Potential Lower Ball Joint Problem

[q.poole]

Hey guys, having an issue with my 14 sierra with a RC 2.5 Leveling kit. Put the kit in 20,000 kms ago and everything went smooth, no noises or anything.

 

Now my truck started making this horrible creaking noise. It first started with a noise only when colder temperatures. Now It makes the noise all of the time when i hit a bump or when i crank the wheel. It was so loud in the parking lot, the truck sounded like a piece of junk. So I jacked it up thinking it was the sway bar but everything was tight. still had the noise, so I sprayed everything with WD 40. Still had the noise. Noise was so loud i could hear it in the cab with the windows up.

 

Finally took it to my company mechanic and he said the noise is coming from the drivers side lower ball joint, But he said its not from the leveling kit. He advised me to take it to the dealer without the leveling kit ( to avoid warranty conflicts) but i was hoping to avoid that. Drove it home from the shop and no noise. Parked it in the heated garage and noise was back so I jacked it up and broke the ball joint loose and sprayed silicon grease on it all. Noise gone.

 

So now I am torn... Do I take the leveling kit off and take it to the dealer (currently it is not making the noise) or wait it out and see if it returns?

 

Any body else see an issue like this? I just find it so hard to believe a truck with 25,000 kms would have a bad lower ball joint.

 

Thanks for the help guys

 

 

[Pinnacle]

Rock the truck back and forth, either step on the running board or just sway the truck back and forth. If its doing it then its the lower ball joint.

 

Just so you know, the nnbs and the 2014/15(carried over from the NNBS front ends) trucks are notorious for having front end issues with upper and lower ball joints after they have been leveled or lifted, I have replaced both 3 times already!! all went out around 25000 KM

[EXSlider400]

Rock the truck back and forth, either step on the running board or just sway the truck back and forth. If its doing it then its the lower ball joint.

 

Just so you know, the nnbs and the 2014/15(carried over from the NNBS front ends) trucks are notorious for having front end issues with upper and lower ball joints after they have been leveled or lifted, I have replaced both 3 times already!! all went out around 25000 KM

+1...except I haven't had to replace any. I dropped front of 07 and only lifted front of 14 by 1 inch (1/2 top and 1/2 bottom shock spacers)

[q.poole]

Thanks for the help Pinnacle.

 

So I did this the other day when it was making the noise and yes it did make the noise when I jumped on the running board. Guess I will tear it apart and take it back in.

 

 

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[pm26]

What do they make these ball joints out of? Pig iron?

[Pinnacle]

Thanks for the help Pinnacle.

 

So I did this the other day when it was making the noise and yes it did make the noise when I jumped on the running board. Guess I will tear it apart and take it back in.

 

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Welcome to the club it's not a good one.

[COP TZR]

On 05/01/2015 at 10:23 AM, q.poole said:

Thanks for the help Pinnacle.

 

So I did this the other day when it was making the noise and yes it did make the noise when I jumped on the running board. Guess I will tear it apart and take it back in.

 

 

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Any updates to this issue?

[trmor8103]

I have a 2015 Silverado that had this problem. Lower ball joints have now been changed out twice. 1st at 55,000 miles factory 2nd set MOOG lasted almost 20,000 miles. I have a RC level that got put on after the last set of lowers now the uppers are going bad. GM has the worst front end ever done this on 3 other gm trucks 06,09 and this one.

[silveradosid]

just interested if you have steel or aluminum my 2014 is lifted 1.5 inches and at 75k miles my front end is still ok. i have aluminum control arms

[BigBadSierra]

The creaking noise mine developed was the upper control arm on the passengers side.  I thought it was a ball joint but the truck was under warranty and they put the level on it so I had them fix it.

 

The determined it was the control arm no issues since.

 

I had popping fro it as well.