Found & Killed My Hideous Rear Suspension SQUEAK!

2012 DCSB 4x4 SR5 V6 Tow and 4-leaf spring packs (3 long leafs and a short bottom helper) all stock. 700 miles on odometer.

Hideous rear driver side suspension squeak since day #1, worse after washing or driving through rain.

Turns out to be the "U" shaped bracket bolted rearward of the axle to the bottom of the bottom leaf with arms upwards along each side of the leaf pack. The one on the right rear side is more or less centered on the leaf pack with clearance on both sides, but the one on the driver's side is as far outboard as it can go. It has a plastic (rubber?) insert along the inside of the inside arm, but that arm rubs against the inner side of the leaf pack and SQUEAKS LIKE &^%$#!

So far, I can't find any adjustment to center it , but with lots of Fluid Film on it, the squeak disappears immediately!

YMMV,

N. Fowler

 

I always tell people thats where it is... the centering clamps. Everyone ignores me and references that rubber friction pad mod. Every squeeky Tacoma rear spring I have heard has been from the same spot... front or rear centering clamps.

 

Everyone thinks it's the rubber pads between the leaf springs and/or the 4-leaf TSB. It's NOT in my case (I already have the 4-leaf pack and the rubber pads!). It's the "U" shaped bracket and its inside arm that plays against the leaf pack like a fiddle. You call them centering clamps? Whatever, the one on the driver's side rear most is not centered on my truck, and it's the source of the squeak.

I don't know how to center it. Any advice? It looks as though the bolt that might hold it is itself not centered in the bottom of the "U". For now, Fluid Film seems to silence it.

As I said above, the ones on the right side of the vehicle are perfectly centered on the right leaf pack.

N. Fowler

 

Bash it straight with a hammer

I had to realign a couple on my Dakars

 

You're truck is still under warranty, I would just get the TSB done and be done with it for good. You may have got the squeak out, but the time will come when you need to haul more than 400lbs back there, then you will really hate those springs!

 

If you read the OP you would see he already has the 4 leaf pack

 

The U clamp is riveted to the one leaf, and often times the leaf itself will be off center. If it is, it needs to be realigned with the pack and the u-bolts torqued to 85-90 ft-lbs. I bet the nuts will all move. Retorque the other side while you are at it.

 

Well, that's it, then. The leaves are all aligned properly; the "U" clamp is riveted onto the bottom leaf off center. Seems like a manufacturing SNAFU to me. The cure is to get a new clamp with a centered hole in the bottom and re-rivet it, something neither I nor the dealer is likely to be able to do. Maybe the suggestion above to use the BFH technique is correct?

N. Fowler

 

Mine squeaked and could only be heard with the drivers window down. Turned out it was the spare tire. Just tighten it up and there is your fix. Mine was on a 2012 tacoma double cab Sport

 

Just changed out my 2+1 leafs for a barely used 3+1 pair and I have a nasty squeak back there. Thought it may be the shackle bolts or bottom shock bushing, but this seems more likely as I can't reproduce the noise by bouncing the rear end. Going to check this!

 

Any updates, was that the problem? I have a terrible squeak somewhere in the rear suspension as well, I can only hear it when driving over bumps or something. I've done (several times) the usual "jump on the bumper" test and can't get a sound out of it, my initial thought was something in the leaf's. Glad I found this, going to crawl up under there this weekend and see if I can figure it out.

Anyone else have a similar problem (and hopefully solution) or other ideas?

 

Sprayed some fluid film on leafs and it worked but only for a couple days... Squeak is back.

 

I sprayed lithium grease back in November. No squeaks since.

 

Hmm, might have to try that. I needed to hit up the dealer for something else next Monday so I'm going to have them look at the leafs and anything else that might be the problem. I'm going to drive the guy around the lot so he can hear how god awful that noise is and hopefully they'll take a good look.

 

Hopefully you don't get the standard spiel , " It's a Tacoma, they all do that".

 

Haha that's what I'm fully expecting honestly. If they say that I'll say fix my damn battery since its under warranty and then I'm out of here forever (which is what I should probably say anyway).

 

Mine has been squeaking off and on for a long time. I noticed the bushings on the rear shock were super shot out. There is a top and bottom on each shock so I ordered 4. Going to replace this weekend. Plan to lube them up upon install

 

Yeah, I'd say those need to be replaced haha. Hope that helps out your problem.

 

I used motorcycle chain lube on my 08. Seems to work well. Still waiting for the final word on the spring recall.