Knock after lift kit install

[EP_Nic]

Hey guys just looking for a little bit of help. I installed a clayton overland plus 2.5'' lift kit on my jeep along with falcon sp2 3.3 fast adjust shocks.(250 miles on them) Sometimes from accelerating off of a stop I will hear a knocking noise, it doesn't happen every time, but when it does you can definitely feel it. Any ideas of what to check first, anything helps thanks

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[Gren71]

So far ive had knocks originating from a loose track bar, loose shock bolts, and have the lower front spring isolators bent out of shape allowing the spring to contact the frame. Ive also noticed some evidence of contact from the springs on my sector shaft brace, making me think that is a possible point where noise is coming from for me. Id start there and see if any of those are the culprit.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Well... what was unbolted?

Check:
shock towers and lower mount bolts
spring perch and pads
snubber pads
upper and lower control arm bolts
sway bar links and mounts
track bars and control arms
exhaust bushings
drive shafts

This knocking, is it a rotational knock or a linear knock? If linear, is it on extension or compression? A knock on extension aka throttle induced would indicate control arm bolts have play where as a clunk when you release throttle could be arms or a shock isn't snug. Is it independent of throttle and only happen when you contact road joints etc?

So tell us more about the knock?

 

[Clayton Off Road]

Definitely go through and tighten everything up as much as you can! All of your control arms and track bar jam nuts, and definitely the sway bar end links! Don't forget to use an allen on the sway bar end links to hold them in place while you tighten them up. Feel free to give us a call or PM us if you think you need any further help!

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Check and tighten everything up, and be sure to use a torque-wrench on things that recommend/require a torque-wrench in the instructions.

 

[EP_Nic]

So far ive had knocks originating from a loose track bar, loose shock bolts, and have the lower front spring isolators bent out of shape allowing the spring to contact the frame. Ive also noticed some evidence of contact from the springs on my sector shaft brace, making me think that is a possible point where noise is coming from for me. Id start there and see if any of those are the culprit.

Well... what was unbolted?

Check:
shock towers and lower mount bolts
spring perch and pads
snubber pads
upper and lower control arm bolts
sway bar links and mounts
track bars and control arms
exhaust bushings
drive shafts

This knocking, is it a rotational knock or a linear knock? If linear, is it on extension or compression? A knock on extension aka throttle induced would indicate control arm bolts have play where as a clunk when you release throttle could be arms or a shock isn't snug. Is it independent of throttle and only happen when you contact road joints etc?

So tell us more about the knock?

Thank you both for the response I definitely think/hope that all it is Ill go check there as soon as I am done with all of these ZOOM meetings :/ I was worried that the pinon angles were off so much that I was destroying everything but thats what happens when you install your first lift ever on a brand new gladiator haha

 

[Geekjeep]

Make sure your upper control arms aren’t reversed. There is a right and left. They look similar. Ask me how I know lol

 

[Geekjeep]

Did you find it, I have the 3.5 and it’s a great lift. Really love it. Like I said my issue was we reversed the upper control arms. So the right side would click when it hit the frame. Our fault for not seeing there was a right or left. Other things are sway bar end link bolts loosen up and click when rocking side to side. What I did since I couldn’t physically do it. I just had a good buddy re torque everything. Took 25 minutes. I’d recommend that as well

 

[Rook82]

I have the same 2.5 Overland lift. I am tracing a rattle of sorts on small bumps and of course larger ones. I think it is the right rear coil spring. If you hit it, it rattles badly. I think the spring is rattling against the frame pocket it sits in. The stock springs have those rubber pads around the springs. I think I need to replicate that on the new springs. I pulled the blue rubber isolater things off of the stock springs and am going to try and put them on the new springs to see if that helps.

 

[Rook82]

Did you find it, I have the 3.5 and it’s a great lift. Really love it. Like I said my issue was we reversed the upper control arms. So the right side would click when it hit the frame. Our fault for not seeing there was a right or left. Other things are sway bar end link bolts loosen up and click when rocking side to side. What I did since I couldn’t physically do it. I just had a good buddy re torque everything. Took 25 minutes. I’d recommend that as well

Those sway bar end links should be a larger diameter. There is a ton of play. You have to really tighten them down where they meet the sway bar. The hole in the sway bar is much larger then the bolt of they sway bar end links. I had that issue too.

One thing i know is Clayton backs their products. I have dealt with Adam there and he is great. That is the main reason I went with Clayton, very good customer service. That and I just like the design and price of their products. They have been doing Jeeps for a long time.

 

[Clayton Off Road]

Always happy to look at pictures and videos and help diagnose any issues you guys are having. Sway bar end links really have to be tightened down as much as you possibly can, as this is usually the first component to cause problems if not installed properly. A spring should not have any sort of rattle, especially on the rear of these vehicles as the springs are very tall and sit in the pocket nice and tight. Definitely get us some videos and we would be happy to help figure out what's going on!

 

[EP_Nic]

Did you find it, I have the 3.5 and it’s a great lift. Really love it. Like I said my issue was we reversed the upper control arms. So the right side would click when it hit the frame. Our fault for not seeing there was a right or left. Other things are sway bar end link bolts loosen up and click when rocking side to side. What I did since I couldn’t physically do it. I just had a good buddy re torque everything. Took 25 minutes. I’d recommend that as well

I went and re torqued everything and haven't heard it since. I think my upper control arms got a little loose from driving around fingers crossed it doesn't show up again

 

[OX677]

Always happy to look at pictures and videos and help diagnose any issues you guys are having. Sway bar end links really have to be tightened down as much as you possibly can, as this is usually the first component to cause problems if not installed properly. A spring should not have any sort of rattle, especially on the rear of these vehicles as the springs are very tall and sit in the pocket nice and tight. Definitely get us some videos and we would be happy to help figure out what's going on!

 

[OX677]

I have a overland plus 3.5 lift on a gladiator and the springs rattle and vibrate. If you hit them with your hand it rings like a bell. Both sides! Everytime I hit a bump the back end rattles

 

[Clayton Off Road]

I have a overland plus 3.5 lift on a gladiator and the springs rattle and vibrate. If you hit them with your hand it rings like a bell. Both sides! Everytime I hit a bump the back end rattles

Hey Mike!

This is simply due to the springs being a triple-rate design, just like the factory springs, and so what happens is the wounds of the spring that are closest together sometimes come into contact and vibrate. The solution for this is super easy, you can either re-use your factory coil spring isolators if you still have them, just simply pull them right off the factory springs and apply them to the top wounds of the new springs. If you no longer have your factory springs just use the link below to purchase a new set of isolators. Hope this helps!

https://www.034motorsport.com/coil-spring-sleeves.html

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