Super loud creaking from the front end.

Hey guys, has anyone experienced this before? Just thought I would throw this out there and see how others have solved or even diagnosed this.

2019 DCSB TRD OR (50k kms/31,000 miles)
35's
SPC UCA's
Radflo ext travel coil overs (new last year)

I have been hearing this noise for a while now but it's starting to really piss me off. I did some diagnostics and found the ball joints on the upper control arms were sloppy so I got new ones. After installation and lubing them, the sound remains. I took off my skid plate and the sound is even louder now. it sounds like a "metal on metal" type of friction. If I put my hand on the lower ball joint and have someone turn the wheel you can really feel it. but then again it's the same if you put your hand on the upper ball joints I just changed. Looking for feedback on properly diagnosing this before I start throwing parts at it.

Video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Uuo7CDcFZN8

 

Maybe I'm seeing things, but it looks like the lca bushings are popping in and out with the sound. Hard to tell with the camera movement...

 

Ill have another look at that and confirm but i didn't notice any excessive play when i was under there.

 

When was the last time you greased them with the SPC-recommended grease?


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-infamous-click-up-front…going-down.800581/

 

not sure if this helps but I've found the source of different noises on my vehicles with an automotive stethoscope

 

That's sounds pretty similar to the noise I'm trying to track down also. Except I can't get mine to do it when I'm stopped, only in reverse and cranked left and now sometimes when marking a fully cranked slow turn.

Subbed in case you find a solution.

Here's my noise, they sound pretty similar, no? I was able to get mine to stop for several days by loosening my UCA bolt and ball joint bolt, lubing them and jacking up the truck and dropping it back down. But today, the noise came back. Maybe you could try that and see if anything changes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1H1Yf6Fv6M

 

With the skid plate off check the two bolts that hold your steering rack and pinion to the frame. Spray a bunch of silicone into those bolt bushings and make sure they’re torqued.

 

I just gave up trying quiet all the creaks and clinks lol

 

Sounds alot like when my spc x axis bushings were on their way out. But with the skid off I second checking the rack mounting bolts.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys!! These are all great ideas.

I just installed new SPC ball joints (the new "upgraded" ones) a few days ago. I pumped them full of their recommended grease and torqued everything properly. I will definitely be ordering those replacement bolts mentioned in that thread. Thanks for that!

Now seems like the appropriate time to add one of these to the toolbox! Good idea.

I'll give it a shot!

Doing this tomorrow morning for sure. I noticed the rack moves a bit but I believe it has rubber bushings right? Gonna try this one tomorrow also.

Haha! Thats what I've been doing until now.

Hopefully, that works!

 

Do you have Wheel spacers?

 

no spacers.

 

When you check the rack bushings, can you take a picture? I'm just want to make sure when I go try that this weekend, I know what im looking for, lol.

 

Sure! I will do that.

 

Just checked the price of those bolts and it's gonna cost me $50 USD to get 2 of those things up here to Canada haha.

 

You don’t need to replace the bolts, just lube the bushings, really soak them and torque the bolts to spec.

 

I tried lubing em no luck for me. Curious if OP has any luck.

 

Nope. Not coming from my rack either. I am pretty sure it's coming from the LCA bushings. I crawled right under it while someone turned the wheel lock to lock. Doing this I was actually able to see some movement when the creak happens. I am not sure why this is happening as my mileage is pretty low but now I'm debating installing some new bushings. Possibly the Whiteline ones. May as well change the ball joint while I'm at it. Before I do that I am going to loosen, grease, and retorque these.

 

And yours only does it when the truck is stationary?

 

The stock LCA bushings are supposed to move quite a bit, they’re soft rubber. The ball joints are extremely tough on the 3rd gens so that’s also most likely not the culprit.