noises in dash

[914x4ctd]

Does anybody else have noises soming from the dash? It seems mine has a lot of different noises rattles and squeaks. I am sure it is probably just an old truck thing. Has anybody successfully stopped the noises? If so where do I start?

 

[hdm48]

I keep telling myself to fix those rattles when it's warm. But when it's warm, they don't rattle. I know what is making all that racket, it's the defroster ducts.

But right now it is 16 degrees out there.

Maybe I will post a "note to self" for this one.





Dave

 

[jaynes]

yeah. I have all sorts of noises coming from the dash. I have a little rattle when I hit bumps, not too bad, though, I have a sqeaking noise that happens intermittenly. The worst of all though, is everynow and then, i'll just hear this big CRACK! and I don't know what causes it. IT seems to happen when the truck hasn't been driving in a couple of hours. Like I said, this doesn't happen but once a month, maybe. Just my . 02



jaynes

 

[JLEONARD]

I got em when it's cold too, but like Dave, ain't no way I'm screwing around with them in this weather.

I think my truck is speaking to me...

move south... move south.

 

[1stgen4evr]

Noise is the dash

The truck may not be tellling the truth about moving south. Mine does the snap crackle and pop also and it seldom gets 16 degrees here. I think this is just a private language that all these Dodges speak. Maybe grumblings about rode hard and put away wet more often than not. Or more likely just not solid enough for the extremes that we put them through. Mine have been used awfully hard at times.



93 D350 90K Automatic Sunday driving and one trip to Alaska

92 D350 270k Automatic Standby work truck.

93 D350 392k Getrag and still working strong.



1stgen4evr

James

 

[jdurham]

I don't know about the rest of your trucks, but mine "started" with a rattle, but now has completely disintegrated and will soon be replaced. I have plastic chunks coming off of it faster than I can epoxy them back on. It has huge cracks and missing pieces all over the area under the woodgrain trim panel. The radio and heater controls no longer have anything to mount them to, and there is a split starting to appear under the headlight switch. Every time I hit a large bump I hope the dash doesn't jump off in my lap...

 

[moparguy]

Someone with experiance will likely jump in with the details, but... . it's not uncommon for 1st gens to develope a stress crack in the sheet metal somewhere behind the dash that requires pulling fenders and the hood to repair.



My 89 gas burner 250 has this problem, my usual thought when it starts making loud noises is to think "man I wish that thing wouldn't do that".



RJR

 

[CPG]

Possible cowling cracks ?

Moparguy is on the right track. I had these very annoying creaks that I thought were coming from my dash too. This can very well happen on our ageing older trucks but the culprit here was cracked and split cab cowlings. First on my side this happened and then on the passenger side. This was much annoying especially as I wear a hearing aid which can magnify this. As one knows, sound travels. One has to remove the front fenders to see these cracks. This also can be the source of hard to find water leaks. Probably the weather does have a lot to do with the metal expansion in this area which regulates this annoying noise as heat expands and cold retracts. I was lucky enough under warranty at the time to have my Dodge agency fix it at this time. This is almost like the KDP fix, You got to find it in time before these failures occur. Look in the TDR archive's to locate this means of a fix for this. Hope this answers a possible source.



Chuck Goode

 

[cerberusiam]

Mine is doing the same thing whether it is cold or not. I don't have cowl cracks but the chirps and squeaks are still there. I have had 10 of these trucks starting in 1973 and every one of them had the same problem after so many rough miles. The best fix I have found so far is pulling all the dash mounts and putting a piece if tape or material between the mounts and the firewall then use a silicone caulk to help keep the mounting bolts/screws tight. Its a pain to do, you have to mostly dismantle the dash, but it gets rid of the annoying squeaks and helps keep the dash from disintegrating.

 

[JLEONARD]

Yes, I know that one of the various noises is the cowling crack... . won't make a peep if the temp is over 40 deg or so.

But there are others as well... sometimes a creak, sometimes a pop, sometimes the upper steering column bearing squeals... . has to be in the single digits for that.

Jay

 

[Greenleaf]

Noisy Dash

You haven't heard a noisy dash till you hear mine! And I only drive it in the summer!:{



Yep,,,,,,,,, it's cracked too.



Greenleaf

 

[914x4ctd]

Oh boy,

I thought that I was the only one with a truck that made loud crack in the dash from time to time. I am glad to hear that there are others out there with problems worse than mine. Thank you guys for all of the replies.



Jeff