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Thread: Rattle noise driving me crazy

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    Rattle noise driving me crazy

    Hello all

    I have a rattle noise coming from the front driver side. When ever I go over a poor road or bump I hear a rattle noise. The noise is only heard when I have the widows up and only when the drivers tire hits the bump.

    So I far I have checked and replaced the following

    Upper control arm since the boot was ripped
    Sway bar end links
    Shocks
    Checked lower control arms which look fine
    Pitman arm seem fine
    Inner tie rod look fine center link
    Both tierod

    I also have the clunk washers installed

    It is not a clunk , but more of a rattle when hitting a bump

    Any suggestions?

    Please been trying to find this for about 3 months now

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    Heat shield? Maybe the dust cover on the rotor?

    Email is fast..... Jake@3rdrowinnovations.com

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    Thanks I will give it a look. I don't think it's either of these 2, but will take a look.

    Also, you hear it more with the windows up. You don't really hear it with the windows down.

    Also, it kind of sounds like it would be obvious with how much it is rattling, it sounds like it is really loose.

    Also sounds like it would be a solid, round / cylinder shapped object that would be hitting something in a contained area.

    I have been around , under in cars for a looking time and this one has got me stumped!!

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    Ok I literally went for a drive at night to try and isolate the problem with minimal noise on the road as possible. So it do not thing it is suspension related. One thing I noticed is the steering shaft in the engine compartment might be the issue, but sure.

    If I wiggle the steering shaft in the engine compartment it moves maybe 3/16 of an inch. I could see if this might be the issue but need someone to verify on their HD 2003-2002 if the is similar on their truck.

    Can someone please verify this?

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    Yes i have the same play in my steering shaft as well. In fact when I got my alignment 2 weeks ago, I asked them to check all the front end components, as I have the same sound that you are describing here.

    They told me that is one of the weak links in the F-150. The shaft is a slip joint that is designed to collapse in a front end collision, instead of the column being forced into the driver pinning them to the seat. But there is no way to maintain the tautness of the shaft to avoid the noise we are experiencing.

    Now I have thought about disassembling and packing it with grease like you would in a semi truck, but I haven't gotten annoyed about it enough to do it. Or just not enough free time. lol

    Anyways, from what i have been told, it is normal for trucks our age.
    Last edited by SoCal Waite; 01-06-2014 at 01:55 PM.

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    I just took my truck to Tire Kingdom, to have the alignment set. I also asked them to check out the noise.

    The told me it was the wheel bearing, that can change it for $250.

    Well, I dont think it is that but will definitely pull the tire and check. While I am there I can check the splash shield and caliper.

    Is everyone just living with this noise?

    This thing is driving me crazy.

    The good thing is my front suspension was looked over by 3 sets of eyes and it is not there. So... I will continue.

    It actually sounds like it is coming from the driver kick plate by the e - brake

  7. #7
    Sport90's #1
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    Ok...1st thing I do when searching for a noise is grab my soft mallet and start tapping things under the truck. Most common source for rattle is going to be your exhaust...and yes even if its all the way in the back of the truck the sound will travel and sound like its coming in the cab from the front of the vehicle.

    Sounds like you started with what some would consider the "harder" things. So focus on the other "easy" stuff. Check all your bolts for your pulleys...check the fan...if you have traction bars check there bolts...etc.... It seriously will shock you how sound travels in these trucks.

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    I will give this a try.

    More thinking about it, it maybe a shield. Whats strange is when I started the truck for lunch today I think I heard something slightly rattle.

    Damn, this thing is driving me NUTZ!!!!!!

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    Do you have a billet battery tray? I had a rattle and it turned out to be a bolt on the bottom of the tray rattling against the metal part the battery sits on.

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    No billet battery tray.
    Believe it or not the truck is bone stock. Yes, that's right bone stock :-)

    Also, I had a chance to take a rubber hammer to the bottom of the truck. I found that the passenger side shield was resting on the cat. I removed that . Also I noticed the heat exchanger was kind of loose. There was a rattle noise. I figured this was it. So I kept on my hammering and was sure I had this thing solved.

    I then tested the bearings. There was a slight movement maybe 1/16 of a inch when I pull the tire top to Bottom and bottom to top. I did not think it was bad.

    So moment of truth, went to start it and noticed just by starting I heard the rattle slightly. DAMN!!!!!!

    So I waited again til all the bells and sound stopped to see if can hear it again. I started again and a slight rattle. I took it for a drive and it is still there. Sounds like it is coming from the kick panel.

    What ever it is it rattles a lot . You would think it would be easy to find. But it is not.

    Any other suggestions. I am frustrated.

    I will see if I can catch the noise on audio

  11. #11
    Registered User
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    I wa able to capture the noise and put it on YouTube
    You hear the noise around 8 seconds
    Here is the link
    Rattle noise f150 Harley davidson - YouTube

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    Registered User
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    Here is another audio on YouTube
    Rattle f150 part ii - YouTube

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    Thats not the sound I have. Do you have an alarm or anything? Have you looked under the dash at all? Sounds like its coming from under the dash in the video.

  14. #14
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    Yea looked under the dash at the beginning because it does sound like it is coming from there. I took apart the dash and did not find anything. It hit the dash, shook the truck like a mad man and nothing.

    1 other thing I noticed is my sway bar mounting bushing have moved a little on the sway bar. Meaning when I jacked up the truck I could see a small gap between the bar and the bushing. And due to this the bushing has moved slightly ( to the left) on the bar.

    I am wondering if under load, hitting a bump the bushing collapses causing the rattle?

    If not, what ever it is it has to be tangling ver loose to make that type of rattle.

    Any thoughts ?

  15. #15
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    Dunno, geez you have done a lot of work to try and find this already.

    Have you taken off your door panels? Maybe the speaker has come loose in there?
    Look under your door sill plates too in case anything is rolling around in there.

    Good luck.

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