Rear leaf spring clunk gone with TSB 21-na-138 fix

Pryme · June 3

So I had the inserts done under warranty today and so far so good. No clunking at all anymore. Hopefully that remains the case.
it feels a hair stiffer now in the back but that’s probably just my mind.

I’m happy with the fix so far.

Chadw90 · July 5

Had this done to mine too. Had lots of clunking when backing up and turning while hooked up to a trailer. Clunking is all gone now.

Pryme · July 6

11 hours ago, Chadw90 said:

Had this done to mine too. Had lots of clunking when backing up and turning while hooked up to a trailer. Clunking is all gone now.

Yeah mine is still gone but in the back of my mind I feel it will eventually wear those pads and return. I won’t be surprised if it does let’s just say.

Pryme · July 31

It’s back. Didn’t even last a month. Clunking and creaking by just shaking the back of the truck by hand or bouncing up and down on the hitch. Sounds like crap. So the bandaid tsb is a failure. I’ll need to let the dealer know I need a real fix next.

Bstevens1084 · July 31

10 hours ago, Pryme said:

It’s back. Didn’t even last a month. Clunking and creaking by just shaking the back of the truck by hand or bouncing up and down on the hitch. Sounds like crap. So the bandaid tsb is a failure. I’ll need to let the dealer know I need a real fix next.

Its most likely the horrible bushings they use. I had mine replaced by dealer under warranty, entire leaf springs because the bushings went bad. They are trying to say fluid film might have helped cause the issue but fluid film has been used for a long time and why arent other manufacturers having issues. All i had to do was rock the truck and it sounded like the truck was going to fall apart

Pryme · July 31

6 hours ago, Bstevens1084 said:

Its most likely the horrible bushings they use. I had mine replaced by dealer under warranty, entire leaf springs because the bushings went bad. They are trying to say fluid film might have helped cause the issue but fluid film has been used for a long time and why arent other manufacturers having issues. All i had to do was rock the truck and it sounded like the truck was going to fall apart

So they couldn’t replace just the bushings? They had to do all new leaf springs? If they are the same bushings I’m sure they will just go bad quickly??

Bstevens1084 · August 1

17 hours ago, Pryme said:

So they couldn’t replace just the bushings? They had to do all new leaf springs? If they are the same bushings I’m sure they will just go bad quickly??

Nope, apparently GM says replace the entire leaf spring assembly. I did ask why they wont, no answer. I wont be doing fluid film again because i wasnt not pleased with the outcome so hopefully it doesnt happen again. If it does, local spring shop said they will replace bushings with a much better one.

64BAwagon · August 3

I have had the leaf spring noise on a few trucks. Sometimes it goes away. Its one of the few things I have learned to tune out.

Grumpy Bear · August 4

7 hours ago, 64BAwagon said:

I have had the leaf spring noise on a few trucks. Sometimes it goes away. Its one of the few things I have learned to tune out.

Mine makes noise when it rains. Kind of like my back. :crackup: Yea, I tune it out too.

Pryme · August 4

7 hours ago, 64BAwagon said:

I have had the leaf spring noise on a few trucks. Sometimes it goes away. Its one of the few things I have learned to tune out.

Did anything ever fail? Was it bushings at the ends of the leaves?

Pryme · August 4

16 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Mine makes noise when it rains. Kind of like my back. Yea, I tune it out too.

Interestingly enough when it rains is when my suspension is quiet. It’s when it’s bone dry that it creaks like a 100yr olds bones.

64BAwagon · August 4

Never had any bad bushings. On one truck they tried putting these goofy O-rings over the springs with no effect. I believe that was back in the late 90's

TeamSaris · October 29

pryme i have the same exact noise. i thought it was the receiver moving around in the hitch. took that out and still there. shaking the truck by hand is all it takes. funnily enough never noticed it until after i had it fluid filmed

Pryme · October 31

I’m be been just living with the sound. I may bring it in after winter if it gets worse. It only does it over very slow movements or when I step up on the rear bumper or in bed etc. sound is amplified in my garage.

TeamSaris · October 31

yup, same here. i mainly hear it backing out of my drive way because i never hit the bump perfectly straight on. hitting it quartering makes it worse. i never hear it cruising down the road