Some noise after OME lift w/ OME UCAs (1 Viewer)

[JJKelly]

Good morning friends,

I've been searching the forum and haven't found someone with the same setup that I had installed last week. I drove the LC for a couple days with the radio off just to keep an ear open for trouble and really didn't hear anything. I'm very pleased with the ride. On day 4 or so I started hearing a "creak", "pop", or "rattle" mostly when the front end is being loaded or deloaded...coming to a stop or accelerating from a stop. Road noise may make it impossible to hear at other times if its there at all.

I've seen talk about BP51s clicking, but haven't seen anyone have this experience with the nitrocharger shocks. I don't see anything obviously wrong under there. Could this be a noisy bushing deal? Do aftermarket springs just make noise that factory springs don't? Is some extra noise just to be expected? Should I STFU and drive?

I have a follow up appt with the truck surgeon this week.

Thanks,

JK

 

[Tommy Dwyer]

Good morning friends,

I've been searching the forum and haven't found someone with the same setup that I had installed last week. I drove the LC for a couple days with the radio off just to keep an ear open for trouble and really didn't hear anything. I'm very pleased with the ride. On day 4 or so I started hearing a "creak", "pop", or "rattle" mostly when the front end is being loaded or deloaded...coming to a stop or accelerating from a stop. Road noise may make it impossible to hear at other times if its there at all.

I've seen talk about BP51s clicking, but haven't seen anyone have this experience with the nitrocharger shocks. I don't see anything obviously wrong under there. Could this be a noisy bushing deal? Do aftermarket springs just make noise that factory springs don't? Is some extra noise just to be expected? Should I STFU and drive?

I have a follow up appt with the truck surgeon this week.

Thanks,

JK

Did the installers grease the joints in the UCA’s?

 

[Fj60+]

Check the rear shock placement sometimes when installing the bushing pushes itself off to one side leaving a gap between the bushing and the metal cup it sits in. If you get under the truck and have someone shine a light in the wheel arch, if you see light between the bushing you need to have it reseated. That may be your issue.

 

[kcjaz]

Is the noise front or rear? If it is a “chirp” from the rear, I have a good guess that it’s the washers used on the upper bushings. Some BP51 kits came with the wrong washers. There is a thread on here about that. I had that issue, replaced the OME washers with OEM and chirp went away.

 

[JJKelly]

Did the installers grease the joints in the UCA’s?

The UCAs ship with he zerks installed. They'd have to remove the zerks and install the caps without greasing them. The shop enjoys a good reputation. It would blow my mind if they did not. I'll double check that.

 

[JJKelly]

The noises are from up front. We had a nice warm up for the last two days and there was an obvious reduction of the noises at 60 degrees compares to 38 degrees. This make me think its just some creaky bushings. Does that make sense?

 

[JJKelly]

I gave it back to the folks that did the work and they came to the conclusion that its the bushings in the LCAs. It's interesting that it's the factory bits making noise, not the new bits.
Nothing seems to be wrong under there, so I guess all is well.

JK

 

[CharlieS]

If they torqued the LCA bolts down while they were hanging, it could be a problem. The bushings would be preloaded leading to excess strain and premature failure. You're supposed to tighten them with the weight of the vehicle on the suspension. I've installed a few land cruiser 200 suspensions and never had LCA bushing noise (nor have I read about it).

 

[04UZJ100]

I gave it back to the folks that did the work and they came to the conclusion that its the bushings in the LCAs. It's interesting that it's the factory bits making noise, not the new bits.
Nothing seems to be wrong under there, so I guess all is well.

JK

I would ask them if they loosened and then retorqued everything on the LCA once the truck was back on the ground. Seems like lots of places will tighten everything down while the truck is elevated causing all sorts or premature bushing issues and binding.

IIRC, LCA eccentric torque value is around 210ft-lbs.

 

[bloc]

I thought the OME UCAs used a greaseless bushing? Mine got no grease on install as per the instructions and are perfectly quiet.
Note that this is different than the upper ball joint, which does have a removable zerk and cap.

 

[JJKelly]

I've seen the issue of when to tighten the LCAs around here before and I wish I had thought to ask. I thank you folks for pointing it out. I may try and get under the truck here in a bit while the boy naps...TBC

I should be able to just loosen and retighten, yes?

 

[bloc]

I've seen the issue of when to tighten the LCAs around here before and I wish I had thought to ask. I thank you folks for pointing it out. I may try and get under the truck here in a bit while the boy naps...TBC

I should be able to just loosen and retighten, yes?

They will be very tight, and loosening them can and probably will throw your alignment out. Even making the adjusting cams and making sure you go back there won’t be precise enough for a modern alignment.

You can often look closely at the inner bushings and see if they appear twisted. With a non-new vehicle you’d likely see some dry cracking and the appearance of it being twisted. Mine has 160k and some visible dry rot, but no twisting as they were torqued at ride height.

 

[JJKelly]

Bloc, As soon as I got under there I knew it wasn't something I wanted to screw with in the driveway. I'm completely new to the LC and IFS mods in general.

The bushings on the LCAs have some cracks but don't appear to be twisted. When I got it back from the shop, the counter guy said the techs lubed the bushings and it quieted down. I saw no evidence of this up front but it was obvious they had been lubing up the trailing arms. There may have been some miscommunication there. Is there even any value in spraying something on control arm bushings in you guy's experience--does it get in there? ARB tech support mentioned spraying some lithium grease all over my bushings.

I've been a Toyota truck guy from the start. I've had an 81,85,86,94, and 09 Taco. Noises and misc issues have always been easy to run down. This time: I can't even replicate the sound by jumping on the steps and rocking the thing around. It's not even a loud sound or particularly annoying. Just not knowing what it is is the vexation. Of course the only reasonable thing to do now is to have someone drive back and forward while I lay in the driveway.

 

[CharlieS]

Buy some Chassis Ears.

 

[Fj60+]

Maybe have someone stand outside the truck and do some quick breaking see if they can tell where is coming from?

 

[bloc]

Bloc, As soon as I got under there I knew it wasn't something I wanted to screw with in the driveway. I'm completely new to the LC and IFS mods in general.

The bushings on the LCAs have some cracks but don't appear to be twisted. When I got it back from the shop, the counter guy said the techs lubed the bushings and it quieted down. I saw no evidence of this up front but it was obvious they had been lubing up the trailing arms. There may have been some miscommunication there. Is there even any value in spraying something on control arm bushings in you guy's experience--does it get in there? ARB tech support mentioned spraying some lithium grease all over my bushings.

I've been a Toyota truck guy from the start. I've had an 81,85,86,94, and 09 Taco. Noises and misc issues have always been easy to run down. This time: I can't even replicate the sound by jumping on the steps and rocking the thing around. It's not even a loud sound or particularly annoying. Just not knowing what it is is the vexation. Of course the only reasonable thing to do now is to have someone drive back and forward while I lay in the driveway.

I couldn’t imagine spraying something on a halfway intact molded rubber bushing helping anything. But yeah I get it.. frustrating.

Buy some Chassis Ears.

This. SO valuable.

 

[JJKelly]

I'm going to stop polluting the forum with this issue. When I do figure it out I'll report back to you all. Thanks!