'04 Ram 2500 hard shifting out of park

notnksnemor

The Great and Powerful Oz
My truck is getting hard to shift out of park at times. Sometimes it's ok. Doesn't seem to matter how hard you press the brake. Shifts to all other gears smoothly so it makes me think its something with the safety catch in the steering column.
Any ideas?
 

Robert28

Senior Member
Is the gear shifter hard to pull or did you mean there’s a clunk when going into reverse?
 

notnksnemor

The Great and Powerful Oz
Is the gear shifter hard to pull or did you mean there’s a clunk when going into reverse?
Shift lever is hard to pull. Almost seems like you have to find the "sweet spot" at times to get it to move.
 

mguthrie

**# 1 Fan**OHIO STATE**
Yea. It sounds like a linkage issue. The old f250’s have parts that wear out in the column making the linkage sloppy.
 

bighonkinjeep

Senior Member
When parking straighten the steering wheel, put the vehicle in neutral, apply the parking brake take your foot off the brake to relieve tension off the trans and shift into park.
This way the weight of the vehicle is on the parking brake where it belongs and not on the steering and transmission.
When youre ready to go, start the truck and shift into gear before releasing the brake.
Not only will it be easier to shift from park, your vehicles components will not be in a bind and will last much longer.
 

notnksnemor

The Great and Powerful Oz
When parking straighten the steering wheel, put the vehicle in neutral, apply the parking brake take your foot off the brake to relieve tension off the trans and shift into park.
This way the weight of the vehicle is on the parking brake where it belongs and not on the steering and transmission.
When youre ready to go, start the truck and shift into gear before releasing the brake.
Not only will it be easier to shift from park, your vehicles components will not be in a bind and will last much longer.
I've had the truck for 20 years and this just started.
Probably an age/wear issue.
My only issue with using the PB is the wife drives it occasionally and she's not real sporty at releasing parking brakes.
Her car automatically applies and releases the brake. I can see her driving off with it engaged.
 

bighonkinjeep

Senior Member
I've had the truck for 20 years and this just started.
Probably an age/wear issue.
My only issue with using the PB is the wife drives it occasionally and she's not real sporty at releasing parking brakes.
Her car automatically applies and releases the brake. I can see her driving off with it engaged.
I get it, but the parking brake is there for a reason... parking.
Especially damaging to components when parking on a hill without it. I always use mine as intended. A lot cheaper than repairs.

My 02 Toyota will make loud popping noises and release itself after a short distance if you drive with it on.
On the test drive the salesman when we bought it pulled off the lot with it on and within a block pop, pop, pop, pop, POW. He freaked out and thought he'd blown the sale or damaged the vehicle or both. LOL No biggie to me, it worked as it should and has been for the last 23 years.
Good luck man.
 

transfixer

Senior Member
My truck is getting hard to shift out of park at times. Sometimes it's ok. Doesn't seem to matter how hard you press the brake. Shifts to all other gears smoothly so it makes me think its something with the safety catch in the steering column.
Any ideas?

is this a diesel truck ?
 

transfixer

Senior Member
Yes.
5.9 Cummins

Okay, then you have a 48re transmission, the internal linkage inside the pan has a detent ball and spring that keeps the linkage in park, the pocket the ball sits in has a habit of wearing from the ball being pushed back and forth in a sideways motion, once it wears to a certain point it becomes hard for the ball to be pushed back into the pocket like its supposed to, there is a fix for it but it requires the valvebody to be removed in order to do the repair,

Any competent transmission shop should be able to do the repair
 

notnksnemor

The Great and Powerful Oz
Okay, then you have a 48re transmission, the internal linkage inside the pan has a detent ball and spring that keeps the linkage in park, the pocket the ball sits in has a habit of wearing from the ball being pushed back and forth in a sideways motion, once it wears to a certain point it becomes hard for the ball to be pushed back into the pocket like its supposed to, there is a fix for it but it requires the valvebody to be removed in order to do the repair,

Any competent transmission shop should be able to do the repair
No sense Youtubing that?
Thanks.
 

notnksnemor

The Great and Powerful Oz

Jester896

Senior Clown
from a DIY standpoint it looks like the second one would be an easy fix compared to drilling and sleeving the valve body.
 

Oldstick

Senior Member
When parking straighten the steering wheel, put the vehicle in neutral, apply the parking brake take your foot off the brake to relieve tension off the trans and shift into park.
This way the weight of the vehicle is on the parking brake where it belongs and not on the steering and transmission.
When youre ready to go, start the truck and shift into gear before releasing the brake.
Not only will it be easier to shift from park, your vehicles components will not be in a bind and will last much longer.
Sounds like someone has probably gotten the OPs issue pegged already, but your comment reminds me that a lot (if not most) of folks missed that particular lesson from drivers ed way back in the 1970s. I think it was also in the GA drivers manual back then and might still be.

My wife and family always poke at me because I always set the brake before shifting into park.
 
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