Front end rattle - Is it the Swaybar Bushings?

[Romer]

Occassionaly (like once every few weeks) I hear a rattle that sounds like it is coming from the front , maybe pass side. When I was wheeling last week, I heard it a lot when I was going up steep inclines. Once I was done wheeling, didn't really hear it. haven't heard it in the last few days.

I have checked my bearings and they are tight, right amount of grease on birf (Re-did axle in Feb). Drive shaft has been cleaned (Spline for too mcuh grease) with new OEM ujoints and balanced.

OEM 2.5" lift, 285 tires.

Notes:
1) Noticed scratch line on drive shaft about were Swaybar is. Maybe left over for when I had spacers installed.
2) Had to remove 1" Mr. Gasket Spacers due to well described Drive Shaft problem.
3) Constant light whistle (Like loose bearing when driving) Only makes it when moving. Maybe Exhaust? But have new muffler.

Tried moving Swaybar with my hands to see if it made noise and it did not.

Could this be the Swaybar bushings? If it is, should I install the Swaybar extenders while I am at it?

Thanks

 

[tucker74]

Stand up on your ARB and jump up and down - if it makes the noise it's most likely your shock mount bolts (top). I've had this problem with both my 80s after I installed OME lifts. Sometimes you can tighten them down more to stop - on my current ride I haven't been able to stop, gonna try OEM rubber bushings next. I replaced all the sway bar bushings the first time too

Tucker

 

[Romer]

I tried that and no noise.

 

[tarbe]

Well, a timely post. I was going to start a thread on this....

I just rid myself of my incessant rattle. Turned out it was the verticle cat shield on the outboard side of the cats.

I had done the commonly accepted fix of puting hose clamps on my header heat shield...no good. It seemed tight, I couldn't make it rattle by hitting it, but I figured it was a common problem so I figured I could invest $2.


I tried tightening the three mounting bolts on the verticle cat shield, but they were already tight. I tried bending and cutting, no change. Only when I yanked it did the thing quiet down.

My truck is now rattle free! I can't make it rattle. I even thought at one time it was the timing chain because it seemed worse on 15W-40 than 5W-30

Give it a try and let me know.

 

[concretejungle]

It wouldn't be this would it?.......

 

[Romer]

There isn't much of a gap there, but I don't see a scraping mark. Wouldn't this be a more prevalant problem if that were the cause?

 

[tarbe]

I had to run out to the garage to see what kind of clearance I have on my truck.

Not even close....I have worked it enough to scrape the driveshaft on the swaybar. But I have never hit the control arm with the rod.

 

[tarbe]

Concrete...you have the Slee castor plates. Do they move the control arm up into interference with the steering rod? Seems like they would have the opposite effect.

 

[Land Speeder]

I had to run out to the garage to see what kind of clearance I have on my truck.

Not even close....I have worked it enough to scrape the driveshaft on the swaybar. But I have never hit the control arm with the rod.

Holy crap! that's a clean under carriage. Do you ever eat off of it?

 

[bh4rnnr]

Ken, from what i'm reading it wouldnt be the sway bar bushings. When the bushings start making noise it's because they have gone dry. You'll hear almost like a crunching type sound when going over bumps. I do know those cat covers do like to rattle a lot.

 

[tarbe]

Holy crap! that's a clean under carriage. Do you ever eat off of it?

Food would make it dirty

edit: how come my purdy picture keeps x-ing out? I just learned (?) how to post pics...I must be doing something wrong

 

[tarbe]

Romer - I'm dying to find out if it was your cat shield.

 

[Romer]

Romer - I'm dying to find out if it was your cat shield.

I hit it with no noise. I have the straps and they are tight. But why would it be most prevelant up hill when wheeling and not there when driving normal.

What else should I try?

 

[loquito]

Hi Ken
I am sure this will Not help But,
I had a rattle that I thought was the Cat rattle that is covered here alot.
It turned out my wife had put something in the pocket of the door when I was not looking.
I doubt that is your problem but I wanted to say hi to you anyway
S

 

[Romer]

Hi Ken
I am sure this will Not help But,
I had a rattle that I thought was the Cat rattle that is covered here alot.
It turned out my wife had put something in the pocket of the door when I was not looking.
I doubt that is your problem but I wanted to say hi to you anyway
S

Well Hi back Loquito.

I am thinking Perry might be right. The sound is a rattle like something loose rattling around in something else and not like metal hitting metal. I am confused as to why it happens a lot when going up a steep incline while wheeling and almost not at all any other times, even going down a steep incline while wheeling

 

[tarbe]

I hit it with no noise. I have the straps and they are tight. But why would it be most prevelant up hill when wheeling and not there when driving normal.

What else should I try?

If you are talking about straps, then I suspect we are talking about two different things.

Straps go around the header shield or the cat shields that surround the cats. I am talking about the vertically mounted flat cat shield that is bolted to the body outboard of the cats. It looks like a wimpy skid plate, about two feet long and 10 inches wide (from memory, I'm at work).

That shield turned out to be the source of my rattle.

Also would not hurt to check for stones in the body mounting boss just behind the front PS tire. I have found pretty good sized stones in there that could make some racket.

 

[Romer]

Straps go around the header shield or the cat shields that surround the cats. I am talking about the vertically mounted flat cat shield that is bolted to the body outboard of the cats. It looks like a wimpy skid plate, about two feet long and 10 inches wide (from memory, I'm at work).

That shield turned out to be the source of my rattle.

Also would not hurt to check for stones in the body mounting boss just behind the front PS tire. I have found pretty good sized stones in there that could make some racket.

Just to clarify, when you removed these sheilds and the problem went away. Was their rocks in them and did you put them back?

 

[Kalawang]

Occassionaly (like once every few weeks) I hear a rattle that sounds like it is coming from the front , maybe pass side. When I was wheeling last week, I heard it a lot when I was going up steep inclines. Once I was done wheeling, didn't really hear it. haven't heard it in the last few days.

I have checked my bearings and they are tight, right amount of grease on birf (Re-did axle in Feb). Drive shaft has been cleaned (Spline for too mcuh grease) with new OEM ujoints and balanced.

OEM 2.5" lift, 285 tires.

Notes:
1) Noticed scratch line on drive shaft about were Swaybar is. Maybe left over for when I had spacers installed.
2) Had to remove 1" Mr. Gasket Spacers due to well described Drive Shaft problem.
3) Constant light whistle (Like loose bearing when driving) Only makes it when moving. Maybe Exhaust? But have new muffler.

Tried moving Swaybar with my hands to see if it made noise and it did not.

Could this be the Swaybar bushings? If it is, should I install the Swaybar extenders while I am at it?

Thanks

Does it have a sound like heavy ball bearings hitting each other ? A sort of heavy clicking like the sounds given by some 4x4 racers ? Does the sound come out pretty often when you are off the gas at very low speed ?


Kalawang

 

[tarbe]

Just to clarify, when you removed these sheilds and the problem went away. Was their rocks in them and did you put them back?

There is only one vertical shield. I removed it and have not replaced it. I did not have any stones fall out when I removed the shield.

There is another shield, mounted on the floor above the cats. I did not mess with it (except to test it to see if it was secure) because when I removed the former, the noise went away.

 

[Romer]

Does it have a sound like heavy ball bearings hitting each other ? A sort of heavy clicking like the sounds given by some 4x4 racers ? Does the sound come out pretty often when you are off the gas at very low speed ?


Kalawang

No, its more like a rattle, like if you tok some screws threw them in a bucket and shook them around. I'll try the Cat soultion.

How much space should there be between the control arm and rod?