How to Fix Annoying Leaf Spring Squeaks
Published March 9, 2023 | Updated August 31, 2025
About a year ago, I decided to upgrade my leaf springs to the Icon RXT pack for my Toyota Tacoma. It wasn’t long after off-roading, dusty trails, and loading up the bed that I started to notice that my leaf springs were squeaking badly. After trying a ton of different options and fixes, I’ve finally discovered some of the best ways to reduce or even eliminate that pesky leaf spring squeak so you can get back to having a smooth, quiet ride.
Diagnosing the Source of the Squeak
Leaf springs are a pretty simple part of the suspension system and consist of the leaf springs, bushings, bolts, and shackles. Since there aren’t a lot of components, there are only a few places they can start to squeak, which makes diagnosing them a little easier.
Leaf springs typically squeak for three reasons: the leaves are contacting each other and creating metal-on-metal friction, there is dirt and debris between the leaf springs, and/or the bushings are dry, cracked, or worn out.
To figure out exactly where your leaf springs are squeaking, the simplest way to diagnose is to get someone to push up and down on the bed of your truck, while you listen closely underneath. You can also try spraying water (no grease yet) on each component to see if it quiets down the squeaking.
Once you have narrowed down the source of the squeaking, that will make fixing your squeaky leaf springs a lot easier.
Methods to Fix Squeaky Leaf Springs
Pressure Wash Between the Leafs
The first step you should take when trying to fix squeaky leaf springs is to use a pressure washer to clean thoroughly between each leaf in the leaf pack. You can do this one of two ways. The first is to just use the pressure washer with the truck on the ground and make sure to give it a good clean by getting the pressure washer as close as you can and try to get between each of the leaves.
The second way, which will allow you to deep clean the leaf pack, is to jack the truck up using a jackstand and floor jacks to where the rear suspension is flexed and the rear axle is at full droop. Then, you can use your pressure washer to clean between each leaf more easily since there is less tension on the pack.
Lubricate Them With the Proper Grease
The next step you can try to get rid of those leaf spring squeaks is to lubricate the bushings and in between the leaf springs. It’s important to get the right kind of lubricant depending on the type of bushings you have. I absolutely do not recommend using regular WD-40, as it can lead to drying out and cracking rubber and polyurethane bushings, which will only make the problem worse.
I personally have used Fluid Film in the past, and it works great, but the only downside is that it can attract dust and dirt, which can lead to more squeaking down the road and over time, can actually soften rubber bushings. For most people, especially if your truck sees a lot of dust and dirt like mine, DuPont Non-Stick Teflon lubricant is one of the best for quieting leaf spring squeaks. This is a Teflon lubricant that dries extremely fast and is safe to use on metal, rubber bushings, as well as polyurethane bushings.
Check The torque on Each Component
Another simple fix that I’ve found on my leaf springs is to check the torque on all of the mounting bolts, shackle bolts, and u-bolts.
Depending on the vehicle you drive, the torque specs are different, so I would suggest looking at the owner’s manual or on Google to find the proper torque spec. For the Toyota Tacoma, the torque spec is 89ft-lbs on the bushings and 73ft-lbs for the u-bolts (stock only). After checking each bushing bolt and the u-bolts with a good torque wrench, I found out that they had loosened up a bit, and after tightening them, the squeak went away for a bit.
It’s always useful to regularly check your torque specs on suspension components, especially if you take your truck offroad, as pushing your suspension can sometimes cause bolts to loosen over time.
Replace your bushings
If all else fails and you’re sure the squeak is coming from the bushings, you can always replace the bushings with aftermarket or OEM. Leaf spring bushings are a serviceable part, so they will need to be replaced eventually. So the squeak could just be from worn bushings, and the other options above are just a band-aid fix until they inevitably give out.
There are a ton of options to choose from, such as OEM replacements, rubber, and polyurethane, depending on your intended use. Most vehicles use rubber leaf spring bushings from the factory, so if you want a more “OEM” ride quality, you should stick with rubber, or you can upgrade to polyurethane leaf spring bushings for more durability, but they do transfer a little bit more vibration into the frame and can squeak more in the future if not lubricated regularly.
If you are looking to upgrade your leaf spring bushings, Energy Suspension makes great polyurethane replacements for the Toyota Tacoma and other vehicle models as well.
check Your Anti-Friction Pads
Leaf springs come with small anti-friction pads located at the tip of each leaf and are typically made from plastic. Over time, these can wear down or break off, which will cause your leaf springs to make contact and squeak.
These are typically inexpensive to replace, but will require you to spread the leaf springs apart to remove and install new ones.
If All Else Fails, Get a New quality Set of Leaf Springs
Finally, if the other options did not work, it may just be time to replace your leaf springs. Leaf springs, like all suspension components, have a limited lifespan and will eventually need to be replaced when worn or flat.
If you just intend to use your vehicle for daily commuting, it may just be best to go with OEM replacement springs, but if you want to use it for towing, offroading, or anything else that requires them to work harder, there are a lot of different aftermarket options out there to fit your needs. Some of my favorite leaf spring brands are Dobinsons, Old Man Emu, and Deaver Springs for the Toyota Tacoma (but they also supply leaf springs for many other vehicles.
Tips for Preventing Leaf Spring Squeaks
Install Leaf Spring Liners
A great way to prevent metal-on-metal contact in your leaf springs is to install leaf spring liners that go in-between each leaf spring and are typically made from a high-quality plastic-like material.
Companies, like Speedway Motors, make liners that go in-between each leaf spring, which eliminates the metal springs rubbing together to give you that squeak/creaking sound. You will want to measure the width of your leaf springs and purchase the right ones or you may have to trim the edges that stick out if you purchase them too wide.
To install the liners, you will have to remove the leaf spring packs from your vehicle and separate the leaf springs, so make sure you have the proper tools to do so, as it can be dangerous if you aren’t sure of what you’re doing, or you can always have a trusted shop do it.
If you don’t mind a little DIY and want to save money, you can also cut up a bike tire inner tube and place them in-between each leaf instead of using liners.
Greasable Shackle Bolts
One of the best upgrades I made that has helped reduce long-term leaf spring squeaks and noises is replacing each mounting bolt with a Dobinsons Greasable bolt. These allow you to grease each bushing without having to take your leaf springs off your vehicle, and all you need is a grease gun.
I used these to replace the front frame mount bolt as well as in the shackle bolts so that I could grease each bushing on my leaf pack, and it has been a game-changer.
Maintain Your Leaf Springs
Finally, the last tip to prevent your leaf springs from making noises is just to keep up with maintenance on them. This means doing things like;
Greasing the bushings - not greasing your bushings leads to faster wear and will cause squeaks
Cleaning them regularly - dirt and grime build up on the leaf springs will cause them to rust and make noises
Touching up paint chips - leaf springs are made from steel, so any paint chips will allow them to rust and eventually squeak.
