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Discussion starter · #786 ·
My Xterra is squeakin somethin FIERCE. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to even have the window down off-road. You can hear me coming from a mile away. Not sure what exactly it is, but it is both the front and rear now. I'm sure it has something to do with the bushings. I have seen an usual amount of mud, water, dust, snow, grit, and articulation in my driving.

How often do you guys grease bushings? It feels like I'm gonna have to disconnect the UCA/LCA at the frame and slather another few TBSP of grease on them. Same with leaf packs. Is that normal?
 
My Xterra is squeakin somethin FIERCE. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to even have the window down off-road. You can hear me coming from a mile away. Not sure what exactly it is, but it is both the front and rear now. I'm sure it has something to do with the bushings. I have seen an usual amount of mud, water, dust, snow, grit, and articulation in my driving.

How often do you guys grease bushings? It feels like I'm gonna have to disconnect the UCA/LCA at the frame and slather another few TBSP of grease on them. Same with leaf packs. Is that normal?
DUDE! Join the club.... Mine is sooooooooooo bad. EVERYTHING SQUEAKS. I've narrowed it down to rear leaf springs and bottom of my passenger radflo. I carry a can of WD40 and that seems to stop the squeaking for a day or so
 
My Xterra is squeakin somethin FIERCE. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to even have the window down off-road. You can hear me coming from a mile away. Not sure what exactly it is, but it is both the front and rear now. I'm sure it has something to do with the bushings. I have seen an usual amount of mud, water, dust, snow, grit, and articulation in my driving.

How often do you guys grease bushings? It feels like I'm gonna have to disconnect the UCA/LCA at the frame and slather another few TBSP of grease on them. Same with leaf packs. Is that normal?
like a pack of balloons getting freaky in the back.


seriously though, everything squeaks or creaks on my X. LCAs like something fierce, rear leafs and bushings are always creeping, dash rattles, front seats, rear seats, and the body/frame around the rear window. idk if its the interior panels or what but yah mine creeks/squeeks like hell.

Id grease the UCAs bushings, and the rear bushings, LCA? no idea, I think mine is just metal on metal contact, if I wasn't planning on something id swap to delrin bushings and add a zerk fitting to grease them with.
 
Found that the energy suspensions grease works wonders on the forward leaf spring mount bushings. https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-9-11104-Formula-Prelube/dp/B000CN7B4I

To me, those bushings seem to make the most ridiculous noises. In some cases sound like metal to metal and even vibrate the truck at times when binding. When lathered up real good with grease, noise still tends to come back in 2-4 months depending on use. I have done this about 4 times know. Makes a big difference, fairly quick and easy to do maintenance.

The SPC delrin bushings on the UCA make chirping noises like a bird. These don't bother me enough to want to take the UCA off and grease the sleeves inside the bushing. I would make a wager that if I used the energy suspension grease liberally inside the bushing where the sleeve goes I would never here much from them. Those are really nice bushings way tighter than the Alcan ones.

For the hiems (lower coilover mount / hiemed tie rods) I use Tri-Flo. I squirt them before I go on trips or just about everytime I stop to air down since its right there anyways. It helps. Might be a better solution that requires less attention though.

https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Flow-Squeeze-Bottle-Lubricant-Teflon/dp/B00GC54OC2
 
Found that the energy suspensions grease works wonders on the forward leaf spring mount bushings. https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Suspension-9-11104-Formula-Prelube/dp/B000CN7B4I

To me, those bushings seem to make the most ridiculous noises. In some cases sound like metal to metal and even vibrate the truck at times when binding. When lathered up real good with grease, noise still tends to come back in 2-4 months depending on use. I have done this about 4 times know. Makes a big difference, fairly quick and easy to do maintenance.

The SPC delrin bushings on the UCA make chirping noises like a bird. These don't bother me enough to want to take the UCA off and grease the sleeves inside the bushing. I would make a wager that if I used the energy suspension grease liberally inside the bushing where the sleeve goes I would never here much from them. Those are really nice bushings way tighter than the Alcan ones.

For the hiems (lower coilover mount / hiemed tie rods) I use Tri-Flo. I squirt them before I go on trips or just about everytime I stop to air down since its right there anyways. It helps. Might be a better solution that requires less attention though.

https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Flow-Squeeze-Bottle-Lubricant-Teflon/dp/B00GC54OC2
I agree, silicon grease is what you want on the leaf pack bushings (shackles and the eyelets in the front mount). It should be re-applied once a season if you want to squelch the squeaks, but it won't take them all away. It will help with the binding though.

For the front get someone to turn the steering wheel lock to lock with the tires on the ground while you check for play in the upper and lower control arm bushings. It may also let off a popping sound if it binds. I remember reading somewhere SPC's were pretty picky about what grease they use on their UCA's. They come with a blackish grease IIRC so I don't know about using silicon on them.

I'd also lift your front and wedge a pry bar on the steering rack and look for play, might be time to put in SuperPro's.
 
My Xterra is squeakin somethin FIERCE. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to even have the window down off-road. You can hear me coming from a mile away. Not sure what exactly it is, but it is both the front and rear now. I'm sure it has something to do with the bushings. I have seen an usual amount of mud, water, dust, snow, grit, and articulation in my driving.

How often do you guys grease bushings? It feels like I'm gonna have to disconnect the UCA/LCA at the frame and slather another few TBSP of grease on them. Same with leaf packs. Is that normal?
Haha I feel your pain. You've wheeled with me... I sound like a damn tank rolling down the street... It's aweful. I've found the motrocycle chain spray lube works pretty well for rear leaf springs and front UCA bushings, but to do it properly putting lithium grease in the bushings by disassembling them is really the only way.
 
Discussion starter · #796 ·
- Painted up shackles
- Adjusted shackles to middle hole (from the bottom). Since the front fender is cut a little high, it always looked like rear was sagging. Now it's a little more even
- Greased rear suspension (PITA) which was annoying cus I feel like as soon as I put the the shackle back on it just scraped the grease off




Before/after:




Here is another before/after attempt. Lift looks understated cus I left a tub of leftovers on the tire.....


 
Did it quiet it down? I think a huge key to having quiet leaf packs is also having good pads between the leaves. Chevy's have the best leaf packs IMO since they put good plastic or poleurethane pads and even thin metal between each leaf to let them slide on the plastic pads than popping along on bare metal to metal like the OME leaf pack I have. I pulled them apart and was appalled at how thin the leaf pack plastic pads were that kept things moving. I don't know though... Part of wheeling i guess..
 
Discussion starter · #798 ·
Did it quiet it down? I think a huge key to having quiet leaf packs is also having good pads between the leaves. Chevy's have the best leaf packs IMO since they put good plastic or poleurethane pads and even thin metal between each leaf to let them slide on the plastic pads than popping along on bare metal to metal like the OME leaf pack I have. I pulled them apart and was appalled at how thin the leaf pack plastic pads were that kept things moving. I don't know though... Part of wheeling i guess..
Hard to tell. The front is also really squeaky which doesn't help. What's weird is that bouncing around in my parent's yard for a few minutes yields no sound... but after driving on a dusty road for 20+ minutes it starts to happen. It's like it has to "warm up" before it starts squeaking or something.

I know what you mean about those pads. Every time I look at my leaves I can see one of those slipping out. I don't have that TERRIBLE popping sound that you do though. Only a bushing squeak.
 
Discussion starter · #799 ·
Take the spacer plate(s) out in the rear .
it just kills articulation up and serves no purpose since the Timbrens are there.
Like this



NOT like this



Between those 2 spacer plates you are probably losing at least an inch.
FYI - I fully flexed and snagged a pick of bump stops and shock. Yes, I have about 1/2" of travel (maybe up to 1" at the wheel) left. That is at very slow speed. I like to think that at higher speed, that bumpstop will compress the rest of the way (as needed) and it will save my shocks a little bit from hitting their own bumpstop really hard. I don't think that 1/2" is a gamechanger in terms of overall capability.



 
My Xterra is squeakin somethin FIERCE. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to even have the window down off-road. You can hear me coming from a mile away. Not sure what exactly it is, but it is both the front and rear now. I'm sure it has something to do with the bushings. I have seen an usual amount of mud, water, dust, snow, grit, and articulation in my driving.

How often do you guys grease bushings? It feels like I'm gonna have to disconnect the UCA/LCA at the frame and slather another few TBSP of grease on them. Same with leaf packs. Is that normal?
For bushings, if you're in dusty/water-y conditions alot, it could be weekly.

To kill the squeak, NOLATHANE bushings. They're a urethane bushing, but are much more flexible. Also they have a checking on the inner bore to hold grease better.
For a full leaf refresh you want to get the Spring Eye bushing and Leaf Spring bushing kit

or from their direct web page PN# REV161.0054

You can also find them on Amazon, SummitRacing and others, just verify the PN# from Nolathane's webpage for the individual bushing 'kits' (spring eye front, eye rear, shackle, LCA/UCA, shocks...)
 
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