Squeaky OME Dakar Leaf pack fix/solution?

Just an update for those with the squeaks, it has now been well over a year since I sprayed motorkote on my Dakars (leaf bushings and pads). Still no squeak. Countless washings, power sprayings, degreasing chemicals, etc, etc...

Motorkote in a spray bottle FTW.

 

Seeing if this would help anyone else out as well.

Like everyone I was trying to find the source of the squeaking and I sprayed the bushings with grease as well as washing it. Come to find out it was the tire mount that was causing the squeaking. Highly recommend giving that a try just tighten it to see if that fixes it. Mine hasn’t squeaked since.

 

My "dakars have been squeaking" intermittently since I put 'em on... Almost 2 years ago now. Finally read through this thread and was convinced after reading a 3rd poster announcing to check spare... It was tight but not all the way tight, and after cranking it down I have no squeaks... No wonder all the cleanings and greasings of my leaf pucks did nothing to help...

Also when greasing your plastic pucks in these packs make sure the hole in the bottom of the puck is still filled with glue and wont leak your grease out the bottom. I had to superglue mine closed.

 

Looking over this thread, easiest solution seems to be to follow the TSB @Rocco-Taco posted. @RangerComa how has this stuff held up for you. Seems like a decent option, just wondering about longevity for this use case.

 

This stuff works great. I apply grease once a year and sometimes it comes back after a long trip off-road, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a very easy and quick fix.

I think it really depends on how much flexing is done in dusty conditions.

 

do these have any adhesive or they just in between by the pressure between the leafs? you run these the full length or only at the ends to replace the pads? curious if you have a long-term update? i'm puling my leafs apart to add the AAL so figured now would be a good time to do some maintenance to get rid of the squeaks. out of curiosity, what total length did you need to do b both leaf packs (medium or HD?)

 

^THIS... so much this. I just replaced all my yellow pads with these Dorman pads and all the horrid, awful, ear churning, nit-picking, infuriating god awful creaks and squeaks are gone. Let's hope this lasts.

I used 8 packages (16 pads) for my OME Heavys. Some of the location inserts have to be ground down a bit if the neighboring leaf overlaps a bit. As an added bonus they are a bit thicker than the old ones so a bit of gap is taken up making the springs wrap a little less when accelerating. $40 well spent.

Great post Sclarpepplar.

 

So i ended up taking apart my leaf pack to add a leaf and discovered that all of my bushings were shot. I took the leaf pack apart and found that there was rust in places not just where the original yellow pads were which indicates to be an excessive amount of rubbing and water getting between the leafs (possibly due to the yellow pads which had worn out). I ended up grinding of all the old rust, repainting, adding a leaf, changing bushings and I added the speedway liners). i also added the Dobinson greasable bolts which BTW require some modification to fit the archive garage hammer hangers. 500 miles post new liners have had 0 squeaks and I've taken the truck through snow & dirt since then.

 

Where is the tire mount?

 

its under the bed

 

Sprayed Motorkote on my squeaky Dakar leafs in Spring of 2019. They just started to squeak again last week. I pressure washed then followed by another Motorkote spray on the bushings and pads - squeak-free again. Just sayin, it's a hell of a lot easier than taking those things apart.

 

The easiest thing to do is nothing. Lol. But crap mine really annoy me at times. Maybe when it’s not 0F out I’ll break down and do something.

 

I can't find my last comment on this thread about squeaking, but I still haven't had to do anything as far as squeaks go. I just jack up one wheel and hit it with Red and Tacky through a needle valve. I'm sure other things work or help, but I've had good luck with my method. I don't wheel my truck as much since I got my SxS, but my truck tows it's ass off. I feel like it gets a good work out.

I did check my hangars and I do have a minor rub spot, so I might eventually pull my leafs and grind them down and then install new isolators linked from this thread.

Or switch leafs altogether, depends on the shape they are in.

 

I posted this may of 2019. (AKA the good old days...)
Yeah, this would have been the last time I lubed my leafs.

 

Can someone snap a pic of the “tire mount”? I am confused (that can be easy to do at times)
Is this for spare tire or something else?

 

When you do this are you just greasing the yellow fittings or squirting in grease as much as you can in between the leafs. I don’t want to have to take off my leaf packs and replace the isolators if possible.

 

I jack up one wheel and use a screwdriver to separate the leafs as much as I can and grease the whole leaf, not just the isolators. Needle valve makes it fairly easy to get in where you think it's rubbing.

 

"speedway liners"??? these look like it may be the best option for me. I'm in the central east coast where we get all 4 seasons and it rains, snows and everything else. I don't really wheel any but I do live on a dusty gravel road. My OME's are driving me crazy!!!!! Does anyone have a link to these "speedway liners"?

 

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Leaf...Z5nnx6NgFyqDbaveTqtX_1AQUyxeFwQxoCsFkQAvD_BwE

figure out how many you will need depending on how many leafs you have. i have the HD and I added a leaf, so I needed 3 rolls. these are still going strong....truck sounds like it should in the rear suspension....silent

 

My brother got the OME kit and his has been squeeking for a couple of years now. He's been spraying lube on it but I'm gonna jack up his rear to check out the pads this weekend. Gonna try to convince him to give this route a try. After installing these new inserts do they need any greasing? If so, what kind would you guys recommend? Thanks!