2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission This noise is driving me CRAZY!!!!

[TORQUE THIS]

I have a noise in the dash below the steering wheel and near the emergency brake area. It sounds like 2 pieces of plastic hitting together, only happens when driving down the road. I have looked, and looked, and can't find anything loose. I am gonna take the dash apart in the AM, again. Anybody have any ideas???

 

[Bob Wagner]

you want to try

spray the steering wheel linkage at the firewall under the hood with silicone spray



could save you a lot of greif





check the archives for the old timers fix

 

[Snow man]

My 96 ram had one of those,the fix is easy-turn up the radio,

 

[dthorkelson]

Crazy!!!!

I sprayed the entire steering shaft assembly from the firewall to the steering box and it is gone. I used LPS #3. Good luck! Don

 

[Shooter]

Check the inner fender rivets ( plastic ) around the rear of the plastic fender liner. They attach to the fire wall and can rattle while driving, wind and road vibrations. With a finger or two pluck the the longitudinal and latitudinal rear bottom edge like a banjo string. you will hear it if the rivets are a little loose.

 

[burndog]

My noise was the black plastic cowling at the bottom of the windshield. Tighten the plastic torex screws by hand and the noise was gone. (outside of truck by the windshield wipers)



Hope you find it.

burndog

 

[Sky]

Bob is right lube that shaft it helped me out. I do still have more of a "creek" "creek" "creek" "creek" sound when I slightly turn my steering wheel and going over bumps like going on a switch back exit loop. Drives me crazy and I think its inside the steering colum.

 

[Tomscreek]

I had what sounds like the same thing on my 2001. I couldn't find it either and ended up taking it to the dealer and it was something in the emergency brake assembly that had come apart. Can't even remember exactly what it was but they put some new parts in and it totally fixed it.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Same rattle here

Torque This, I have the EXACT same plastic rattle as you do. I am certain it is not related to the steering column, cowl cover, fender liner or any of those areas. The sound isn't right. Mine sounds like it is coming from the emergency brake assembly area as well. I fiddled around with it but it doesn't seem to be coming from the pedal assembly but in that general vicinity up in the dash somewhere.



I tore my knee panel off, instrument bezel and even removed my gauge cluster to get to it, but to no avail. It seems to be in "no-man's-land" where it cannot be reached without serious disassembly.



I had to listen to mine all the way to NW Territories and back



It's still there, started about 3 weeks ago after driving up a very rough dirt/rock road.



Vaughn

 

[TORQUE THIS]

Vaughn,



Same here, bumpy road last week and the noise started. I took the dash apart today and can't find anything



The sound is right in the area of the emergency brake. Everything is tight and secure. Put it all back together and at times it is worse now then before!!!



I think it's time for a trip to the dealer:{

 

[fmj]

I tried everything that these guys tried and more. I've got steel bolts going thru the plastic below the window, greased everything (nothing will ever rust on this truck for eons), replaced , tightened screws, etc. I've got one more thing that needs to be tried. A friend that has a new HD ( whatever that designates) Chevy said he had the same kind of noise. I told him that Chev's always rattled after 10 miles on odometer. He said that I needed to ride with him. The noise was the same, or close with my hearing. He said that it would be fixed the following day. Sure enough it was gone. So were his Smittybuilt step bars. One of the mechanics that he goes to mentioned that on some vehicles these step bars were causing a squeak. No one could explain why, as it doesn't do it on all trucks. I haven't had a chance to take the steps off yet, but if that is it I'm greasing them upon reassembly. If the squeak comes back, they're history. If that doesn't do it I'm getting a giant subwoofer and I won't have to listen or worry about it again.

 

[thepitts]

Two Items

I had a noise in my truck, turned out to be a relay screwed to the firewall for my lights. The relay broke where the screw went through and would flop on the firewall when I hit a bump. Second a friend of mine had a noise in his truck and it turned out to be nerf bar, the front bolt was a bit too long.

 

[jjdiesel]

tsb

There was/is an old TSB on this dash rattle. The fix was kinda 'involved' as I recall... but not too bad. At least it was a fix. Check Dave Fritz's site, I think it was on there.

 

[LMautone]

just for the record i have this squeek too and i can't locate for anything. I'm going nuts!

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I don't have Nerf bars or any type of running board, so it's not that.



thepitts, where exactly was that relay you are talking about?

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Fast Forward to 2006 ...

Four years later, the misery continues, now with my '98 12-valve. Never did fix it on my 2001 http://www.nwbombers.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25820

 

[ProspectorTim]

Four years later, the misery continues, now with my '98 12-valve. Never did fix it on my 2001 http://www.nwbombers.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=25820

Ummm... just what do you have dangling from your keychain? LOL

 

[Mr. C]

I had a little creek-creek squeek-squeek that was driving me nuts a while back, after many months of looking I found the culprit. It was on the steering shaft just below the rag-joint there is a thin plastic bushing that keeps the shaft centered and I could see a small shiney spot where it had been rubbing. I put some silicone greese in there and it is now gone



It seemed to only make noise over bumps, entering driveways and going around corners mostly to the right. If yours is rubbing you should see a small spot where the paint is rubbed off the lower steering shaft below the rag-joint.

 

[EBung]

Also spray silicone spray on the transmission linkage down by the trans at the bellcrank bushings. That was the annoying noise I had and that cured it. Need to relube it once a year if that.

 

[1mopardoc]

I have had the same noise from that general area, it only seems to show up on long trips when the road is a little rough. Looked for hours, only thing I could see that would make the noise is the E-brake assembly, used silicone spray on it but is still there! :{