Rattling in my suspension!!

[Red_devil]

So I have been on here many times b4 and Bill has helped me, witht he red lifted truck that used to be dropped. It has been a while since i have been on but now I am having problems, and have been for some time now. First to describe my lift it is...

Front suspension:
Fabtech spindle lift, no extended brake lines
New ball joints installed (below) the upper control arm.
New Pro Comp shocks, just had installed about a month ago.
New steering arm
(All installed about a year ago) Have had the rattling for more than 6 months....

At first I thought the rattling when going over common bumps in the road was because of my shocks, but its not, even after new shocks installed. Something is loose underneath and I havent really been underneath to see what it is. Looking for options as what to look for or how to get the noise pin pointed while on jacks or something??

Driving is fine, but if I hit a number of small bumps at a time, or a large bump I can feel it in the stearing wheel as well as hear it!! I can't tell what side it is on but sounds like it is more on the drivers side.

Need some serious help. Not sure if it is the springs or what! Please help??

[95 S_Trucker]

you said you replaced the steering arm

did you replace the pitman arm or the idler arm?


idler arms are pretty common. just inspect everything real good. control arm bushings, check your balljoints. just do a thorough inspection and you should be able to figure out where the noise is coming from

[Red_devil]

I belive it was the idler arm. The arm that attaches to the frame and then conects everything to the steering in order to turn the vehicle.

[Red_devil]

moog-idler-arm-mok6187t.jpg

Looks like this...the Moog idler arm

[992drjimmy]

Have you treied greesing everything. With mine ive seen that i need to grease the BJ's more often or they get noisy.

[Red_devil]

No, i haven't greased anything since I put it all together and lifted it. I think I will try that though. Maybe it is the ball joints rattling around? I know it only happens when I am going over bumps, small enough to make noise or a large bump. The only thing that moves around would be the upper and lower a arms and the ball joints. So maybe I will try and lift it up tomorrow and put it on a jack stand and see what happens.

[992drjimmy]

the way you describe the noise is exactly what i had. After i greased the ball joints, it went away. now i grease them once a month.

[95 S_Trucker]

if your ball joints are making a rattling noise they probably have play in them and should be replaced.

[Red_devil]

Quote:

if your ball joints are making a rattling noise they probably have play in them and should be replaced.

God I hope not!! I bought them brand new and they are about $40 a piece both upper and lower. I replaced both. I really don't think after no mudding and only highway driving to and from work that the ball joints need replacing! This is the least probability. I will have a second opinion as well, after I check it out. No pun.

[Red_devil]

Mine is nothing like metal on metal. Its more like something that is wiggling around but it is muffled through the floorboard. It can be felt through the floorboard though, so I know its coming from the steering. I am going to get some clothes on from being lazy today after a long night of drinking, and get out there and check it out. I will try and post some pictures, if I find anything out of the ordinary.

[Red_devil]

trk3.jpg

This is the angle from which you can see my upper ball joints. That angle sucks.

trk4.jpg

Heres a closer look.

trk2.jpg

This is what my truck heigth is before and what I would like for it to be if it were a bit higher, for clearance purposes.

For now I found nothing that seems of any significance rattleing while lifted up. I did wiggle the wheels and they had very slight play because they do sit on the ball bearings. It didn't seems like that would cause the noise I am hearing though. To rough.

drdhtrk1.jpg

This was with my jack underneath at full extention. This would be a good desired heigth for the front not to rub when I turn.

[sapperb]

OK, let me take a shot. It looks like to me that your BJ is ripped, could that be the problem, probably not but it will cause premature wear in the joint. Are your castle nuts tight??? Did you check your wheel bearings??, Is the top of the shock tight where it comes through the shock tower and at the bottom of the LCA? Did you install the shocks while it was on jackstands or at right height?? If you installed the shocks on the jack stands, then your LCA would of been at full droop and your shock wouldn't of been tight at ride height. Did you get the right length shocks, are they too short??? Does your steering have any more noticeable play in the wheel after you lifted it, which would lead to steering components. Are/were your lugnuts tight. Or here is a famous one, when you hit the bumps your UCA is at full droop and your bumpstops are hitting the frame.

[What?]

Spot on sapper!

You'll have to do every inspect in suspension(very easy and doesn't take long).

You should also inspect bushings as well as mounts(engine, trans, crossmember).

Balljoint can be worn easy at bad angle, that's why flip bj is very common after coil lift.

As long you have lifetime warranty(idler arm and balljoint usually do but check though) and that means free replacement.

[Red_devil]

Damn, you guys have a lot to answere up too. OK.

My shocks where replaced by a lift shop, and I am sure they know how to install the shocks, they put lifts on the best trucks around these parts. Everything in the shocks are tight. I mentioned the lift I have and they ordered the shock heigth for my spindle lift. Shock works fine. The problem is that I thought it was the shocks, BUT, the same noise is happening after putting on new shocks. So I know its not the shocks(Cross that out).

The ball joint boot is not torn at all. The angle the picture is at shows that it looks sort of exposed. I know that the boot isnt torn though. Wheel bearings have seem like they have "some" play, but they where packed with grease when I did the lift and it is very little. I haven't greased anything yet, but I plan on it very soon. Steering has no play in the wheel except on a bump, small or big...hence the rattling noise. Brakes do cause the truck to pull to the right even though new pads have been installed. I know for a fact it needs an alignment!

I do not have lift springs installed, and the ball joint is flipped and bolted to the under side of the UCA for a better angle due to the beefy spindles. At least I was told that it would be a better angle if they were beneath the UCA. As far as the bump stops, they are wearing out and need to be replaced. But I do see where they are hitting the top of the UCA, or where ever it is they hit. Do you think a lifted spring and some extended brake lines would possibly fix this problem?
Need some insite, and I will probably take it in next week to get it checked out by the lift shop, and see what the noise is that is causing all this. I hope it can be pin pointed and fixed. When I first did the lift it did not sound like this at all. There could be the possibility that the grease is all washed out, right? AAAuuugggg!

Thanks guys.

[sapperb]

OK just trying to help ya brah mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... My shit is noisy as hell but it is because I huck it all the time, but it is still dezert ready and sturdy as all get out. It has to be something in the steering then. It is hard say unless i could physically hear it. If you do take yo baby off road, take the sway bar off, it will allow your suspension to independently cycle better. It will feel a little weird on the road at first though, but it is alright.

[What?]

Quote: Originally Posted by Red_devil

Damn, you guys have a lot to answere up too. OK.

My shocks where replaced by a lift shop, and I am sure they know how to install the shocks, they put lifts on the best trucks around these parts. Everything in the shocks are tight. I mentioned the lift I have and they ordered the shock heigth for my spindle lift. Shock works fine. The problem is that I thought it was the shocks, BUT, the same noise is happening after putting on new shocks. So I know its not the shocks(Cross that out).

The ball joint boot is not torn at all. The angle the picture is at shows that it looks sort of exposed. I know that the boot isnt torn though. Wheel bearings have seem like they have "some" play, but they where packed with grease when I did the lift and it is very little. I haven't greased anything yet, but I plan on it very soon. Steering has no play in the wheel except on a bump, small or big...hence the rattling noise. Brakes do cause the truck to pull to the right even though new pads have been installed. I know for a fact it needs an alignment!

I do not have lift springs installed, and the ball joint is flipped and bolted to the under side of the UCA for a better angle due to the beefy spindles. At least I was told that it would be a better angle if they were beneath the UCA. As far as the bump stops, they are wearing out and need to be replaced. But I do see where they are hitting the top of the UCA, or where ever it is they hit. Do you think a lifted spring and some extended brake lines would possibly fix this problem?
Need some insite, and I will probably take it in next week to get it checked out by the lift shop, and see what the noise is that is causing all this. I hope it can be pin pointed and fixed. When I first did the lift it did not sound like this at all. There could be the possibility that the grease is all washed out, right? AAAuuugggg!

Thanks guys.

Installing new spring and brake line doesn't solve the metal to metal rattle noise but however you can check to see if rubber insulator is still on or very torned because without it, it does give metal to metal noise at time.

You can inspect wheel bearing nut by seeing if it goes in further than it is now, if it doesn't then re-adjust and you'll be good to go.

Quote: Originally Posted by Red_devil

Attachment 107094

That's torned boot, you'll need new one, what brand did you use?

[Red_devil]

No sense in figureing out what the knocking is now!! i appreciate the help though.

I was driving home last night Oct 27th, and I went through a GREEN light. There was a lady who also had a green light for a left hand turn and failed to yield and turned across two lanes of traffic in front of me. Unfortunately the outcome ended with me T-boneing her car, because she failed to yeild into oncoming traffic..(B)**ch! Comone rules of the road and cannot follow directions.

Can you believe that the officer didn't even write her a ticket. Now our insurance companies have to fued...The officer was a pu**y if you ask me and I was at the mercy of his opinion.

So here is my baby in shambles. Still waiting if they are going to total it or not. I will know soon. Damn it!

R.I.P
wrecked1.jpg

wrecked2.jpg

If they total it, I am buying it back, if its the right price, and getting my tires. I will also be putting my original parts on it and recovering the spindles...WILL BE LOOKING TO SELL THEM!! With my 3 inch shackles.

[992drjimmy]

Hope it works out the best for you. Maybe now you can get the repair shop to fix the noise. Sorry for your loss....

[992drjimmy]

Doesnt look too bad from the pics. Did the frame get bent?

[Red_devil]

Not sure. Had an adjuster come out and look at it today to determine if he will total it or not. I guess its up to him now. I will see what they want for it and I will probably buy it back so I can get all my aftermarket parts back, besides my father-in-law wants the bed off of it. He wrecked his a while back and he bought it back and we pieced it together. He bought a crappy lookin' bed for it, so I will probably strip it of its parts, replace all the stock parts I saved and then sell my Fabtech spindles, and tires to accompany a new ride.
I think this time I am going with something full size. Between 5,000 and 7,000. Then I will probably jack it up if its not already. I will keep this thread updated. Hopefully I can get something within reason with low-er mileage. We will see! Thanks for your concern, its appreciated.

[sapperb]

Damn sorry to see/hear that brother, shit if the frame isn't bent, put a one piece clip it. He didn't give her a ticket because that was his mother

[What?]

It depends on year and mileage but if its ercent and less than 100k, it won't be totalted, but it seem possible frame horn damage(no biggie really). Each place has different rules on totaling or not. Either way no biggie to take apart and sell or fix and drive it up again(go picky as hell on parts and say these rattling wasn't there before

If you're parting out, I got DIBS on Fabtech Spindle!

[992drjimmy]

Maybe youll be able to find a nice zr2 ext cab. That'd be sweet.