Creak / rattle from right front

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M

mtnracer

10 Year 15 Year
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Oct 22, 2007
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South Florida
I am on the creak hunt!

For the past few months I have noticed an intermittent creak along with a dull rattle (kind of sounds like the front passenger door is not closed) coming from the front right dash area.

The creak can actually be heard from the outside so I was worried it was a suspension or steering component but dealer says all that is fine.

I asked the dealer to check it out today while getting an oil change and they removed the glove box and a few other parts and they feel it is somewhere in the dash. They asked if they should dig deeper but I said for now I was satisfied that the suspension is fine and my wheel won't fall off. :doh:

The dealer is great and they did not charge me a dime for the initial checkup (I have been a customer for 7 years).

The mechanics (they actually had 2 guys work together on it) thought it could be a loose part under the dash or possibly even a cracked weld somewhere but there are so many components under there, they really could not tell.

Questions is: Have any of you experienced something similar in that area and figured out the cause?
 
Funny..... I've got my glovebox off right now searching for the same type of noise. I figured I'd come in the house and do a little research. Mine is a dull rattle and sounds like it's coming from the PS behind the dashboard. So far today, I've removed the 2nd battery, engine cover, glovebox and side panels. I've smacked with my hand, lightly touched with a rubber mallet and shook everything I could. Nothing. It's driving me bananas.

I've read the posts about the headliner, but I really don't think that's it. Back outside for more.
 
I had a very similar creak that I thought was in the dash. Turned out it's much louder on the outside. One of my sliders had moved around a bit from banging into rocks and was slightly touching the bottom of the body seam -- just enough to creak. Retightened all the bolts and that solved it.
 
I had a similar noise. Of all things, I narrowed it down to loose wheel bearings.
 
Well, I know its not wheel bearings or my sliders. Although I did have the slider issue once. Pretty sure this is inside the vehicle. I pulled EVERYTHING I could think of today, reinstalled and drove and couldn't duplicate the rattle. Maybe I fixed it? Although, I read some threads on guys only hearing it when the temps drop. It was sunny and mid sixties here in Denver, and my truck had been sitting in the sun all day while I dismantled it. I thought maybe it was the sunvisor where it connects into the headliner. Seems like that arm is pretty loose, but I can't duplicate the sound by shaking it. Who knows.

Waiting for the temps to drop tonight and I'll head back out. Hard to describe the sound. Kind of hollow, not overly loud, not produced from big bumps but from general road vibration. Isn't connected with vehicle speed or aggressive acceleration/braking. Just a dull rattle.
 
Glad I am not the only one. Just went on a 900 mile turkey day road trip and I barely heard it at all. Definitely only noticeable when going over bumps. When I get back home I will dig into the right side dash area to see what I can find.
 
After I put everything back together, the rattle was gone and has not returned. So for me, it was either wires coming thru the firewall from my aux battery or something with my glovebox. So thankful it's gone!
 
I had a very similar rattle kinda noise that seemed to emanate from around the PS air bag/glovebox area. I can't tell you how many times I had the dash apart trying to find the culprit. After I installed the snorkel the noise was gone...after a year of turning up the radio volume to futilely mask it :rolleyes:.

In the end the culprit turned out to be the antenna coax lead from the OEM antenna rubbing on an inner dash surface. You might give, as its super easy, a little tug on the antenna lead near the PS foot well, to see if its your culprit...
 
I second the slider comment. The squeaking sounded like a front shock issue. I figured it out by bouncing up and down on the slider. It had shifted and was rubbing on the frame, making a strange noise.
 
spressomon said:
I had a very similar rattle kinda noise that seemed to emanate from around the PS air bag/glovebox area. I can't tell you how many times I had the dash apart trying to find the culprit. After I installed the snorkel the noise was gone...after a year of turning up the radio volume to futilely mask it :rolleyes:.

In the end the culprit turned out to be the antenna coax lead from the OEM antenna rubbing on an inner dash surface. You might give, as its super easy, a little tug on the antenna lead near the PS foot well, to see if its your culprit...
Click to expand...

Spresso,
I bet thats what my problem was. I had the glovebox and all foot panels off. I was moving wires and tugging everything I could get my hands on. That antenna coax makes sense because it matches what the sound would be. A light hollow rattle from road vibration.....
 
To the OP:
It's worth it to loosen your slider bolts and reposition your sliders. Have you had your truck on a lift anytime prior to hearing the sound? Or, banged your PS slider on a rock? Your slider may not be loose when you grab it, but it may move just slightly over bumps and make noise. Also, if the bracket is touching the floorboard at all, it will sound like your front wheel is about to fall off.

5 minutes of time will either eliminate that as a cause or fix the problem. Worth a try.
 
Thanks Paflytyer, it was the sliders. After I completely loosened them and re-tightened the noise was gone. Very happy right now.
 
Well, I know what I'm doing tomorrow - repositioning my p-side slider. The @%#^ truck sounds like a decrepit pirate ship - but only for 10 minutes in the am. The right front corner squeaks so @%*^ing loud! If I pump the brakes, I can "play" it like an instrument. I'm still thinking it's a shock, bushing...
 
2garfields said:
I have the same thing on the PS, especially over the bumps, could it be some kind of bushing?
Click to expand...

My rear sway bar link bracket was squeaking at one point. It was a pretty loud squeak that took me a while to figure out. I had to have someone stand on the slider, grab the roof rack and rock the truck as hard as they could. I crawled under til I found the problem.

Can you reproduce the sound by rocking the truck side to side?
 
UNBELIEVABLE! I would've sworn - SWORN - that my squeak was a bushing, a shock - something rubber or poly-based. Nope. I crawled under truck, looked at that mounting plate (MetalTech sliders) in the front that I knew was close or touching... it was touching. I loosened the bolts, nudged it down 1/8", tightened it up, went for a drive... The squeak is GONE.

Thanks guys!
 
Manhattan said:
UNBELIEVABLE! I would've sworn - SWORN - that my squeak was a bushing, a shock - something rubber or poly-based. Nope. I crawled under truck, looked at that mounting plate (MetalTech sliders) in the front that I knew was close or touching... it was touching. I loosened the bolts, nudged it down 1/8", tightened it up, went for a drive... The squeak is GONE.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

Exact same thing happened to me with my sliders on my 80.
 
Manhattan said:
UNBELIEVABLE! I would've sworn - SWORN - that my squeak was a bushing, a shock - something rubber or poly-based. Nope. I crawled under truck, looked at that mounting plate (MetalTech sliders) in the front that I knew was close or touching... it was touching. I loosened the bolts, nudged it down 1/8", tightened it up, went for a drive... The squeak is GONE.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

Awesome. I could not believe it either. I could make the truck squeak by rocking it side to side and my wife, listening on the outside, said it was definitely in the suspension or something in the front right wheel well area. Never thought it was the slider...
 
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