Another Leaf Spring Squeak Thread

I recently replaced my leaf spring setup due to squeaking and an insane amount rust on an “old pack” (less than 3,000 miles if you believe it).

I was experiencing squeaking and a groaning noise inside the cab when coming to a stop, accelerating, or anytime the rear suspension flexed. After replacing them with a new leaf pack, bushings, ubolts, and bump stops it was fine but came back after driving on a dirt road for the first time since installing them.

It’s making the same creaking noise when I put any weight in the bed or flex the suspension and the same groaning noise inside the cab. My first thought is that the retaining clamps are too tight and grinding against the side of the spring but after spraying it down with water and grease it didn’t seem to help. The bushings have been throughly greased and the noise doesn’t sound like it’s coming from them but mainly where the clamps are or near the end of the springs.

Does anyone have any tips or anything? My luck is terrible with leaf springs it seems like after switching from the OEM.

 

Very common.

Best method I have found is to power wash the springs. Take the wheels off, jack from the axels and spray all the dirt out of the leaf packs. Then spray them down with fluid film. Buy it in the spray cans and get the little straw in to the gaps between leafs. Do this every time you rotate the tires.

 

I was hoping to not have to do this with new leafs as I don’t think it’s something people do regularly but I could be wrong.

I have tried Fluid Film In the past and it worked great but since I see dirt roads very often, is there an alternative like a dry lubricant that would minimize dirt clinging to the leafs?

 

Seperate the springs with a screw driver and grease the silencer pads with a synthetic grease, I use brake silaglyde.

 

So after trying these for the most part the squeak is gone minus just a little bit which I don't mind except on the passenger side. The passenger side still creaks and groans all the time. It's the same sound that was with my previous leaf springs and since it's the same thing I'm not really sure it's the leafs.

The best I can describe it:
- With the windows up, there is a groaning noise that sounds like it is coming from the passenger rear anytime I hit bumps, come to a stop, accelerate, or even drive on imperfect roads. It's not super loud but is definitely audible. Even after greasing and changing leaf packs it's still there. Occasionally if I accelerate from a stop pretty fast it will make a loud groan that definitely sounds like metal on metal.
- With the windows down I can still hear the groan but it matches the sound of the creaking springs.

Really not sure where else to go with this. I have checked torque on everything and it's weird to me that it is happening even after changing the leaf pack. I have torqued eyelet bolt, shackle bolts, u-bolts, and the rear passenger body mount and nothing seems to have worked.