OME leaf spring noise 2

Trying to debug a noise that has driven me bat shit bonkers. Found it, now looking to get rid of it. Setup, 2015 Xterra, OME HD spring pack with 15,000 miles on them. Live in SLC UT where they salt the road, hence the sprig rust.

[@sterlingjcalvin]

Add a 3/16” rubber shim 2”x6” in-front and behind the isolator between the top and middle spring. Use a screw drive to make a gap. The factory insulators are plastic and do not last. The movements of the leaf spring is completely normal during any articulation. Trucks are bigger / longer then they’ve ever been

[@GrouseAttack]

No joke. I have a 2019 Chevy Colorado Z71 Off Road. I spend a lot of time driving on wilderness and forest roads. One day a nasty banging and clanging started at the rear passenger wheel area. Took it in. After 4 hours the mechanic found the culprit: a small stone had become wedged between the leaf spring and the support bracket. Almost impossible to see. Removing that stone completely fixed the problem. Just sayin - keep that in mind.

[@stevenorsinelli4029]

Thanks for this, well shot and really shows the issue! I think becuase of your video, I found my issue! You rock!

[@PaulWall78]

THANK YOU so much for this! the whole time i thought it was my cv's. we did a custom clamp for the loose springs.. not sure why they were loose, but in low speeds on uneven ground, i heard that same clunking noise. fixed in a few mins.

[@clementlaplane1713]

Nice to see the way these thing are working together. Help to understand and fix it

[@WEESHBONE]

It’s obvious that the ubolts are loose. They could be stretched or stripped, but that whole movement is the spring pack sliding on the diff mount!

[@danielblanke9427]

Fun Fact: Leaf springs were used in 1750 (269 years ago) on carriages in England. It is now 2019 and GM suddenly can't master leaf springs. GM has sold me their last $55k monstrosity.

[@ecentballer1]

All these truck be having issues Ford, Chevy, GMC. All seems to be over priced junk nowadays. I'm seriously thinking about going Toyota.

[@Slider712]

Yeah it's not just GM. My F150 does it too. I just found out about isolator pads and I think I've finally tracked down the noise mines making. It's very similar sounding to this when that leaf spring slides back and forth.

[@syahrazmaghribi2279]

It's 2023 now and still they can't master it

[@KGrasso89]

There's nothing to master, 3 or 4 pieces of solid spring steel sliding and rubbing together under pressure thousands of times a week.

[@onefastcyclist]

I have OME lief springs on my Jeep and my PRO4X and have found that spray - can silicone lube easily solves squeak issues

[@thelightworshipper9687]

The second and third leaves should not be equal length and extend beyond the main leaf eye. Your Nisstec shackles also moving sideways while pivoting. Maybe welded wrong.

[@TheGooberman91]

I have the same and they don't make this noise. However, mine squeak quite a bit. I can't judge how tight those U-bolts are, but what I did was put a ton of grease between the pucks. In addition, i shoved a plastic spacer at the ends of the leaf packs to test if squeak would dissipate, and it did.. But only until it rained.. what I believe should be done is have spacers between each and every leaf, so there is never metal on metal contact where water could seep into. Once water is squeezed in there, BOOM surface rust and squeak. The NEW OME/DAKAR leaf packs have slip pads on every leaf and there are pads in the center. This is how we should all rebuild ours. The squeak will never reappear, the chunks will disappear, and all should be good. I'm going to try plastic leaf liners, someone said they work well.

[@rezqdallash4962]

have you tried it ?

[@uhpunterpro]

I was cycling my way through these videos the other week. Mine was a real clunk under a Chevy 1500. It was the U joint and a pain in the ass because it was completely seized. Have your cutter, torch, and a 4 pound hammer

[@That_Stanced_Toyota]

This doesn’t sound like a u joint. U joints make a snapping pop and on each rotation or every second or third… This you can see is making noise whenever the leaf springs visibly move.

[@Daniel-gs8xu]

Can worn down shackles cause the bed of the truck to bounce over bumps in the road? Kind of like the tailgate area?

[@funshooting7095]

Seems that there aren't any leaf clamps which should be factory.

[@86angrybees]

That shit drives me nuts

[@irwinjimenez]

They really over-tightened the shackle onto the bushing.

[@kevinhoule8016]

Good catch

[@nikaisreal6045]

Ok mr goodwrench

[@nate8930]

Looks like you could use some leaf spring clamps in the back, keep it from shifting.

[@williamlee1950]

It looks like you're missing leaf spring pads.

[@spiritlevelstudios]

Scary how much flex is in that end bracket.

[@skeetermcswagger0U812]

Yeah that looks like a 'bastard pack' that somebody stacked themselves and put 2 equal length Springs against each other( This same scenario is duplicated with travel trailers and fifth wheels all the time yet you'll hear a loud banging sounds as the front axle and rear axle lose their composure during sharp turns)the springs should be continuously shorter down to the point where they get to the bottom leaf, the exception is some Toyota leaf springs which sometimes have a 'wrap-around' spring on 1 or 2 of the leaves.... The only thing to help resolve these noises is what the comment above mine says about putting some type of vinyl or poly gliders in between that it should have come with anyway.

[@92clintonr]

Buy a few leaf spring alignment clamps, add four to each leaf spring (2 on the front half and 2 on the back half) and you will have no more noise or shifting leaf packs.

[@hotrodray6802]

Tighten the u bolts

[@92clintonr]

@@hotrodray6802 That's not going to do anything when it's the end of each leaf pack shifting.

[@T-iu5qw6kl2s]

Nice video.

[@AA-tb4ff]

old man emu. i think the clamps on the springs could be tighter. like bent tighter around the springs. there probably loose like that for better articulation

[@s.o.f.fpatriotsforlife414]

Looks like loose U bolts

[@zivwolv]

twice to the dealer, replaced leaf springs... no change, called gm, said their re mfg the springs , but no idea how long before they put em on. $55k truck, not real happy.

[@marcusjnewtonz28]

Johnny Zivcic hey Johnny this just happened to me. A month at the dealer and they told me today it’ll be 2k not covered under warranty (leaf spring). It’s bs beyond belief for such a new and expensive truck.

[@danielblanke9427]

I hear you man. The dealer told me ours is covered because we're at 25k miles but they can't get parts because the UAW toddlers throwing a fit. I'll never own another GM product again.

[@marcusjnewtonz28]

Daniel Blanke so GM AND Ford? Such a slap in the face after years of support and defending their quality. My family will never own either again. #teamsubaru

[@brysonkuhn3290]

Get a ram. They come with coil springs

[@OmarRodriguez-qk5gz]

My truck makes similar noises. Would using the Road Active suspension kit remedy this?

[@paariraaju9688]

It's ridiculous to see the the support leaf spring plates shifting while on the move sideways. Doesn't it have a centrebolt?

[@dewaynemiguel3349]

My older chevy has plastic shims between the springs id put some where the shackel is load it down and tighten the hell out of the u bolts

[@hotrodray6802]

Toeque ubolts to spec..... Theyre loose.

[@Watchout1010]

Noticed rear spring noise from ice buildup also on several trucks.

[@alexcalisto4932]

I have a colorado 2016 and it does that sound when tight turning low speed....weird cause almost feels under my feet, mechanic can't figure it out.....I wonder if it is the issue.....

[@MKE_garage]

User of an L200/2005, OME leafs, had this noise also on stock leafs. Only after and during rains. Heard an advice from an old mechanic, to grease them, or periodically use some motor oil on them, just enough to get between the leafs.

[@raul16nyc]

the noise dissapear after oil?

[@MKE_garage]

@raul16nyc - yeah, the noise comes and goes, especially when wet/moist weather... i couldn't apply oil then, so i'm just waiting a warm weekend to get under the car.

[@utspoolup]

Sometimes. I used fluid film and it worked for a few days, unless I was playing in the dirt then the noise would be worse since the oil would attract dirt. Somedays it was SUPER bad, this was just a mild case of the noise but after replacing the springs the noise is finally gone, thank god.

[@bronsonlew3278]

My Triton MN have same problem like this . After 44k km when over the floor is uneven sound come out. I have try many way ( change bush,leaf spring pads )to solve this problem but sound same come out . Any suggestions give me to try?

[@brendanrdavis]

I spray mine down with silicone from time to time, it usually last about a month. I've used gear oil in the past and it lasted around 3 months.

[@TamilSelvan-gm1nk]

❤

[@patbill100]

Weak frame. Something wrong with you lift setup. Installation wrong?

[@johnwitmer9876]

I have a 2007 Dodge 1500 that makes a noise like that when making right or left turns taking off. I wonder if that's my problem. I know for sure that the bushings are bad. None stop squeaking that drives nuts.

[@TheNickodi]

Mine are noisy too, took it back and they said nothing wrong with them might be wheel bearing n i know its not, sounds terrible considering i spent $2500.. howd i fix it

[@traver]

That’s exactly what mine sounds like !!!!!

[@burro45]

Mine every since i got it from the dealer it had sounded like that , thanks it was driving me crazy , now i know

[@danielblanke9427]

GM Quality. Mine's got 25k on it and it's doing this. What an embarrassment. And now the dealer can't even get the replacement parts because of the current UAW hissy fit. I guess I'll wait a few more weeks to drive my truck before I can have the recall parts.

[@sokarkong1436]

What shock cover are those?

[@utspoolup]

Boulder ironworx, took about 2 years of beating. The salt on the roads around here flaked the coating off. But these are very nice. Had to order longer hardware to secure the shocks. The skids still function great but look like poop. I will take them off and rattle can them this year. They were brand new, as was all the equipment and the rig itself when the video was taken.

[@richardnolan27]

Looks bent or twisted like it doesn’t lineup

[@anextday]

So how do we fix this???

[@429thunderjet2]

Tighten the flippin U bolts for crying out loud!

[@mikequyl8754]

What type of truck

[@KevinSoupy]

Did it feel like transmission was skipping up hill?

[@utspoolup]

Nope felt fine, I ended up ditching the POS OME springs with some Alcan springs. Should have just bit the bullet and did it day 1. WAY better, no noises years later, WAY increased load capability and they perform freaking awesome. I would not recommend OME to anyone. That being said, I do own A LOT of ARB stuff. Just not these springs anymore more. Gave them to a friend who forged them into knives. I do have one long knife to show for the hassles. Thanks for the comment Kevin.

[@utspoolup]

[img]live.staticflickr.com/2856/33475628432_6451056080_h.jpg[/img] [img]live.staticflickr.com/3836/33248521380_f34fcb3f0d_h.jpg[/img] [img]live.staticflickr.com/3840/33475628562_1824eb08e9_h.jpg[/img] [img]live.staticflickr.com/4288/35615171612_42bc642a5c_h.jpg[/img]

[@psxpsnation]

What kind of tires do you have? Nice tread...looking to replace mine when it comes time

[@utspoolup]

Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 285/75-16 mounted to Level 8 bully pros. Good setup, not much road noise. Not sure if the photos will work, but let try... i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah268/utspoolup1/Xterra/Offroad%20and%20not%20offroad/20160709_135314_zps1sulajkp.jpg i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah268/utspoolup1/Xterra/My%20Xterra/IMG_0237_zpspdhuhvql.jpg

[@dad3562]

Anyone know a good NLGI #3 grease?

[@denisbashkirov5530]

Today installed the rear ome leaf springs, and hear the same sound. Is this normal or not? The spring leaves have to walk to the left to the right?

[@utspoolup]

OP here, yes, most the time the leafs have little isolation pucks/ pads in them to prevent the metal on metal contact. The upper leafs in the Xterra OME do not. I would double check torque of the Ubolts then take the truck to the car wash and high pressure wash the leafs. Let them dry, then jack up the frame and using a pry bar seperate the leafs a bit and spray in a nice amount of "fluid film" between each leaf, front and back, then lower. This helped my truck tons, but every 6-8 weeks I had to repeat. I found that if i load the rear up a lot I need to do it more often, I have a Tepui Autana Ruggedized RTT on my truck now, and when loaded for camping with jerry cans in the mount has @450 lbs of extra crap added to the rear. While the leafs with adjustable shackles and radflos handle the weight just fine Im thinking of jumping up the Alcans next spring just to eliminate the noise. But the popping has all but ceased since spraying with fluid film, its just the creeks, groans, and other things I deal with now.

[@13bryo]

I'm having this issue with my OME's on a 2016 Tacoma. This is the 2nd set I'm trying after ARB replaced the first set for the same issue. They have an excellent customer service and would probably constantly replace them so long as I show proof of proper installation and troubleshooting (as I'm going through this now). However I'm at that point where the replacements and trouble shooting just isn't worth it anymore. How are you liking the Alcans? Have you had any issues?

[@yourlocalalexis4578]

now i got a good excuse to get a camera....

[@calvinking6420]

U-bolts are probably loose or of cheap quality...

[@utspoolup]

Nisstec ubolts. Torqued correctly. Checked torque a few times over a few days after install. Used the same brand bolts and same torque when I upgraded to alcan springs. It was the ome springs. They are garbage, sorry arb. Highly recommend alcan springs. Plus They custom make them for your weight and and lift. Currently doing a titan swap. But the alcans have been on a few years without issues. Thanks for the response and be safe out there.

[@carmac1652]

If anyone can help GMC Sierra pickup truck 1500 . when I go over bumps I get a clunk sound on both sides ?👍🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@clayton203]

Check the bushing on your shocks

[@dundeeecroc]

metal on metal rubbing.

[@afrokhanpathanferozkhanpat339]

U bolt delhe hai

[@zivwolv]

2016 gmc sierra6.2 , same problem @ 7k mls.

[@utspoolup]

Sorry to hear man, I got rid of my noise. Cost me about $1000, new set of Alcan springs. 2.5" lift 600lbs over factory weight. Also picked up some PRG shackles set on lowest hole (1.0" lift) for 3.5" of total lift. Bushings, hardware, and a few hours under my truck. Noise is GONE! It feel so good to drive the truck again.

[@danielblanke9427]

We took the bait. We thought GM would still be making decent pickups because that's what they were when we were kids. Since 09, they've been churning out trash. I've got an 18 Sierra, an 18 Silverado, and a 17 Silverado HD, and GM can have them all back as far as I'm concerned. They gave up on making trucks people want to own. I'm going to trade the 18 Sierra in on a Ford and see how that goes. I can't handle any more problems like this.

[@h250riders]

I feel the same way

[@yourlocalalexis4578]

@@danielblanke9427 get a Toyota!!

[@HAHAWTFOMG]

Thats OME....id rather get EFS

[@alexmora9603]

Can't you just weld it to the piece to it don't move? ? 🤔

[@thomasreilly2864]

leaf pack is LOOSE !!!!!!!!!

[@utspoolup]

Nope, wish it was that easy. U bolts torqued and double checked twice a day for the first 2 weeks. OME leaf packs sucks balls. Now have Alcans and everything is great once again. I took the leafs apart, save the 2 outer leafs for a friend to forge for some fun stuff, the rest went in the trash. Google "OME leaf spring noise" and see the hundreds of posts from various makes on forums. Its not limit to just this rig or that rig, its limited to their shit design. Metal on metal will always make noise.

[@hotrodray6802]

Square ends are problematic. Rolled ends are better. Check out Eaton Detroit Spring for explanations.

[@drchangtorres]

That's not good!

[@heathmurphy3735]

Eesh