Noise in rear suspension

[Bishop]

For some time now I have been living with a rattling and clunking noise that is constantly coming from the rear suspension whiloe I am driving. I have looked under the TB several times and cannot find any loose hardware. I have a lift kit installed from Mark and am wondering if something I did or didn't do could be the cause. This sound occurs from normal dailiy driving on city roads. Some of the roads I drive on are brick and that really makes alot of noise. Also, I tend to sometimes get a loud thump from both the front and rear end on bumps in parking lots and I don't speed over them either. I did find a pair of rubber peices in the back of my TB that may have been from the suspension install but am unsure beause I dont remeber removing them. I did have a friend helping me but we lost touch and I can't ask him anymore. Also, and this is the last thing I did notice, the bottom bolt of my BDS shock doesn't have rubber spacers, so I am wondering if the bottom of my shock may be moving back and forth as there is some travel. Please advise. If needed i can send pic's of my suspension.

 

[The_Roadie]

Please post pictures of the loose parts, and also your lower shock mount area.

There MUST be a polyurethane/rubber bushing in the eye of the shock. There can be no loose metal to metal contact between the shock and the bolt. If the bushing is there, then it needs to be held tightly from sliding left/right by the proper washers and spacers on the bolt.

For instance, this picture from ORTB shows the right bushings installed but not the spacers and washers:
View attachment 31400

You might also have loose control arms, panhard bar, bad anti-sway bar end links, and missing anti-sway bar mounting bushings. But start with the shocks, and please post pics.

 

[Bishop]

here are some pics I could take for now

 

[jpimp]

looks like the shock needs to be stabilized.

looks like it might be the wrong shock too. My Bilstein HD had built in metal to take up the space.

Perhaps you could keep using it, but get something to take up that large space.

Good Luck

 

[Bishop]

looks like the shock needs to be stabilized.

looks like it might be the wrong shock too. My Bilstein HD had built in metal to take up the space.

Perhaps you could keep using it, but get something to take up that large space.

Good Luck

That is the BDS shock that was suggested a couple of years ago for the MarkMc lift kit. Can't remember the part number though. And I also feel there is way to much space.

 

[jpimp]

I guess some grade 8 washers on both sides so the shock is in the middle should work

 

[djthumper]

You need about 10 body washers on each shock one each side of the mount. IIRC they are 1/2" washers.

 

[Bishop]

You need about 10 body washers on each shock one each side of the mount. IIRC they are 1/2" washers.

ummm, 10 body washers? one each side. pic please.

 

[The_Roadie]

Did your buddy remove your OEM shocks and discard the hardware? Did the BDS not come with a new set? Man, he did you no favors.

Anyway, I don't have a good picture right now, but some of the parts are hidden.

In the middle of the poly bushing, there should be a tube. It should fit snugly over the bolt, and extend exactly to the edge of the bushing or a bit wider. This makes sure when you add the outside-the-bushing hardware, that the washers won't crush the bushing or pinch it too tight. What the final outcome should be is a shock that can't move left to right at all, but isn't pinched so tight that it can't rotate a tiny bit fore and aft as the suspension cycles.

OK, then in the gap between the bushing and the bracket - how does one fill the space without pinching the bushing too much?

1) Many folks stack up a lot of washers, either "body" or "fender" washers, which is a name for washers with a larger OD than a washer of a specific ID normally has. The reason for this is to make sure the washer that touches the bushing is large enough diameter that it is about the same as the bushing, and won't be swallowed up given enough force. The ID of the washer should equal the size of the bolt.

2) What shock manufacturers usually supply is ONE washer for each side with an ID that matches the OD of the tube going through the bushing. This makes sure the washer is centered. Then another spacer tube for each side. The ID of this tube is the bolt diameter, and the length of the tube is whatever it takes to fill the gap.

Parts stores often carry kits of this stuff for you to pick and choose from. What you can't have is looseness like your pic.

This isn't perfect, but its an idea:

View attachment 31406