Last ditch effort to find my "Rattle"

[JARichard]

I have a rattle really is kind of a chirping that sounds like it is coming from the Extreme Front passenger sidde of the cab. It happens on lightly bumpy roads and anytime the passenger side of the truck hits a small bump. Below is a list of what i have done:

1. taped the door lock indicators on both doors

2. taken the passenger side door off and silicon sprayed all inserts and seams

3. the door handle was touching the door panel so I shimmed it out to where it didn't touch

4. driven with no glove compartment

5. driven with no jack assembly under the seat

6. Silicon sprayed everything I could see with the glove box revoved

7. Removed the top of the dash and silicon sprayed all of its metal clips and around the defrost ducts

8. Placed foam under the top pice of the dash to keep it separated

9. Removed the dash side panel and silicon sprayed everything I could see there

10. Removed the plastic entry guard on the floor, silicon sprayed all of the clips and sprayed all of the plastic electrical connections under the kick panel

11. Silicon sprayed all lines and fittings running into the cab from the firewall.



And I still have this )(*&$!)#($*)( rattle! Is it worth removing the coolant tank on the firewall? What is behind it? Have any of you had a rattle in that area? what fixed it? Any one have a picture of that coolant tank on the firewall? How hard would it be to remove it?



Suggestions PLEASE!

 

[SStiss]

I'm not sure if I have the same rattle as yours, but I definitely know what you're talking about. My wife and I drove out to Vegas over the summer, and when I let her drive and I tried to sleep, I couldn't because of a similar rattle. I was trying everything imaginable while driving down the interstate. I finally figured out I could eliminate it by pushing on the window right above the top of the door panel. I'm not sure what causes it and I don't know how to permanently fix it, but it was a good temporary solution. See if you could have someone drive your truck and try pushing on the window. If that "fixes" it, we need to find out how to get rid of the annoying rattle! lol

 

[JHardwick]

Dude!!! You are driving yourself crazy over this. My suggestion would be to sell the truck and go buy a comparably priced luxury sedan ... ... ... . thats what you really want! And trust me, it'll have noises too ... ... ..... don't you listen to the radio?

 

[JHardwick]

My wife and I drove out to Vegas over the summer, and when I let her drive and I tried to sleep, I couldn't because of a similar rattle.

You couldn't sleep because someone else was at the helm of your ship ... ... ..... been there, done that!

 

[SStiss]

Well, that could be too (just don't tell her I said that! ), but I had been up for about 26 hours and needed to sleep if I was going to drive any more. As far as giving up, selling the truck, and buying a luxury sedan... I feel that I'm paying enough money that the truck shouldn't rattle. I completely understand about this situation.

 

[JHardwick]

Well figure what your gonna get in a luxury sedan for $40K ... ... ... ... it aint gonna be 8,000# of steel with a Cummins diesel! You guys did buy a truck after all.

 

[Hoefler]

I have a rattle really is kind of a chirping that sounds like it is coming from the Extreme Front passenger sidde of the cab. It happens on lightly bumpy roads and anytime the passenger side of the truck hits a small bump. Below is a list of what i have done:

1. taped the door lock indicators on both doors

2. taken the passenger side door off and silicon sprayed all inserts and seams

3. the door handle was touching the door panel so I shimmed it out to where it didn't touch

4. driven with no glove compartment

5. driven with no jack assembly under the seat

6. Silicon sprayed everything I could see with the glove box revoved

7. Removed the top of the dash and silicon sprayed all of its metal clips and around the defrost ducts

8. Placed foam under the top pice of the dash to keep it separated

9. Removed the dash side panel and silicon sprayed everything I could see there

10. Removed the plastic entry guard on the floor, silicon sprayed all of the clips and sprayed all of the plastic electrical connections under the kick panel

11. Silicon sprayed all lines and fittings running into the cab from the firewall.



And I still have this )(*&$!)#($*)( rattle! Is it worth removing the coolant tank on the firewall? What is behind it? Have any of you had a rattle in that area? what fixed it? Any one have a picture of that coolant tank on the firewall? How hard would it be to remove it?



Suggestions PLEASE!

I had a similar rattle, and I found it one day cleaning the inside of the truck out. I removed the jack assembly to clean under the passenger seat. I then noticed one of the plastic clips broke holding the lug wrench. I removed the clip and turned it over, and presto no more squeaky rattle!!!!

 

[JJuday]

Hmmmmmm. I think you guys should stop worring about your trucks. If you wanna stop squeaks and rattles swing by my place and I will put you all to work on my '66 Dodge D-500. Aside from the 3/4" plywood for the floor and a few self tapper screws into the frame, I can't figure out what is holding the cab onto the frame! But damn if it dosen't run good, getting rid of the 318 C. I. D was a misteak!

 

[JARichard]

Well figure what your gonna get in a luxury sedan for $40K ... ... ... ... it aint gonna be 8,000# of steel with a Cummins diesel! You guys did buy a truck after all.

I could understand if I had 112,000 miles and not 12,000 miles! It sounds like a FREAKING tin can. And the rattle I am trying to get rid of is only the most annoying one. I just had to order the front door panels because in the arm rest area the plastic is separating from the backing and looks like bubble wrap.



And then today I have this new noise that scared the HOLY BALONEY out of me and my wife when ever I come to a slow stop or take off. It is like ROARRRRRR and kinda vibrates the whole truck at the same time. Sounds like it is coming from the transmission almost like it is directly below me.

I hope this new developement is just a temperautre thing since it is the coldest it has been since I have owned the truck!

 

[JHardwick]

I guess it just occured to me last night that most of the TDR threads these days are based on creature comforts or fuel mileage ... ... ... . does anybody buy a truck these days because they need a truck or because they live in the city and want to portray a "country boy" attitude ... ... ... ... ... ... . do you need a truck or do you want a status symbol?

 

[jcollier]

I have the same raddle/chirping from the front of my 2500 MC 4x4. It is driving my crazy... Happens on light bumpy roads. Also when passenger side hits a bump... I have a 2 inch leaviling kit. Thought it was that . I removed it . Didn't go away... Truck only has 7000 mile on it. Please help if you can...

 

[BrentKaiser]

Got the same problem. Yes my truck is a work truck and yes it is going to make noises, just not a loose rattle in the dash after only 30,000 miles. I could appreciate a good ole raddle as much as the other guy, but this is ridiculous. I plan to disassemble the dash to find it. And for the guys making the snide comments, those are the kind of comments that keep people from posting legit questions on TDR. I for one appreciate knowing I'm not the only one with this problem.

 

[JARichard]

I guess it just occured to me last night that most of the TDR threads these days are based on creature comforts or fuel mileage ... ... ... . does anybody buy a truck these days because they need a truck or because they live in the city and want to portray a "country boy" attitude ... ... ... ... ... ... . do you need a truck or do you want a status symbol?

I bought the diesel pick up for several reasons:

1. I put a minimum of 30k miles a year

2. 2500 I routinely carry anywhere from 500lbs. to 2 k in the bed

3. quad cab for taking customers to lunch

4. quad cab to take the family to dinner and shopping

5. 6 speed I just wanted to grind gears

NOW, I have one customer who gets a new Ford every year. I have never heard a sqeak in his cab and he lets me know it ove and over again. Why can't Dodge go that extra distance on the inside and put Chevy and Ford to bd once and for all!

 

[Got HO?]

Lube the rubber pads on the fenders that the hood rides on when closed & get back to me... ... ... ... .

 

[JARichard]

I had a similar rattle, and I found it one day cleaning the inside of the truck out. I removed the jack assembly to clean under the passenger seat. I then noticed one of the plastic clips broke holding the lug wrench. I removed the clip and turned it over, and presto no more squeaky rattle!!!!

Checked that is not it!

Thanks! Also, silicon sprayed that hole assembly!

Also, drove without it!

 

[JARichard]

Lube the rubber pads on the fenders that the hood rides on when closed & get back to me... ... ... ... .

I had previously done that with silicon spray. So I stopped at Pep Boys and picked up the following:

More silicon spray

Armor all in the aerosol can!



I sprayed the armor all on the rubber seal acroos the top of the firewall and went crazy spraying it behind the coolant overflow tank on the firewall. It is still there!

 

[RTillery]

I had a light occaisional rattle/squeak that was up in the dash somewhere that drove me nuts. I actually pulled the panel over the tweeters off at a stoplight one time. Did not help. I finally found it though.



My 6 cd changer locked up so I changed out the radio/headunit. The Pioneer I replaced it with needed an adapter box to let the steering wheel controls work and I stuffed it in under the new unit and it helped support the back of the radio. All was quiet. After a few days the adapter quit working and I took it out. The old rattle was back!



I put a replacement box in and jammed it in to support the back of the radio and the squeak disappeared again.



I think the radio is only supported with the 4 screws in the face plate and the weight of the unit caused a flex in the dash causing the squeak. Pop the front bezel off the dash and you can see under your factory radio. Try coming up with something that will slide in there snuggly (maybe a good stiff piece of closed cell foam?) toward the back of the radio to keep it from bouncing up and down on a typical road and hopefully it will help. Good luck and let us know if it works.

 

[JJuday]

JARichard check your carrier bearing out. Mine was not at correct angle from moving my dozer around and it made a sound almost remniscient of a Huey helicopter and shook the whole truck comming to stops and anything under 45 mph. Too deaf to notice small stuff, and usually rocking out as well!