Factory Body Mount Life - Squeaking While Wheelin'??
 

First off, I'm positing this in the Modified section cuz I think this is probably more of a heavier wheeling question moreso than a Stock question, and I think the stress from wheeling probably plays a decent part in to it. My rear has been getting a lot squeakier lately when out wheeling. No issues on the pavement at all, but when the jeep is flexing around it sure is a bit squeaky. Yesterday we were out and about, and I was letting my daughter drive a good bit. I had an opportunity to walk behind while she was going up a very rocky trail, and it offered a perspective I never get. Anyhow, definitely not the shocks that are squeaky, and don't think it is the rubber isolator top the rear springs.....which made me start wondering about the rubber body mounts. I know have 5 years and 73k miles (with a good bit of wheelin) on my jeep, and I'm starting to wonder what the life of a factory body mount is on a vehicle where they're getting more stress than just on the pavement?? I was also looking at the Energy Suspension poly replacement kit, but dang it's pricey, looks like a pain in the ass job, and also looks like everyone says poly squeaks bad unless lubed often.

Anyone have any thoughts? Have some of you that have been around longer replaced your body mounts, and if so, what was the condition of the factory mounts when you removed them? Am I wrong in thinking these could be the squeaking culprits? My thought is the rubber separates from the metal over time and with stress....which is what is squeaking. :thinking:

I would verify that your squeak is not from the frame side of the upper control arms in the rear before looking at the body mounts. Much easier to replace and very very common source of squeak.

Adam C

I've got MC arms back there that were regreased about 6 months ago...with their recommended unicorn jiz. Those bushings have <30k miles on em total. IDK. Hate squeaks....prefer to be stealthy :cheers:

Fair enough, those bushings are usually pretty quiet.

Adam C

Just a stab in the dark. Have you checked the clearance between your rear track bar bolt (axle side) and that rear driver side spring? I mentioned in the other discussion of how I needed to rotate my rear spring to give that TB mounting bolt some clearance, where I remember that was a challenge to tighten that bolt due to the tight area between the coils and the nut on the back side. Just thinking from your description of the area of the noise you described and something that I experienced where it could be a similar scenario of possibly the nut of the TB bolt rubbing against the coils under flex situations. I'ld also inspect the rear sway bar link bushings.

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Thanks. I appreciate any thoughts. I have Teraflex rear TB bracket (actually bracket for 14b/60....long story), and it's actually welded on just a slight touch leaned towards the back. Lotta clearance between the coil and the frame side TB bolt. My sway links in the rear are actually homemade....rod ends on 1/2" all-thread....so no rubber. Wouldn't think they would be the culprit.

I never hear anything while on road or bumpy roads or what not. This really just seems to be while offroading when the body is really shifting around....which is why I was thinking possibly body mounts. Kinda thought that with so many older JKs with lotta miles that maybe someone would have replaced em and noted the condition of the factory at the time.

Think it could be the isolators on top of the rear coils? I got 3.5" RK springs, and I don't disconnect in the rear when wheelin'. Only other thing I can really think of is the springs moving and pressuring the upper isolators a bit as the rear axle moves around. Obviously that is a big difference between on road (when i hear nothing) and offroading.

My comment above made me think of the Frankenlift thread.....one other downside to that is having to have the MC jiz for their joints, the special RK unicorn tears for their joints, grease for DT BJs, so on and so forth. Gave up on Synergy's crap....they get whatever grease I have on hand. LOL.

Well, there's your obvious problem. You just need to be able to translate JK language. That's your JK squeaking at you, and trying to tell you "clean me please". :D

Sorry, other than a smart azz comment....I've got nothing.

The only other thing I could come up with, is that I know you swapped your front driveshaft with an Adams. Have you done the same to your rear? My thought is those rear DS U-joints possibly squeaking during axle droop when off road. My front currently sounds like a barn door squeaking only when off camber off road.

Y, mine stays dirty often....get back from wheelin' and it's a mess, before you know it it's weeks later and time to wheel again...so much work to clean it!

I still have a factory DS back there....well, not for much longer, just snagged am adams 1350 with 5k miles on it for $300....cha ching. TBH, I'm really surprised factory has been good for me for 72k miles considering what I throw at my jeep. First one ended up failing due to torn boot....and when regearing didn't want to re-extended when putting things back together. 2nd factory unit I installed backwards to get that boot further from danger....and it's been flawless for 25k miles or so.

Kids are getting old enough I let them drive some when out wheelin. Guess I just need to spend more time walking behind and paying attention. It's not often one gets that vantage point.

Update - I've found the source of my squeaking...at least for the time being. Rear sway bar bushings at the frame, combined with dry rod ends on my homemade rear sway bar links. Fluid Film saved the day and sucker is quiet again. The squeaking had gotten much worse lately and was happening during normal pavement driving at the slighest body roll/bump.