Annoying suspension creak - found and fixed

[KrisZ]

My Toyota had this very annoying creak that only happened when the car was loaded up, if I drove alone or just with the front passenger, all was quiet. It’s pretty loud in the video, but it was really pronounced inside the cabin.

I could not replicate if for a long time, until recently.
I removed the shocks and found witness rubbing marks on the plastic sleeve, it was clearly rubbing on the bellow.
I shaved these down with a utility knife and the noise is gone.

 

[oldhp]

You modified a suspension part with a utility knife?!?!?!?!?! The Horror!!! Just kidding.

 

[alcyon]

I guess it expanded causing the rubbing ?

 

[benjamming]

Did you see WHY it was rubbing?

 

[vwmaniaman]

Be proud of your simple fix. You took the time and used your brain power and solved the problem.

 

[KrisZ]

I guess it expanded causing the rubbing ?

Did you see WHY it was rubbing?

Not sure why it was rubbing, it’s a 2021, so Covid car and the quality probably took a dive. Hard to tell. I searched Toyota forums for this and didn’t find anything that was similar.

I compressed the shocks manually, once removed, and it was making the creaking sound towards the end of the travel and once the bump stop was hit.
Shining a light into the bellow/mount assembly revealed nothing out of ordinary.

I suspect the bellow somehow shifts its position when the bump stop is hit by the shock body and it rubs on the sleeve. I noticed that the ribs on one side were worn more than on the other, but they all had the rubbing marks.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Poor Q&A on Toyota or engineering. Typical of todays cars. Just build and sell. Worry about TSB's later.

 

[John105]

Poor Q&A on Toyota or engineering. Typical of todays cars. Just build and sell. Worry about TSB's later.

on my poor 2025 paint job investigation, I would have thought Toyota and Honda were not part of it. Saw a new Grand Highlander and the paint was terrible. Since this isn't a hot topic I realize I'm late to the party of realizing how badly vehicles are painted today (web says at least 10 years and last vehicle we bought prior was 2011)

 

[50yr Street Mech]

10 yrs ! My 03' Solara's paint still looks great, and it was never garaged, and in the Salt Belt. What a sin. What are they doing ? 1 coat primer, 1 coat color , maybe 2 coats of clear ??? Insane. I know paint prices went thru the roof, but so did the price of cars !!!!! Back in the early 80's, I use to paint cars. There were automotive paint shops all over the place to buy paint, primer, thinner, etc.,, before clear coat existed. Use to paint a car, with alot of paint, for like $ 125 in material. Then buff out the orange peel. Came out beautiful. No baking, no spray booths. Just spray it on a windless, low humidity day outside. Clean the primer and paint guns, and that's it. Buff it out in a week. I'm talking about the big solid frame 70's cars too.