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Issue With Rough Country Leveling Kit

rckt442

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rckt442 Enthusiast

rckt442

Posted
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I've had the 2" leveling kit installed for about 2 months now. As soon as I installed it I noticed a clunking that can be heard and felt through the steering wheel when going over rough terrain. It seems to be getting worse as time goes on, or maybe my tolerance for it is going down. I am 100% sure that the clunking started when the kit was installed. I raised the front end last night and rechecked the torque on all bolts and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. I also had the truck realigned the same day I installed the lift. If any of you have a GMT800, this sounds and feels very similar to the intermediate steering drive shaft problem except that it is much more frequent. I know there are a bunch of you on this board that have the same kit installed, and I haven't heard many complaints (if any at all). Anyone have an idea of what might be going on here? You can tell the angle has changed significantly on the steering and upper ball joints with the kit installed. If I can't figure this out, the next step will be to remove the kit and see if it goes away, which will suck because I have air bags in the back and the truck doesn't look right with the front end at stock height.

 

Thanks.

asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

Posted
Posted

Intermediate steering shaft. Try lubing it.

 

Edit, your signature shows a GMT-900, and your post is asking about a GMT-800, which are you questioning? The Gmt-800, my response stands. If you are asking about a GMT-900, I'd second guess it, I've not heard of any steering shatf problems on the new trucks.

1990ss Enthusiast

1990ss

Posted
Posted

I think he was describing the way it feels, like the shaft on the GMT800's. I think I am having the same issue with my RC leveling kit. I can be just driving down a stone driveway and feel some kind of rattling or clunking in my steering wheel. Anyone else expirencing this?

longhorn_giant Enthusiast

longhorn_giant

Posted
Posted

I've had the RC installed for a month now and haven't had anything like what you're describing. Do both of you guys have 4wd trucks? That might be it too for me, I've got a 2wd.

rckt442 Enthusiast

rckt442

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Intermediate steering shaft. Try lubing it.

 

Edit, your signature shows a GMT-900, and your post is asking about a GMT-800, which are you questioning? The Gmt-800, my response stands. If you are asking about a GMT-900, I'd second guess it, I've not heard of any steering shatf problems on the new trucks.

 

The issue is with my 2007 GMT900. I was just trying to describe the noise/feeling by comparing it to the GMT800 steering shaft issue (which I had before).

rckt442 Enthusiast

rckt442

Posted
  • Author
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I've had the RC installed for a month now and haven't had anything like what you're describing. Do both of you guys have 4wd trucks? That might be it too for me, I've got a 2wd.

 

Mine's 2wd.

longhorn_giant Enthusiast

longhorn_giant

Posted
Posted

That's a thought, there's also the opposite way. Are you hitting the bottom bump stop on your lower A member? When I was installing my leveling kit I couldn't get all 3 of the blocks in because the lower A was hitting the bump stop. When I put it back together the lower A was really close the the stop when the suspension was hanging even without the wheels/tires, so you might be hitting that also.

1990ss Enthusiast

1990ss

Posted
Posted

It really doesn't feel like I'm hitting a bump stop. Plus, I'm only going 5mph down a stone driveway. I don't think I would be bottoming out on my bump stops. But, maybe I am? I'll have to check it out. Rckt442 described it best. It feels almost exactly like the intermediate steering shaft issue on the GMT800's.

rckt442 Enthusiast

rckt442

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It really doesn't feel like I'm hitting a bump stop. Plus, I'm only going 5mph down a stone driveway. I don't think I would be bottoming out on my bump stops. But, maybe I am? I'll have to check it out. Rckt442 described it best. It feels almost exactly like the intermediate steering shaft issue on the GMT800's.

 

 

Same here. It doesn't have to bottom out the suspension to get the clunk. I'm thinking about uninstalling the lift this weekend or next to see what happens. Its just odd to me that with as many members as we have on this board that we are the only two experiencing this. Did your's start as soon as the kit was installed? That's definitely the case with mine.

tobias Senior Enthusiast

tobias

Posted
Posted

I know this might be a silly question but were you sure to tighten the upper strut mounts when you were through? I could see someone forgetting those top 3 with all of the rest of the work being down below. :confused:

1990ss Enthusiast

1990ss

Posted
Posted

Rckt442, yes, I noticed it after the leveling kit.

 

Daddy, I never had the upper bolts loose. Should I have loosened them for something?

khester84 Enthusiast

khester84

Posted
Posted

You know I've always felt like something was loose in my steering (clunking) after putting the kit on...I thought I was just going crazy but I do feel some slight vibration in the steering too. 4wd

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