Ever since I've gotten my LCAs and relo brackets installed, they've been nothing but a problem. Within the first week of installing them, they needed to be tightened, I broke the factory bolts tightening them. I took them from 62 ft/lbs to 82 ft/lbs. Still made all sorts of creaks and whatnot when I stopped and started. I took it to 100 ft/lbs a little later and I snapped the bolts, I bought new ones, and put them to 100 ft/lbs. And they held. And everything was silent.

For two weeks.

Noise the creak (noticeable at a hard stop... right before the car stops moving you get a little "eep" noise from the back right side) is back! So I go up another 10 ft/lbs on the bolts as suggested from some people on here. I snap one of the bolts, the rest go tighter and I weld the relo brackets on.

Everything was fine... for a day. Now the creak is back.

What the hell do I do?! How do I prevent this from happening?! I know the car can be silent because it was for two weeks. All the bolts are tight, I don't understand why I'm having such issues with this thing.

Am I missing a step or something? Is this creak supposed to be normal because it certainly is insistent.

The only thing I can think of is going to a larger size bolt in the front part of the LCA so there cannot be ANY movement other than the up/down. But I don't know. They're greased up to all hell too.

 

I know it sounds stupid but is everything greased? Are the LCA's poly or rod ends? or is it the relo brackets that are creaking?

 

Poly ended, greaseable.

I'll grease it more tomorrow. I don't see why the bolts would loosen, the car feels tight, just makes noises that it didn't before.

The relo brackets were welded to the axle (even though they're bolt on) soooo.. I don't think they're the issue.

 

are you loading the spuspension before tightening every thing ?
and as ask








^as asked
"Are the LCA's poly or rod ends"
are you loading the suspension before tightening all bolts?
Johnny

 

x2 on loading the suspension. i had bolt in subframe connectors with tubular LCA's adj. and relos. squeaks were diminished greatly by welding the subframes in. relos are welded too. i have aftermarket bolts tightened to "spec".

 

Another vote for loading the suspension. Sounds like the bushings are binding to me.

 

Suspension was loaded when I tightened it down. I had the jack under the rear of the car to keep it at the point where its "loaded". Is there another technique. I drove the car more tonight, and the noise wasn't there. It made it when everything was cold... I'm not sure why it would be inconsistent.

 

I'm starting to think these poly ended LCAs are more trouble than they're worth. Is there any place I can get the replacement rubber pieces for the factory arms?

 

I think you answered your own question...the cold. Poly bushings have a tendency to creak a little when the temps are low.

 

Did you use prelube when you installed them? My UMI adj. control arms came with Energy Suspension's Formula 5 Prelube.

 

i would grease them up. do not mix colors of grease as they are slightly different.

did you do the final tightening with the weight of the car on the suspension? if you didnt you likely trashed the bushings. the best way to do that is to put some ramps under the rear and back up onto them. that is what i did.

extra torque is rarely the solution to any problem, and if they didnt fit in tightly you could have bent them in or something stupid like that.

what brand LCARBS?

 

Yeah, I tightened them right then. The LCAs are bolt in J&M. http://www.lmperformance.com/18860/1.html

I think its just the bushing type, and the LCA type really. I mean teh stockers weren't bad, they creaked, but they never loosened. So I'll just get some 1LE bushings for them and go from there.