Help: Sqeaking noise from suspension

S

SFL_driver

New member
Hey guys, I have a squeaking noise that I cannot seem to get rid of. I suspect the noise is coming from the Total Chaos UCA bushing but greasing them up cannot seem to get rid of the noise.
I talked to TC about it and they seemed to think that as long as the bushings were not visibly deformed (when removed and inspected) that they shouldn’t be a problem.

I took a video of the noise and uploaded to YouTube. Let me know what you think? This was shot 100 miles after greasing the bushings and lubing the ball joints.
https://youtu.be/TIvhrGTzcvI

The video is me driving back and forth over a curb bump. Also notice the slight squeaking/creaking noise at 0:05 in the beginning as I’m hopping into the truck.
 
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Did you grease everything before install or install dry and count on the grease gun to do the work? If the latter, maybe remove all the bushings and wipe them down with grease and re-install.
 
Are they uniball ball joints? I've seen those start making noise less than 5k after new. Does it make noise when turning the wheel when stopped or just flexing in motion?
 
Did you properly torque the UCA bolt? I believe it's 85 Ft lbs. If they are over torque they'll squeak because the movement of the bushings is constricted....
 
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are you loosening the thru bolt when you are greasing the zerks for the bushings?

also, no matter what anybody tells you, do not spray WD40 on your uniball. It will destroy the teflon liner very quickly. What have you used to grease your balljoint?
 
Kenstaroni said:
Did you grease everything before install or install dry and count on the grease gun to do the work? If the latter, maybe remove all the bushings and wipe them down with grease and re-install.
Click to expand...

I installed dry and greased via the grease gun. I'll give your suggestion try in a week or two if I cannot figure anything else out.
 
wshiverick said:
Are they uniball ball joints? I've seen those start making noise less than 5k after new. Does it make noise when turning the wheel when stopped or just flexing in motion?
Click to expand...
Yes, uniballs to the knuckle. Poly bushing connecting the UCAs to the body.
I'll check for squeaks while stopped, but I haven't noticed this before. I believe the noise is only when there's suspension movement.

CSM4runner said:
Did you properly torque the UCA bolt? I believe it's 85 Ft lbs. If they are over torque they'll squeak because the movement of the bushings is constricted....
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm anal about using torque wrenches.

nb rob said:
are you loosening the thru bolt when you are greasing the zerks for the bushings?

also, no matter what anybody tells you, do not spray WD40 on your uniball. It will destroy the teflon liner very quickly. What have you used to grease your balljoint?
Click to expand...
I did not do this for the first few greasings (about 1.5 years). Then I pulled the whole setup apart to check the bushings for damage. Total Chaos told me that it there was no visible cupping or distortion, they are okay. I did not observe any damage, but I'm still not convinced that they aren't damaged. Replacing the bushings may very well be the solution to my problem.

Total Chaos recommends Tri-Flow for the uni-ball and SuperLube for the bushings. I followed their recommendations for both.
 
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Almost guarantee its the poly bushings. If it were the uniballs they would squeak when you turn (I've had that happen). When my bushings need some lube, they sound just like that. Work them a little, over a few hundred miles, then loosen and re-grease.
 
MTN4RNR said:
Almost guarantee its the poly bushings. If it were the uniballs they would squeak when you turn
Click to expand...

Yep. He’s right. That squeak screams poly on metal.

Or just live with the squeak.

Also wd-40 makes a Teflon spray I’ve found to be pretty good for my icon uniballs.
 
Watching the video, it sure seems like the bushings.

On a past vehicle I had a set of TC UCAs, and I messed up the bushings by greasing them without loosening the thru bolt. I kept adding more grease and it kept getting worse.

When I finally got on track and loosened the bolt and then greased them until grease came out at the washers, and retightened, I was surprised that the poly bushing went back to their proper shape. The mushrooming shape went away and I never heard another squeak from them again. TC also told me that I didn’t need to replace them, and I was pretty impressed actually.

But you did the same, and still the noise.

What if you back the thru bolt way out so that there is a large gap at the end of the face of the bushings at the washer, pump more grease than normal in so that it oozes out at the washers, wipe away excess, tighten bolt, wipe away excess, torque bolt, and give it a go?

The real value of the grease penetration seems to take place when you’re tightening the washers back against the bushings. I’ve found that backing the thru bolt off a lot more than just “untorqued” gives he grease a place to flow freely without any pressure on the bushings. The end surface of the bushing and the face of the washer will have a nice film between as they are slowly tightened back up.

Apologies if this is what you’re already doing.... just throwing it out there
 
So I have not had any squeaks from suspension but I kept having a squeak from the front left for a while that I thought was some sort of suspension bushing. It only happened over certain bumps. One day was pushing down my hood and found that it squeaked against the rubber bumper when flexed. Adjusted the height of the rubber bumped that the hood sits against and no more squeaking.

Probably not your problem, but worth mentioning I feel like.
 
Do your coilovers use a bearing at the bottom? I have had to replace mine due to a squeek like that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 
MTN4RNR said:
Almost guarantee its the poly bushings. If it were the uniballs they would squeak when you turn (I've had that happen). When my bushings need some lube, they sound just like that. Work them a little, over a few hundred miles, then loosen and re-grease.
Click to expand...

Agree with this.
It is the poly bushings.
I've have the same noise on other trucks with FabTech shit.
 
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