Rear squeak-search feature didn't help

Might have missed it in the search but immediately after installing my dakars on my 02 DC I got a very loud squeak from the rear suspension. Every drive way I pull out of of, every speed bump, every bump in general I can hear both sides squeaking loudly.

I saw on the 2nd gen forum where a guy puts pieces of inner tube between the leafs. I'll try this but most who have posted there say their squeak didn't develop until the leaf packs were on the truck for some time. Mine started immediately.

Is it more likely the urethane bushing or the pack itself? I installed all the bushing by spraying them with silicone lube before putting them in place.

Could things be torqued too much/too little? I didn't know the torque specs for the rear leaf spring bolts or the shackles (stock). Does anyone have those torque numbers?

 

Don't those springs already have anti-friction pads at the ends of each leaf?

 

I thought I saw round disc shaped pieces on those leafs but if they are there, they aren't doing their job

 

Hu, thats funky, somethings up to make them that bad beings they're new. I do know you can over torque your shackles fairly easily, that might cause a nasty squeak in your situation??

 

Got any spray-can silicone lube?
Spray it on all of those anti-squeak disks and see if it temporarily quiets the squeaking.

Are the u-bolt nuts properly torqued? They should be around 90 ft-lbs.

 

Over torquing was what I figured. So U bolt nuts should be at 90 ft/lbs? How about leaf spring bolts at the shackles and at the front bolt?

 

I did hit both packs with some silicone lube. Helped slightly but it's still there for the most part.

 

The front bolt (at the hanger) should be 116 ft-lbs.
The rear bolt (at the shackle) s/b 67 ft-lbs.

Did that leaf pack come pre-assembled or did you have to remove/re-install the centering bolt at the middle of the pack?
If you had to re-install that, then it s/b 33 ft-lbs.

FYI - all my torque specs are from my 1999 Tacoma FSM.

 

Thanks tan4x4. The dakar leaf pack came preassembled and I haven't messed with it.

Rear bolt at 67ft/lbs?!?!?!?! Uh yeah, I think I way over tightened it. Everything got tightened as tight as I could tighten it

 

Yip i bet the squeak is the over tightened shackle...maybe not, but it would make sense.

 

Spray 1 joint, see if it changes. If not, spray the next and repeat.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/squeaky-dakars-any-advice-from-others-with-the-dakars.156353/

 

I have the same exact springs. I also have the exact same squeak. One way that I know for sure that temporarily stops it is to go offroading. Really getting those springs to flex works out the squeak. But again it in only temporary. I have sprayed them with lubricants, silicons, greased them. The first time you drive through the rain washes all of them away. I have come to just live with it.

 

Or fix it.

But yeah.

 

Did you grease the shackle bushings during install? What kind of bushings did you get?

Did you wait to do the final torque on front hanger pin (blot) and shackles with the truck resting on its wheels on the ground?

Did you put some grease on the anti-friction pads? They should have a small orifice underneath that permits shooting a little grease up into them.

 

Was your squeak there instantly after install?

 

I sprayed all the bushings that came with my OME kit with silicone spray. The parts where the bolt goes through the metal sleeve in the bushings got a healthy coat of anti seize. In fact, any where there was a bolt contacting metal go anti seize. Anywhere where the bushings contacted metal got a good spray of silicone before they were assembled.

I tried tightening the shackle bolts while the truck was on jacks. It just changed the angle of the shackle and opened up the ends of my packs. Tightening with the truck on the ground solved that.

I really think I got my shackle and hanger bolts a bit tight. I'll loosen and retorque.

 

The antisieze is good, especially on the front hanger pin.

You want grease, not silicone, on the bushings. Don't forget to lube the outer ends of the bushings, too.

 

Thanks scocar. Any type of grease in particular? Do I have to unbolt my springs from the shackle, remove bushings and then reinstall?

 

Yes, basically, you need to take them apart. Last time I did it, I had OME polyurethane bushings in greaseable shackles. I used lithium-based grease.

http://www.suspensionconnection.com/blog/how-to-properly-grease-a-polyurethane-bushing/