Ok I've read a lot about the track bar, shock mount bolts, stabilizers, ball joints, etc but I'd like to get some advice on my suspension.
This truck has 113k miles and when drive on back roads (much more rough than highways but still paved) I feel this knocking which seems to come from under the floorboard as I hit the most moderate of paved bumps in the road. If I hit a pretty heavy bump in the road it feels like the front end is gonna fall out of the truck. How much of that is normal for a 3/4 ton? It just feels real loose.
Anyone know where to start? I may have a combo of prob's with front end.
Where should I start? I just bought this truck and want to keep it for a REALLY long time. It's a 95 2500 reg. cab, long bed, 4x4.
THanks guys.
S~

 

man... i thought we'd be diagnosing an ENGINE knock

IMO 100% of that is normal for a solid axle truck. you mite try to improve ride with some hydrogen shocks and if you really want, you could replace coil springs as well... but id just accept the fact that its not an IFS chevy

 

I even notice some of this on my 1500. Comes with the territory. I'd go ahead and check your suspension and mounts just to be sure. Might find something you can tighten up a little.

On the plus side, solid front axles and awesome!

 

The 3/4 ton trucks ride stiff....... with some weight in the back, (1000 pounds or so) they ride MUCH better...... (and with 5000, it rides like a cadillac. )

 

Pretty normal. When my 1500 4x4's noises started getting scary it turned out to be the trac bar and shocks. Replaced them, and no more knocking noise.... still rode rough as hell though, but i didnt buy a solid axle 4x4 for comfort

 

The bushing on the bottom of the steering column may be shot also.

http://www.rocksolidramtrucksteering.com/

 

Our 1999 2500 4X4 had the same symptoms; took a while to find the problem but on ours it was the upper track bar bushing on the right front. I've read that those bushings are so close to the exhaust system that heat causes problems. My quick and dirty fix was to hit the bushing about every 6 months with some silicone spray. I figured a new bushing would suffer the same fate soon anyway. That's something you could try - you can hit all the bushings with silicone in about 5 minutes - easy, and would tell you if that's the problem.

Chuck

 

OhioChuck sounds like that's the best quick check thing I could do although I think I only have one track bar????? I did try to move the track bar with truck on the ground and it had no play in it. If I have an upper and lower track bar I'll be sure to hit all the bushings with silicon. Thanks,
Scott

 

Typing got ahead of brain - sorry. I meant to say upper right control arm bushing (the ones that run lengthwise on your truck). On ours it was the upper front bushing on the passenger side that would dry out and creak. As you said, while you are there, hit all of them with some spray lube and see if that helps your problem (it takes a short amount of time for the lube to work its way into the area that needs it). Hope this helps.

Chuck

 

gotcha! Now I follow!!!