Rear leaf springs noise

Tattooo · October 15, 2015

one shock and both leaf springs replaced by dealer... I still have the issue. Also tightened up everything. I also installed the leaf spring clamps. This is the only issue I have... and really hate it.

So what did they say they were going to do ?

arsonfnder · June 3, 2016

Can anyone post the TSB info that I can share with my dealer, having e same issue with my 2015

rgboyd3 · July 26, 2016

I have a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado Z71, it makes a lot of noise in the rear end as well, especially on bumpy roads. I toke it to the dealership and they said it was normal, I said no way, if the truck was 10 years old I would of agreed. So from reading here, it sounds like it could be the leafs springs as well, very hard to pin point the origin of the noise, all I know it only occurs while driving on rough roads, so I figured it has to be the suspension (shocks, or leafs).

So most people are spraying it with WD40 between the leafs and the mounts, is this working and how long before it has to be done again?

It is a really annoying sound, I never expected to hear noise like that from a new truck. Very disappointing that Chevrolet couldn't recognize they have a issue with this, as they have been building trucks for how long?

Let me know about the WD40?

Thanks

2017SierraSLT · July 26, 2016

I had a minor creaking noise coming from my springs. I jacked the truck up by the hitch, greased the pads with fully synthetic grease, then sprayed the entire spring with fluid film. The noise is totally gone, and there will never be an issue with them rusting.

hafrkamp · July 26, 2016

Issue:

I have a 2015 Silverado 1500 LTZ. It has 4500 miles on it. I have brought it into 2 dealers and both diagnose these "clunks" as normal. What I have found through my troubleshooting this truck is there are two clunks that seem to be present.

Clunk #1:

This happens when the truck is on an incline and the parking brake is not applied before the truck is placed in park. Clearly drive-line clunk when placing it into gear and manual calls out Torque Lock.

Clunk #2:

The other "clunk" is happening after putting the truck in reverse regardless of the parking brake application. After about 3 foot of movement a "clunk" happens when going in reverse direction. Almost like someone is pushing up against the truck or you hit something. My best guess was this was coming from one of the rear leaf springs slapping. Since the dealers couldn't find anything wrong I took to the forums to help me troubleshoot. Some of the posts before mine indicated to make sure all the bolts are torqued properly. So I got out my torque wrench and 22mm socket and started checking I was really surprised to find my truck upon first torque inspection of u-bolts didn't even have 30 lb-ft on them. Clearly something happened at the factory or the u-bolts stretched.

Resolution:

Clunk #1: Application of parking brake before taking truck out of gear.

Clunk #2: See below

Please refer to #09-03-09-001D from GM.

NOTE: UBOLTS THAT ARE TORQUED >74 lb-ft MAY SQUEEK OVER BUMPY ROADS.

http://gm.oemdtc.com/2388/clunking-noise-from-rear-of-vehicle-2007-2017-chevrolet-gmc-trucks

I have re-torqued the rear spring ubolts down twice to the 74 lb-ft as required in the TSB. I re-torqued in stages(50-60-70-74) lb-ft in the cross pattern. The problem I have now is 2 of the nuts on the bolts on the passenger side of vehicle are not holding their torque. After about 50 miles or so it appears the u-bolts come loose and the clunk comes back. And vice versus, as soon as I re-torque them the clunk goes away.

This is my 3rd time re-torquing the -bolts. Will see what happens at this point and hopefully the third time is the charm.

Torque Used:

http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/92488/re-torque-to-eliminate-clunk

Cross Pattern & Distance:

Each nut was around 1 inch off the end of the stud when finished. The cross pattern can also be found on the below documents/procedures.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM479430/RCRIT-15V208-3143.pdf (google recall ubolts mexico)

https://www.autoandtrucksprings.com/pages/U-Bolt_Torque.html

Grease Monkey 2 · August 14, 2016

I have same rear leaf spring noise on my 2015 Silverado 1500 4x4 HIGH COUNRTY THEY REPLACE THE rear shock on the driver side put new parts on the leaf spring and that lasted for two weeks and the noise is back. I call the dealer and i need to bring the truck in so they look at. I said order a new spring. they said can't do that .I said the spring part number has change and it will take 10 days to get the new spring they said you need to bring your truck in .I said so you can keep for 10 days I well let you know what happen next when I can get to the dealer and I am a mechanic for the last 23 years it needs a new spring

southern_sierra · August 14, 2016

My rear springs started creaking and got worse. I found that the noise was coming from where the delrin pad between the top two springs meet at the back. I sprayed some wd-40 between the pad and spring and it stop the noise. This only lasted a few days and the creaking was back. I cut some 2 inch fire hose to fit between the delrin pads on the left and right sides. I took a tire tool wedged it between the top and second spring and while laying under the truck pulled down on the tire tool to open up the springs and slid the fire hose in. The springs have been quite since. Also shackles were tight. I tighten the u-bolts over a year ago.

SteveD4 · August 16, 2016

I have a 2015 Sierra 1500 Double Cab with 5500 miles. The rear leaf spring noise has been around since the first 500 miles. Today, I went to the dealer for regular maintenance and asked them to also address the leaf spring noise. They quickly brought up the fact there is a service bulletin and offered to perform that. The bulletin as most have pointed out, consists of cleaning/greasing springs, and retightening of associated hardware. We all know this is a temporary fix, and the employee acknowledged this. I further asked if there was permanent fix to prevent return trips for the same issue. The service employee advised this was all they could do, and noted he heard rumor that new leaf springs may be released to correct this issue down the road.

Has anyone else heard of these new leaf springs being produced or released? Are the 2016 trucks coming with improved versions? Just looking to fix this problem once and for all, like so many others.

hafrkamp · August 17, 2016

Issue:

Clunk #2:

The other "clunk" is happening after putting the truck in reverse regardless of the parking brake application. After about 3 foot of movement a "clunk" happens when going in reverse direction.

Update on Resolution: Re-torquing the ubolts didn't solve the reverse clunking issue.

1. I ended up bringing my truck back to my local dealership for the 3rd time and they very hesitant at first to replace any parts, but especially the leaf springs. But I had done my own research and took pictures before going into the dealer. They also validated this with trucks they had on the lot. Clearly the springs were fatigued with very little clearance compared to the new springs on the 2016 models and some 2015 models still on the lot. The dealership ended up replacing the old springs(23287269) with new springs(23401109) because of the lack of spring clearance and rough ride vs because of any clunk.

2. At the same time I also cleaned, polished, and waxed the exterior of the yoke as it was totally covered in rust and a very sticky glue type substance(perhaps over application of the seal glue plus lube at the factory). I just didn't know if that weather seal and excess lube was somehow sticking to the yoke at very low speeds and could also be causing the issue.

Conclusion:

So far with doing these two items the "clunk" has been gone. I have tried everything I know to duplicate it about a dozen times. It's only been 3 days so we will see if the clunk returns.

2 32

hafrkamp · August 17, 2016

Here is also another picture of the fatigued springs in relationship to the crossbar on my 2015 Silverado and on another brand new 2015 model. The 2016 models had similar increased clearance compared to mine.

The dealership also told me they know greasing the old springs and cleaning them isn't a permanent fix so they just bypass this. All it does is upset the customer more once the vehicle comes back. It also undermines their credibility with being able to resolve issues. I have a wonderful service manager who through this entire "clunking" process has tried to find a resolution. She has made all the difference in the world. It is so nice to pull out of the garage and not get the dreaded "clunk". I have my fingers crossed replacing the leaf springs and cleaning the exterior yoke/weather seal area has solved this.

zedd · September 22, 2016

As a rule I do not talk about certain matters on forums or blogs but this conversation has me intrigued. There seems to be a lot of concern about this issue (as there should be) there is also a lot of.... well a bit of concern as to the lengths people will go to prevent the noises they are hearing. That being said, I would like to share my year long battle with dealers and reps also my discoveries and knowledge.

First I hear a lot of people talking about aftermarket spring clamps. Please do not clamp the overload spring to the interim spring! Yes it will help with the clunk noise (but not the squeak). Clamping the overload spring to the remainder of the springs not only will stiffen the ride but will also cause further damage to the problematic squeaky component further down the line.

Second WD40, Bearing grease, any formulated petro based lubricant are detrimental to the Teflon based plastic wear pads between the leaf. Use Lithium style of grease. They make it in a spray source for easy application.

Next The wear pads mentioned above I firmly believe are not the source of the problem. as they are not rubber to metal. The Believed source is the rubber bushings located in the spring loops and the lower link loop are the problem. These rubber bushings never changed for most of a decade, until 2007 when GM decided to develop and produce load dampening bushings in the springs. Now for nearly another decade people have been complaining about leaf spring noises that somehow could not be replicated upon delivery of said vehicle to dealer..... sure. Unfortunately by the time the problem was found GM could no longer acquire pre 2007 bushings nor could ant other manuf. The other manufacturers decided to use poly bushings and GM decided to cut corners and hope for the best. That is why they tell you "all the trucks make that noise." If you are reading this i'm sure you wonder why one truck has noise and the other does not? Well in 2009 shortly after the problem bushings were discovered, yes 2 years later, GM set forth a new standard in QC with the **companies** that manufacture these bushings mandating the bushings be dipped in Lithium lubricant to prevent "static friction" (the same sound produced when you rub a rubber layer against any smooth metal even some non metal surface) some companies abides by the QS the others may not. This example is how you get primitive parts on vehicle and not the other. GM no longer sends reps to ensure QC after the initial merger they only send reps when a new developments arise. Back to the topic an hand, Lithium compounds cannot be diluted with water but can deteriorate with friction. So after lets say 2500 miles of friction the layer of protection is gone and it's now rubber on metal.

Spraying water on the links will help that is until the water is gone. Water is the thinnest lubricant known therefore it is the only substance that can penetrate the void between the rubber and the metal. It also helps the corrosion process so.. no water in the links.

The link bolts. If you look at the bracket that houses the shackle link and the outer steel arm that covers the grommet is bent inward the bolt is too tight. I know what GM said they are stupid. the link bolts have a "crush/-nut" to prevent reversal. Any engineer knows when you utilize this method there is a reason for it. The said bolts were never designed to be torqued. This feature allows for the rotation of link and grommet as one around bolt itself not grommet and bolt as one and spring loop as itself this is where the noise happens. To explain hopefully in layman's terms the process:

as it stands the load applied down on the truck levels the leaf springs which push out on the upper rear "shackle" forcing the rubber grommet to push against the bolt which is torqued/immobilized causing the grommet to rotate in the spring loop which is also permanent/ immobilized. causing static friction which is transferred into energy and released as a dull squeak.

conclusion: I loosened the link bolts and did a poly swap of the grommets which will void the warranty (only on the end links) - do not let them BS you, and have had 8407 miles to be exact of squeak free riding.

Good luck... and FK GM

jmcurry1 · November 13, 2016

All I have been a consumer on the forum but never have actually wrote anything. So I wanted to update you all. I had (note that is past tense) the same problem that is well documented here. So after talking with the dealership and getting them to tell me that they would replace the springs, BUT they have replaced them before and it would happen again. So I decided the best thing to do was go around GM and get my own springs. At some point GM will have a solution to the issue which is getting another manufacturer of springs and recalling and replacing (may never happen).

At $200 each I bought a set from truckspring.com (aka Michigan springs). I had 4 wheel parts install because they get blamed for this spring issue from all the local dealerships they lift trucks for so they wanted to see if it worked. You already know the ending. They do and very well I might add. They are actually 3/4 springs 6 leafs. They are smoother than factory and are clamped.

Here is the link http://www.truckspring.com/products/GM-Pickup-Replacement-Leaf-Spring-(6-Leaves-Rear)__22-1289.aspx?keyword_session_id=vt~adwords%7Ckt~%7Cmt~%7Cta~105670995738&_vsrefdom=wordstream&gclid=CLnizvGCptACFUlNfgod2GsJXg

Last make no mistake about it. There are several theories besides leaf springs that were the problem but I can tell you it is not shocks, bed alignment etc it is your springs. I tried every trick between this forum and tons of others. If you want to fix your issue then you will need to open your wallet. The lengths I will go to avoid buying a dodge or ford!

GMC-AT · November 17, 2016

I feel changing the springs (non GM) is the only way to fix it. Is everything still good with yours? I think I may order these...

HondaHawkGT · January 23, 2017

As a rule I do not talk about certain matters on forums or blogs but this conversation has me intrigued. There seems to be a lot of concern about this issue (as there should be) there is also a lot of.... well a bit of concern as to the lengths people will go to prevent the noises they are hearing. That being said, I would like to share my year long battle with dealers and reps also my discoveries and knowledge.

First I hear a lot of people talking about aftermarket spring clamps. Please do not clamp the overload spring to the interim spring! Yes it will help with the clunk noise (but not the squeak). Clamping the overload spring to the remainder of the springs not only will stiffen the ride but will also cause further damage to the problematic squeaky component further down the line.

Second WD40, Bearing grease, any formulated petro based lubricant are detrimental to the Teflon based plastic wear pads between the leaf. Use Lithium style of grease. They make it in a spray source for easy application.

Next The wear pads mentioned above I firmly believe are not the source of the problem. as they are not rubber to metal. The Believed source is the rubber bushings located in the spring loops and the lower link loop are the problem. These rubber bushings never changed for most of a decade, until 2007 when GM decided to develop and produce load dampening bushings in the springs. Now for nearly another decade people have been complaining about leaf spring noises that somehow could not be replicated upon delivery of said vehicle to dealer..... sure. Unfortunately by the time the problem was found GM could no longer acquire pre 2007 bushings nor could ant other manuf. The other manufacturers decided to use poly bushings and GM decided to cut corners and hope for the best. That is why they tell you "all the trucks make that noise." If you are reading this i'm sure you wonder why one truck has noise and the other does not? Well in 2009 shortly after the problem bushings were discovered, yes 2 years later, GM set forth a new standard in QC with the **companies** that manufacture these bushings mandating the bushings be dipped in Lithium lubricant to prevent "static friction" (the same sound produced when you rub a rubber layer against any smooth metal even some non metal surface) some companies abides by the QS the others may not. This example is how you get primitive parts on vehicle and not the other. GM no longer sends reps to ensure QC after the initial merger they only send reps when a new developments arise. Back to the topic an hand, Lithium compounds cannot be diluted with water but can deteriorate with friction. So after lets say 2500 miles of friction the layer of protection is gone and it's now rubber on metal.

Spraying water on the links will help that is until the water is gone. Water is the thinnest lubricant known therefore it is the only substance that can penetrate the void between the rubber and the metal. It also helps the corrosion process so.. no water in the links.

The link bolts. If you look at the bracket that houses the shackle link and the outer steel arm that covers the grommet is bent inward the bolt is too tight. I know what GM said they are stupid. the link bolts have a "crush/-nut" to prevent reversal. Any engineer knows when you utilize this method there is a reason for it. The said bolts were never designed to be torqued. This feature allows for the rotation of link and grommet as one around bolt itself not grommet and bolt as one and spring loop as itself this is where the noise happens. To explain hopefully in layman's terms the process:

as it stands the load applied down on the truck levels the leaf springs which push out on the upper rear "shackle" forcing the rubber grommet to push against the bolt which is torqued/immobilized causing the grommet to rotate in the spring loop which is also permanent/ immobilized. causing static friction which is transferred into energy and released as a dull squeak.

conclusion: I loosened the link bolts and did a poly swap of the grommets which will void the warranty (only on the end links) - do not let them BS you, and have had 8407 miles to be exact of squeak free riding.

Good luck... and FK GM

Yet despite your claims I have successfully ridden myself of any and all leaf spring squeak for over a year by simply washing off my helper spring end pads and lubricating them with a dry lube spray. You are the equivalent of the crazy guy that spray paints end of the world rants on the outside walls of his shed in the middle of nowhere.

Mozzer · January 29, 2017

I haven't read every post but thought I would let you know my experience with the suspension squeak.

2014 silverado double cab WT 1500 5.3

Squeaking after about 3 months from new & 6,000 kms.

Would clear up after pressure washing & spraying between leafs with lube for a few days.

Took to dealer in Vernon, British Columbia. They cleaned & re greased, same result. Took it back again for new springs, all good since & two years gone by.