Creak while turning - ball joints or something else? (videos included)

Hey all, after a rather less than tame off-road session I have been getting a really nasty creaking noise while turning. It is far worse when turning left. It has increased a lot over the last week. The ball joints are probably 20k miles old, steering rack ~25k (including tie rods). Upper control arms/ball joints 20k as well (JBA).

I don't see any place in anything when turning the wheel except the the rack itself seems to shift a little bit but I don't expect that to cause the noise. Only other thing I can think of is the lower ball joints went bad already? Does anyone have any ideas? I *think* the noise is from the passenger side.

Driver side:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZcEjxh2U2rE

Passenger side:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zhT2b7Ahe80

 

I see red what I assume are poly bushings on the sway bar. Do you also have poly bushings on the steering rack? I'm betting it's the bushing under the D-shaped clamp on the passenger side of the rack are your noise culprit.

Try spraying that bushing on both sides, with some white lithium grease then repeat this same maneuver to work it in, bet it quiets that right up. Mine's done the exact same thing before, and has been quiet ever since doing that.

 

Those rack bushing are in fact rubber and that D clamp bushing is original to the truck... I'll give it a spray and see what happens. Sure hoping that's the issue! I'd hate to replace the ball joints so soon again

 

Tie rod ends maybe, If the rubber boot is damaged or the tie rod end is just wornout you will start to get a creaking noise when turning.

Edit: went back and listened to your video and it sounds like the tie rod ends to me.

 

Given that info, it's even more likely to be your culprit

 

Also if the grease solves your issue but your bushing is that old, you might end up needing a new bushing unless you want to keep spraying grease regularly

 

Weird
Especially bc your recently RR’d many parts mentioned as cause

I agree that the slight movement of rack is not the noise. Too linear/long sounding as you turn.

im going to guess upr/lwr spring perches


If you Jack up front, and do same test….
Same results/noise with un-sprung weight?

 

I can get it jacked up tomorrow or Sunday.

Spring perches especially lower are steel, those go bad? That was all replaced when I did the suspension lift too.

I'll check it out more tomorrow when I go install the new muffler and see if anything pops out at me.

 

what brand of LBJ? I've cooked cheap ones in as few as 5k miles

 

OEM parts for that. Tie rod/rack is NAPA rebuild I installed in 2021

 

not that they “go bad”
But the springs looked shiny (newer)
Typically, there is a rubber gasket/top/barrier that sits on top of spring and then seats into spring perch
Usually upper

I had a creaking sound when I went to stiffer springs on my Subaru (b4 I could afford coilovers)
The new springs wouldn’t accept/fit the OE rubber piece that would fit on top of the OE spring. The rubber piece just makes the flex/turning quieter when steering wheel turned. Got this creak(not as bad as your vids fur sure)
Just a guess

Many parts will be eliminated if creaking is diff/not there with un-sprung weight
Let everyone know

 

Sorry called spring insulator

$13 Universal Coil Spring Silencer Insulator Rubber Sleeve Front Rear Lower Suspension Noise Reducer Protector For Car Van Truck-2PCS

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-In...b4e7d6d7704c30d394c2abba561f37aa&gad_source=1

https://www.performanceonline.com/C...MI5qOslZnLhgMVJDHUAR2OkQ9rEAQYAyABEgJsLfD_BwE

 

Wanted to update... before heading out this morning I sprayed lube on the large D bushing on the rack and on the upper perch along with the tie rod for fun. Immediately the noise is gone. So it is one of those items.

The rubber on the perch looked pretty much the same as it always has, I did notice the D bushing seems to have shifted/kinked a bit.

 

Well glad to hear you don't have to listen to that racket any longer. If the noise comes back, try one spot at a time to deduce which is the real culprit. Still got my money riding on that D-clamp bushing

 

That's the plan. I am looking for an excuse to put poly bushings and that 333 clamp in...

 

Wow
Glad easy fix
What a crap ton of noise

 

Wanted to update.... it was none of those things. Last time I went off-road must have really sent it and 2 of the 3 strut plate nuts were gone. The 3rd was loose. 2 new nuts and snugged them all down and she sounds great!

Cleaned out a ton of gunk in the caliper too so much mud/rocks probably where the scraping noise came from just recently. Thought it was a wheel bearing going.

 

I mean... maybe add some locktite to those...

 

That's the plan just wanted to test it out