shock topping out?

[kickass audio]

Okay I will admit I tried searching for it on here and on google and can't find anything that seems to help. In the fall last year I upgraded my shocks in the back to bilstein and springs to z71 springs. I know people have talked about the stock shock length's topping out on extension with the z71 lift but I can't see this as a problem because when I jacked up the truck with the shocks attached and dropped it down with the frame supported and the axle loose it had a good 4-6 inches of travel before it bottomed out on extension.

What I am noticing is when I go over any bumps whether they be big or small the back end of my truck has a rattle to it. It gets a lot louder on big bumps but even small ones like pulling into a driveway I hear the clunking noise. I went on the thruway and even in the city and when I take my wheel and jerk it side to side I can hear the clunking noise. I checked my endlinks on the sway bar in the rear and they are moog (I wish I knew how bad they can be when I replaced them a year ago) but they are perfect. I last put fresh grease in them in the fall too after I upgraded the shocks and springs in the rear. I grabbed the sway bar towards the inner part of the truck and I noticed a decent amount of play where the bushings are, I would guess maybe 1/4 inch of play combined from each side, 1/8 inch of play on one direction. My spare tire is inflated properly and up all the way. I grabbed the panhard bar and they feel nice and tight when I tried to twist it and pull on it and the lower control arms and they are tight. Do you think this noise is from the shocks or from the bushings for the sway bar? The noise can be better described as taking your trailer hitch and wiggling it around in the opening. That is exactly what it sounds like.

Hope you guys can help!!

 

[The_Roadie]

Disconnect one Anti-sway bar end link to eliminate it as a suspect. Then disconnect one shock at a time. Drive slowly.

 

[kickass audio]

Okay I can do that. I am thinking it is just the bushings because those shocks had 0 issue from day one with noise. They were completely quiet the whole time and you would think over time the springs would compress not expand lol. It has not been long enough for compression of the spring settling from age but still I drove into some nice pot holes after my upgrade and it was a very nice and smooth ride, no rattles or anything. When I take my fist and bang it on the sway bar, the closer I get toward the middle of the bar like right near the center of the differential, the more you can hear a rattling noise.

Why can't I drive fast? I want to get some hydraulics on my truck when I start hitting bumps in the road.

I will give the end link part a test this weekend, weather permitting.

 

[The_Roadie]

Your shocks have springs?

 

[Sparky]

I know you checked the links, but check them again. When I had that happen the links themselves were OK, but the nut was ever so slightly loose. It wasn't apparent until I pried against them that I could see a little bit of movement between the link and the bar. I stuck my long ratchet on there and cranked it down tight (only like 1/4 turn) and it stopped making that rattle bang noise over bumps.

 

[kickass audio]

Roadie: No, lol. I meant that what is the problem with bouncing the rear of my truck around without shocks? Its the ghetto way to get hydraulics. I just have regular bilstein shocks in the back.

Sparky: I will give the nuts a check this weekend if it doesn't snow/rain me out. I pushed and pulled them and they didn't wiggle but I can check the bolts on them easily.

 

[MTouz]

May be a dumb answer but have you checked to make sure the bottom bolt on the shock is really tight? I just replaced my rear shocks with skyjackers and after 2 days riding around of clunking I rechecked the bottom bolt. They didnt move a ton but they did move. My clunk is now gone. Just an idea.
Mike

 

[kickass audio]

I was just about to check it this weekend. I know I didn't have the torque specs.... still dont either. But they were on pretty tight. Now I did notice that the little I guess tabs, like the part where the shock sits between. When I was cranking down the bolts with the impact gun it was bending inward a little. My stock one's were not like this when they were mounted so I backed them off a tad. I was thinking that is to blame too. I know for sure those are shot because of how I was wiggling it and it was wobbling around in there. My front ones are on their way out but they are actually quite solid. The only thing is the outer part is like spreading open so they are probably OEM too. A lot of things are.

Do you know the torque specs for those shock bolts?

My plan of action was to do this:

1.) Keep the truck on the ground (because my garage is frozen shut, damn melting snow that freezes again) and tighten the shock bolts to the torque spec
2.) Ride it around the block and listen for the rattle. If the rattle is present still go to step 3
3.) Disconnect one of the sway bar links
4.) Ride it around the block and listen for the rattle. If the rattle is present go to step 5.
5.) Disconnect the shocks from the truck
6.) Ride around the block and listen for the rattle. If the rattle is present start screaming and cursing at the truck so it works and report back to gmtnation about my findings

What is funny though is if its huge holes like pot holes, I have no rattle until my truck starts to even out and then I hear the clunking noise. If it is little bump in the road like going over a small crack I can hear the noise.

 

[tbuckalew14]

May be a dumb answer but have you checked to make sure the bottom bolt on the shock is really tight? I just replaced my rear shocks with skyjackers and after 2 days riding around of clunking I rechecked the bottom bolt. They didnt move a ton but they did move. My clunk is now gone. Just an idea.
Mike

That's what I was going to suggest. Last time I changed rear shocks, I had this issue.

 

[kickass audio]

Well the results are this

The shock bolts were not torqued down quite to spec. I had to torque them a little further and they are nice and tight. They weren't shaking though before I torqued them.

I checked the sway bar links and the driver side one is shot and the passenger side is not far from it either so they are going to be replaced this spring when it gets a little warmer. I replaced them 3 years ago with Moog ones (lesson learned on them from here). The bushings for the sway bar are shot in the rear and I bought raybesto bushings to replace them with.

I checked the sway bar links in the front and they are finally shot too. Its about time considering they are OEM and my truck is an 04. I bought some raybestos to replace the front links. They are also dried out for the rubber so they are needing a replacement. The front sway bar bushings are just a little loose but not bad but I bought raybesto bushings for it.

I know everyone has a good review on the suspension maxx end links for the rear. Do they come in a pair or are they just 1 link per order? I am trying to weigh out if replacing the rear links every 3 years is worth it or just dump the money for suspension maxx.

since reading > me, I noticed that the suspension maxx links are sold in pairs. I went ahead and bought them for the rear. I would have paid a little less for them in the front too but I figured why not try the raybestos in the front. I think that for changing them out it would be easiest to keep the truck down on the ground is that right? The rear I can do with taking the spare tire off and getting to them but the front I may have to jack it up evenly on both sides and do it because it isn't lifted quite enough for me to get some room to take the bushings out but taking the links out should be a breeze. I don't have to fight and torch them off like I did the rear ones, well at least I hope I don't have to.

 

[kickass audio]

Okay one last question before I get the chance (weather permitting if I can get into my garage to get the jack out with the door being frozen shut) to replace my bushings and end links

The suspension maxx links for the rear I 100% understand how to put them in. My question is on the fronts. The raybestos have it so it is the end link with 2 nuts and 1 flat washer along with the 2 zerk fittings. My question is which part of the truck do I install the single flat washer onto? Do I put it on the part connecting to the sway bar itself or the part that connects it to the frame? I haven't taken the front ones off to see if there is just a single washer on them from the factory or not. The nuts for these are the style that have the nut flared out and grooved on the side to bite into the metal you bolt it to. Similar to a nut with a washer welded to the one side of it. I just want to get it so it goes to the right part of my truck when I install it.

Also, I am very certain you don't do this but for my bushings between the frame and the sway bar, you don't grease them at all right? I pulled up the maintenance manual for both parts being replaced in the front and rear and it doesn't say anything about grease or anything but just want to make sure.