What is creaking in the front suspension? (1 Viewer)

[gluaisrothai]

30k miles. Pretty sure it’s not CV joints as the creaking stops when turning on a constant radius. Steering knuckles are new. Control arm ball joints? Or something to do with the armor structure underneath interacting with the chassis? Drives and tracks straight.

LC

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[turbo8]

When did you first start noticing the creaking?

Have you jacked it up and steered back and forth to see if it makes the creaking without weight on it?

 

[Boston Mangler]

Anything (shims or isolators) between aluminum skid plates and frame?

Did this start after skid plate install?

 

[gluaisrothai]

First noticed it after the skid plate install....but that doesn't mean it wasn't there previously. It's difficult to hear from inside, only really noticeable it you're near a building and have the windows down. No creaking when up on jacks.

The skid plates do not have isolation from the frame, all hard mounting points.

 

[Boston Mangler]

First noticed it after the skid plate install....but that doesn't mean it wasn't there previously. It's difficult to hear from inside, only really noticeable it you're near a building and have the windows down. No creaking when up on jacks.

The skid plates do not have isolation from the frame, all hard mounting points.

I’ll bet tacos it’s the aluminum of the skid plates to the steel frame making the noise.

Take them off and I’ll bet it goes away

I learned this on my 100 series after putting skids on.

The frame flexes JUST enough, it’s noisy

My 100 noise was loud as hell.

Took skids off, put thin poly washers between skids and frame and sound disappeared

 

[gluaisrothai]

I'll put it up on grease plates to see if it creaks with WOW and without turning resistance, and then I guess I'll back off some of the fasteners on the armor to see if that quiets it down.

@turbo8 What do you think about isolators on the main bolts for the front brace? Nylon washers?

 

[turbo8]

I'll put it up on grease plates to see if it creaks with WOW and without turning resistance, and then I guess I'll back off some of the fasteners on the armor to see if that quiets it down.

@turbo8 What do you think about isolators on the main bolts for the front brace? Nylon washers?

I would check for loose bolts on the skid system first. If you find any loose bolts and tighten everything up and still have creaking, I don't see an issue with nylon washers under the braces.

Chassis ears would defiantly isolate where the creaking is coming from.

 

[gluaisrothai]

Was the skids. Working backwards from the front of the vehicle, I removed pieces until the noise stopped. When I took out the ribs of the trans skids the noise went away.

All the bolts were as I left them (used torque paint) but on the center cross brace (item 4 on the assembly dwg) you could see where the bolt heads had gouged down into the aluminum as the chassis flexed. I put some thin Mylar washers under the 4 bolts on that piece (between the bracket and the chassis).

 

[tbisaacs]

For your own sanity, my aluminum skids creak a bit too. I can only hear it when windows are down.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Was the skids. Working backwards from the front of the vehicle, I removed pieces until the noise stopped. When I took out the ribs of the trans skids the noise went away.

All the bolts were as I left them (used torque paint) but on the center cross brace (item 4 on the assembly dwg) you could see where the bolt heads had gouged down into the aluminum as the chassis flexed. I put some thin Mylar washers under the 4 bolts on that piece (between the bracket and the chassis).

Do you need my address to send the Tacos?

Glad it was easy and free (mostly)

 

[turbo8]

Was the skids. Working backwards from the front of the vehicle, I removed pieces until the noise stopped. When I took out the ribs of the trans skids the noise went away.

All the bolts were as I left them (used torque paint) but on the center cross brace (item 4 on the assembly dwg) you could see where the bolt heads had gouged down into the aluminum as the chassis flexed. I put some thin Mylar washers under the 4 bolts on that piece (between the bracket and the chassis).

Glad you got it figured out. I believe mine creak too, really only hear it when flexing out with the windows down.

 

[Artie]

I just recently had this exact same issue and was a little unnerved by it. It was suggested to me to throw some type of rubber washers/spacers between the armor and frame at the bolts. Mine were silent for 30k miles then went nuts all of a sudden. This type of development can be rather triggering after years of driving sh*tboxes.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I just recently had this exact same issue and was a little unnerved by it. It was suggested to me to throw some type of rubber washers/spacers between the armor and frame at the bolts. Mine were silent for 30k miles then went nuts all of a sudden. This type of development can be rather triggering after years of driving sh*tboxes.

Forgot the brand, but the ones I had on my 100 were initially silent but within a few months got crazy loud. Bolts were tight, etc.. Took forever to figure out what it was and fix (thin poly washers) it.

I had the RCI brand on my tundra and they were UNGODLY loud right from the get go until I added thin poly washers.

So yeah…. Poly (or similar) washers between frame and skids are the ticket