I apologize, but I'm new to Dodge trucks. I'm chasing a leaf spring noise (on accel and over bumps) and it seems the leaf clamps or something is making the noise. I'm going to remove the overloads next.

Do these come on all 1500s? Or is it a factory or aftermarket option? TIA.

 

Do you have the tow package on your truck? They might be from that..... Might have been added by a previous owner as well.

 

Mine does that too but I am way to lazy and bolts are way to rusty for me to worry about it. I am starting to get the driver side sag and if I ever address it I will find my noise.

Can you take a pic of your setup? There are different kinds. We spent a long time tracking this down on a buddies truck.

 

They don't list the top overloads in the FSM, just a small auxiliary spring that's supposed to be on top. Mine looks like my buddy's 2500 if I remember correctly with it's own u-bolts.

How tight/loose are the u-bolts that hold the overload spring down supposed to be? They were loose and dangling before, and I snugged them up with no change.

 

Check the spring eyelet bushings, see if they've walked, causing the spring to hit the shackle when it shifts under load. I've found that causing a popping noise on acceleration.

 

I found this TSB on spring tips and clip isolators. Going out again, I think it's coming from the rear where the overload bolts to it. I think that tip is either broken or dry.

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/02-04-00.htm

 

Like said before the shackles make a clicking kind of noise. One think I have had conflicting info on is that lowest overload spring on your stock spring pack. Most manufacturers say you should remove that spring. On my friends we had to remove that spring to get his noise to go away. Also, it has to be torqued with the weight on it. We kept having it jacked up when we were working on it and that didn't work.

 

I got looking more closely at the leafs, and two of the leaf tip pads were gone. Flexed the leaf out, took some off some old Jeep springs I had, lubed them up with moly, and the clanking on the passenger side went away, and the squeaking on the driver's went away.

I can't see how that lower spring would make any noise, though.