Broke something. Shit.

So I recently installed my OME lift, 884 springs on a DCLB, had an alignment done and, aside from some vibes between 30-40, everything has been fine for the past 3 weeks.

I did a trip up north pavement quickly turned to sandy mud, slick as goose shit and rutted out, but speeds were pretty high. About 100 miles of it, in and out. I made it back to town, and realized something was fucked up pretty quick. I was getting a rubbing noise at low speed, made worse by turning, seems to be isolated to the front left wheel. I thought some mud was caked to the wheel, throwing it off balance. Cleaned things up but it's no better. Played with it a bit this morning, stuck at my hotel in the middle of nowhere with no tools. Definitely isolated to the left front wheel. I can have it parked, engine running, turn left or right and replicate the noise; it sounds like a binding/clanking, and you can feel it through the wheel itself and the steering wheel. As far as I can tell, none of the new suspension components seem to be interfering or contacting, and the wheel/tire doesn't seem to be rubbing on anything. None of the boots - on the axle or tie rod - seem to be damaged or torn. When I drive at low speed, I can feel the steering wheel tugging intermittently. Doesn't seem to be a problem at higher speed.

Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated, as I'm in the middle of nowhere, nearest auto shop/Toyota dealer is about 3 hours south.

 

Maybe an upper or lower ball joint. Jack up the corner you think it is and try to woggle the wheel if there is any play then its probably a ball joint or bushing somewhere

 

sounds like BJ, have you checked the wheel bearing?

 

Can you jack the front wheel off of the ground and rotate it to try and replicate the noise/vibration? Double check to see if the lug nuts are tight.

Double check the nuts/bolts that you were messing with during the install.

Borrow some tools. I'm sure the maintenance person or front desk might have at least a pair of slip joint pliers you can use.

 

Pics would help more than anything, also best name on TW.

 

Seconded.

 

Wasn't really 'offroad', just a shitty dirt road leading up to a small town in northern Canada that I'll be working out of for the next year or so. Suspension has been on for nearly 3 weeks now with no issues, and I've put it though its paces to make sure no problems surfaced. I'm not sure that this is related to anything that was touched during the install.

Nothing to do with the tire seems to be the issue, there's no rubbing, and the tires are 265/75/16 and haven't had any problems with them. I can't really jack the truck up here with just the bottle jack and the lift, nothing in this asshole of a town is paved. Can't even find any spare wood to use with the jack.

 

Did you say you CAN replicate the noise while parked? or can NOT?

". I can have it parked, engine running, turn left or right and replicate the noise; it sounds like a binding/clanking, and you can feel it through the wheel itself and the steering wheel."

 

I can. I'll see if I can grab a video.

 

I haz only porncorn.

 

Subb'd. Last time anything happened to me like this it was a log lodged up into the frame



















Ha...haha...hahahahahahahaha twatwaffles
Best name ever

 

7. Hammered.

 

perhaps the rack and pinion? doesn't seem like something rotational would make that much noise with the truck parked.

Looking forward to the video

 

http://tinypic.com/r/2rd7vut/8

 

What UCAs are you running? Also I would remove the sway bar and see if it goes away.

 

Works for me, just some creaking noises when turning the wheels. Might be uniball in the upper

 

Are you running uniball ucas. Did you add dry lube? Thats what mine sounds like when I havent lubed them and they are full of dust.

 

Always serioussssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

 

Exactly why I asked what UCAs he is running, mine make the same noise.