creeky noise from front end

[jeffmorris79]

I have a 2015 trail with the toytec ultimate lift. We went wheeling about 3 weeks ago and I am now hearing a terrible creeking noise coming front the front suspension when I go over bumps in the road and speed bumps. It also pops a little when I turn the wheels first thing in the morning when it is cool out. Any idea what might cause this.

 

[cbielat]

Get used to it.

 

[nappynick]

I have the same thing. I thought it was my stock struts. they got swapped out along with the UCA's. Its still there, so my second guess is the LCA's bushings. IDK, but its annoying. And it not all the time. Same with me happened after i went wheeling one day.

 

[mtomaro]

Loose camber adjustment bolts would be my guess

 

[Apex Overland]

exact same issue here too! I can tell you what its NOT...
So far I've checked...
LR UCAs, I've replaced the ball joints and bushings.

The sway bar is not hitting the cross member via the little drop spacers on radiator mount drop, and sway bar mount drop brackets.

taken off the whole strut and coil assembly and checked for wear of something rubbing, or worn.

Skid plate for tightness

I've re-torqued the WHOLE FRONT END, not kidding, if it was a bolt/nut it got checked. This includes the frame and body bolts/mounts. took 4 hours.

I have taken off the sway bar and cleaned the bushings out, actually found quite a bit of dirt and grit in them, reinstalled with out grease(don't use grease on your factory sway bushings folks) nope still pops.

still have a pop every now and then when I back out of the driveway or turn tight into a parking spot. :madgrin:

My next plan in the next day or two is to remove the front sway bar completely and see if I can get it to pop. if it stops end links and bushings are getting the trash can.

if for some reason that doesn't work I will just turn the radio up and enjoy my free time again. :bounce:

BUT in all seriousness if I that doesn't work im taking it to the dealer. The only thing left to check is the steering rack or lower ball joints. and im not messing with those. the truck has a 100k warranty for that reason.

 

[Apex Overland]

and I forgot I put it up on a alignment rack and had a guy that's been doing alignments longer than most of us have been alive look at the lower control arm bushings while the wheel was turned left and right. Bushings are great.

AND the CV's are Great too.

Im going crazy, I hope its the sway bar bushings or endlinks.

 

[jeffmorris79]

and I forgot I put it up on a alignment rack and had a guy that's been doing alignments longer than most of us have been alive look at the lower control arm bushings while the wheel was turned left and right. Bushings are great.

AND the CV's are Great too.

Im going crazy, I hope its the sway bar bushings or endlinks.

Thanks for the input.
I think I'm going to order new sway bar bushings. My car only has 10k miles on it. It's really pissing me off.

 

[Apex Overland]

Thanks for the input.
I think I'm going to order new sway bar bushings. My car only has 10k miles on it. It's really pissing me off.

I've got 15K, mine started at 12K. I took it to Uwharrie toay, about every other ledge I got a pop.

 

[marshal]

sounds ridiculous, but pop your hood and lubricate the main and emergency latch and locking mechanism.

 

[gm350reratliff]

exact same issue here too! I can tell you what its NOT...
So far I've checked...
LR UCAs, I've replaced the ball joints and bushings.

The sway bar is not hitting the cross member via the little drop spacers on radiator mount drop, and sway bar mount drop brackets.

taken off the whole strut and coil assembly and checked for wear of something rubbing, or worn.

Skid plate for tightness

I've re-torqued the WHOLE FRONT END, not kidding, if it was a bolt/nut it got checked. This includes the frame and body bolts/mounts. took 4 hours.

I have taken off the sway bar and cleaned the bushings out, actually found quite a bit of dirt and grit in them, reinstalled with out grease(don't use grease on your factory sway bushings folks) nope still pops.

still have a pop every now and then when I back out of the driveway or turn tight into a parking spot. :madgrin:

My next plan in the next day or two is to remove the front sway bar completely and see if I can get it to pop. if it stops end links and bushings are getting the trash can.

if for some reason that doesn't work I will just turn the radio up and enjoy my free time again. :bounce:

BUT in all seriousness if I that doesn't work im taking it to the dealer. The only thing left to check is the steering rack or lower ball joints. and im not messing with those. the truck has a 100k warranty for that reason.

Sounds like you got everything covered but one more thing I'd check is the body bushings. One side at a time, support the body and remove the bushings. Clean them then apply some silicone spray then re-assemble.

Knock on wood, my 5th gen is quiet.

 

[Deep_palancar]

The bushings on the LightRacing upper control arms are shipped dry. If the bushings are not lubricated liberally they will squeak. They need grease inside and outside the sleeves and must be COATED on the edges where the washers contact. I had to go back and redo mine. I slathered silicone brake lube on anything that moved and have not had another problem for three years.

I also had the clunk when cold and the end of reverse turns the I finally traced to the Lower adjustment cam bolts. The specified 130 ft/lb just wasn't enough, after about another 10 degrees of tightening the looseness went away. I chalked this up to the extra force of larger tires and the new/non-factory angle of the lower arms.

(I used a long section of hose that I tie-wraped to suspect components snaked up into the cab that I would hold to my ear to finally locate the clunk).. or you could just tighten the heck out of the bolts and see if that does the trick.

Good Luck,

 

[jeffmorris79]

The bushings on the LightRacing upper control arms are shipped dry. If the bushings are not lubricated liberally they will squeak. They need grease inside and outside the sleeves and must be COATED on the edges where the washers contact. I had to go back and redo mine. I slathered silicone brake lube on anything that moved and have not had another problem for three years.

I also had the clunk when cold and the end of reverse turns the I finally traced to the Lower adjustment cam bolts. The specified 130 ft/lb just wasn't enough, after about another 10 degrees of tightening the looseness went away. I chalked this up to the extra force of larger tires and the new/non-factory angle of the lower arms.

(I used a long section of hose that I tie-wraped to suspect components snaked up into the cab that I would hold to my ear to finally locate the clunk).. or you could just tighten the heck out of the bolts and see if that does the trick.

Good Luck,

Thanks for this. I had my wife push the front end up and down while under the truck and it really sounds like the bushings on the LR UCAs. Hope thats it. I will let you know what I find out.

Thanks again

 

[Misterquad]

The sway bar is not hitting the cross member via the little drop spacers on radiator mount drop, and sway bar mount drop brackets.

Ditto to this point. That is the first place I would check. The sway bar relocation brackets I have seen don't come with instructions and the installers don't know the purpose of those 6 shiny washers.

Second thing I would check was if the bottom of the spring seat where you adjust the height with a spanner wrench is rubbing the sway bar even with the sway bar relocation brackets. I had the same noises on my 2008 Tacoma with a Toytec lift. And the sway bar was hitting the coilover.

After my Tacoma experience with this noise, I quit buying Toytec. I am on my 3rd lifted 5th Gen now. I have run OME and ICON and none of the make a peep.

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

Just shoot the bushings, one set at a time, with a good lubricant, see if it stops the popping noise when you drive the next day. If you hit all of them and it still makes the popping noise, its not the bushings.

Having owned my '87 truck for a really long time, I've found that any dust from trails will work their way into bushings and dry them up PDQ! That will make it sound like a loud pop when driving. Rains will usually make them go away, then come back with a vengeance--or a 1000 watt amplifier!

The oil will work its way into the bushing within an hour or two, sooner if you're moving the bushing while you drive. It will come back in a week or so, but will help you ID the offending bushing so you can pull it and either replace or grease them with moly grease or graphite powder.

 

[Apex Overland]

Ditto to this point. That is the first place I would check. The sway bar relocation brackets I have seen don't come with instructions and the installers don't know the purpose of those 6 shiny washers.

Second thing I would check was if the bottom of the spring seat where you adjust the height with a spanner wrench is rubbing the sway bar even with the sway bar relocation brackets. I had the same noises on my 2008 Tacoma with a Toytec lift. And the sway bar was hitting the coilover.

After my Tacoma experience with this noise, I quit buying Toytec. I am on my 3rd lifted 5th Gen now. I have run OME and ICON and none of the make a peep.

that was my first thought, sway bar hitting the coil overs or the brackets for radiator. clears the brackets by half a inch with suspension unloaded loaded and everywhere in between, that's both wheels off the ground or just one side. a inch away from the coils in the same testing.

Just shoot the bushings, one set at a time, with a good lubricant, see if it stops the popping noise when you drive the next day. If you hit all of them and it still makes the popping noise, its not the bushings.

Having owned my '87 truck for a really long time, I've found that any dust from trails will work their way into bushings and dry them up PDQ! That will make it sound like a loud pop when driving. Rains will usually make them go away, then come back with a vengeance--or a 1000 watt amplifier!

The oil will work its way into the bushing within an hour or two, sooner if you're moving the bushing while you drive. It will come back in a week or so, but will help you ID the offending bushing so you can pull it and either replace or grease them with moly grease or graphite powder.

that's 100% not my problem. 30 feet after new bushings that had a lot of grease on them were on. POP! re-torqued them, 30 feet later, POP!

 

[Apex Overland]

sounds ridiculous, but pop your hood and lubricate the main and emergency latch and locking mechanism.

Not sure if trolling or not... :twitch:

but I'm going to try that in the morning anyway.

 

[marshal]

Not sure if trolling or not... :twitch:

but I'm going to try that in the morning anyway.

Not trolling. I had a squeak in my front end that I was able to replicate my rocking my truck side to side. Ended up being the latch for whatever reason. Greased it with some lithium and it immediately went away

 

[jeffmorris79]

I ended up spraying the UCA bushings with some lube and let it sit over night....so far no creeking! Hopefully that was all it was

 

[cleveland48]

I just had alot of these similar issues. When breaking hard I would have a loud clunk from the front end. Replaced LCA bushings and that quit, but I was still having some small popping just very faint when turning. Went to check my sway bar end links and passenger side had a clear like grease over them. The boot on the LR UCA ball joint was ripped. It is replaced today hope the sounds are gone when I pick it up after work. My mechanic also checked the bushings and the driver side ball joint and said to seemed fine, also said he hit them with some tease just in case. Mine is a 14 SR5 with 39k miles one it. The LR UCA has about 17,000 miles on them. I hope this fixes the last of my front end noises.

 

[cleveland48]

Well I just got mine back from the shop from having the ball joint replaced. When hitting the breaks an even more noticeable pop is heard. Guess I can try the cam bolts and the sway bar end links now. Starting to really piss me off