I've had this incredibly annoying clank under my truck for the longest time now, and it's finally driving me crazy. Every time I hit a bump or uneven spot on the road, something under my truck will CLANK and rattle loudly. It's clearly a metal on metal sound. It's quite embarrasing, actually. Slow speeds, freeway speeds..it's all the same. I've gotten under there and beaten around with a mallet, but to no avail. I tigtened and removed my exhaust heat shields, neither of which made a difference. Skid plate is tight, bent but tight.

Anybody experience anything like this before? :cry:

 

Mine does the exact same thing. Try removing the spare tire and see if it still makes the noise while driving. Let me know.

 

Check your front skid plate. Mine lost a screw once and was bangin around.

edit [opps just reread your post and you already check that. Sorry.]

 

My heat sheild was loose, when I was getting noises

 

You may want to check your driveshaft/ u-joints. When I had my 91' I noticed a noise too and it drove me crazy. When I got home I got up underneath and started shaking the driveshaft there was a lot of play. Needless to say the needle bearings were almost all gone! Replaced u-joints and problem was solved.

good luck

 

When my gas tank skid is bent the zerk fitting on the drive shaft sometimes comes into contact with the skid. Check that out as well.

 

Try getting under the rig and banging around in various places with a rubber mallet. This should help you figure out the approximate location of the rattle culprit. Trust me, it works.

 

Well...I yanked off the skid plate. Turns out, that the welds on one of the brackets was broken. That's ok though, the insurance is buying me a new one. Checked the driveshaft..the gas tank skid IS bent pretty well, but I don't see them contacting. Shock bushings are ok, too. Heat shields have been pulled, everything beat on. The spare has been off for a month or so.

And guess what? I still have that noise. :cry:

Next thing I check is my diff drop, I have a feeling it MAY be loose. If not, I'm at a total loss.

 

do you have any disconnects? Cuz I know for sure my disco's make a crap load of clunking and clanking

 

Ah Hah!

I figured it out! There's a little strip of metal in the rear frame rails with nuts welded to it for the tow hitch...well, when I took off my tow hitch some time ago, I didn't put those in strips in straight and they were beating on the side of the frame rail. D'oh!

It's all quiet again.