creaking leaf spring

[lesZ71]

I recently had the dealer check my leaf springs for excessive creaking. They lubricated the springs (per a service bulletin) with some grease and the creaking went away for a couple of weeks. Now it is back. I have tried spraying some white lithium grease between the springs and on the shackles, but this does not seem to work...the creaking dies down some, but it is still pretty noticeable . It seems to be predominantly on the passenger side rear leaf spring. The creaking goes away whenever it rains...but comes back after a couple of days. I guess I could just hose them off whenever the creaking gets bad! Does anyone have a better solution? The truck is a 2004 Z71.

[ken1mod]

LEAF SPRINGS ARE NOISY, THAT IS WHY THEY DON'T USE THEM ON CARS.

 

kEN

[TN_Z71]

Had the exact same problem with my 04, but mine also would pop when I would turn a corner or run over an uneven surface

Just got it back from the dealer yesterday....they replaced both leaf springs because both were making noise.

Quiet so far, but I'm gonna give it a couple of days.

[lesZ71]

My leaf springs also seem to make a thump/clunk noise occasionally when going around corners or over uneven surfaces...especially at an angle. Did they replace your leaf springs per a service bulletin or on their own? If it was a service bulletin, can you please post the TSB number and title? Thanks!

[firepoggy]

I had the same issue on a previous Dodge pickup. They replaced the pads between the springs because they were down to nothing. Fixed the problem without having to replace the springs.

[TN_Z71]

They really never said.

I've got 27,000 miles on the truck and I dont hit the 3 year mark until this April, so I'm assuming they fixed it under the original warranty.

You might ask your service rep to look for a TSB that covers this problem.

[lesZ71]

Below is the TSB the dealer gave me when they lubed the springs recently. This seemed to work really good for about a month and then the creaking started coming back...anyway I figured this might help someone else out. Again, thanks for the responses!

 

Condition:

Squeak Noise From Rear of Vehicle (Lubricate Rear Leaf Springs)

#06-03-09-004 - (06/02/2006)

1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado (Classic)

1999-2007 GMC Sierra (Classic)

 

Some customers may comment about a squeak noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. During normal operation, certain vehicles may exhibit a squeaking noise that may be traced to the rear leaf springs. While this noise is an operating characteristic of leaf springs, the frequency and severity of this noise will be affected by the roads that the vehicle is driven on. This condition may be due to debris getting between the leaf springs.

 

Correction

To correct this condition, lubricate the rear leaf springs using the following procedure.

Important: It has been found that the application of grease to the rear leaf springs does a better job of preventing the noise from reoccurring than replacement of the spring.

1. Raise the vehicle on a frame lift-type hoist.

2. Inspect the springs for damage. If none is found, proceed to the next step.

3. Pressure wash the rear leaf springs to remove as much dirt and grit as possible.

4. Dry the springs with compressed air.

5. Apply a liberal amount of grease, GM PIN 12345996 (in Canada, use PIN 10953501), under the front and rear tip inserts for the #2 and #3 leaves, on top of the tip inserts, and in between the #1 and #2, and #2 and #3 leaves, as indicated-below. A screwdriver can be used to gently pry up the tip insert; however, a rag around the screwdriver must be used to prevent damage to the spring. Use a flat-bladed tool, such as a gasket scraper to properly distribute the grease.

6. Lower the vehicle to the ground and test drive to verify the repair.

Please inform the customer that this will offer relief, it is by no means a lifetime repair. Periodic cleanings and grease re-application may be necessary throughout the life of the vehicle.

For 1500 Series (¥2 ton) models only: On vehicles built prior to October 2004, if the above procedure does not correct this noise, it could be caused by an incorrectly dimensioned splay clip (the band holding the ends of the leafs together) that interferes with the leaf springs. A 5 mm (0.197 in) wider splay clip was introduced in early2005 model year to provide additional clearance. To correct this concern, replace the rear leaf spring assembly.

There was no change to the part number.

[TN_Z71]

The TSB states that if your truck was built prior to October 2004 the leaf spring assembly should be replaced to fix the problem.

I'm assuming your's was built after October 2004. If not, the service rep should have given you this option.

[lesZ71]

I actually dropped it off at the local dealer this morning and asked that they replace the leaf springs this time since the first solution did not work. I picked it up after work with a shiney new set of leaf springs. It seemed much quieter on the drive home and no squeaking or clunking entering the driveway. Hopefully this will quiet things down for a while. While looking over the new springs I noticed that they seem to have what appears to be a metal plate (it was silver and shiny) between each leaf where it mounts to the axle under the u-bolt. It seemed like the old set of leaf springs had a softer material between them....I could be wrong though... Again, thanks for feedback.

[lesZ71]

Just wanted to post an update on this issue. I have been driving with the new leaf springs for about a month now and so far everything is pretty quiet...no clunks or squeaks when going around corners or over uneven surfaces. This has also eliminated the problems that I was having in the threads listed below. Thanks again for all the responses.

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...c=59151&hl=

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...c=59437&hl=

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...c=54933&hl=