My 2011 JK Sport has an annoying squeak that I've not been able to locate and/or get rid of. I've got an 1 1/4" Rough Country body lift and I"m running Duratrac 285/75R16's. Its coming from the rear right side of my Jeep and so far I've tried the following. I've replaced the stock shocks with Skyjacker Nitro 8000's (front and rear). I've lubed just about everything under the jeep and inside that could possibly cause it. Does it with the soft top/doors off as much as with them on. I have trouble recreating the squeak by rocking or pushing down on the Jeep, but if I open up the tailgate and lift up on it it makes the annoying squeak. I've lube the tailgate door hinges and still have the squeak. Any suggestions other than turning up the radio (do that already lol). Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Check the spot welds around the tailgate perimeter. Also use a magnifying glass to look around for a small crack in the quarter panels specifically around the hinges. You might have a hair line crack and the squeak you are hearing is the metal to metal fretting. also check the the hinge bolts to see if they are loose. Lastly use a penetrating lubricant like Fluid Film. This will seep into the crevices and hopefully stop your squeak. Ok last, lastly, post a picture where you think the squeak is coming from. Pictures are worth a 1000 words.

Cheers,
Will

 

Could it be your sway bar links or even a loose bolt on your body lift? The sway bar link usually makes more clunk than squeak but it's possible.

 

up/down movement in the rear isn't as good at recreating noises as putting two hands on one side of the jeep and pushing the heck out of it back and forth (sideways). You can get it rocking really good which will move about every component there is. I had an annoying squeak in the rear it took a long time to track down. For me it was the sway bar bushing mounted to the frame. I hit it with some white lithium grease spray from time to time.

 

sorry for the delay in responding, but between work and kids this is the first chance I've had to play with it. I checked out the welds and they look and by chance while i was doing that my son's gf's dad stopped by (they have a jeep) and I had him listen to it while I pulled up and down on the tailgate. The rear right shock (bottom) has alot of play in it and that's where the squeak is coming from. The bolts are tight and I've hit it with marine grade grease, still squeaks.. is it possible the wrong bushing was sent with it? The rear left shock does not make that noise, only the right one. Seems to be a lot of play back and forth with it. Will get my wife to help me recreate it and I'll take a video.

 

added video, right rear shock is the culprit.... way more play than the rear left (which does not squeak). The shocks have only been in a few months, can bushings go bad that quickly?

 

That sure the heck ain't right. is the sleeve in that bushing?

 

That clearly is wrong. It does look like the bushing is missing. You can look at the other side and compare. You can get those bushing but just make sure it is the right size (outside and inside diameter.

 

Only 3 things could be wrong there:

1) sleeve aint there
2) bolt is undersized
3) bushing is shot or oversized

Hard to tell from the video which it is, but I'd disconnect both sides and compare.

 

right side rear shock, the squeaky one.......... next up the left side/non squeary bolts are the same size........ blue stuff is marine grade grease from my boat that I tried in hopes of getting rid of the squeark