creak from front leaf spring eye

[rich006]

I put a new rear end in the car last weekend along with new springs from ESPO. I'll call them in the morning but I want to see what folks here have to say about it too. Now I have a creaking noise coming from the right front spring eye. I got it to go away with a couple squirts of WD-40 but it came back after 10 miles or so. I notice there's some play between the bracket and the bushing. Is the bolt too tight? Too loose? Am I supposed to have greased the bushing before installing? The springs came with the bushings pressed in, by the way.

 

[TrailBeast]

Is this an OEM style rubber bushing?
Can you shoot it carefully again with the WD and find out if it's the bushing center to bracket, or bushing housing to spring?

Too tight isn't going to make it creak, too loose can.

 

[joes68340s]

Did you originally torque the leafs with the suspension on the ground . If not loosen everything and retorque. And if you did it correctly I would still loosen bolts and retorque. I have had the same problem. Also depending on which front spring eye bracket you have it may not be compressing enough and you may need a little bit more torque on them. I have had this problem when changing brackets. Just make sure you torque with weight on wheels its not easy but it has to be done that way. This has worked for me with the same problem hope it helps.

 

[rich006]

Is this an OEM style rubber bushing?
Too tight isn't going to make it creak, too loose can.

Yes it's rubber. Laura from ESPO says the inner metal sleeve of the bushing should be clamped tight by the bracket; that agrees with your statement. I suspect I could get a couple more turns on the bracket nut. The rubber is not supposed to slide relative to the metal parts of the bushing but instead it should twist as the spring moves. (I guess that's how bushings are always supposed to work?) Finally, she said never use WD-40 on rubber because any kind of grease breaks it down. I guess I should have known that.

 

[rich006]

Tightening down the nuts on the bushings solved the problem.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

new springs take a larger bolt then some of the factory springs. You may have to drill your perches and get the correct dia. bolts. Just something to check?