hodge-xj

ok well i just installed a pair of new to me, used rusty's 4.5 rear springs. the PO didnt use them too much so they are pretty much "broken in" but not beat. for the first two weeks they were nice and quiet and all was good. now if i have any lateral force put on the rear, low speed turns, bumps, me shaking the truck side to side, i get a really loud creak/pop/loud noise and i cant for the life of me pin point. i was under the truck all day with no luck, i have taken them apart thinking it was the u bolts, so i re toqued them after i took them out, checked the spring plates, the u clamps on the springs,centering pins, shims, oiled them, checked the bushings, basically every single of the rear suspension.
its still there and i am running out of ideas short of replacing the springs.
the bushings seem to be within the normal deflection/movement of the rubber bushings, i compared it to a buddies with rustys springs that are brand new, and they visually move the same. the sound "seems" to be coming from the spring pad area, from what i can tell, but i honestly dont know what would cause it. i searched this forum about six times, clicked every link on the first three pages and checked eveything suggested. at this point the noise has gotten worse. i feel as if its almost like the springs themselves are "breaking" so to speak. on verticle bumps the noise is not there, but like i said any lateral force causes one hell of a noise. i dont wanna throw bushings and stuff at these things only to find out its a failing pack or something. but honestly IDK!
sorry for the long post but i am wits end with this today, so i am trying to provide all the info i can. any suggestions are greatly appreciated. ill be stopping by my local mech/4x4 shop tomorrow to see what he thinks.
only in a jeep!
thanks again
garrett

Gravy

see if you lost the pads at the end of the leaf springs

hodge-xj

like the friction pads? if so i know i am missing a few.....tho it never made a differnce with my old springs and the noise came out of no where, and the friction pads had been missing previously which is why i am confused from where the sound came from

razor02097

After my new springs where in I got an obnoxious squeaking. I ended up hosing the spring and shackle down with WD-40 then used motorcycle chain grease on the spring bushings. Hasn't squeaked so far.

hodge-xj

yea i have lubricated the springs a bunch of times, its not a squeak, rather a metallic pop/crack.......the sound is rather un nerving....almost sounds like something is breaking.......i am trying to describe it as best i can......its like something with alot of pressure is just loose enough to shift and "pop" so to speak, but i have checked the torque on all the hardware in the rear and nothing is loose what so ever

razor02097

you run a rear sway bar? Or anything that could come into contact with the axle?


It could be a damaged spring bushing...

hodge-xj

nope no sway bar, just 4.5 rustys packs and 1.5 shackles......its something that has happened after the springs were installed because my old packs never made this noise.....i am wondering if after looking at the rustys replacement bushing, if the sleeve on the outside of the rubber is actually moving inside the spring eye......there is no way to really get to it other then pulling them out and checking, but at the same time i dont wanna spend the $$$ on bushings and have it be something else.......like i said the sound seems to be comeing from the spring perch area but its so hard to narrow down with the noise of the bushings and the diff lol.....god some days i just wanna drop this hobby instead of my money for once