Rattle, from fuel tank shield

fallvitals · Post by **fallvitals** » Fri May 01, 2009 12:53 am

Since my first offroading trip early this week, I have noticed a rattle somewhere under my truck. It could have been there before this trip, but not sure. It has just gotten warm enough to run with the windows down, and I heard this rattle while on a old logging road, so I never ran with the windows down, radio off, listening for sound till after.

When driving, it doesnt want to rattle when hitting potholes at slow speed, a lot of the time. It does it easily with little bumps in the road at 20+ mph. It sounds like its up front, and it rattles before the rear tires hit the bump.

Anyways. I was thinking it could be my new aluminum front skid. Dont think so.

I started hitting the front driver side tire with a rubber hammer. I tracked down the only rattle I could find to a spring on the fuel line directly under the drivers set next to the frame. But i knew that wasnt it. but not sure why the fual line has a spring on it?

Coming home tonight, i decided to knock the zr5 step up bars. and im sure I found it. when you knock the bars, at the end of em, closest to the bed, theres a rattle, sounds just like what I hear when driving. And both sides do it. The bars (more like the mounting equipment) doesnt rattle at the front towards the engine, just the very end at the bed. It was too dark to start tracking it down. I couldnt find any info in the search, but does any one recall other owners having a similer rattle?

It was probably there before my trip, but when it was warm enough to drive with the windows down, the radio was up, lol.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:04 am

Ummmmm, I don't remember how they were constructed. Are the ends open? Check all the fasteners (there is a gazillion of them). Maybe shoot some spray can insulation foam into them.

YellowCrewCabber · Post by **YellowCrewCabber** » Fri May 01, 2009 6:12 am

A rubber mallet can sometimes be a helpful aid in finding rattles.

fallvitals · Post by **fallvitals** » Fri May 01, 2009 1:28 pm

Yeah the ends are open on these bars. I was using a rubber hammer

And the palm of my fist.

Well I got under it today. Started smaking that nerf bar, and couldnt locate the source of the rattle for a while. I was thinking it had to be in the bar, but didnt understand how! Kept searching... smacked the bottom of the gas tank, and bingo.. getting closer.

I started smaking it and grabbing other parts to see if it kills the rattle. then wha la, found it.

The source of my rattle is the aluminum/sheet metal "shield" mounted on the gas tank right beisde the drive shaft. One of the sections of it, where it pushes onto the mounting post and has those little cuts in the sheet metal to hold itself there, has worked loose just a hair. I grab that, hit the nerf bar, and gas tank, no rattle.

I pushed it on there pretty hard, drove some and it stopped for a few minutes then came back. So,, not sure what to do exept push it hard against the tank, then take a screw driver and push on those little posts to keep it in place.... but luckily its nothing major at all.