creaking after lift

So I took the jeep out for her maiden voyage with the wife today, just a canyon drive and about 5 miles of washboard. Beautiful fall day in the wasatch. Anyway, afterwards I noticed a creaking sound while making low-speed/ no-speed turns. I have installed V8 ZJ springs, 1.75" pucks, teraflex disconnects, and an RE trackbar. It has stock control arms still. Oh, and its an 89.

Anyone have an idea whats going on with it? I didn't get a chance to look at it yet, going to tomorrow morning but anyones insight into what it might be would be greatly appreciated.

Make sure that you tightened everything correctly. Sounds too easy but I've had things loosen up and start creaking and then once it's retightened, no more noise.

damn double post!

How bad is the creaking, could be poly bushings? I noticed more creaking after installing my lift, but was told it could be the new bushings. Dont know if its true. Just wait till your Jeep makes some louder noise to cover it up, usally what happens to mine.

how did you lift the rear?

double check bolt tightness, but often creaking after a lift install is just part of things settling.

Leaf spring bushings I'd bet - remember, after about a hundred miles you should recheck the torque on most of the bolts, especially the axle U-bolts.

Maybe your anti sway bar linkage bushings are worn through or missing (did you forget to put them in?) My XJ was making some hellacious creaking right before it finally broke a linkage right in half at the upper end. Also check your shock absorber bushings, I used to hear weird creaking from my old ones and also thumping/clunking noises back before I replaced the shocks.

If you used poly anywhere it should be lubed.

Asked earlier--how did you lift the rear?

kidarkitect said:

Anyway, afterwards I noticed a creaking sound while making low-speed/ no-speed turns.

Click to expand...

If it creaks while turning the wheel while standing still, check the track bar bracket and track bar bolt at the bracket.

A common issue when doing lifts is to put the parts on, torque them to spec, then drop the vehicle off stands/lift and expect the bushings to be happy.

All suspension bushings, UCAs, LCAs, Springs, Shackles, need to be slightly loose when setting the vehicle back on it's wheels. When the vehicle is sitting at it's normal ride height, and on it's own, tighten all the bushings.

So... If you did the former, loosen all the bushings, bounce the vehicle a couple times, and retorque to spec.

Ron

Hey all thanks for the help! I retorqued everything this morning. Part of the first trip out was to loosen every thing up. (maybe not the best idea, just wanted to speed it up)

I definitely dont think it was the rear, since I had to drive it around with just the back lift on for a couple of weeks. That was about a month and a half ago and I had no probs then.

The only thing I found loose at all was the axle side bolt on the track bar, tightened it up.

I do need to get some new bushings for the sway bar as well.

New prob: today hopping on the freeway, I was going around a curve and hit a bump that is kind of bad in any car/truck/jeep and I got a mild case of death wobble. Is that normal? It also seems like it is "thinking" about going into DW mode on straight away bumps too. I have experience true death wobble, both in the jeep and in a f150 that always seemed to have front end issues, so I know the symptoms. And thats what it was. I replaced the heim on the the used RE track bar but not the bushing. I think I'm going to replace it. OH and this is post tightening the track bar.

Lift Info:
front listed in first post

Rear: Tera shackles, Quadratec HD's and Rubicon JK takeoffs, Black Poly bushings

oh the poly shtuff was lubed.

is that what bump steer is? I don't know, just wondering. drove it hard through a couple bumps today, nothing. we'll see when I take it on that freeway entrance again.