They did not move at all when I shook them.
The only real way to inspect this stuff (unless it’s obviously broken in half) is to unload the suspension and then wiggle stuff. With it on the ground and loaded, even with no bushings it will appear tight. Get a jack under the lower arm and raise it enough to unload the suspension, then check for wiggle…
OK Update- I did a thorough inspection of the vehicle and did not find a thing wrong. About a month ago I took it to my local mechanic and he inspected the front end, finding nothing wrong. So I did some more research and located the location of the sound- the back end!
So I took the truck in this week- they could hear the noise as well when they drove it down the road (noise is only when you hit a bump) but their inspection turned up nothing! Everything is mechanically sound. They cleaned the backing plates and sent me on my way.
What is my next move- drive it with the noise or call the dealer? I can’t see taking it in if its mechanically sound, but a noise that is loud enough to cause you to question the integrity of the truck whenever you hit a bump should be a cause for concern, right??
Does the noise stop when you go over a bump and have your foot on the brake pedal?
If so… I had a similar problem with my Dodge. When going over a bump, there would be kind of a “clunk” type noise. If I had the brake on, though, the noise went away. My mechanic and I went back and forth; he was convinced it was one of the calipers that needed replacing. Turns out it was the front right brake pad anti-rattle clips. The clunking was the brake pad moving around; when I pressed the brake the caliper held it in place, so the noise stopped.
Anyway… it cost me $5 and about 30 mins of my time to fix. Hopefully this will help you. Good luck.
I will have to test the braking to see if it alters the noise at all.The noise will last longer than a clunk usually- sometimes it will sound as though I have “baseball cards stuck in the spokes of a bike tire”! Thanks for the advice. I will post my finding later on.
I just had a thought. Some years back, I bought a new to me 2500 that had been a farm truck at one point. It had a disturbing, jarring noise on going over just about any modest bump in the road. It took a few minutes but I soon discovered that a prior owner had installed bump stops on the rear suspension to limit travel for heavy loads. The bump stops were bolted to the frame. I simply unbolted them and returned the suspension travel back to normal and problem solved.
Does it have a spare tire under the bed? If so, try tightening the mount and see if you still have the problem.
I had a weird one once, a broken clamp that would rattle after a bump, then go back to looking normal place.
Broken springs can cause this, and are sometimes very difficult to spot. Do you sometimes really load up your truck with a lot of cargo weight?