• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Suspension question.

syllinx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
denton tx
I wanted to ask a question for my friend and hope someone could answer it. He has a dodge dakota with rear leaf springs, when the back end goes over a speed bump and drops down it will shimmy rapidly for a second like a paint shaker. He thought it was the old leaf spring bushings so he replaced them with poly and it still shakes. He tried every line of the gabriel shocks. Should he go with more expensive rancho shocks?
 
Last edited:
He had a shop torque them when replaced. I will check myself to see. You can see in the rear mirror it looks like bed of truck shimmys rapidly up and down over where leaf spring shackle is connected. Wondering if he should torque the heck out of the shackle bolts lol.
 
dont torque the shackle bolts. you will destroy the bushings.
 
^^^^this

i would also have someone shake the truck around on the ground and watch to see what's loose....up&down....and sideways ect....you may get lucky and see what's messin about there without having to pay a shop to diagnose it
 
I will double check everything for him when I get a chance. It is annoying cause somtimes when he stops, you can feel a shimmy in the back but 3 shops said its not the drums or rotors.
 
Last edited:
tires way outta balance could cause DW?

What about a bad outer wheel bearing?

put a torque wrench on everything as well and make sure its all tight.
 
Whenever tightening suspension components make sure to do so with the WEIGHT of the vehicle on the suspension--don't tighten while it is on a jack or lift.
 
Theres no vibration at highway speeds or lower so I don't think it would be the bearings. Rear axle was rebuilt about 3 months ago so that didn't fix the shimmy. He was hoping they would notice anything that might be wrong. The differential was missing teeth even though he only carries his 3 kids around lol. He tried some rancho 5000 shocks this weekend and same issue. I finally got him to tighten all the ubolts this morning and they could all be tightened some more. Hoping to drive with him later to see if that was it. I'm at work so having to type fast lol and it might come out all jumbled.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top