I recently installed a pair of Smittybilt side steps on my '01 QC 4x4, but ever
since, I get this really obnoxious rattling/creaking noise from the rear of the
truck. Installation required removing the cab bolts from the cab mounts, then
securing the side step brackets to the lower cab mount bushing via a longer cab
bolt. There's also a 3/8" hole that I had to drill for each bracket, and while
that was a pain, it's an entirely different story...!
Anyhow, a day or so after installing them, I started noticing the noise. I can
feel the vibration in addition to hearing the noise, which confirms that it
must be something connected to the cab mount. It is most noticeable when
starting/stopping, and in slow turns, but I can't reproduce the noise by
jumping up and down the side step. Naturally, I've made sure to torque the nuts
and bolts down as much as I could, and the side step doesn't budge at all when
I step on it, so I don't think the side step itself is the source of the noise.
One thing I noticed is that the nut on the rear cab mount appears to be
attached to a metal plate which moves around freely when the bolt is removed.
Unfortunately, there's no way to get access to this plate since it's behind
this welded housing, and I can't even get a good look at it to see what's
supposed to hold it in place. Perhaps there are some clips that hold this plate
in place, and these clips came off when I removed the bolt? Maybe these clips
are making the noise?
So has anyone had similar experiences with installing side steps, or with
removing the rear cab bolts? While I know it's just a harmless rattling, it's
driving me crazy.
Thanks for reading this far!
-Tho Dinh
2001 Silver QC Sport+, all-time 4x4
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:01:29 EDT