06 crd daystar 1.5in kit question

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jgliberty06

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Hello, I had the daystar 1.5in kit put on 5 days ago along with new struts and 245/75r16 kenda mts. After about 2 days the struts/springs in the front began to give a creaking sound when driving and the slightest movement. When driving any vibration will make it creak/squeak faster almost giving a giggling or gerbil type sound.

Im not sure if this is just the springs settling into the pucks and will go away or what. Is this expected?

Thank you,
 

jgliberty06

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Here is a pic of the new lift and tires
 

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tommudd

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hate to say it but first they don't recommend using a spacer lift on a CRD
Second its the worst way to lift any KJ
Kind of how they are
NOW you may try and clean the sway bar bushings real good , they maybe part of the problem
Also making sure everything was tightened to specs
Did you install or someone else??
 

jharrisliberty

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I had this problem after I installed my daystar lift on my KJ. I did not have new struts and springs put on at the time. The only way that I found to get rid of this noise was to put some WD40 up in the top area where the bushing for the daystar kit is. From what I could tell when I did this was the the rubber bushing had to break in. Mine no longer squeaks any more and I plan on getting rid of this lift as soon as I have all of the parts I need for my 3.5" lift.
 

jgliberty06

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Thanks jharrisliberty. So I would need to libricate from under the hood over the top of the struts or on the tops of the springs themselves?
 

jgliberty06

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I had this put on by a local mechanic. I have a buddy that has this kit on his crd and has never had an issue so I decided to give it a shot since I recently got new tires for very cheap. Whats strange is that it started doing this a few days after installation
 

jharrisliberty

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So I would spray lubricant of some kind on to the rubber bushing at the top of the strut from the wheel well area. At least this is what I did with mine. I had to do it a couple of times and now mine has stopped squeaking.
 

tommudd

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Bandaid on the problem but spraying will take care of part of the issues
At the very least install Teraflex bumpstops in front, will help extend shock life somewhat before they go.
 
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jgliberty06

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Hey Tommudd, Thanks for the suggestions. I'm really only having an issue with the front end of the lift. What would you suggest to keep my 1.5in lift in a front in replacement of the daystar spacer?

Thank you,
 

dude1116

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To be honest, the issue you are having sounds like the plastic "boot" that goes over the shock piston is rubbing the shock body on one or both sides. I have the same issue. I've been trying to find a way to cut out that plastic crap without taking apart the coilover...
 
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dude1116

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Here is a picture of what I'm talking about. In this picture, I tried to bend and pry the plastic away from the shock housing. It worked for a little while but it's squeaking again now.

You must be registered for see images
 

jgliberty06

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Well the boot itself seems loose and non restricting at this point. I can definitely check that out too.

My concern is that it did not begin to creak until a day or two after installation. It is a strong creaking sound. How does yours sound and how long has this occurred?
 

dude1116

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Mine started a few days after the lift. Probably enough time for the boot to "rough up" the surface of the shock.

Initially it sounded like a very light creaking/squeaking. Now that it came back it's a much higher pitched squeak. Happens on almost any road surface...even with minimal bumps.

As far as what Tom said (sway bar bushings), that would typically happen ONLY over bumps, mostly over bumps that hit both wheels (speed bump, etc). And THAT would be a straight up CREAAAAKKKKK noise.

Tom IS right though. Your lift isn't exactly "suggested." That being said...I don't know your budget and I don't know how you're using the thing. Still trying to find a solution for you.
 

jgliberty06

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Ahh I see what you mean now. So you are saying the actual strut itself is rubbing against its own metal?
 

dude1116

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Ahh I see what you mean now. So you are saying the actual strut itself is rubbing against its own metal?

Right. The plastic over the shock piston is rubbing against the shock body as it moves up and down. When i pull the coilover assembly off...I can tell the plastic is on the shock crooked, somehow. Another member (TJKJ) brought my attention to it after posting about it and he ended up being correct.
 

jgliberty06

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I appreciate it and it basically means that this can occur with any lift not just the obviously dreaded "daystar lift" which is what concerns me.

I have spoken with several people that have crds and my spacer kit and have never encountered issues.

And then I go on here and its 50/50 vs several different types of lifts with some people even saying the OME is better than the FrankenLift etc. It is just very confusing and contradictory.

My concern is that even if I were to spend the money on an OME lift like yourself it appears I will still have issues.
 

dude1116

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I appreciate it and it basically means that this can occur with any lift not just the obviously dreaded "daystar lift" which is what concerns me.

I have spoken with several people that have crds and my spacer kit and have never encountered issues.

And then I go on here and its 50/50 vs several different types of lifts with some people even saying the OME is better than the FrankenLift etc. It is just very confusing and contradictory.

My concern is that even if I were to spend the money on an OME lift like yourself it appears I will still have issues.

It's a learning experience. The issue that I have isn't really an "issue" per say. The shock and coil still do their job 100%. I just would have not installed the boot had I known that ALL shock boots in coilovers have been known to cause an issue.

Basically the reason we suggest Frankenlifts, OME, Ironman, etc. is because the shocks tend to be higher quality and the coils have a higher weight rating...which is what you want when lifting using a front coilover assembly. It holds weight better and doesn't wear out as fast.

Reason we DO NOT suggest spacers, is because you are preloading the coil in the coilover assembly. That is, you're adding extra pressure on top of the coil and shock. This wears everything out quickly and leads to a crappy-riding jeep.

Typically we're not contradictory here. Read read read :)

If you enjoy your Jeep than I am not going to stop you from doing that. It looks good and it looks clean!
 

jgliberty06

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Thanks and I really appreciate the help!

I am definitely open to a new front end lift alternative to the spacer itself as I plan on keeping my crd for a very long time :) . The spacers in the rear feel fine and are not giving me any issues.

What lift do you suggest on my CRD to possibly help with this?

In the meantime do you suggest prying the boot cover to help with the noise? Not sure if you were able to get rid of this noise?
 

dude1116

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Thanks and I really appreciate the help!

I am definitely open to a new front end lift alternative to the spacer itself as I plan on keeping my crd for a very long time :) . The spacers in the rear feel fine and are not giving me any issues.

What lift do you suggest on my CRD to possibly help with this?

In the meantime do you suggest prying the boot cover to help with the noise? Not sure if you were able to get rid of this noise?

Well to be honest, I haven't truly solved the issue. The best solution would be to have the boot removed if you can. Perhaps the shop can do it for you?

Best place to start is at JeepinByAl

This is NOT an advertisement for him. He offers all of the best parts, even if he doesn't make them. Find something that fits your needs (CRD heavy duty coils would be your best bet). You can then shop around once you find the part numbers and the manufacturers for the parts that you decide on.
 

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