My '02 plastic panels have been creaking all to hell. I'm planning on taking the plastic apart this weekend but I need to put some kind of damper on before I put it all back. The question is how, what and where do I do this. Short of me being in the back putting pressure with my hand all over the panels while wifey is driving, how else can I isolate it? How do you guys deal with the creaking and the cracking?

inb4turnupyourradio.

 

mine only creaks when im offroading. I just deal with it. It doesn't really bother me. You could roll the windows down, and turn the stereo up.

 

Sometimes that is the way you have to do it. I have ridden in countless trunks listening for rattles and creaks while another tech drove the car around the parking lot. Once you find the noise, some felt tape between the rattling parts should do the trick.

 

haha, i've got subs... EVERYTHING rattles

 

I've come to love all my little rattles and creaks, they help make my truck my truck.

 

Thats just what I was going to suggest felt tape. If you ever pulled apart an OLD car (particularly a euro built) you'd see they sometimes put cork tape between the panels and metal contact pts. probably for this very reason. I saw this once on a 50's mercedes in yard one time.
You might also try replacing the clips with new ones sometimes theolder clips have worked loose and new ones will solve the issue.

 

join the club hahahaha.... or just turn up the radio a bit, works for me and it's an easy fix!

 

http://www.raamaudio.com/
http://www.b-quiet.com/

 

What do you guys mean by felt tape? Ive never seen this. Can you point me to a home depot link?

 

Don't think HD sells the stuff but if they did it would be in the window section I'm guessing since it is used for wx seal. You might also try very thin foam tape which IK HD sells in the door/window section.
You might be able to get felt tape from a fabric/notions store if HD does'nt have it.
It is also used in furniture restoration to smooth/quiet drawer slides.

 

I had a L5 12 in my 4runner for awhile and it could make everything in the truck rattle. I took it out.

 

Ace Hardware has felt tape, they also have other foam tapes for weatherizing windows and doors that might help. I worked at a dealership years back and they had a kit with all kinds of noise/vibration dampening products when customers complained about a squeak or rattle; maybe check Napa or other parts stores locally and see what they have.

I used the Ace felt tape on the bottom of the "feet" of my rollbar in the back of my 4runner, and also put Dynamat in that section to further reduce any noise/vibrations.

 

Oh, i c. Thats the crap I stick under my chair legs to keep from scratching the floor. Im gonna work on that this weekend. thanx patty.

 

Thats the stuff

 

I read this post and first off, I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets obsessive about creaks and weird noises. I always investigate and try to find the source of the noise, it usually involves calling a friend over to drive while I have my head all around the cabin and hanging out the window...

Interestingly enough, on the way to a buddy's house, I heard a weird noise when I went over a speed bump. And then I heard it again and again, each time I went over a speed bump. I stuck my head out the window and narrowed it down to the rear suspension...as soon as I got home, I crawled under the truck, and sure enough, the lower bolt on the right rear shock had worked it's way out.

If I hadn't been obsessive about creaks and weird noises, I could have lost that bolt and run into some major trouble! Don't underestimate your gut when it comes to the noises! It could be an easy fix that could save a lot of money, and more importantly, a lot of irritation!

 

Try soaking both pieces of weatherstripping that line your front and back doors in soapy water for a few hours. On my truck, it takes away the creaking for a few months.