I rewrote my problem such that it is more descriptive...

2006 Tahoe LT with 22,000 miles, VIN number 1GNEK13T96J113094

·Bought it with 14,000 miles from Ourisman's Rockmont Chevy dealer in Rockville, Maryland and they sold it to me as a GM certified truck.
·Heard clunking sound from rear of truck during a test drive at the dealer when we purchased it and dealer checked it out and said it had "noisy rear lower control arms” and replaced them. Problem disappeared.
·Within a 6 months, problem returns. Description as follows:
·Every time I go around a corner either turning left or right at lower speeds (anywhere between 5-25mph) and the truck leans enough to work the suspension, I hear a single kind of buckling/clunking sound or knocking sound that comes from the rear. It is a metal on metal kind of clunk/buckle sound, very prominent sound and very annoying 90 percent of the time the truck leans a bit turning. I took it into a different Chevy dealer (Criswell Chevy, Gaithersburg Maryland) on two different occasions. The first visit they acknowledged the noise and "Performed bulletin-installed body mount insulators”. This did not fix the problem. The second visit, they said it was the hitch making the noise and they actually removed the entire hitch assembly by unbolting it from the bottom of the truck and left it off so I could drive it and they said I'd be convinced the problem is the hitch mount once I drove it. However, after a day, the noise still exists. By the way, the dealer said they checked the entire suspension and found nothing wrong.


Can anyone help? I'm so frustrated.

Doug

 

Doug,
Either have the dealer or you can check to see if the left shock is making contact with the upper shock mount when the Tahoe is loaded.

With the suspension loaded, look through the left rear wheel opening. Inspect for the top of the shock to be contacting the upper shock bracket.

If you find that contact is being made have the dealer repair it and referenceGM Document ID# 1758543


Dave

 

Hi Dave,

Thank you very much for your help. Does this mean that both right and left side shock mounts need replaced? Is this a defect that Tahoe model or just something that is worn out? Just trying to understand what is happening.

Doug

 

Hi Dave,

I looked that the shocks and mounts, but although I'm mechanically inclined, I'm not really a car guru so I'm not sure exactly what you mean by contact since the shock is mounted to the lower and upper mounts via bolts inserted horizontally and they looked to be tightly installed. Could you elaborate more about what you suspect is happening with the mount?

Doug

 

This only effects the left rear shock mount, what you are looking for is the top part of the shock actually touching the shock mount, if it is the problem you will see what I mean.
You will need to load up the Tahoe, have all your friends and family load in and get it real heavy andlower your trailer on the ball ifyou have one before you inspect.

Normally the bolt goes through the shock and mount and there is no contact any where other than there.

If this is the problem the solution is to grind off the excess material on the shock mount.

 

Hi Dave and all interested. Turns out they checked this bulletin and luckily there is no problem with making contact as you suggested to investigate. I had to take it once again to the dealer and test drive with the service manager and a knowledgeable technician. The insulators they put on before according to a GM bulletin were done on the front. Figures... they have it documented about my complaint on the rear and they put them on the front. Oh well, they ended up putting insulators on the rear now between the body and the body mounts and after one day of driving, the problem appears to have gone away. I choose the word carefully "appears". I'm not yet convinced, but so far, so good.
What a nightmare.... Just as a side note: The technician did indicate that the front insulators work 70 percent of the time. He said if these rear insulators don't work, the next step is to replace the body mounts.

Well, so much for that problem. Hope it is finally gone.
Thanks for all your help Dave.
By the way, I love the Tahoe and just wanted that problem to go away.
Now I can haul my KX450 in my trailer and not have to hear the annoying clunking.

 

A haul my KE100 SuperBike around in a Costco trailer and I don't hear any clunks.