2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dash Rattle

[stg2500]

Has anyone experienced a dash rattle that is coming from behind the driver's side knee bolster? I have a metal on metal or metal on plastic rattle that is coming from behind the dash area around the steering column I think.



I removed the knee bolster and took a quick look but did not find anything loose. Any ideas would be appreciated. The rattle is driving me nuts. It happens everytime I drive over the slightest bump. :--)

 

[jman]

I think I had the same thing you are talking about. What mine was was the linkage for the shifter. If you look under the truck you will see where the linkage from the shifter on the column comes down and has a rod that goes to the transmission. This silly thing starts rubbing and causes a very annoying noise over every little bump.



Lay underneath and have someone jump on the running boards to get it to rock and you can feel the linkage rubbing. I took mine in before the warranty ended and they fixed it. The teck said there was a TSB for it, but I can't confirm that for sure. A little WD-40 will help it for a while, but is too light for a permanent fix.



Hope this help!!



jman

 

[TORQUE THIS]

STG, I have had the same problem for a few months. I have looked, and looked, and looked, can't figure out where it is coming from. Mine is down near the emergency brake region. I have learned to listen to the radio louder

 

[tntway]

since i took my shifter boot off to route the shifter switch for me pac-brake, i have had a vibration from there at highway spped.

stops if i touch the boot.

 

[duaneparks]

I have the same rattle, sorta. Mine sounds like plastic on plastic. In the past I've fixed this on other vehicles with electrical tape used to separate the pieces that are touching.



HTH.



Duane

 

[Whitmore]

Click on the TSB's at the top right of the home page, this rattle is in there, sounds like an easy fix.



cheers, Kevin

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I have the same rattle described here. I looked at the TSBs but it's not mentioned there. The closest TSB is for a dash creak/sqeak which is not what I'm experiencing.



There was a thread about this 2-3 months ago and someone was planning to take their truck in to get it fixed but I never went back to follow up.



Mine sounds like a small piece of plastic/metal jangling around when the road surface is a bit rough.



Vaughn

 

[schu777]

I have a plastic rattle, but only does it when I'm running the rpm's up and shifting. In just playing with it, I think it only happens when I press on the clutch or more noticable when the clutch is pressed in. I've tried holding this and that, but no luck yet in finding it, but haven't spent a lot of time finding it either.

 

[stg2500]

Originally posted by Vaughn MacKenzie

I have the same rattle described here. I looked at the TSBs but it's not mentioned there. The closest TSB is for a dash creak/sqeak which is not what I'm experiencing.



There was a thread about this 2-3 months ago and someone was planning to take their truck in to get it fixed but I never went back to follow up.



Mine sounds like a small piece of plastic/metal jangling around when the road surface is a bit rough.



Vaughn

This is exactly the same noise that I am hearing. The slightest bump sets it off. Anyone else have this happening?

 

[ralphr]

rattle

I've experianced a "dash rattle" but only at highway speeds. after months of trying to figure out where it was coming from, noticed windshield wiper arm moving in the wind in time with the "rattle"!? Oo. bent the arm a little so that it had more spring pressure to hold it tight against the windshield and everything fine for now??

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Rattle source FOUND and KILLED

Well I found it, and KILLED it!! The cause was a wiring harness behind the kick panel at your feet in front of the driver's door. The wiring harness was in just the right place to make continual contact whenever road surfaces were right. I put some padding behind it, and I also put some padding on the parking brake brace where the plastic panel touches it at the far forward end.



Aaahhhh, it is sooo nice to drive in peace, FINALLY!!!



Vaughn

 

[stg2500]

Vaughn,



I know what I will be looking at this weekend. That is about the location of the rattle that I have been experiencing. The frustrating part is that the rattle would come and go.



Thanks for the info.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

stg2500, I kinda did a project on my truck last weekend and last night. I removed my dash bezel and knee bolster, instruments, HVAC controls and light switch, and did a number of things: I put foam rubber packing material in the empty open areas to sort of stuff it for noise damping. I used zip ties to secure stray wiring harnesses. I used foam weatherstrip you buy at a hardware store with the adhesive backing and applied that everywhere I could where plastic pieces made contact with each other. Then I put it all together. I only padded the dash above the level of the steering column, didn't see the need to do below there. I then removed the glove box and put some foam rubber in there too. It really isn't hard at all to remove these items.



I also did the plastic rattle killing in the previous post. I must say these efforts made quite a noticeable difference in how the truck sounds on rough roads and RR crossings. . . like a new, tight, solid truck. I rolled over 84,000 miles today and my truck has seen its share of molar-rattling roads. It was a fun project and improved the quality of the driving experience considerably.



Next I want to read all those long sound deadening threads and do a bit more to quiet the cab



Let me know how your rattle killing goes this weekend. . .



Vaughn

 

[Briman]

I had a rattle over by the glove box for a couple of years. It was extra annoying when using the exhaust brake. I looked for it off and on for quite awhile. I found the cause by accident. I was routing the pyrometer feed under the rubber seal at the top back of the engine compartment and discovered the black plastic fascia under the windshield wipers was loose and had a missing hold down on the passenger side. I shoved the piece rearward as far as it would go and replaced the missing hold down. I also pressed in the existing hold downs a couple more clicks. I think the plastic hold downs are threaded so you can remove them and they tend to loosen up over time. The rattle went away! The foam blocks on the end are starting to come loose so I'm going to glue them down with silicon. I'll also add a dab under the ends of the black plastic fascia as well.