Guys I need some feed back from the Gen I SWB members. My 1988 SWB makes a lot of sqeaks and cherps in the front end when the front end rocks or flexes. It sound to me its the torshion bars. Can you lube something or replace something to eliminate the sqeaks or cherps?

Have you checked the shock absorber bushings, ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, hub caps, trim rings, etc. in your search for the noise? I recently replaced my upper control arm shaft, bushings, and shocks...took care of some of my rattles.

Torsion bars are splined at both ends and should not rub anything. Is the noise bad when you are turning and hit a bump. ALso have you greased all the nipples on the chassis?

There's a steering stop plate on the a arm and an adjustable steering stop on the knuckle on both sides. The stop is supposed to have a rubber cup around it, around the stop shaft open to the plate. It's supposed to be filled with grease to lube the stop rub against the plate when the suspension flexes in the turn making the stop rub on the stop plate. I've also not found the grease tits on the lower a arm.

I've found it useful to have an active fat friend bounce up and down standing on the front bumper as a diagnostic aid while you crawl around underneath with a long piece of vac hose in your ear, stethescoping around for the source.

Pictures please. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Also check your antisway bar bushings. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I had a very loud chirping noise coming from the steering stops on my '91 LWB. The noise went away after lubing them. I used anti-seize because I had it laying out, but I'm sure grease would work as well. I also used anti-seize on my torsion bar adjusting bolts and anchors. On each adjusting bolt there is a "D" shaped, half round anchor that looks like a good place for noise to come from, so I took it apart and cleaned it off, then lubed it. While I had it up on the rack I hit all the zerk fittings with the grease gun and the suspension was MUCH quieter. Grease is no susbstitute for replacing a bad ball joint, tie-rod end, etc., but it can make the wait a lot more pleasant.

Just replaced the anti-roll bar mounts (sway bar) with polyurethane instead of rubber. Made a world of difference to noises and handling. Any help? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

The one thing that will make a fair bit of noise is the bush in the front of the lower suspension arm. This bush has a crush tube with serrated ends and if the bolt holding this in is not super tight, it will start to move under extension & compression and any slight movement in the serrated end will generate loud noises throughout the suspension. If it is still a problem after swinging on the bolt with a bar, then an alternative is to replace the bush with a nolathane unit, as in this setup, the crush tube is not bonded to the actual bush, but is free to move. This also gives you a much better and smoother movement of the lower arm. I have replaced all the upper and lower bushes in my Mitsi's with nolathane and the movement is quiet and smooth.

Great comments from all. Back 8 months ago when I purchased the truck one of the first things I did was replace the shocks with KYB'S and replaced the stabilizer Bar bushings, pitman arm, tie rods and idler arm. I will take your suggestion and get my fat wife to jump up and down on the front bumper while I am under the truck trying to isolate where the noise is coming from. Has any one removed the front stabilizer bars on these GEN I SWB trucks and did it give you better articulation?