drguitarum2005

After finally getting fed up with the very loud squeaks and rattles that my 2000 Tacoma makes every time i do...anything, I finally embarked on a long mission to figure out what it all was and put a stop to it.

The culprits:
Drivers seat
Toolbox
Hi-lift jack
Leaf springs
Leaf spring u-bolt plates
Clutch pedal
Clutch "grommet in firewall"
Rear speakers

The hi-lift and the springs were my main sources of noise, so I attacked them first.

I took off my leafs, separated the pack (sort of-couldnt pull it apart completely, those clamps are HARD to bend), "cleaned" them (with what limited resources i had, aka soap and water and paper towels), grinded down some of the paint, sprayed them with some black paint in 3 coats, then a few coats of clear.
The main squeaking/creaking was coming from the second leaf rubbing against the first (longest) leaf at the ends. the Chevies ahd some semblance of a plastic thing there to stop that, but they were all but worn away, and doing nothing. I used a big black plastic paint shield from home depot, cut it to size, used a torch to bend them around the ends of the springs, and used some adhesive to stick em down. I spray all the complete pads with some dry lubricant as well.
I always got a loud popping noise from my leafs whenever they flexed. I determined that this was coming from the leaf spring perch area on the axle. While I had the pack apart, I also put a cut piece of the same plastic on either side of the metal plates that go between the leafs. basically, I have no metal-on-metal contact with my leaf springs. This required some slightly longer center pins (i broke the factory ones getting them off anyway) but that was a good time to get some nice clean grade 8 bolts to use for it. I cleaned the perches, spray them as well, and put the springs on. I torqued everything down and used loctite, so everything is nice and secure.

This more or less solved my loud suspension. I get the occasional pop, but nothings perfect. I took limited pics, but I can get some of the final product if needed. The paint job was really crappy seeing as how I didn't clean the springs very well and I scratched them a lot putting them all back together and back on the truck.

The starting tools


The fix








The next step was the toolbox. I determined that it was squeaking against my bedliner, which made an unpleasant high-pitched noise. The solution? Rubber garage door weather stripping + loctite power grab adhesive underneath and behind. The latch was also real loose, letting it vibrate up and down a lot, so just some quick turns of the wrench and it closes nice and snug now.





Also, my hi-lift was rattling and squeaking like crazy too. The rattle from coming from the working mechanism (they all rattle like that), so, courtesy of yotatech search, I found that using bungee cords would be the best. Not pictured below, I also used a random big rubber ring i had lying around, made the hold bigger, and slid it on the handle as a very stock-looking handle isolator (which cost $2 versus however much the real isolator costs). The handle retention clip that keeps the handle attached to the jack when not in use was mega squeaking, so off it went (i use velcro to hold the handle to the jack anyway)





I also sprayed the grommet for the clutch that goes through the firewall with a lot of silicone spray, and that stopped the squeak...we'll see how long it lasts. (not pictured)

My rear speakers, being aftermarket kenwoods, dont fit perfectly in the holes for the stock speakers. Basically only one screw holds them in as thats the only hole that lines up. It's a very sturdy mount, believe it or not, but it allowed for a lot of rattling. My roommate got a package with a lot of soft foam cylinders as the "packing peanuts", so I stuffed some of those between the speaker and the interior panel, and all is well. (also not pictured)

the only thing left to do is my seat (and figure out WHAT in my seat squeaks every time i, or the truck moves)

SR5

glad you actually took the time to fix the problems , most people just ignore it which in the long run can rely hurt their truck

Godzilla

i too hate squeaks and try to find and eliminate them. i like the high lift setup but can you still fully open the toolbox up?

drguitarum2005

full enough. i stupidly thought of that and the weight of the hi-lift AFTER i mounted it, but it works out. It opens plenty for me to get in there and get what I need. I just have to be careful to not let the lid slam open or shut. The hi-lift hits the glass when the lid is all the way open.