RE: Nasty Rattle! PLEASE HELP (kinda long... Sorry)

From: Ronald Wong (ron-wong@home.com)
Date: Sat Sep 30 2000 - 03:10:13 EDT


There's one fix where shorter cab mount bolts were put in but that doesn't
sound like our problem. Check your ball joints and catalytic converter.
There was someone else on the list that had a rattle up front. I can't
remember what the resolution was nor can I remember who it was (old
age)....I'm sure answers will start coming in.

HTH,
Ron
00 SLT QC 4X2 5.9 46RE 3.92 LSD
For modifications see my DML Profile

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dakota-truck@buffnet.net
[mailto:owner-dakota-truck@buffnet.net]On Behalf Of Nate & Brenda
Johnson
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 12:56 AM
To: To DML
Subject: DML: Nasty Rattle! PLEASE HELP (kinda long... Sorry)

Ok, I've had this ongoing problem with my truck! I need your help!!! It's
been in the shop four
times for it and my service guy is BAFFLED! (along with me!) He's a pretty
decent mechanic and I
have faith in his ability... Just a weird problem. It's a metallic rattle,
related to hitting
bumps. It's low speed (can't hear it above about 35 or so.) Sounds almost
like a washer behind a
loose nut would sound. If I pass over a bump I don't get any rattle when
the front tires hit but
when the rear hits it goes. Here's what's been tried so far... Bushings
installed between the leaf
springs, spring clamps tightened (stock), spring clamps replaced, every
tightenable (and reasonably
easily accessed) nut and bolt on the underside of the truck has been checked
and tightened, and the
body mounts have been tightened. Here's where it gets weird... Remember I
said it rattles when the
rear tires pass over uneven pavement? Today we hooked up a spider mic,
basically four mics attached
to the frame at each corner of the truck, and took a listen while driving.
The ONLY mic that picked
up the rattle was the one in the right front corner! How's THAT for a
gremlin! Has anybody had
this problem? Does anybody have a clue what this could be? We've called the
"star" line, and two
other dealers, one of which had a similar problem before. There fix was
tightening the body
mounts... which didn't work for me! (oh, we've pounded away with a rubber
mallet at every
conceivable surface underneath the truck too!)

Thanks a mil for your inputs!!!
------------------------
Nate, Ogden UT
http://www.geocities.com/natedak2k
natedak2k@yahoo.com ; nbjohnson@networld.com
Forest Green 00 Dakota CC 4X4, 5-speed, LSD, 3.92 Rear, 4.7L/287ci, Po'boy
cold air w/ K&N, Extang
BlackMax Tonneau
"D2K"



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:55:05 EDT