I never got the "death rattle" on my 06 2500 Cummins, but the front end had loosened up and needed a rebuild at 120k. I'd think the quality or lack thereof of one's roads would play into how long the front end lasts.
All in all the Ram/Cummins was solid and treated me well for 10 years and 150k on the odo. Hopefully next spring I can swing a 2017 or 2018 to replace it.
