I recently bought a 2019 F250 with 123k. I have been doing some things the previous owner neglected suspension wise. I replaced all 4 shocks with Bilstein 5100, a Bilstein 5100 steering stabilizer, track bar, drag-link and end w/sleeve and sway bar end-links, pulled the driveshaft and lubed the splines as well as all axle, transfer case fluids and transmission service. I had a small clunk after all that, that has gotten worse over the last few weeks. I started to question some of my own work, even though I am pretty thorough and have been wrenching for a good 35 years. I retorqued all the bolts I had touched up to this point. I though it was in the front end, until today when I had a buddy helped me and we rocked the truck side to side. It turns out the left/driver leaf spring bushing on the rear of the spring is making the clunk. I have been researching for a replacement busing, but don't see and option really. Car-part.com has several full leaf spring replacements for $170 near me. I plan to take the leaf off and inspect for a torn bushing and slather it with some white lithium grease as best I can to see if that stops the clunk. The noise emanates through the frame and feels like its under my foot, but its the bushing without a doubt. If the leafs flex up and down, its silent, but and side to side motion, it clunks. Any tips for greasing the bushing up while its in the leaf spring, a bushing replacement or will a replacement spring be needed? Thanks

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...g+bushing,7488

 

That may be an option, but not sure how me, the shade tree mechanic can press that in..... I wish prothane made a 2 piece for our trucks.

 

6” or 8” vice, hammer + block of wood, local shop are a few options.

 

Is this a common problem? Local isn't an option as I live in a town of 900..... I think I'll at least remove the back of the leaf spring and shackle and try and lube it with white lithium and get a good inspection of it, hopefully it's just dry and not split. Even with 125k, a 5 year old bushing shouldn't be shot.....

 

if its clunking, its already worn i dont think grease will do anything long term. but maybe thats enough to 100% verify the issue.

Definitely not a common issue though.

 

In some cases you can place a small bottle jack between the frame and the leaf spring to gain work space on the bushing. (Pump the jack up and the eyelet of the leaf with the bushing will go down) I normally use an acetylene torch and burn/cut the old bushing out, press in the new one and reassemble.

 

I can't work on it until tomorrow, but for today, I just doused it with fluid film and heading out for the day. I'll pull it all apart tomorrow and evaluate. Thanks for the tips so far!

 

Sorry to add, but Fluid Film is not the best rust penetrant. It's too thick and slow. But, cool...keep us posted with pic's too.

 

I figured it was better than nothing. I'll remove the leaf spring bolt and shackle bolts tomorrow and grease it all up as good as possible. Hopefully I don't see any damage to the bushing.

 

I had this same clunk on my 2019 at about 5k miles. Took the dealer a while to find it, but they lubed the bushing and it was still dead quiet at over 40k when I sold it.

 

Happy to report that after pulling both rear leafs and shackles and applying Lucas white lithium grease inside all metal eyelet inserts, on all 4 bolts and all mating surfaces, it cured the clunk 100%!! I love free and easy fixes. The bushings all looked great, but you could see where the bolt threads were digging into the driver leaf spring inner bushing, that was were the noise was coming from. I also used a green 3m pad on all 4 friction pads and after cleaning them, applied the grease on those as well. Feels good to have a nice smooth quiet truck again!

 

Thanks for letting us know!
Fixing a problem for less is good to hear.

 

It's crazy how much that dry leaf spring bushing clunk, felt like bad swaybar end links or a shock with a loose bolt. I was 99% sure it was a front end component, but it traveled through the frame to the floorboard nicely, lol.

 

Yup, I could replicate mine at-will simply by wiggling the rear end of the truck side to side by hand. Congrats on the fix.