Loud, Metal Creaking in Front End of a 1988 2WD Pickup...

Hey! This is just a case of the steering stops missing or worn out. They are only plastic caps on the metal stops. Solution ~ don't crank the steering so hard or replace the stops.

I've not seen coil overs for my truck either. It's an 86. Bill

The other guys covered the creak. No coils, or leafs (leaves?) for that matter because you have torsion bars. Look around and you should see two bars (one per side), roughly an inch or so in diameter and about 3 feet long running from the A-arm (upper or lower I cannot recall) to brackets on the frame rails.

They are splined at both ends to secure the ends. The spring action / suspension travel is provided by twisting the bars as the wheel moves over the road surface.

I believe the independent front suspension / torsion bar system came about in '85 or '86. IIRC the '84 solid front end is the choice for off-road conversions.

The sterring stops that the other posters mentioned are usually just bolts that contact a piece of flat metal. When new the bolt heads are covered with a plastic cap. These caps eventually wear through, and then you get metal on metal, which makes the horrible noise.

You can get replacement caps at your Toyota dealer. They aren't cheap. I think that I paid about $8 each a few years ago. (You only need two). I guess it depends on how much the noise bothers you.

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. I'm heartened that the noise doesn't sound like something that's going to break my bank (like my brakes just did). Thanks, again.

Yours,

mothy

Here is a link to an online parts place showing the caps for my 92 truck (click on the photo for a better view). They are much cheaper here ($4.12 each) than the dealer.

Oops, too fast on the trigger finger. Here's the link.

Thank you, crashq. I should get a few extra for my wife, who doesn't always appreciate my robust sense of humor.

Thanks again,

mothy