How to Replace Front Axle Lock Actuator 2006-16 Dodge Ram 1500

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In this video, we are going to replace the axle lock actuator in this 2008 Dodge Ram. All you'll need is a 13mm socket and ratchet. You may also need some 75W-140 oil to refill your differential housing when you're done. You can do this repair on the ground or on some jack stands. In our case, we have a lift, so we have it jacked up in the air. Makes it a little easier to work around.

Up here is it axle locker actuator, kind of a tongue-twister. There's four 13mm bolts that you have to take out, and then the electrical connector on the end. The other thing to note is that once we disconnect the actuator from the axle housing, fluid may come out, so you're going to want to have a pan to catch that fluid.

We're going to start by disconnecting the electrical connection right here. You just push the tab down and pull it off. That's the idea at least. There we go. Once that's disconnected, you can move on to the four 13mm bolts. I'm just going to start by loosening them all up so that it doesn't come off unexpectedly. Once the bolts are loose, you should be able to just pry it away from the housing. You'll see some fluid come out. You can just let this drain for a few minutes.

Once it's fully drained, then you can pull the rest of the bolts out and pull the lock actuator right off the axle. This is a MPFWA00003 right here. It is a brand new MOPAR axle locker actuator. As you can see, it is exactly like the original one that we took off, just a little cleaner. It comes with the gasket and the little brackets right here. It looks and fits and works just like the original one because it's a real MOPAR item. If your actuator is not working properly, this one from 1A Auto will get you back on the road again.

We're going to start by wiping down the surface where the lock actuator is going to mate against the housing. Make sure it's nice and clean and free of debris. Then we'll slide the axle actuator back into place with the four 13mm bolts. You may notice that this is actually the old part that we just took off. That's because this one works perfectly fine. We're just going to put it right back on where it was.

Now we're going to start tightening down the 13mm bolts. We'll wipe down any excess oil from the housing. Finally, clip back on the connector. When we removed our axle actuator, this is the amount of fluid that came out of it. As you can see, it's like two or three ounces probably. We went to go refill it with the 75W-140 gear lube, but our housing was actually overfilled to begin with, so we won't be adding anymore to it. If you do need to add some to yours, you pull this little rubber cap out of the diff cover, and you can fill it up right there until it leaks out just like this does. Then when you're done, pop the cap back in and wipe down the housing so it's not leaking on the ground.

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