Symptoms
Play when you rock a raised front wheel top to bottom, or noise from the front hubs. Neglect is the main cause: from 1976 the bearings have a grease fitting that most owners never found.
The fix, step by step
- These are the steps SuperBurban gives on Ramcharger Central.
- Jack up one front wheel and take it off.
- Look through the holes around the wheel studs with a flashlight and rotate the hub until you find the grease fitting.
- Give it several pumps from a grease gun.
- While the wheel is off the ground, shake it from top to bottom.
- There should be no play at all.
- If there is, plan on new bearings or a hub assembly.
- Grease both sides about once a year.
- Keep wheel offset close to stock, because big-offset wheels load these closely spaced bearings unevenly.
Tools & part numbers
- Floor jack and stands
- lug wrench
- flashlight
- grease gun with a needle or angled coupler
Where to buy the parts
Pyroplex Protection ES 2 synthetic grease (QU90018)Torque King 4x4 ↗Amazon ↗
Wheel bearing and hub parts, 1978 RamchargerRockAuto ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Dodge Ramcharger (first generation) parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.