slow speed suspension clunking

Dogdad · June 27, 2021

55 minutes ago, WeGone said:

First I'm just confirming your earlier posts. Maybe you misunderstood, I know what axle/wheel bearing play is been restoring cars and trucks for over 40 years. I am grabbing the top of the tire with it on the ground and shaking the truck from side to side, I had my buddy do this while I was under the truck and can hear and feel the spring move at the ends at the plastic cushions. The plastic cushions are making the groaning/clunking sounds I hear as they move.

As a test I placed small rubber shims between the spring cushions and the steel leaf and the sounds completely stopped, this would be why when many have taken them to a dealer and the dealer lubricated that area the sounds stopped until the lub wore off.

Thanks for the tip on the spring thing ordered today.

When I started hearing the clunking noise from inside my truck while going over a driveway curb and such, I thought it was a loose spare tire or tailgate making the noise. Then I discovered what I thought was the same noise by pushing the top of the rear tire back and forth and thought wow..I’ve got problems with this new truck. Brought it to a dealer ship and showed the shop foreman . He told me about axle play and told me I was hearing the leaf springs and confirmed it after driving the truck. They actually replaced the leaf springs and a week later the clunking was back. Then after researching the issue I came across the Spring Things, brought them to the dealership where he actually installed them. Haven’t heard the clunking since which has been 7 weeks. He also told me the dealership had been installing rubber bushings they made and GMC told them to stop. Anyway, out of curiosity, I just went out and shook the tire as we discussed and yep…noise is still there from the axle play. Thank goodness we don’t hear that in the trucks.

Juicedgsr95 · June 29, 2021

I appreciate this thread. The clunking noise has been driving me crazy. I've lowered and tightened the spare, tried to shake anything and everything under the bed, sprayed lubricant on the leaves, nothing has worked. I ordered the spring things kit and REALLY hope that takes care of it. Its been happening since day one and now have 700 miles on the truck. 21 LT Trail Boss, springs marked mexico and built in mexico.

Dogdad · June 30, 2021

1 hour ago, Juicedgsr95 said:

I appreciate this thread. The clunking noise has been driving me crazy. I've lowered and tightened the spare, tried to shake anything and everything under the bed, sprayed lubricant on the leaves, nothing has worked. I ordered the spring things kit and REALLY hope that takes care of it. Its been happening since day one and now have 700 miles on the truck. 21 LT Trail Boss, springs marked mexico and built in mexico.

It will solve the issue

[email protected] · July 1, 2021

I've got a 21 gmc elevation 4wd with 1100 miles and it has been making that annoying bumping sound, I don't have any squeaking just sounds like something rolling around in the bed, my springs are also stamped Mexico. I'm going to try the spring- thing and hope it works. What a disappointment this truck has been so far.

WeGone · July 2, 2021

On 6/29/2021 at 8:52 PM, Dogdad said:

It will solve the issue

Install the spring things as suggested by Dogdad and yes it fixed it!!

Dogdad · July 2, 2021

3 minutes ago, WeGone said:

Install the spring things as suggested by Dogdad and yes it fixed it!!

Glad to hear.. it’s unfortunate that GMC doesn’t do this for us that buy their trucks.

Tedk · July 4, 2021

I just ordered the Spring Things after reading this thread. Noises from my leaf springs have been driving me crazy over the last week and couldn’t figure it out until reading this. Had it at the dealer this past week and they told me nothing was wrong. The noises everyone reported here were identical like the sound of something rolling around in the bed. Thanks for the info and will post after I install.

Juicedgsr95 · July 4, 2021

On 7/2/2021 at 3:51 PM, Dogdad said:

Glad to hear.. it’s unfortunate that GMC doesn’t do this for us that buy their trucks.

do i install between the 2 long leaves removing the oem plastic piece?

Dogdad · July 4, 2021

19 minutes ago, Juicedgsr95 said:

do i install between the 2 long leaves removing the oem plastic piece?

Look at my pic of my install . Leave the grey plastic piece there. Install on top of it.

Juicedgsr95 · July 4, 2021

I did it, I ended up taking out the factory plastic pieces though, couldn’t get the rubber in there with them in place. Tested it and the noise is gone! Thank you .

Dogdad · July 4, 2021

3 minutes ago, Juicedgsr95 said:

I did it, I ended up taking out the factory plastic pieces though, couldn’t get the rubber in there with them in place. Tested it and the noise is gone! Thank you .

Did you Jack up truck where tires were off the ground to install them and couldn’t fit them in over the grey plastic ones?

Juicedgsr95 · July 4, 2021

Just now, Dogdad said:

Did you Jack up truck where tires were off the ground to install them and couldn’t fit them in over the grey plastic ones?

Yeah, the top leaf was all the way to the top c bracket keeping them from opening any further. I probably could have got it in there with some lube but didn’t want to go that route. Either way it’s working and I’m happy and I appreciate you for helping solve the only issue I’ve had with the truck.

Dogdad · July 4, 2021

5 minutes ago, Juicedgsr95 said:

Yeah, the top leaf was all the way to the top c bracket keeping them from opening any further. I probably could have got it in there with some lube but didn’t want to go that route. Either way it’s working and I’m happy and I appreciate you for helping solve the only issue I’ve had with the truck.

fireaxxe · July 10, 2021

Every z71 I’ve owned has had this problem. If you look at the ends of the leaf spring you’ll see plastic full contact pads between the longest leaf spring and the middle one. I am not exactly sure what phenomenon occurs but this is where the “clunk” is coming from. My brand new 2021 RST had it as well. To get rid of the clunk lubricate the area with the heaviest axle grease you can find I use the black grease with molly. The grease has to go in between the leaf spring and the pad to work. This is not a permanent fix but in the past has gone 5k miles before the clunk returns. Now I just lube the spring during oil changes.

I just lubed mine and the clunk is completely gone.

Dogdad · July 10, 2021

1 minute ago, fireaxxe said:

Every z71 I’ve owned has had this problem. If you look at the ends of the leaf spring you’ll see plastic full contact pads between the longest leaf spring and the middle one. I am not exactly sure what phenomenon occurs but this is where the “clunk” is coming from. My brand new 2021 RST had it as well. To get rid of the clunk lubricate the area with the heaviest axle grease you can find I use the black grease with molly. The grease has to go in between the leaf spring and the pad to work. This is not a permanent fix but in the past has gone 5k miles before the clunk returns. Now I just lube the spring during oil changes.

I just lubed mine and the clunk is completely gone.

Grease just collects dirt and grime in them. Just install the $40 spring things, a 10 minute fix and it’ll solve the issue.