If anybody gets bored, maybe try this

For those of you that are lifted in the back, whether using a block or leaf pack and are running 33's or larger tires, do this.

Find some dry pavement where it's safe to do so, drive about 15MPH and slam on your brakes as hard as you can until the truck stops moving. In other words simulate a oh shit stop.

Let me know what you find out in regards to any LOUD noises and or harsh vibe from the rear of the truck? I already know what mine does, want to see if other people notice the same thing.

 

im not running 33's but i do have blocks lol i just went outside and tried this, all i hear is a small clunking noise, could be the brakes

 

That's what I was thinking but I'm not so sure anymore.

If I put my trans (5spd) man in nuetral and the parking brake on, then rock the truck forward and back hard, I can hear a clunking sound that sounds exactlly like what i hear braking hard. It sounds like it's coming from the wheels/hubs. Sorta feels and sounds like all the lug nuts are loose but that's not it but that's what it at first impression 'seems' like. I watch the angle of the diff change a little when I rock it back and forth due to the springs/axle wrap but the angle doesn't seem to be moving that much. Under hard braking I'm sure it moves a lot more than I can replicate. I was thinking maybe it was axle wraping under hard braking and the U joints were binding up due to an extreme angle of the diff and that was causing the noise.

When I was rocking it back and forth I'm thinking maybe the brake shoes were simply shifting inside the drums when I test it that way but when I brake hard, it sounds like the same noise. If I'm braking hard and the road has bumps, wholy shit it's much worse than smooth pavement. It seems to be a little worse now with the 33x12.5's than it was with 32's, which made me think wrap. Heavier and larger dia tires, more torque/wrap effect the springs see.

The driveline has some rotational slop/play in it but don't think that's it. Wheel bearing would make noise all the time?? It could be that stupid block is frying my springs. I did notice that the drivers side and passenger side springs are not 100% the same. At the same spot on one of them the pack has a gap like it's not flush/tight against the next leaf and the other side is normal looking. I'll mess with it more this weekend.

 

LOL. The hard braking I noticed long time ago. The Whole Yeti belly bumping truck humping part took place in the privacy of my garage


I'm kinda thinking it's related to wheel hop/axle wrap thing and possibly worn out leafs and how they are affecting the natural play in different parts. sometimes I drive my truck like I'm on a sportbike or in a sports car and brake late and hard prior to turning into a corner. If I drive normal and don't make a oh shit stop, it never happens. Harder I brake and the bumpier the road the easier/worse it is.

Since my factory springs squeek like crap now, maybe I will get a good leaf pack, since noise was one of the reasons I opted for a block rather than AAL way back when.

Did you add that red arrow? I never noticed the arrow in that pic when I put them in my gallary. Must have been when I was trying to route wires for my gauges and was trying to show somebody what I meant. I sold that car a year and a half ago. Tried to delete the Z pics out of my gallary but couldn't get it to work.

 

Seems like I'm not the only one with a clunker LOL. I noticed at least one guy mentioned he had factory leafs that were tweaked/bent. One side of my truck are also tweaked/distorted/bent.

I don't know about all the grease fixing a noise for a couple days then coming back thing.

 

Why soyentlly ya numbskull. ynuk ynuk ynuk.

Yeti, I like it! I'm going with Yeti as my CB handle Thanks! Sounds better than Tacoma Humper