God Awful Deep Squeak/Knocking Noise

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

K

Kigiin

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Jun 22, 2006
Threads
145
Messages
1,563
This draw install is going rough - one step forward, two steps back.

First there was the wet mat in the cargo area that I had to deal with and now this.

I just installed the sub frame and drawers - no top or drawer fronts yet - when all of a sudden I get this God awful deep squeak/knocking sound when turning and the body flexes a bit. I can easily make it happen by going about 15 mph and turning the steering wheel sharply back and forth, like a mini salomon.

I first suspected the aux tank, but it was been squeak free since the install, and after looking into things I don't think it's the tank as the noise is readily apparent from the interior of the truck

So I unbolted the drawer sub frame - metal drawer frames were bolted into the third row seat bracket holes - but that wasn't it.

Next I thought it might be the rear Slee bumper, but it has been noise free for months too and after rocking the truck every which way via the bumper, I can't replicate the noise.

The only thing I can figure is it's the hatch (likely the bottom because it is so loud and slightly metal sounding), but for the life of me I can't find it. I rocked the truck as hard or harder than my little 15 mph test and I can't replicate the noise.

Any ideas - I hate any type of rattles and this one is 100x worse? It's like a hard knocking sound with a little deep squeaking undertones, coming from around the rear hatch. It's almost a little like metal on metal.

I did WD40/Fluid Film everything and anything around the rear hatch, but that didn't make any difference.
 
Yeah, I needed your rear hatch - serious that is what I was going to ask you to switch with me due to the rust on mine (although you had some rust, I had a lot more). And we had the same color/year trucks!!

And now, look what happened!!!!

Thanks for the offer, maybe this weekend if you have time we can tag team in driving and listening.
 
I think I did with a cocktail of WD40 and Fluid Film. Plus when I open the hatch, top and bottom, I really don't get much of a noise. Further, when I rock them (open and closed) I still don't get much of a noise.

As loud as the damn noise is, I can't believe I can't readily identify it!
 
I am sure you have looked, but I developed a squeak, knock (metal on metal)on my DS when turning, or at different angles. I found that it was my sliders. One of the ubolt sections on the DS is barely touching the underside of the floor. I think I am just going to dent in that area slightly, should fix it...:meh:
 
Last edited:
Ok, I am on my second martini... what is DS... driver's side?

If so, I think (caveat, I think) the sound if definitely coming from the rear hatch.

With that said, my wife says I can't hear for crap. But when I was at the ear, nose, and throat doc and had my hearing checked, the results were about as good as it gets. I write the difference off to selective hearing!
 
I had a similar problem. I had my wife get in the back and she found the general area by the vibration through the floor. We then started looking closer and noticed that the trailer wiring harness mount was mounted too high on the bumper and was contacting the body when it flexed over bumps. The weird part was that we did not notice it while we had extra weight in the cargo area...once we lightened it up we noticed the noise.
 
Start narrowing like you're doing. Drive around with the hatch open, see if it makes the sound. Do you have your 3rd row seats in and folded up? Make sure those straps are tight. If all else fails grab a video camera and post up on youtube.
 
It could be the upper rear shock mounts? My PS (passanger side) hole had streached out and the shock was moving around in the hole?
 
My luck continues... it's the aux tank making the noise.

Despite all the bolts being tight, something is rattling inside it... like a baffle. I filled it up thinking if it was a baffle then that would quiet it, but it didn't. I am going to have to drop the SOB to see what's going on.

I have noticed from day one that for supposedly being so well baffled, I do get a fair amount of swishing noise. Further when I pounded on it from underneath (it was at least half full) I got a vibration noise plus it sounded completely empty (hollow).

What a PITA this is going to be.
 
I would bet more than a few $ it is the Aux Tank rubbing on the top of the tank. I had the same loud squeak and squirted a gallon of silcon spray. I almost drov the truck off a cliff i was so frustrated. FINALLY i did what I did not want to do. I took the tank out and low and behold it was rubbing something fierce on top. I have the LRA 24 tank. Anyone who has one of those should re-install using spacers on the mounting brackets to drop that tank to avoid a possibly dangerous situation. TOTAL PITA but worth it. Good luck.
 
^ you may very well be right. However, I wonder why it didn't immediately make this noise when first installed. I had a month or so of rub-free driving?

One thing did occur to me. This seemed to start right after I installed the drawer sub frame where I used long bolts than the OEM ones in the third row seat bolt holes. And, one of those holes is covered underneath by the aux tank. However I have since removed the bolts and don't see how this could have started such rubbing. When I cranked down the bolt in that one hole it would have just contacted the tank and stopped. I stuck a screw driver down in the hole and could not discern any damage or anything unusual at that point on the top of the tank.
 
pegasis0066 said:
^ you may very well be right. However, I wonder why it didn't immediately make this noise when first installed. I had a month or so of rub-free driving?

One thing did occur to me. This seemed to start right after I installed the drawer sub frame where I used long bolts than the OEM ones in the third row seat bolt holes. And, one of those holes is covered underneath by the aux tank. However I have since removed the bolts and don't see how this could have started such rubbing. When I cranked down the bolt in that one hole it would have just contacted the tank and stopped. I stuck a screw driver down in the hole and could not discern any damage or anything unusual at that point on the top of the tank.
Click to expand...
Mine only rubbed in one location. The floor is corrugated so came in contact with the top of the tank in one area on the passenger side/middle top of the tank. Mine did not squeak for the first 5K miles. It took a while for it to rub through the aluminized finish and the undercoating on the floor. Then it was metal to metal. One other thing to keep in mind is that the brackets are not perfectly engineered. So my tank was rubbing on one side and not the other. If you want to test the theory you can try to loosen the 4 tank mounting bolts on the cross brackets and drop it as much as possible. This could be trick to test the theory.
 
What did you use for spacers, just washers?

Alternatively, I am wondering if I could put some type of rubber mat insulator thing on top of it.
 
I used both washers on the cross member and rubber on the top. It was temporary but worked. Ultimately I need to modify the brackets that hold the tank.
 
DesertRun, when I first mounted my LRA tank just to see how it looked, it was tucked up high near the floor. Then after reading the directions more closely, I was using the wrong holes or wrong position on the frame. It's almost if they revised the directions. I may not have even used any of the existing holes. It's been awhile and my memory is a bit fuzzy. But now as mounted, I have more than 1" space between the tank and the trunk floor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom