gsmaclean
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- February 11, 2007
- Messages
- 397
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Strongsville, OH
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 03 Limited
My liftgate has rattled ever since I got the truck last year. Any time I went over a bump, it sounded like I had a box of tools back there. I always assumed it was the jack, crowbar, and all the stuff that lives in the rear storage compartment rattling around. I tried shuffling around the stuff back there to keep it from rattling, but did not succeed. Finally I took everything OUT of there, and to my surprise, I STILL had the rattle.
So I read here about putting felt or foam in between the plastic and the metal. "ah, that's the problem," I said. I got some black closed-cell adhesive foam and stuck it between the plastic and metal parts of the liftgate.
I went out again...and it STILL rattles. I started looking for more serious things, like broken springs, suspension members...nope.
So I had my wife drive my truck over a potholed street while I rode back there to find the source of the noise.
To my surprise, it IS the liftgate - and it's because the entire liftgate, well, lifts, every time the truck hits a bump. I can feel it move directly up and down (vertically) about 1/8". The bump bounces the liftgate up, and when it comes back down, it does so with a crash, which is what makes the rattling noise. Being that the liftgate, when in the closed position, actually is supposed to move in and out, rather than up and down, I figured something must be loose.
Then my wife went around a corner, and I felt the liftgate move sideways a bit. I had her swerve back and forth, and the liftgate moved back and forth in response. It's obviously loose.
I had a look at the hinges, but they seem rock solid - no real play. When closed, the alignment between the liftgate and the roof and side quarter panels is perfect.
The only other culprit would be the latch and striker. I loosened the striker to see if it could be adjusted inwards, thereby pushing the liftgate weatherstripping tighter against the body, and making it more secure, preventing it from moving when shut. However, it has no adjustment. Perhaps the latch mechanism itself has an adjustment? I don't know.
Does anyone have an idea how to adjust the liftgate latch?
So I read here about putting felt or foam in between the plastic and the metal. "ah, that's the problem," I said. I got some black closed-cell adhesive foam and stuck it between the plastic and metal parts of the liftgate.
I went out again...and it STILL rattles. I started looking for more serious things, like broken springs, suspension members...nope.
So I had my wife drive my truck over a potholed street while I rode back there to find the source of the noise.
To my surprise, it IS the liftgate - and it's because the entire liftgate, well, lifts, every time the truck hits a bump. I can feel it move directly up and down (vertically) about 1/8". The bump bounces the liftgate up, and when it comes back down, it does so with a crash, which is what makes the rattling noise. Being that the liftgate, when in the closed position, actually is supposed to move in and out, rather than up and down, I figured something must be loose.
Then my wife went around a corner, and I felt the liftgate move sideways a bit. I had her swerve back and forth, and the liftgate moved back and forth in response. It's obviously loose.
I had a look at the hinges, but they seem rock solid - no real play. When closed, the alignment between the liftgate and the roof and side quarter panels is perfect.
The only other culprit would be the latch and striker. I loosened the striker to see if it could be adjusted inwards, thereby pushing the liftgate weatherstripping tighter against the body, and making it more secure, preventing it from moving when shut. However, it has no adjustment. Perhaps the latch mechanism itself has an adjustment? I don't know.
Does anyone have an idea how to adjust the liftgate latch?