A couple of weeks ago I noticed a loud creaking coming from my front, passenger side suspension. Here is a link to a short video from under the 2005 4x4 Quad Cab;

http://youtu.be/sLQV61RmwT0

A few things about the video:

- Apparently I breath loud when trying to lift my truck up with my left arm.
- Everything was clean and dry with with no signs of damage anywhere. Anything that looks wet in the video is from me neighbor spraying WD-40 everywhere when I went in the house to get my camera.
- At the most I am moving the truck up and down one centimeter and the truck is on the ground.

I just can't narrow it down to where it is exactly coming from. A couple other things:
- There are no other noises or clunks and you can't feel anything when steering. There is also no difference in the ride.
- The creaking can be felt on all parts of the suspension and sort of echos from the rim making it hard to pin point.
- The front tires have to be fairly straight. If cranked all the way left or right it won't make the creaking.
- The temperatures the past couple weeks have really fluctuated and when it's 80 degrees out it creaks a lot and loudly. When is 45 degrees it doesn't creak at all.
- The only thing after market in that area is the rim and tire that have been on for a few years.
- I've had it up on jacks and jack stands and put jacks all over trying to make it creak with the tire off and it will not. As soon as I put the tire back on and when the tire hits the ground when I lower the truck it creaks.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

 

That sounds like the coil spring is rubbing the perch. I'd check your isolators on both top and bottom of the coil springs tfor any metal-metal contact.
It's a very hollow, tinny sound so I wouldn't suspect balljoints. Those tend to clunk or thud.
Maybe put your hand on the coil and see if you can feel the vibrations in your hand while you replicate that noise again. The closer you are to that noise, the more you'll be able to feel it.

And P-oil on metal-metal could actually make it worse. You would need a lubricating spray like a lithium grease.

 

I should have mentioned that it's a 1500 so it doesn't have front coil springs.

I messed around with it for about 2 hours yesterday again trying to make it creak with the wheel off and just couldn't unless the wheel is on and on the ground. I tried a couple jacks again and a crow bar to make everything move. I was thinking it might be a bushing but can't narrow it down to which one if that's what it is.

I found this person's video on YouTube and it's the same thing but of course they never came back and posted what the problem was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feBjxJ9o-0Y

 

sounds like a bushing to me...

 

I had the same problem. Mine was the result of one of the brackets holding the sway bar bushing was loose. I tightened it up and it went away.

 

I agree somewhat about a ball joint sounding like a clunk or thud but, my lower ball joint squeeked terribly whenever the suspension moved.
I isolated it by my son Jimmying up one front wheel with a pry bar and moving the wheel up and down whilst I was underneath listening closely. I then made a tiny puncture hole with a metal scribe/very small screwdriver in the lower balljoint rubber boot.
I left the scriber in place and then inserted one of the small plastic tubes you get with cans of WD40/white lithium grease spray cans after removing the scriber into the hole, left so I could re-find the hole I'd made. It was that small ha ha ha ha.
I sprayed a small shot of lithium grease in the BJ and all was good.
The tiny hole in the boot self seals almost so no worries about warter/dirt ingress and if you remember where it is, you can keep on lubing these terrible "sealed for life" balljoints that Dodge use.
Hope this helps?
Al.

 

Yesterday I did detach a couple things like the sway bar link, put the wheel back on and lower the truck and it squeaked. Raised it up again and tried something else and I wasn't able to find it. Then I finally had someone around to rock the truck while I was under it and I think I have it narrowed down to the lower ball joint. I hope.

I think I am going to go grab a needle for my grease gun and shoot some in there. If it fixes it then I know what it is and can replace the ball joint later. If it doesn't I'll just replace the ball joint later anyway.

 

So? Any success?

 

Well I needle greased the lower and upper ball joints and that didn't help. Last night I took the shock off, put the tire back on and lowered the truck and it still squeaked.

So I guess that leaves the two upper and lower control arm bushings, tie rod, CV joint or something with the brake caliper. And I suppose still something with the ball joints.

I think I'll get some more lithium spray grease and try the bushings again and the take the tie rod off and see what happens.

 

You did spray a lube on the bushings and shocks right?