Single clunk when turning either direction, then again in opposite turn

outback97

Wheeling
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, Utah
2009 Off Road with OME leaf springs and shackles. It handled just fine camping last weekend, whether it was slow 4WD or 80MPH on the freeway. Yesterday I took it to the car wash to spray off the dirt and mud from the weekend and noticed a fairly substantial clunk during moderately aggressive turns. It seems to be coming from the rear and I can't feel it in the steering wheel so I am pretty sure it's not front suspension.

It only does it once... until you change directions, then it will do it again during a direction change. So, if you make a hard right turn it'll clunk, another hard right nothing, another hard right nothing, then on a hard left it'll clunk, another hard left nothing, until you go right again.

Maybe U-bolts need tightening? I replaced the forward leaf spring bushings earlier this year and I did re-torque ubolts after a couple hundred miles, but haven't checked them since.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
2009 Off Road with OME leaf springs and shackles. It handled just fine camping last weekend, whether it was slow 4WD or 80MPH on the freeway. Yesterday I took it to the car wash to spray off the dirt and mud from the weekend and noticed a fairly substantial clunk during moderately aggressive turns. It seems to be coming from the rear and I can't feel it in the steering wheel so I am pretty sure it's not front suspension.

It only does it once... until you change directions, then it will do it again during a direction change. So, if you make a hard right turn it'll clunk, another hard right nothing, another hard right nothing, then on a hard left it'll clunk, another hard left nothing, until you go right again.

Maybe U-bolts need tightening? I replaced the forward leaf spring bushings earlier this year and I did re-torque ubolts after a couple hundred miles, but haven't checked them since.
Leaf spring slipping. Try tightening your u-bolts back up. Could be the bushings on the clamps broken and missing.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
This is a known issue with OME Leaf Springs. Try tightening things, but I think you may have just acquired an ongoing sound effect.
 

outback97

Wheeling
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, Utah
I checked the ubolt nuts and they weren't loose. I did notice that the OME shackle bushings are looking pretty done so I ordered a couple of SB100 bushing kits.

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Probably should have done that when I did the forward leaf spring mounts earlier this year, but at that time they looked OK. I wish I could go with a Whiteline or Nolathane option for easier availability but my understanding is that I have to use the OME bushings since I have the OME greasable shackles. Unless someone knows of an equivalent kit that can drop in.

@IM1RU I know I've seen complaints about squeaking / creaking noises with the OME leafs, but I haven't really experienced much of that before. That said, this setup was installed by the previous owner nine years and almost 60K miles ago. Stuff does wear out.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
IMG_6496-ome-shackle-sep-2021.jpg

The areas where the red arrows are pointing are where the lower leafs are slipping under the main leaf and causing your "pop" sound.

You can see on the left side that the lower leafs aren't lined up with the main leaf. If you drove it and caused the pop then stopped, you would most likely find that the lower leafs would be off on the opposite side instead.
 

outback97

Wheeling
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, Utah
View attachment 19572

The areas where the red arrows are pointing are where the lower leafs are slipping under the main leaf and causing your "pop" sound.

You can see on the left side that the lower leafs aren't lined up with the main leaf. If you drove it and caused the pop then stopped, you would most likely find that the lower leafs would be off on the opposite side instead.

I had suspected that they might be shifting and actually mentioned it (and posted a short video) in my thread about doing the front leaf mount. I couldn't get it to shift in the video nor was it making this noise, but maybe it's just more worn out at this point.

View: https://youtu.be/dCoFWtcHHI0

Maybe I need to do this again but turn more aggressively.

When I did the forward bushings earlier this year I did replace some of the plastic liners of the spring clamps that hold the leafs together. But it seems to me that the clamping action is not really tight enough to keep the ends of the leafs from moving laterally. I'd think one would need additional clamps near the ends of the longer leaf to keep that from moving.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
I had suspected that they might be shifting and actually mentioned it (and posted a short video) in my thread about doing the front leaf mount. I couldn't get it to shift in the video nor was it making this noise, but maybe it's just more worn out at this point.

View: https://youtu.be/dCoFWtcHHI0

Maybe I need to do this again but turn more aggressively.

When I did the forward bushings earlier this year I did replace some of the plastic liners of the spring clamps that hold the leafs together. But it seems to me that the clamping action is not really tight enough to keep the ends of the leafs from moving laterally. I'd think one would need additional clamps near the ends of the longer leaf to keep that from moving.
Mine were sliding and making a cluncking noise and it was because the black plastic clamp bushing's had broke . They still make a little noise but it's about 10% of what it was after replacing .
 
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