Noises going over small bumps after replacing shocks

I replaced my front shocks with 5100. I set drivers side one notch above stock and the other side set at stock. Is this ok? I am getting noises going over small bumps and cracks in the road.
I replaced my sway bar bushings and sway bar links

 

That would mean your truck (with sway bar attached) is leaning on one side / putting additional load on one side?

I would recommend both shocks are set evenly. Less headache for future you.

 

i just installed 5100 and no noises. I set it evenly for the notches. did you torque down the shock bolt connecting to the lower control arm with the vehicles weight on the ground? maybe its your sway bar making sounds. hard to tell without you explaining what kind of noises and where they are coming from.

 

im assuming hes trying to compensate for the tacoma driver side lean.

 

Thanks for the responses. I tried to compensate for the lean. I might change the drivers side shock to stock and see if that fixes the issue. If it still doesn't fix the noise I will jack up the front end and disconnect the sway bar and links and see if that will work. Just to narrow down the noise.

 

I highly doubt the noise has anything to do with height settings on the 5100. I'd look at everything that was touched during install. Also the lower shock bolt should be torqued while the vehicle is back on the ground.

 

sway bar should not be attached

 

Might be the brake pads shifting up and down. Next time you're about to go over a bump gently hold the brakes pedal and see if the noise goes away.

The LCA cam bolts need to be 100 lb/ft. It's easy to come up short if you're not using a torque wrench

Pretty sure there was a guy here a while back that didn't get the upper spring seated in the rubber mount correctly. It was cocked to the side and the spring was contacting the strut tower area

 

I've done many 5100's uneven, its no cause for noise.

It's something that was done, need to recheck the work done.

 

I replaced the front shocks myself. I jacked up one side at a time. I bolted up everything while it was still jacked up. That could be part of the noise problem. Would loosening the bottom bolt on the shock help? Drive it around loose and then tightening it after?

 

Hell toyota has done exactly what you did (different clip height settings) for a long time now to combat lean on a few of their higher speced from the factory shock options (TRD PRO).

This isnt the cause of your issue.

You ABSOLUTLELY must torque down the lca to frame, lower shock bolt, and upper control arm to frame (if using stock ucas) with everything down on the ground at ride height. Rubber bonded bushings in those locations dont free float so must be torqued at ride height not full droop.

What does the sound sound like? Is it a loud click?

 

The noise happens when I go over small cracks and bumps. It sounds like the hood is loose but isn't. When I replaced the shocks I lowered the lca to get the old ones out. Drivers side tire looks like the camber is positive. Alignment is good

 

I've seen it where the washer underneath the mount rattles because its not fully seated to the cushion and mount. Unloaded you can get a finger in the coil and see if the washer is loose.

 

Would it be ok to jack up the lca until it lifts the truck and retighten the center nut on the shock?

 

Jacking up the lca would put the same pressure on it as it sits on the ground..

If you think the center nut is loose just reach in there and tighten it. Use a crescent wrench to counter-hold the top of the shock

 

Also make sure your LCA are torqued to I believe 100 ft lbs. They will make noises if LCA are not torqued correctly.

Just to be sure I would loosen the lower shock bolt and LCA bolts while on the ground. Then re torque to factory specs.

 

Did you tighten the LCA bolts when back at ride height? (full weight of the truck back on the tires)

Regardless get an alignment if you touched those bolts, its amazing how little is needed (1/8 of an inch) can throw everything out of wack.

 

I tightend the lca bolts when it was still jacked up. Not really knowing what I was doing. After I replaced the shocks I did get a wheel alignment. Soon after that I had a dealership replace my needle bearing with the ecgs after market bearing. I don't know if this place buttoned up everything correctly. I didn't feel like taking it back.