Vibration from roof

[80seriesnut]

So I purchased this 2018 in December of 2020. Since purchasing it every once in a while there is this vibration noise coming from the roof while driving at highway or interstate speeds. Almost like a piece of tin is loose. I've gotten up there and looked and tested everything to see if it feels secure and it does. I've done some searching on here and can't seem to find anything related to this. One time while driving down the interstate it was so loud that with the radio turned up you could still hear it. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Sandroad]

I had a Subaru years ago with the same issue. It turned out to be a very slightly loose weatherstrip. I found it by applying painters tape to one area at a time and going for repeated test drives. Eventually it was obvious where the vibration was coming from.

 

[80seriesnut]

I had a Subaru years ago with the same issue. It turned out to be a very slightly loose weatherstrip. I found it by applying painters tape to one area at a time and going for repeated test drives. Eventually it was obvious where the vibration was coming from.

Loose weather stripping from like around a sun roof?

 

[Cincodemustache]

There are some rubber moldings that press into the recessed “rain gutter” running front to back under the rack mounts. There is not much holding these in so it may be worth a check to see if one isn’t trying to take flight when you drive and subsequently causing your noise.

 

[paulunm]

Try tightening the roof rack cross bars?

 

[80seriesnut]

Try tightening the roof rack cross bars?

I'll try to tighten them down but they didn't feel loose.

There are some rubber moldings that press into the recessed “rain gutter” running front to back under the rack mounts. There is not much holding these in so it may be worth a check to see if one isn’t trying to take flight when you drive and subsequently causing your noise.

I'll give it a look.

 

[bloc]

Send a side profile picture of your trim across the top of the windshield. The wrong part (like I had on mine when I got it) will have bad manners on the freeway. I’d expect an issue here to be more of a whistle than flapping but who knows..

But yes also check the rubber rain gutter fillers. They have a metal rib inside each one so if they are bent they can kind of stand up and not stay flat in the slot. They should all sit flat and not give if you press on them.

 

[Sandroad]

Loose weather stripping from like around a sun roof?

Around the roof rack

 

[bloc]

More specifically, under the roof rack rails. The rubber strips in the bottom of the body seam "gutter" that joins the sides of the truck to the roof panel.

 

[80seriesnut]

Send a side profile picture of your trim across the top of the windshield. The wrong part (like I had on mine when I got it) will have bad manners on the freeway. I’d expect an issue here to be more of a whistle than flapping but who knows..

But yes also check the rubber rain gutter fillers. They have a metal rib inside each one so if they are bent they can kind of stand up and not stay flat in the slot. They should all sit flat and not give if you press on them.

When I get off work I will snap a pic and post it.

 

[80seriesnut]

These are the side shots.

 

[Markuson]

Most common is a loose tightening knob on a cross-bar. If it turns out to be a rubber piece that runs in the “trench” on the roof under the side bars…that piece can be removed, as those don’t actually seal anything.

 

[bloc]

Most common is a loose tightening knob on a cross-bar. If it turns out to be a rubber piece that runs in the “trench” on the roof under the side bars…that piece can be removed, as those don’t actually seal anything.

I suspect they are partly there to protect the body sealant in the bottom of that channel from direct UV exposure. Most likely also to protect dead leaves and pollen and stuff getting too deep and decomposing in that area which would be acidic.

 

[danny noonan]

Crossbars being loose was mine. Sounded so bad I thought a wheel was falling off.

 

[Markuson]

I suspect they are partly there to protect the body sealant in the bottom of that channel from direct UV exposure. Most likely also to protect dead leaves and pollen and stuff getting too deep and decomposing in that area which would be acidic.

Maybe so.
I hadn’t thought much about leaves long term, but probably because we don’t really even have a “Fall” here…at least not literally…much less the rain to rot the few leaves that do. I know leaves are a real mess for a lot o folks elsewhere…