Guys,

As many of you may know from my random posts, I have a squeak in my dash on the passenger side. I removed the glovebox and air ducts and now can see clearly in there. I think the squeak is coming from a metal pipe that is circular that runs from the driver to the passenger side and is clamped in there.

I can make the squeak happen if i tug on the steering wheel...

Questions:

1. Is the steering wheel somehow connected to this pipe that goes sideways?

2. What does this pipe do?

3. Since tugging on the steering wheel makes the squeak sound, (all the way by the passenger side air vent,) what else does the steering wheel connect to?

Update: This "pipe" is the instrument panel reinforcement bar. Anyone know the torque specs for the bolts? Please

Thanks

Glenn

 

i have the same rattle goes from my far left side of dash an dalso the far right side bu ti dont hear it from the middle

 

My rattle/squeak was that stupid pipe. I don't know if it is too tight or loose, or just dirt trapped inbetween the metal pipe and the clamp that holds it in place.

I know it is the squeak because if i take the bolts off the clamp that holds the bar in place, then the truck does not squeak.

I wd-40d the clamp and pipe to clean it then reassembled it. I had to remove a box full of stuff from the 4runner. I am going to keep everything out of it for a few weeks to see how it progresses. But at least I am positive I know it is the clamp where the instrument panel reinforcement bar is tied down.

I am pretty sure this all started about 15,000 miles ago when I went 4wheeling out in texas on the ocean, literally on dunes and with ocean water under my truck.... with my windows down. Everything got sand in it ... big mess with texas humidity and leather seats!!!

I am soo happy today.......

 

I've got a 96 with the exact same problem. I will check the reinforcement clamp to see if that fixes mine.

 

TO get the the two bolts that hold the clamp i had to remove:
1. the glovebox
2. air vent from center,all the way to the passenger vent
3. Passeger vent

The bolts are accessible with a 12mm socket with long extention bar from the opening on the dash left when you remove the passenger vent. There are two, one on top and one on the bottom.

 

Glenn,

Don't know if the insides are the same, but there are known dash rattles that Toyota issued a TSB for on the 2001 Tacoma.

Check out the link:
http://www.customtacos.com/tech/file...rattle_tsb.pdf

 

Yeah, I had heard about this one. Mine was the metal on metal squeaking. I talked to Toyota national, and they swore this specific TSB did not apply to the 4runner. They also said they were not the same.

Thanks

 

you're saying that the bolts were on the left side of the right side of the car correct?

I pulled my glovebox out yesterday trying to pinpoint my noise. With all the noise that the pieces hanging down from the airbag were making, I wasn't able to even duplicate the noise while driving around.

So I zip tied everything as tight as I could, and walla, this morning the noise is there as loud as ever.

Bill

 

You need to pull out all the black air ducting from the center console area all the way to the part that sticks out on the passenger side. Once all the ducting is removed it will be easeier to see and access the bolts.

You will notice a round metal pipe that goes from the drivers side to the passenger side of the 4runner. Then it hooks in on the passenger side with a metal C-Shaped clamp. The C-Clamp is completely flush with the passenger side of the car. For me, there was dirt betweent the metal pipe and the metal c-shaped clamp. It is held in place by two bolts. The best way to access the bolt on the upper side is through the dash opening left by removing the passenger side air duct (using a socket wrench with extensions)

Hope this helps, email me if you have questions.

 

Thank you. I finally had the time to try this today, and it seems to have worked so far!!!

That passenger side Vent is sure a pain to get out isn't it?

My hands are way to big to be trying to get that inner screw closest to the door.

Bill

 

...any updates on this? Did it work for you?

Was this squeak a metalic sound?

 

more or less...delifting the truck made it go away more though

 

The tape you put under a camper shell works great for rattles.Its already got stickum on one side to hold it in place.