TK11648 Gold 1350CV x 7290 Front CV Driveshaft for 96-99 Ram 2500, Auto, DLD

TK11648 Torque King® Gold Level 2+ Series 1350CV x 7290 Front CV Greaseable Driveshaft for 1996-1999 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4's with Cummins Diesel or Gas V10 Engines, 47RE Automatic Transmissions, and NP241DLD Transfer Cases. TK11648 is a complete Flange to Front U-Joint, fully greaseable assembly that features 0.095" DOM Tubing, Greaseable CV Ball, 1350 Series Greaseable CV U-Joints (3-5/8" wide x 1-3/16" cap diameter), a Boot Protected Greaseable Slip Joint, and a 1330 x 7290 Greaseable Front U-Joint. The 16 spline Slip Joint is BOTH Boot Protected and Greaseable! Shaft is phased, welded, straightened, balanced, and ready to install! Assembled and finished in USA. Most component parts USA made. Note: TK11648 has a natural finish and is ready to install right out of the box or you can paint it with your favorite finish before installation.

Also See QU11428 Silver Series Driveshaft

Need More Info? Use the handy Links below to access over 40 years of Dan's product and vehicle specific Tech Notes to easily get the information you need for your vehicle's repair, maintenance, or upgrade project!

Dan the Gear Man® Tech Notes:
Specifications
1350 Series CV
1994-1999 Models
Available Upgrade
U-Joint Angles
Lubrication
Boot
Driveshaft Phasing
Driveshaft Straightening
Balanced
Matching Parts
Applications

Tech Note 1: Specifications
The two u-joints in the CV end have 1-3/16" cups and are made to Spicer 1350 dimensional specifications. The front u-joint is a 1330 x 7290 joint that adapts the 1330 series slip yoke (1-1/16" cap diameter, external snap rings) to your factory Detroit 7290 series (1-1/8" caps, inside C-Clips) front axle pinion yoke.

Tech Note 2: 1350 Series CV
TK11648 has 1350 series CV u-joints (U-Joint Cup OD is 1-3/16") and it is a high-quality, heavy-duty, greaseable replacement for your original factory 1330 series CV u-joints which had a 1-1/16" cup diameter. A 1350 series u-joint is rated for a nearly 30% higher torque capability compared to 1330 series u-joints.

Tech Note 3: 1994-1999 Models
1994-1998 Dodge Ram 1500, Ram 2500, and 3500 4x4 front CV driveshafts used a straight 7290 series front u-joint. Most 1999 trucks have a 1330x7290 conversion joint that joins the 1330 slip yoke to a 7290 pinion yoke. For maximum application fitment, we use the 1999 pattern for our Gold Series Shafts. In late 1999/early 2000, Dodge switched to a 1330 pinion yoke and a straight 1330 front u-joint. See TK11649 for late 1999 Rams with a 1330 series front pinion yoke.

Tech Note 4: Available Upgrade
Need the strength of a straight 1350 series front driveshaft? Order our TK3121 1350CVx1350 driveshaft which includes complete welded and balanced driveshaft with 1350 slip yoke, greaseable 1350 u-joints, plus includes 1350 series pinion yoke, strap/bolt kit, pinion seal, crush sleeve, pinion nut, and pinion washer.

Tech Note 5: U-Joint Angles
On Ram 4x4 trucks with solid beam front axles, the driveshaft angle at the transfer case is greater than the angle between the driveshaft and front axle. The reason is simple, the engine, transmission and transfer case are angled down front to back several degrees. The front axle pinion is angled up. The difference can be as much as 10 degrees which is why a Double-Cardan front CV driveshaft is used. With stock suspension trucks, the CV Joint operating angle usually does not exceed about 15-16 degrees, however, with lifted trucks, the operating angle can exceed the design limits of the CV Joint. Also keep in mind the greater the angle, the less energy efficient the driveshaft is in transmitting power. As the angle increases an ever greater amount of power is used just to force the driveshaft through its rotation.
Maximum CV Joint Operating Angles for Ram Front CV Driveshafts:
1330 Series 18° 
1350 Series 32°
1410 Series 22°
1410 Series High-Angle 30°

Tech Note 6: Lubrication
TK11648 has lubrication points that can be greased with a standard grease gun. For easier greasing, all three u-joint zerks are installed in-line making it easier to locate them during servicing. Grease all lube fittings before operating the vehicle with your new driveshaft. We recommend you Lubricate the universal joint periodically with QU90018 Pyroplex® Plus Synthetic Grease or other quality, water resistant NLGI #2 GC-LB grease. Each of the 3 Universal Joints has a standard grease zerk fitting in the cross. The Slip Yoke can be lubricated through a grease fitting located on the Slip Yoke Seal. By placing the lube point in the seal, excess grease will flow down the splines before it can exit out the vent on the yoke end. The CV Center Ball can be greased with QTA9405 or similar needle nose grease gun adapter. Service intervals for the greaseable universal joints and slip joint will vary with your driving conditions and type of grease you use, but as a minimum, you should grease your u-joints at every oil change or every three months whichever comes sooner. Lube more frequently in extremely wet conditions or after submersion under water. Remember, a greaseable joint that is not regularly lubed will prematurely fail from water contamination or grease loss. So, if you and your grease gun don't get together very often, we recommend you select one of our Platinum series Driveshafts with Sealed U-Joints.

Tech Note 7: Boot
TK11648 uses QU50233 Driveshaft Boot with Clamps. The Boot can extend Slip Joint life because it does provide a water-tight seal for the upper end of the Slip Yoke, however you still have too periodically grease the slip yoke since the Slip Yoke vent can allow water to enter the lower end of the Slip Yoke.

Tech Note 8: Driveshaft Phasing
Driveshafts need to be set in Phase during assembly. This means the yokes are ideally perfectly inline with each other. Our Driveshafts are made to adhere to the industry standard of +/- 2° Phase Difference or less.

Tech Note 9: Driveshaft Straightening
During assembly, the driveshaft parts are assembled to have the least possible runout. When a driveshaft is welded, the uneven heating and cooling of the shaft will usually cause the tube to warp slightly. We correct this by spot heating and cooling the shaft near the weld. On shafts that are not painted, you will often see a couple of round spots were the tubing is discolored by heat during the straightening process. The straighter the shaft, the less balance weights need to be used.

Tech Note 10: Balanced
Our Driveshafts are dynamically balanced on specialized driveshaft balancing equipment before shipment.

Tech Note 11: Matching Parts
QU40763 Strap and Bolt Kit, Driveshaft to Front Pinion Yoke
QU10806 Bolt, CV Driveshaft to Transfer Case Front Output Yoke
QU11074 7290 Series Front Pinion Yoke
QK4653 7290 Series Front Pinion Yoke Kit
QU90018 Pyroplex Plus Synthetic Grease
TM3000 Driveshaft Service Manual
TM3304 Front CV Driveshaft Manual for 1994-1998 Dodge Ram 1500, Ram 2500, Ram 3500
QTA9405 Grease Gun Adapter for CV Grease Fitting

Applications
Dodge Ram:
Ram 2500 4x4 Trucks with Cummins Diesel or Gas V10 Engine, 47RE Automatic Transmission, NP241DLD Transfer Case: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999