Lower control arm squeak

Usually they do provide it, but this time they kept the copy with their copy of the paperwork and didn’t give me one which seemed odd. They definitely have the print outs because I looked at them the day I paid, I’ll have to request some copies whenever I go back to pick it up again.

 

This is what concerns me. How can the lcas be sitting correctly when this is all mucked up. Pic of mine and yours.

 

Really tough to see for sure based on different angles so I've been trying not to speculate TOO much. But yeah, @gotoman1969 those pics really are starting to illustrate that the mount is F'd. I can really see now some obvious hammer marks too. I think all points are leading in the same direction now...

Sure looks to me like this tech had NO idea how to deal with the seized bolts. While we're speculating... looks like they cut the outside ends of the bolts rather than the inside, which then didn't release the LCA (DUH!) At that point, they used a BFH and possibly pry bars to open up the mounting pocket. They then did a hack weld job on the damaged cam tabs and weren't able to reshape the pocket. Not like you want to be bending these pieces of metal anyway as thats a surefire way to stress and weaken the metal.

Ugh, I'm sorry @C1397 but this just keeps looking worse and worse the more we look at it. Unfortunately, you can't just easily replace this part since it's literally just welded onto your frame. I still think you need to get under the truck with the service manager and show him how this mounting point is completed deformed and ruined. I'd want to hear what he suggests for a fix and I would be skeptical if they say they'll just bend it back into place. Sounds insane and I can't see a situation where they'd actually do it, but IMO the right way to fix this is to replace the frame. Maybe you could cut a good pocket from another frame and weld it to this one and there are some aftermarket solutions out there which may be helpful but thats not the kind of stuff the dealer should be doing and instead more the kind of thing you'd want a fab shop or autobody frame shop handling.

 

Stealerships are diptards...JD fab kit ...marlin cam tab kit... after market

Jd fab kit..marlin kit ..aftermarket cam tab kits ...the whole frame....haaaa

 

That’s what I was afraid of when I got under there and looked last night. I appreciate all the insight and advice. I’ll post an update next time I go down there and I’ll have them put it on the lift and point out how the frame is pretty much ruined from this.

 

Snakes are slippery...pivot away from stealership for more effective results ...

 

@C1397 any update? I'm hoping the dealer is finally seeing the issue and owning up to their mistake but realize that's wishful thinking.

 

Just got it back today. To me it looks like they did exactly what you said and re-welded a new mount. With my remote start it comes with GPS and the whole time they had it this time it wouldn’t ever update, and my battery jumper in the back was used (disconnected battery and took it somewhere else for it?). But here are the updated pics, it looks like a new mount to me:

 

^They definitely didn't weld in a new mounting point, you can see the old hammer damage. But, looks like they did some work to get it back into roughly the correct shape/location. And they did a better job re-repairing the cam tabs too.

Is the squeak gone? Are the alignment specs as they should be? Hopefully all is well.

 

Alignment is good, no more holding it to the left to go straight, and so far no squeak (usually took a few days to come back) but so far everything is looking and sounding good. I appreciate all the insight and advice along the way!

 

Update: after about 130 miles the squeak is back again but doesn’t sound as terrible. At this point I have no idea how. Every time they mess with the LCA it goes away but as I put miles on it, it just slowly comes back, as if something is starting to loosen up or something? I’m pretty lost at this point.

 

Just looking at the pics. The lca does not appear to be sitting square in the mount imo. Also are those OE lcas?

 

I’m assuming they are OE, they had a sticker on them with a 05/21/24 date (which it seems they removed). I got underneath it today and had someone bounce on it, it doesn’t even seem like it’s coming from the LCA at this point, but more like it’s coming from the UCA (which they also replaced) which has me dumbfounded as to what it could be since literally everything on that left side has been replaced and it came back again.

 

use a mechanics stethoscope to diagnose exact cause of squeak, without it, you're just guessing, two person job works best

 

Update: sounds like it’s coming from the strut at the top where my leveling kit is. This is pretty much the only part that hasn’t been replaced so it would make sense (maybe it was squeaking from both and I couldn’t tell?). I’m about to order another set of the front leveling kit which is only about $140 from fat bobs garage (2wd 5 lug) but does anyone have any other suggestions for a leveling kit or is fat bobs the go to for these? My current one is a ready lift 2.75”.

 

Did they replace the strut top hats when they replaced your struts? The Ready Lift is a spacer lift that is solid steel. It should NOT be making noise. If it somehow was, then that would mean it's likely cracking. Not sure how likely that would even be though.

 

I’d like to assume they replaced the top hats but I’ll have to try and take a look at them. That was my same thought on the spacer lifts, they swapped them over from the old struts to the new struts and didn’t mention any cracks, but I’m assuming they didn’t look at them very hard either. My plan for now is to get some new spacers from fat bobs garage, have them throw those in, and have them possibly replace/check the top strut hats. I’ll throw an update on here once’s that’s done and hopefully that’ll be the final nail in the squeak coffin (I’m assuming LCA and lift/strut were both squeaking and one was louder than the other because it was definitely coming from the LCA at first)

update: top hats look brand new, and I do remember them mentioning the struts they use come fully assembled and they pretty much just slap them in. My only hope at this point is something went wrong with the steel spacer, but we shall find out soon enough.

 

IMO, spending money on new top hat spacers is waste of time and $. I just can't see those being the issue so it seems like an odd move to just throw money at it by buying new ones and paying a shop the labor to install them.

Have you tried spraying WD40 or some other sort of lubricant on various joints then listening for the squeak? I'm wondering if you could use a lubricant to quite the squeak just long enough to at least pinpoint the source.

 

Yeah i got in under it a few days ago and hosed down just about every thing I assumed could possibly be squeaking and had no luck getting it to quiet down unfortunately. I hit the LCAs and the UCAs on all sides and it didn’t do anything at all