Icon UCA Noise (Now UCA Bushing Troubleshooting)

[JimJr15]

I've actually always planned to have the shop re-grease re-torque and re-align the truck after about 2k miles, but I'm waiting on a Warn winch bumper and winch.

I figured I'd install the bumper and winch, have them adjust the front ride height a little more level, then do all the above.

 

[JimJr15]

So I just took a look under the wheel well in the hotel parking lot and noticed this for the first time.

Is this indicative of overtorqueing the pivot bolt??

 

[JimJr15]

Here's the Drivers side bushings.

 

[Agent_Outside]

Im not sure if your bushing are poly or rubber but i helped another member here [MENTION=144882]eelliiss[/MENTION] install his lift. He used JBA UCA's. They use stock rubber bushings. The instructions dont tell you but apparently you NEED to tourqe down the UCA bolt after the truck has been put down on the ground. He had one of the bushing tear and is making the same type of noise you described. Just a thought.

That’s like basics of suspension 101. You always tighten suspension components in their resting position.

 

[eelliiss]

That’s like basics of suspension 101. You always tighten suspension components in their resting position.

Kind of bunny trailing here, but what do you think the likelihood of severe damage to rubber bushings would be in this case? I ended up loosening the long bolts after ~800 miles on the lift, cycling the suspension by raising/lowered with a jack, and then re-torquing things back on the ground. I've spoken to a handful of mechanics by trade, and most mentioned it is unlikely (including Marlin of JBA), but a couple say that it's possible.

Thoughts? I guess I'm looking for a way to convince myself not to remove the UCA since time is at a premium right now, hahaha

 

[garface]

So I just took a look under the wheel well in the hotel parking lot and noticed this for the first time.

Is this indicative of overtorqueing the pivot bolt??

This looks almost like the bushings were greased through the zerks without loosening the pivot bolt first. this is something that absolutely necessary to prevent the bushings from expanding and getting wrecked.
check out this instruction from total chaos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvMdAX2uybs&t=88s

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I'm about a 2.5 hr ride away from home, on vacation with my family. Heading home tomorrow morning. When I get home I'm going to throw it up on my lift and take a look.

Is there a special grease I need to use on these bushings? I think they're polyeurathane.

Use this grease and only this one on the bushings. Loosen through bolt before pumping into zerks or bushings will deform and be ruined.

 

[JimJr15]

Ok, So I got home and threw her up on the lift. Here are some better pics:

Pass Front Bushing:

Pass Front Bushing:

Pass Rear Bushing:

Pass Rear Bushing:

Rear Bushing Nut and Washer Removed:

It appears that the bushings were definitely greased, but with what grease I don't know.

It also appears that at least the Passenger side was greased with the pivot bolt tightened as to deform the bushings.

 

[JimJr15]

When I re-assembled, I retorqued to 85 ft/lbs, took it for a drive and it now no longer makes any noise whatsoever.

Yet

I'm going to say that those bushings are destroyed and I'm definitely going to have the shop that installed them replace them with new ones when I have the ride-height adjustment and re-alignment done after the bumper and winch install.

But I have 2 questions???

Will these existing bushings be OK for 2-4 more weeks??

Do I have them replace BOTH sides???

 

[sandcrawler]

Use this grease and only this one on the bushings. Loosen through bolt before pumping into zerks or bushings will deform and be ruined.

according to ICON, any NLGI lithium type multipurpose grease is fine. you can use the same stuff you use for your driveline U-joints.

 

[sandcrawler]

When I re-assembled, I retorqued to 85 ft/lbs, took it for a drive and it now no longer makes any noise whatsoever.

Yet

I'm going to say that those bushings are destroyed and I'm definitely going to have the shop that installed them replace them with new ones when I have the ride-height adjustment and re-alignment done after the bumper and winch install.

But I have 2 questions???

Will these existing bushings be OK for 2-4 more weeks??

Do I have them replace BOTH sides???

is this only on the passenger side? no noise from the driver side?

EDIT: i just re-read your previous posts stating noise was mostly from passenger side...

even with that being the case, if they messed up the passenger side, it raises the suspicion that they didn't install the driver side properly either (despite the present lack of symptoms). i guess it depends on you and your relationship to this shop. but if you're going back for more work anyway, i'd feel better if they replaced both sets of bushings, amply greased them, and then torqued them properly with the wheels on the ground this time.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

according to ICON, any NLGI lithium type multipurpose grease is fine. you can use the same stuff you use for your driveline U-joints.

Grease with any kind of oil or petroleum base will eat the polyurethane. I used drive line grease on mine and within 6 weeks they were pretty much mush. I had to replace them, but ICON happily sold me new ones.

 

[sandcrawler]

Grease with any kind of oil or petroleum base will eat the polyurethane. I used drive line grease on mine and within 6 weeks they were pretty much mush. I had to replace them, but ICON happily sold me new ones.

i've heard that before. rubber reacts negatively to petroleum, but opinions both supporting and debunking that claim re: poly abound. i called ICON about it directly and they advised that it was fine.

but... 6 weeks? damn. i greased mine with Mobil 1 synthetic 4 years ago. no problems.

 

[JimJr15]

Earlier in the thread, someone recommended this:

Lucas Red N Tacky
https://lucasoil.com/products/grease/red-n-tacky-grease

Is this acceptable?

 

[Kenstaroni]

I've got the same issue. Noise from Passenger side that only happens with small suspension movements. I've loosened both through bolts on both sides , lubed them both again like crazy with Superlube then re-torqued (I didn't think that was the cause but everyone said do it as step 1 so I did). Triflow on uniballs from day one. The noise seems to go away or get better when I lube the lower shock mounts (little metal sleeve washers /spacers where bottom bolt goes). It does come back though and I can't get it to go away completely.

I definately had a sway bar rub at first but installed the spacers and that went away, now this little squeak has appeared. Suspension has 5k miles on it and I'm in the Southeast with little to no salt to worry about.

Kind of a bummer after spending all this money but I'll keep spraying and lubing I guess :redbrick:

 

[eelliiss]

I've got the same issue. Noise from Passenger side that only happens with small suspension movements. I've loosened both through bolts on both sides , lubed them both again like crazy with Superlube then re-torqued (I didn't think that was the cause but everyone said do it as step 1 so I did). Triflow on uniballs from day one. The noise seems to go away or get better when I lube the lower shock mounts (little metal sleeve washers /spacers where bottom bolt goes). It does come back though and I can't get it to go away completely.

I definately had a sway bar rub at first but installed the spacers and that went away, now this little squeak has appeared. Suspension has 5k miles on it and I'm in the Southeast with little to no salt to worry about.

Kind of a bummer after spending all this money but I'll keep spraying and lubing I guess :redbrick:

What is your set up?

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

Earlier in the thread, someone recommended this:

Lucas Red N Tacky
https://lucasoil.com/products/grease/red-n-tacky-grease

Is this acceptable?

Still Petroleum based, I wouldn't use it, but looks like some people haven't had issues. The super lube is what comes with Energy Suspension Poly bushings. It's not expensive and you can easily get from amazon. Absolutely safe on Poly, safe to eat actually as its used in food machinery.

 

[JimJr15]

Still Petroleum based, I wouldn't use it, but looks like some people haven't had issues. The super lube is what comes with Energy Suspension Poly bushings. It's not expensive and you can easily get from amazon. Absolutely safe on Poly, safe to eat actually as its used in food machinery.

Copy that.

I have just Amazon'd myself a few tubes. I'm trying to wait to replace the bushings until after my Warn Winch Bumper arrives in a week or two, and I can install it and the winch. Then I'll have the shop replace all the bushings, re-adjust ride height and re-align.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

Copy that.

I have just Amazon'd myself a few tubes. I'm trying to wait to replace the bushings until after my Warn Winch Bumper arrives in a week or two, and I can install it and the winch. Then I'll have the shop replace all the bushings, re-adjust ride height and re-align.

Kind of a pain cause you need two grease guns to service the truck, but I'd rather not worry about poisoning the bushings rather than servicing them.
Just make sure you loosen the through bolt prior to greasing, let the shop know this as well.

 

[sandcrawler]

Still Petroleum based, I wouldn't use it, but looks like some people haven't had issues. The super lube is what comes with Energy Suspension Poly bushings. It's not expensive and you can easily get from amazon. Absolutely safe on Poly, safe to eat actually as its used in food machinery.

i’m curious, what specific product did you use that torpedoed your bushings in 6 weeks?