On the DT-generation Ram 1500 the front bearing is a sealed bolt-on hub unit with the ABS speed sensor built into it, so there is no pressing, no shims and no bearing preload to set. The real work is breaking the 36 mm axle nut loose on a 4x4 and then getting a hub that has rust-welded itself into the aluminum-and-steel knuckle bore to come out in one piece. Budget for a slide hammer with a bolt-on hub puller — that one tool is the difference between a two-hour job and a ruined afternoon.
Engine choice makes no difference here; 2WD versus 4x4 does. A 2WD DT has no axle shaft or axle nut, so it is essentially caliper off, rotor off, four bolts and out. The mistake people make most often is not cleaning the rust scale out of the knuckle bore before fitting the new hub: the unit sits slightly cocked, you get runout, a vibration and a bearing that howls again in a year.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2.5 ton or larger, low profile Lifts the front of the truck at the frame rail or crossmember. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3 ton pair Supports the truck on the frame while the wheel is off. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Blocks the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | shop |
| Lug nut socket 22 mm, 1/2 in drive, thin-wall or impact Removes the road wheel; DT lug nuts are 22 mm. | Required | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24-30 in Cracks lug nuts, the axle nut and the seized hub bolts loose. | Required | shop |
| Axle nut socket 36 mm, 1/2 in drive, 6-point impact Removes the front axle shaft nut on 4x4 models. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 1/2 in drive: 18 mm, 21 mm 6-point plus 6 in extension Caliper bracket bolts and the hub-to-knuckle bolts (check your truck — commonly 21 mm, some 18 mm). | Required | shop |
| Socket set 3/8 in drive metric, 10-19 mm Brake hose bracket, dust shield and ABS harness clip fasteners. | Required | shop |
| Hex/Allen bit sockets 3/8 in drive set, 5-12 mm Front caliper guide-pin bolts on many DT trucks use an internal hex head. | Required | shop |
| Torx bit sockets T25-T55 set Some brake shield and harness bracket screws are Torx. | Recommended | shop |
| Impact wrench 1/2 in drive, 700+ ft-lb nut-busting Makes the axle nut and rusted hub bolts far easier than hand tools. | Recommended | shop |
| Slide hammer with hub puller 5-lug bolt-on hub puller plate Pulls a corrosion-stuck hub flange out of the knuckle without damaging it. | Required | shop |
| Dead blow or brass hammer 2-3 lb Drives the axle shaft splines back from the hub and helps free the hub. | Required | shop |
| Pry bar set 12-18 in Separates the rotor, backs off the caliper and levers the hub out. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 50-250 ft-lb Sets hub bolts, axle nut, caliper bolts and lug nuts to spec. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-100 ft-lb Smaller fasteners such as caliper guide pins and shield bolts. | Recommended | shop |
| Bungee cord or wire hook Hangs the caliper from the coil spring so the brake hose is not strained. | Required | shop |
| Wire brush and scraper Steel wire brush, gasket scraper Cleans rust out of the knuckle bore so the new hub seats flat. | Required | shop |
| Penetrating oil Soak hub bolts and the knuckle-to-hub joint the night before. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake cleaner 2 cans Degreases the rotor, knuckle bore and hub mating face. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize compound Nickel or copper based Thin film on the knuckle bore only — keeps the next hub from seizing in. | Consumables | shop |
| Threadlocker Medium strength (blue) On hub bolts if the factory pre-applied coating is gone and no new bolts are supplied. | Consumables | shop |
| Front hub / bearing assembly DT 1500 front hub, 6-lug, integrated ABS sensor; match 2WD vs 4x4 and brake package The replacement unit — ABS sensor is built in and not serviceable separately. | Parts | shop |
| Axle nut New nut recommended on 4x4 The axle nut is a prevailing-torque/flanged nut that is best replaced. | Parts | shop |
| Mechanic's gloves and eye protection Rust, brake dust and slide-hammer work. | Safety | shop |
Tool sizes are identical across the 3.6 Pentastar eTorque, 5.7 Hemi eTorque and 3.0 EcoDiesel — the hub, knuckle and 22 mm lug nuts are shared. The only real split is drivetrain: 4x4 trucks need the 36 mm axle nut socket and heavy breaker bar, 2WD trucks do not. Trucks with the larger/HD brake package may use a different caliper bracket bolt head, so check 18 mm and 21 mm before ordering tools.
| Wheel lug nuts | 130 ft-lb (176 Nm) |
| Hub/bearing-to-knuckle bolts | verify in the service manual (typically in the 120-160 ft-lb range on this platform) |
| Front axle shaft nut (4x4) | verify in the service manual |
| Brake caliper bracket-to-knuckle bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Caliper guide pin bolts | verify in the service manual |
Lug nuts (22 mm, 130 ft-lb) and the 36 mm 4x4 axle nut are solid; hub-to-knuckle and caliper bolt head sizes are commonly 21 mm but vary slightly by build and brake package, so test-fit 18 mm and 21 mm sockets before you start and confirm all torque values in the FCA/Stellantis service information for your VIN.
No. The DT uses a sealed hub/bearing assembly that bolts to the steering knuckle, so it is a bolt-off, bolt-on part. You only need pulling tools if the old hub is corroded into the knuckle bore.
36 mm, 1/2 inch drive. Use a 6-point impact socket and a long breaker bar or impact wrench, and hold the brake or lock the hub with a pry bar through two lug studs while you break it loose.
Yes, the wheel speed sensor is integrated into the hub assembly on the DT and comes with the new unit. That also means a failed speed sensor usually means replacing the whole hub.
No. Nothing that sets camber, caster or toe is disturbed, so the alignment is unchanged. If the truck pulls or the steering wheel is off-center afterward, something else was loosened.