Chrysler 9.25 Front Differential Bearing Kit R9.25RLA

Bearing and setup kit for the American Axle 9.25 inch front differential, the front carrier used under four wheel drive Ram trucks from 2003 up. Motive Gear part R9.25RLA. It covers the wear items in a front diff teardown: both carrier bearings, the inner and outer pinion bearings with their races, the pinion seal, the pinion nut, and the crush sleeve or preload shim pack that axle uses. Cover gasket or RTV, marking compound and a brush are in the box so you can set and read a pattern without a second parts run. Bearings are tapered roller. It is a bearing kit, not a master kit and not a gear set, so it is what you want when the ring and pinion are still good and the noise is coming from the bearings.

Fitment is the Chrysler/AAM 9.25 front: 2003-2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500, 2005-2010 Ram 1500, 2011-2013 Ram 1500, 2011-2018 Ram 2500 and 3500. It cross references AAM 74067005, Motive Gear R9.25RLAT and USA Standard ZBKC9.25-F. Front and rear 9.25 housings are different axles, so match the AAM number stamped on your housing or the part numbers above before you order.

On the bench: pull the carrier, drive the old pinion races out of the housing, then install the new races square with a race driver and confirm they are fully seated. Set pinion depth with the shim pack, paint the ring gear with the marking compound and read the drive and coast pattern before you commit. Crush the sleeve to spec rolling torque with the pinion nut, then shim the carrier bearings for backlash and preload and check the pattern one more time. Torque the cover and fill with the correct gear oil, plus friction modifier if the truck runs a limited slip.

What it fixes: a front diff that howls under load or on decel, a growl that changes with speed but not with throttle in two wheel drive, play felt at the pinion yoke, or metal on the cover magnet after years of towing and plowing. Front pinion bearings on these trucks take a beating because the axle spins all the time even when the hubs are unlocked, so bearing wear shows up long before the gears do.