats the best way to fix it n make sure it doesnt happen again?

 

no need to pull the tranny. dodge sells an updated 5th gear nut. also use b12 and clean it off real well and use locktite. they have an updated output shaft that uses a snap ring after the 5th gear then put the nut on. mine has it and i've towed in 5th gear many times and has never backed off.

 

there's lots of ways to fix the one you got as well. you can put it back on and then tack some welds behind the nut. also, a transmission guy told me not to spend any money, just tighten the nut back on the gear and then take a punch and give it a couple whacks around the nut where the slits are on the shaft to keep it from ever moving off. good luck man

 

i did both before i put the transmission in, n yet it still happened. i do tow quite a bit and i never hesitated to throw it in 5th n lean on it, even with a couple tons behind me.... oops
i realize i dont have to take the transmission out, but i imagine the shaft and nut are jacked up now so i'll probably pull it out and replace stuff.

 

well glad i sold the one i did . guess i eventually would have figured it out. sounds like instead of some tacks, you need to just weld her all the way around

 

wouldnt that warp the shaft, or atleast change the temper n weaken it? i dont wanna go breakin anything else...

 

this truck is still on the road and 5th gear is doig great

https://www.dieselbombers.com/dodge-...ining-nut.html

 

its hard to get a good weld on the shaft. being coated with oil for so long. I always wondered why they didn't cut left handed threads in the shaft. then instead of backing off itd just get tighter

 

i dont think its the spinnin as much as it is the low rpm vibration that backs the nut off. it'd prolly do the same even with left handed thread.
n thanks whit

 

dan at quad4x4 swears by buying the correct nut, not screwing with the factory loctite stuff in it, and torque it correctly. Mine was still as tight as ever when I blew up the other end of the trans after about 10k miles.