Squeaky Dakars : Any advice from others with the Dakars ?

It will be back though.......
Just use that salad dressing!

 

Used the rest of the can. Gotta pick up more though

 

Welp, I'm here to join the party! I have the updated Dakars with the isolators from factory. Installed June or July of 2017 and about 8k on them. I live in upstate NY where they like to salt and sand the shit out of the roads with the sign of a few snowflakes. The springs are creaking and squeaking like crazy and became problematic about a week ago. I guess I have to find the culprit.

 

Could be the front bushings.

Check this out:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/change-the-front-bushings-in-your-dakars.479071/

 

Mine didn't come with the "pressed in" bushing. I installed these on both ends of each leaf spring. (A generic pic from google). They also include an inner sleeve in the package.

 

Ahhh...

 

Where did you retaining clip liners go?

 

The updated Dakar’s don’t come with retaining clip liners. I have these updated Dakar’s as well and they didn’t squeak for the first 3000 miles. But now that winter is here and they salt the roads like crazy, my springs are squeaking pretty bad.

 

Oh. I thought the clips looked a little different from mine.

 

Ya, mine didn't come with them either, but I don't think that's the issue. Although the isolators are on all of the springs, after a very quick look, it appears that the main leaf, 2nd and 3rd, possibly still rub a few inches back from the isolators. Once you get some high quality road salt and dirt built up in there, it could possibly cause the noise. I'm gonna pressure wash them out tomorrow, put the truck on my lift and see what's going on. I might also check and retorque everything.

 

Ya, I've been looking at that as a solution if the springs are actually making contact.

 

My noise is more like a creaking noise. It wasn’t bad at all until road salt got on everything. Could it possibly be the poly bushings in the spring eyes? I lubed them up good at install. Could they creak rubbing against the spring hanger?

 

I will take a look at those leafs. Thanks for the info

 

Haven't had much time to investigate, but while pushing the truck back and forth and listening into the wheel well, it sounds like the noise is coming from both the front and rear bushings. They're the ARB poly bushings. Thinking about disassembling them, slapping more grease on them, then installing greasable shackle bolts and go from there.

As for the updated version with isolators on every leaf, a few inches back from the front bushing, the leafs make contact which may also be an issue. Say hello to the lovely NYS salt and sand!

 

Still looking around. Haven't found exactly what I'm looking for yet, but I'll keep updating when I can.

 

I agree with you on the poly bushings. I used Energy Suspension poly bushings when I installed my leaf packs and I used the supplied grease that came with them. Mine don't look as dirty as your leaf packs but I can hear a bad creaking sound with any movement of the truck suspension. I also tried to see if I could feel where it was coming from and it seems to be felt more by the front and rear bushings as you described. I'm not looking forward to taking them apart and re-greasing them.

 

I hosed mine down with chain lube the other day and I don't sound like an old grain truck now, but the noise isn't gone. I just don't hear it in the cab when I'm in my work parking garage drawing stares from the unwashed masses.

 

That salt is horrible. Go west young man.

 

So, I’m curious as to what part of the poly leaf spring bushing would be creaking.. Would it be where the bolt goes thru the metal sleeve in the bushing or is it the outside of the bushing, where the bushing and spring eye are contacting. Or could it be where the bushing rubs on the spring hangers. I don’t think it’s the actual leafs in the leaf pack making the noise. It’s gotta be the polyurethane bushings. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Would these fit?

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/..._mmc=pla-msn-_-shopping-_-srese2-_-trail-gear