Leaf Spring Squeak/Squeal Solved!

I found the source of the dreaded leaf spring squeak/squeal!

Background: The truck has been to the dealer 4 times in the last 3 months for a leaf spring squeak on the passenger side leaf spring. Each “repair” consisted of one trip for diagnostics and the second trip to perform the work. The dealer is Burdick Toyota in Cicero, NY. The first “repair” was performing a TSB for installing pads at the ends of the leaf springs to eliminate the squeak and greasing the pads with a heavy grease. The squeak was completely unchanged, it made the noise as I pulled out of the parking spot leaving the dealer. The most recent “repair” required leaving the truck at the dealer for almost 1.5 months! They told me they brought in a specialist from Toyota and he determined that “the undercoating applied each year by Zeibart got in between the springs and was causing the squeak”. I told them I spent over a decade as a technician, ASE certified, and I never once saw that issue and found it very hard to believe. The undercoating is very thick and can not possibly get in between a compressed leaf spring. They insisted it was the cause and brought it to Zeibart who did the undercoating, to have them remove the undercoating from between the springs. This has not costed me anything other than time as I have an extended warranty and they sold me the rust-proofing package when I bought it. I went to pick up the truck and it made the noise leaving their parking lot yet again. I called the manager and several days later he called me and said they would replace the springs as a “goodwill repair”… despite it being under an extended warranty. They told me it would take several weeks to get the parts in and that I’d have to leave it with them for about a week to get the repair done. I was fed up with their bull shit and wasted time, so I decided to investigate the problem myself.

The problem: I’ve read a lot about this problem on TW with a lot of stories of never ending squeaks and squeals and all sorts of different recommended repairs from dry lubricants, to cutting pieces of plastic and installing them between the springs. Tonight I crawled underneath with a hammer and pry bar to try and locate the source of the sound. Well I found it. There’s a bracket that’s riveted to the bottom spring that wraps around both sides of the leaf pack. It’s not one of the clamps that wraps around all the springs in the pack. It has some plastic sleeves on either side that I assume are there to prevent this very noise. The one on the passenger side is touching all the springs on the inside portion of the leaf pack, yet the outside portion has a ton of clearance. The bracket on the drivers side has equal spacing on both sides of the leaf pack. Sure enough I sprayed a little PB Blaster in there and the noise is 100% gone. I used a pry bar to bend the bracket slightly away of the leaf spring and it’s now good to go. No more noise!

 

Nice find !!! It is amazing what we go through to find these noises. Sometimes it is not the noise - but the challenge that gets to us . Very helpful information. Thank-you for taking the time to do this for us. Regards Scott

 

This noise was making me crazy! Every time I’d stop, take off from a stop, or hit a small bump… SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK! It sounded like I was driving a covered wagon from the 1800’s! I hope this helps other people solve their noises, I know it’s plagued a lot of Tacomas.

 

Wow what a pita.

Wonder if that’s what makes the ome springs squeak.
Luckily I haven’t had that issue at all.

 

I noticed the same spot on mine. I didn't bend it out but rather used Motorkote in a spray bottle which quiets it down. I'll crawl under there and see about prying it out a bit now. Thanks for the tip

 

Silicone spray works well.

 

In no way did I experience the pain that you went through but I did have the exact same issue with the exact same fix. I found it by carefully spraying some water into each area of contact to find out where it was coming from. Finally isolated it to that same bracket. Very difficult to isolate the sound with listening alone. Anyway, I bent the crap out of that bracket it so it would not contact the metal and the squeak was gone. Such a relief.

 

I thought the same when my 2001 tundra leaf's squeaked and clunked after seeing the same. After realigning the leafs the squeaking later returned. Its the leafs themselves lay and wear against each other that eventually cause the squeak. Only option i found was to separate the leafs, and use these teflon plastic pieces between them. That solved the problem for years.

 

I don’t think it’s the problem I know it’s the problem. The sound was constant before and it’s completely gone now. The leafs already have plastic spacers between the ends of the springs, plus they were updated with more substantial spacers in them per the TSB repair.

 

Well good luck to you, and i hope it solves your problem long term, but it wasn't case with my 2001 tundra, or even later ones that i saw similar to your pic's.

 

Just bought a 2023 Tacoma, noticed the squeaking noise on the drive home from the dealer. This was the first thread I found after a quick search, and sure enough this was the exact fix I needed. Can’t believe they still haven’t sorted this out, such an easy tweak to make. Thanks!

 

Wow, this worked great! What a time saver.

 

Adding this to the things I need to do when it's not 100 degrees along with getting rid of the front end clunk.

 

seems like it's going to be hot forever here. it's never ending.

 

Glad it worked for you guys!

 

Going to give this a try tomorrow morning

 

Dang me too, my drivers side has been squeaky forever. Lithium grease, and blasting out the packs with a pressure washer just hasn’t worked.

 

Perfect! My rear driver started to squeak for a couple days now. Going to check that out!

 

The new Rough Country 3-1/2” springs I installed have a clicking sound that I can’t find. I wonder if it’s the similar issue.

 

I also have the 3.5 RC springs, and it’s confirmed, the same brackets are the source. Thanks Redline for the post!!! I’ve only had them on for about 15k and was dreading what a mechanic would find