Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I bought my 98 new in 12-97. Since day one whenever i went over a bump I would get a banging underneath like something was hitting the underneath of the truck. I looked and looked and never saw anything and I would let it go for awhile and then it would bother me and I would look again but to no avail
Forward to 2002... ... ... ... ... ... .....
I am washing my truck and it is nice out and I have some time and what the heck; let me look to see if I can find that banging noise again. JAck up the front and , as always; everything is tight on the front end and nothing hitting. As I lower the truck down I notice some play at the bottom of the shock where the bolt goes thru. Hmmmm, maybe a shock is bad---- makes sense so I order Bilsteins on the GP(to good to pass up) and I put them on. Truck rides alot better but banging is still there when I hit a bump. Now I am on a mission to find the problem and figure let my buddy take a look since I have looked so much I might be missing something. Wouldn't you know it, he found the problem.
It seems from the factory, my rubber bushings were not pushed up thru the mount at the top. And when I replaced my shocks I was in a rush and just put it back the same as it came out not knowing the grommet at the top needed to be pushed thru (half on the top and half on the bottom-my fault) I reinstalled the shocks and guess what no more noise. I guess the top of the shock was banging against the mount everytime I went over a bump. Just thought I pass this along to you guys in case you have any weird front end noises- you just might want to check your bushings
Too bad my buddy is a Ford guy though
Forward to 2002... ... ... ... ... ... .....
I am washing my truck and it is nice out and I have some time and what the heck; let me look to see if I can find that banging noise again. JAck up the front and , as always; everything is tight on the front end and nothing hitting. As I lower the truck down I notice some play at the bottom of the shock where the bolt goes thru. Hmmmm, maybe a shock is bad---- makes sense so I order Bilsteins on the GP(to good to pass up) and I put them on. Truck rides alot better but banging is still there when I hit a bump. Now I am on a mission to find the problem and figure let my buddy take a look since I have looked so much I might be missing something. Wouldn't you know it, he found the problem.
It seems from the factory, my rubber bushings were not pushed up thru the mount at the top. And when I replaced my shocks I was in a rush and just put it back the same as it came out not knowing the grommet at the top needed to be pushed thru (half on the top and half on the bottom-my fault) I reinstalled the shocks and guess what no more noise. I guess the top of the shock was banging against the mount everytime I went over a bump. Just thought I pass this along to you guys in case you have any weird front end noises- you just might want to check your bushings
Too bad my buddy is a Ford guy though
