slow speed suspension clunking

808GMC · June 14, 2021

12 hours ago, Dogdad said:

Buy the Spring Things .. easy fix and solves the issue.

Thanks

taze · June 14, 2021

On 7/24/2020 at 8:46 PM, Ojustracing said:

Rear Spring Unit Bolt Nut (3)»Tighten in sequence[4x]

First Pass:80 Y (59 lb ft)

Second Pass:loosen 180 degrees

Third Pass:80 Y (59 lb ft)

Final Pass:120 - 140 degrees

Rear Spring Front Bolt (1)»Tighten160 Y (118 lb ft)

Rear Spring Shackle Nut(2)»Tighten[2x]115 Y (85 lb ft)

Ah, shoot. Somehow I missed this in my first read through.

Is step 4 saying loosen 120-140 degrees?

TxSquid78 · June 15, 2021

Well, I noticed this a few times after it rained. Figured it was just some mud flying around under the wheel well. I dont really notice it any other time. Ill take a look a the springs and make a service call to the dealer. Ill let them deal with it.

Dogdad · June 15, 2021

54 minutes ago, TxSquid78 said:

Well, I noticed this a few times after it rained. Figured it was just some mud flying around under the wheel well. I dont really notice it any other time. Ill take a look a the springs and make a service call to the dealer. Ill let them deal with it.

I brought mine in and had the springs changed. Clunking noise came back within a week. Finally installed the Spring things and it solved the issue.

Steven Peddy · June 17, 2021

On 4/22/2020 at 3:32 PM, Chad's Trail Boss said:

So after getting nowhere with the dealer, I decided to fix the squeaking leaf spring/rear suspension myself. I also decided to fix the squealing rear brakes myself.

Here's the fix:

About 3 weeks ago I took the rear brakes completely apart. I did not disconnect brake lines so no bleeding involved. I just took the calipers off and took the pads out and wire brushed the nooks and cranny's cleaning everything up. I then sprayed brake cleaner on them cleaning them up further. I then reassembled using regular ole high temp wheel bearing grease. I put a light coat applied by finger to every metal on metal surface, ie. back of pads, where the pads are captured in the caliper, slide bolts, etc. Obviously I did not apply to friction surface side of the pads or the rotor. I put it all together and then moved onto the leaf springs.

I put 100 psi in my air bags to take most of the weight off the springs. This allowed me to be able to easily pry the individual leafs apart and gain full access to the plastic friction pads. I placed a steel punch i between the leaves for safety while i performed this work. I thoroughly cleaned in between the leafs and on top and underneath the plastic pads. After all was cleaned, I put a nice coat of the same wheel bearing grease underneath and above the plastic pads. After all that I left the rear jacked up on the air bags and checked torque on the U bolts. In my opinion they were loose. I couldn't definitively find factory torque specs for the U bolts so I took them to 110 ft lbs. They seemed really loose as I was easily able to get about 1.25 turns on each nut before reaching 110 ft lbs. Nothing sounded or felt like they were being over tightened. This is not the first time I have messed with U bolts as I've lifted trucks in the past and I have a jeep I've custom built on leaf spring suspension.

Once I reached that torque setting I let all the air out of my air bags allowing all the weight on be on the leaf springs and re checked torque on the U bolts. They actually did tighten just slightly more to 110 ft lbs with them now holding the weight of the truck.

I then put the bags back to 14 psi and proceeded to check all mounting hardware on the Air Bags. Most everything was still tight from my installation. Nothing was loose to the point that it should be making all this noise as the dealer wanted to blame it on.

I then cleaned up everything and went for a drive.

The brake noise was completely gone and still is to this day. The rear suspension squeaking noise was I would say about 90% fixed at that point and actually the rear suspension felt more planted for lack of a better term. There was still a slight squeak that right at the beginning of any suspension movement. Thats what I would consider the remaining 10% at that time.

I drove it that week and everything was perfect now except for that 10% noise left.

The next weekend I did the only thing really left to do.

I completely removed my rear shocks and grease the bushings and steel sleeve that makes metal on metal contact with the mounting bolt. I thoroughly coated the bolt with grease and made sure the inside of the steel sleeve was totally coated with grease. I reinstalled the shocks and tightened them up to what I felt like they needed to be tightened to.

Success!!!!!!!!

That completely solved the problem and got rid of the other 10% of noise I was hearing.

The rear suspension is now perfectly smooth and noise free. I can now drive in and out steep driveway and it doesn't sound like I drive an ole 20 year old worn out truck.

The rear suspension articulates noise free and my brakes no longer make noise every time i go to a stop.

It quite sad I had to fix this problem myself but in a way I'm glad I did. I know its done right and tight now.

Hope this all helps someone.

I just bought a 2021 Trail Boss Custom I'm having the same problem. Did you bring yours to the local dealership in Mid County? Im supposed to bring mine next week hoping to resolve that issue.

Dogdad · June 17, 2021

38 minutes ago, Steven Peddy said:

I just bought a 2021 Trail Boss Custom I'm having the same problem. Did you bring yours to the local dealership in Mid County? Im supposed to bring mine next week hoping to resolve that issue.

I’ve read that applying grease is only a temporary fix and collects dirt. Try the rubber bushings.

808GMC · June 22, 2021

On 6/15/2021 at 7:13 AM, Dogdad said:

I brought mine in and had the springs changed. Clunking noise came back within a week. Finally installed the Spring things and it solved the issue.

What kind of truck did you install the spring things on? I just got my truck back today after the dealer having it for a week and they said GM engineering said its normal. Really thinking of installing the spring things. My truck only has a 150 miles on it.

Dogdad · June 22, 2021

6 hours ago, 808GMC said:

What kind of truck did you install the spring things on? I just got my truck back today after the dealer having it for a week and they said GM engineering said its normal. Really thinking of installing the spring things. My truck only has a 150 miles on it.

2021 Sierra

Dogdad · June 22, 2021

Just now, Dogdad said:

2021 Sierra

And no, it’s not normal

Rick Ortega · June 24, 2021

I thought I was going crazy hearing the damn clunking noise in my truck. Going to try and put in the rubber spring things. Anyone have link where they bought theirs?

Dogdad · June 24, 2021

6 minutes ago, Rick Ortega said:

I thought I was going crazy hearing the damn clunking noise in my truck. Going to try and put in the rubber spring things. Anyone have link where they bought theirs?

Spring-things.com

Edited June 24, 2021 by Dogdad
Spelling

Rick Ortega · June 24, 2021

Thanks Bro! Hope it works!

WeGone · June 27, 2021

1400 miles has done it from about 500. After reading this complete thread going to try the spring-thing. Very easy to reproduce the sound just by rocking the rear tire from the top, you can put your hand on the spring and feel the leafs move as the sound is made.

Will update when done!

Dogdad · June 27, 2021

2 hours ago, WeGone said:

1400 miles has done it from about 500. After reading this complete thread going to try the spring-thing. Very easy to reproduce the sound just by rocking the rear tire from the top, you can put your hand on the spring and feel the leafs move as the sound is made.

Will update when done!

You are actually incorrect about rocking the tire and reproducing the sound.. What you’re hearing rocking the tire is called axle play . It’s normal on all trucks. Go to a dealership and rock the tires on any new truck..you’ll hear it. The clunking is the leaf springs.

WeGone · June 27, 2021

First I'm just confirming your earlier posts. Maybe you misunderstood, I know what axle/wheel bearing play is been restoring cars and trucks for over 40 years. I am grabbing the top of the tire with it on the ground and shaking the truck from side to side, I had my buddy do this while I was under the truck and can hear and feel the spring move at the ends at the plastic cushions. The plastic cushions are making the groaning/clunking sounds I hear as they move.

As a test I placed small rubber shims between the spring cushions and the steel leaf and the sounds completely stopped, this would be why when many have taken them to a dealer and the dealer lubricated that area the sounds stopped until the lub wore off.

Thanks for the tip on the spring thing ordered today.

Edited June 27, 2021 by WeGone