2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Anyone Have PITA Rattle In the Dash?

[Wiredawg]

Don't you hate a rattle? I have one in the dash of the '02 3500 that is driving me nuts. Can't reach it from below either. Sounds like a loose bracket. Not sure I'll have time today, but need to take front off dash and see if I can find it. If I can't, I just may have to buy a 4500 C&C!



Let me know if anyone has had problems w/ loos brackety in the dash on the left (driver's) side.



Wiredawg

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Is it sort of a cheap plastic-sounding "tink tink tink" noise? If so there's a TSB on it, it's something you're not going to be able to track down & fix without practically removing the dash. The source is sheetmetal touching together near where the A-pillar & dash brace meet. Had the problem on my '01 and my '98 12V. It FINALLY went away on its own thank goodness. Here is the TSB TSB 23-19-00

 

[Wiredawg]

Thanks for the responses. It sounds like metal on metal... like a bracket might if it were loose or broken. I've had a DSS on since 2004, but will check that too. I will post whatever I find.



Again, thanks.



Wiredawg

 

[firefighter_2000]

Mine

May not be what yours is, but I had a rattle and I ended up tracing it to the VIN plate. I shoved a folded up wendys napkin in between the windshield and the plate, and its been riding like that for the last 100k+ with no more rattle. Course thats on a 99 too. Wouldnt hurt to take a look.

Craig

 

[Wiredawg]

Hey Craig,



Thanks. Never thought of that possiblity. I got new Lab puppy, so I didn't have a chance to check anything yet. Might as well check the easy stuff first. I'll throw a rag up there in the morning and giver her a try.



Wiredawg

 

[RAndrae]

rattle

do a search on pinch welds... . I posted some time ago where I had a squeak,rattle tink tink type noise... finally got a BIG punch and went through behind the foot kick panel and behind the hinges and pinged the pinch areas. FIXED. .

 

[Wiredawg]

Well, the noise is not the VIN plate. Thanks for the pinch weld idea. The noise sounds high in the dash and forgot to mention it is intermitent. I bought a remote camera from Milwalkee Tools that I am going to have my wife monitor while I drive.



FYI: My A/C quite blowing cold air yesterday... it was 82 in San Antonio. took 4 hours at NTB and was only bad high pressure valve.



Anyway, hope to find the source this weekend.



Thanks, Wiredawg

 

[Hammer]

Hey Ron... .



Easy solution to the dash niose problem..... No Muffler and the windows down OR TURN up the stereo louder... . LOL... ... Andy



P. S. -Never had any rattles under my dash until we redid the A/C evap core and heater core. Then it took me and the A/C man a couple of times to get all them quieted down.

 

[RAndrae]

I chased my "dash" rattle for monthes, also had 3 different techs deal with it. (3 days in the shop). Mine was intermittent and seemed high in the dash. delt with steering colum, clockspring etc. but it turned out to be pinch welds. I would put$$$$ that its pinch welds...

 

[Wiredawg]

Hammer,



Actually, mine isn't for off from being straight piped and the 600 watt sound syst can lose the noise of both. Problem is I have tenitus and am working on quieting the beast down (going to add Wlaker muffler to BD, put quiet kit on (motor insulation) and already added Dynomat extreme entire interior). Sucks getting old. I'm even looking at a 4500, which I would replace stack mffler w/ a couple of Walker mufflers.



RAndrae,



I'm inclined to agree on the pinch weld. I'm gonna look and see.



Wiredawg

 

[Wiredawg]

Found It!

Well Guys,



This is definitely a case of procrastination. The dadgum rattle final got the best of me today, so I took the dash apart. It turned out to be the anti-theft box the dealer installed on the truck before I bought it. It was high up in the dash and had work loose. It was rattling against the back of the guage cluster.



What a relief! Happy it wasn't a broken weld or anything like that.



Thanks for all the help.



Wiredaw, 10-10 and listening in.

 

[tolmsted]

Hammer,



Actually, mine isn't for off from being straight piped and the 600 watt sound syst can lose the noise of both. Problem is I have tenitus and am working on quieting the beast down (going to add Wlaker muffler to BD, put quiet kit on (motor insulation) and already added Dynomat extreme entire interior). Sucks getting old. I'm even looking at a 4500, which I would replace stack mffler w/ a couple of Walker mufflers.



RAndrae,



I'm inclined to agree on the pinch weld. I'm gonna look and see.



Wiredawg

Sucks getting old. You sure got that right.

My wife calls me Mr. Grumpy once in a while. And rightly so.

 

[Wiredawg]

The Thrill of victory; the agaony of defeat; the thrill of victory!

Well,



I thought I found the rattle until I drove it the next day and it was still there. #*@(@!! I am persistant and found the real cause today. I actually removed the gauge cluster as well today and drove up and down the gravel road. I isolated it to the lower left of the dash. It turned out to be the parking brake ratchet teeth, that actually go pretty high into the dash. I found it is worn from use (every time I park). I was pretty tired, so I out a bungee from the arm to around the steering column. Maybe tomorrow I'll see if I can tighten brake cable w/out engaging the brake to put more tension on it. Wow.



I ordered belts and hoses from Genos and saw the T-shirt "Real Trucks Rattle", and I thought about it is too literal in my case. Too much rattle is not a good thing.



Well, I'm tired and gonna call it a night. I'l confirm final fix later.



Wiredawg

 

[WestTN]

I have what I've described as a clicking noise in the same general area. I found it to be the knee panel beow the steering wheel. I can stick my finger between the upper right side of the panel and the instrument bezel and silence the clicking sound. I haven't yet found a permanent cure, but a piece of 3/8" round weather strip will silence it for a ferw days until it falls out. The culprit is the clip that holds the panel up there.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I know this might appear as if I'm beating a dead horse, but... ... this friggin rattle/click noise is making me want to get rid of this truck. Mine is coming from the right side of the dash about right in the middle somewhere. I almost wrecked on the I-80 sisters as I was ripping the glove box out to try and find it. After driving on a real rough/uneven road with lots of frame flexing it has gotten MUCH worse when I turn the ignition off. The friend riding with me said it felt like it was right under her feet. I have had this for years and has gotten worse lately. I replaced the front shocks while rebuilding motor and transmission and torqued all bolts so I'm leaning away from that being the culprit. I have yet to investigate the pinch welds, either. It is most DEFINITELY coming from the right side, though; so I'm positive it's not park brake assembly or steering column.



Anyone else have any more ideas for the RIGHT side? TIA

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Oh, I forgot to add that the noise is less with someone sitting in the passenger seat. It doesn't go away, but it is diminshed.

 

[RAndrae]

My 02 has had the rattle tick sounds for some time. I posted the fix a long time ago. I got a big punch and bar and pinged the cab in several areas which deleted the noises. Now they returned, the truck has 90,000 easy miles/ light 4 wheeling. I have discovered that the cab is cracked. It is cracked on the drivers side upper corner and a couple of the pinch welds are broke. I guess I will tear it apart this winter and do some welding/reinforcing. I can almost guarantee that you have pinch weld/ crack issues.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I was afraid of that. I appreciate the reply. My miles are pretty esy as well but still have quite a few washboard road miles. It really makes no difference how you drive on those kinds of raods, it always tears stuff up. I'm sure you are correct, though; as the fenders are cracked in a few spotsup high - right below where the hood rests. The first owner liked to "push a bull or two" around with the truck and it must have pushed the front end back and strained the sheet metal. It is all structurally sound but has some noticable gaps in places there shouldn't be. This stupid sound is as if there is a big screwdriver or something swinging back and forth inside the dash and rattling off of the plastic. I guess I'll get busy chasing down broken welds.

thanks again

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I just had someone stand on the bumper on the right side and jump up and down and that failed to duplicate the sound. It happens every time except when I drive on very smooth blacktop. Does this indicate something in the suspension/drivetrain, posssibly?

 

[dknoch]

I would check the contol arms. I had loose ones once and it was a weird rattle under the floor board. Also, the trim on my passenger side seat was loose somehow. Everytime I closed the door, I would hear a rattle. Good Luck chasing all the squeeks and clunks.