Squeaky leaf springs on my 2016 Tacoma

My Tacoma is driving me crazy with the squeaky leaf springs! Is there a cure or a class action law suit going I don't know about? Any TSB'S on this yet? Dealer is NO help. New truck and it sounds like a POS!
THANKS!

 

Mines starting to squeak too. Very faint, just heard it this morning while driving to work. Hopefully it doesn't get worst.

 

Dealer told me mine squeaks because l drive on a dirt road! Asked the dealer if the Tacoma was not designed for dirt roads.

 

I don’t believe there’s an easy cure besides applying a thin layer of lubricant every couple of thousand miles between the leaf springs. I believe some people have torn their leaf packs down and applied some kind of material to keep the springs from rubbing directly against each other. When the recall was performed on my 07, my springs squeaked until I loaded the bed down with rocks while landscaping. Maybe try placing a heavy load on the packs

 

You can put leaf spring liners in. I have a Dakar leaf pack and heard too many stories of squeaking from them. Before I installed them I took it apart and did full 2 1/4 teflon leaf liners between each leaf. Not a peep out of them and I do moderate to heavy off roading several times a month. You don't have to take the leaf pack off the truck. My 2 cents to a permanent fix. All the lube and such is just temporary, it won't fix it.

 

Go get the TSB done. Parts are back ordered nationwide. Took mine 2 months to get the parts in, but they put new leaf springs in, along with these rubber pieces inbetween the leafs and sound deadning material on the back of the rear seats. It solved the rear whine noise and squeaky leafs I had. They gave me a RAV4 rental for 7 days too.

 

I believe there is a TSB for this.

 

These new springs are just as poor quality if not worse than the originals. My new leaf packs have more negative arch that the 100k packs they replaced. Toyota can’t produce quality leaf springs that have been on automobiles for decades.

 

Well, they aren’t giving me any issues on my 17’, yet I only have about 2000 miles on them. Time will tell. Either way, the squeak and whine is basically gone. Can’t complain. Once the truck is paid off, I’ll consider doing suspension, with new leaf pack. Other than that, it’s staying stock minus wheels/tires I have on it.

 

The new dakars are silent. I have them, they are great.

 

Yes interested in these when I do a build. Still 2 years out

 

Same here with my 2016 OR although I’ve AAL + OL leaf. Haven’t taken to the dealership regarding this yet... but I’ve plan do full leaf pack upgrade soon. Here is the thread on this:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tsb-0273-17-leaf-spring-silencer-noise.506384/

 

Its a common problem. Pressure washing them helps.

 

Dealer told me 3/6 months back ordered leaf spring parts for he 2018 trucks...sweet so another 6 months of loud obnoxious noisemakers

 

Is there a how to on this somewhere? And where did you get the leaf liners?

 

You need 3 things. Brake cleaner, Gear oil (stuff used in diffs and trans), and a syringe.

Drive one side of the truck onto a curb so the other sides springs are unloaded. On the unloaded spring, clean the friction points and leaf pads with brake cleaner. Make sure all the dirt and debris is out. Then once it is dry and clean, take the syringe and inject gear oil in between the leaf pads and contact points. Repeat on the other side.

Before doing this method, I literally tried all the quick fixes on here and it would work for a couple of days, then go back to squeaking. Now I havent heard anything in a couple months since doing it.

 

So they have a tsb to fix squeaky leaf springs for 2018 tacomas too? If so, what is the tsb? Mine is starting to squeak too, but i have an aal back there, so they may not even do it for me anymore.

 

Check the leaf spring clamps holding the leaf pack together towards the front and rear. They have plastic liner pieces that hold dirt against the leaf. Pressure wash it and apply a little tacky grease on the side gaps. Mine haven’t squeaked since.

 

Jesus has no one in this thread offroaded a truck before?

Leaf springs are literally flat metal bars stacked on top of each other, no shit when dirt and grime gets in between them they make noise, even if you put teflon silencers if you get the right grime in there EVEN THOSE will make noise.

This has been happening since the invention of leaf springs, it has nothing to do with the "quality" of the metal its literally just physics and you can find the same "issue" on every make and model of truck that has leaf springs EVER.

Jack up the truck or put it on a lift, power wash the crud out and add some white lithium grease and SOLVED, repeat as necessary if you go offroading in conditions that cause this.

Its highly dependent on the type of mud/dirt/sand, I've noticed certain types of mud are REALLY vocal when they get in there, grimy desert dirt is 2nd worse, for some reason beach sand doesn't seem to cause it and neither does silky dust in certain desert terrain. This is why SOME people get noise and others don't despite both offroading. I've taken multi day trips through death valley with no noise, only to hit a single mud pit on the way home and SQUEEEEEKK central until I clean everything out when I get home.

 

Good idea on gear oil I always had good long term success using pressure washer -> PB blaster -> white lithium grease.

Only thing I'd add is on Tacoma's a lot of noise seems to come from the shackle and a lot of people forget to lube that sucker up as well in addition to between the leafs.