Underbody cover rattle

[07EddyB]

Our 22 Explorer had a rattle around the drivers side passenger door at around 65 and more. It's been there since it was new but I finally climbed under today to look. Found a loose plastic retainer that holds up the felt underbody cover. It wouldn't tighten so I took it out and replaced it with two nuts and washers (two nuts because it's a spacer also). Took it out for a drive and problem fixed.
I didn't really like the nuts and washers though - didn't have the right size washers to really hold the felt and I just didn't want them rusting - better to have the plastic back. Took a look at it and decided if I could get at least one set of the arms to grip it would probably tighten. Cable tie to the rescue - it now tightens up enough to not rattle. Would have done both sets but had a clearance issue on the top one.

 

[Rick]

Our 22 Explorer had a rattle around the drivers side passenger door at around 65 and more. It's been there since it was new but I finally climbed under today to look. Found a loose plastic retainer that holds up the felt underbody cover. It wouldn't tighten so I took it out and replaced it with two nuts and washers (two nuts because it's a spacer also). Took it out for a drive and problem fixed.
I didn't really like the nuts and washers though - didn't have the right size washers to really hold the felt and I just didn't want them rusting - better to have the plastic back. Took a look at it and decided if I could get at least one set of the arms to grip it would probably tighten. Cable tie to the rescue - it now tightens up enough to not rattle. Would have done both sets but had a clearance issue on the top one.
View attachment 450359

That looks like some kind of alien technology. LOL

 

[fordsinNC]

Our 22 Explorer had a rattle around the drivers side passenger door at around 65 and more. It's been there since it was new but I finally climbed under today to look. Found a loose plastic retainer that holds up the felt underbody cover. It wouldn't tighten so I took it out and replaced it with two nuts and washers (two nuts because it's a spacer also). Took it out for a drive and problem fixed.
I didn't really like the nuts and washers though - didn't have the right size washers to really hold the felt and I just didn't want them rusting - better to have the plastic back. Took a look at it and decided if I could get at least one set of the arms to grip it would probably tighten. Cable tie to the rescue - it now tightens up enough to not rattle. Would have done both sets but had a clearance issue on the top one.
View attachment 450359

I had the same problem on my 21 Limited. Half of the cover nuts were plastic, the other half were metal nuts and washers. I removed (well, pried off - wasn't easy) the plastic ones and installed new washers and M6 stainless nuts. Problem solved on both sides.

I had to replace three of these per side and they have been fine ever since. Its been over a year since I made this "fix" for Ford.

For grins, I took one of the plastic nuts that I pried off to the Ford parts counter. They had no idea what they were. I showed them on their schematic where they were located and they had a part number which he went to the parts bin to show me. They looked nothing like this (still plastic though) and he stood there scratching his head as to what they could possibly be and why they are so different. He told me they had nothing like what I had in their stock. I asked him why on earth would they use half plastic and half metal on the total number of nuts used - why not all metal? He had no answer to share on that question.

 

[07EddyB]

I only undid a few to get to the one I needed to work on but it seemed that the ones being held on by metal nuts were holding the cover against the frame. The plastic fastener like in my picture above held the cover away from the frame - they were also a spacer.
When I tested with regular nuts I put one on the stud without taking it all the way down and then put a washer over it - then put the cover on the stud with another washer and nut. That held the cover out from the body and actually gripped it as it was before.
Not sure I'd want to crank the cover down to the body in those locations - seems like it would warp it. And just putting a nut on it doesn't hold it any - just keeps it from falling down.

 

[fordsinNC]

Yes, I needed the washers as the hole for the studs are too big for the nuts as well. My covers were not on spacers of any kind. They bolted right onto the underbody with no warpage at all. I pulled all plastic nuts and replaced figuring at some point the other plastic nuts would fail and since I was there I would be proactive.

 

[fordsinNC]

Oh, and there were several other underbody covers. None of them had the plastic nuts. All were held in place with metal nuts and washers.