Shocks with heim ends clunking?

[ert01]

Info:
I am running 8" travel FOA 2" smoothbody shocks on all 4 corners of my Jeep... these shocks have the heim ends in them rather then rubber bushings.

Custom made mount on the axle end and a bar-pin-eliminator setup on the top end of the front shocks (both are double shear mounts).

Rears are using a Cross Enterprises rear shock hoop at the top and the raised Cross Enterprises shock mounts on the axle end (both are single shear mounts).

I am using misalignment spacers on all 4 shocks, top and bottom.


The Issue:
When I originally installed them, everything was tight and smooth and wonderful. Now I have about 50 000km on them (mixed on/offroad) and all 4 shocks clunk A LOT! I have tightened the mounting bolts as much as humanly possible with a big breaker bar and that keeps it quiet for maybe a day or two... then everything is noisy again.

I climbed under there and watched while my brother jumped on the bumper and I can see movement in the mounting bolts... it seems to wiggle in the misalignment spacers... as though the spacers have wallowed out and they're a bit too loose now.

My question is, is this normal for shocks with heims? Do I need to replace misalignment spacers every year? Or is this a symptom or a different issue altogether?

Also, if this is normal wear and tear, how do I prevent it from happening? I assume just check the torque on all the mounting bolts but maybe someone has a fancy trick I don't know about... tying the bolts in place or something with wire?

 

[Goatman]

Are the mounting bolts coming loose, or are the spherical bearing ends in the shocks worn out? The misalignment spacers themselves wouldn't wear out, or shouldn't wear out.

 

[ert01]

No, the spherical bearing ends are still nice and tight. There is no wear there.

The mounting bolts aren't coming noticeably loose... maybe a few lb/ft but nothing drastic. It really seems like it's the spacers themselves that aren't tight on my mounting bolt shaft.

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

is the bolt short, so that the spacer is sitting on threads? or does the spacer sit on clean shank?

 

[Goatman]

No, the spherical bearing ends are still nice and tight. There is no wear there.

The mounting bolts aren't coming noticeably loose... maybe a few lb/ft but nothing drastic. It really seems like it's the spacers themselves that aren't tight on my mounting bolt shaft.

The only way that can happen is if the bolts are the wrong size. What size are the bolts?

 

[SPXJ]

I had what sounds like the same problem. The shock end needed to be swedged more. The spherical bearing was loose within the shock end. I took mine back to Doesch Tech and they took care of it. A couple month later another shock started making the same noise. I pulled the shock, removed the snap ring that holds the spherical bearing in, removed the spherical bearing and uses a ball bearing and awedged the shock end. Put it back together no more noise.