New jingling noise under truck, only sometimes and between 55mph and 65 mph.

New jingling noise under truck, only sometimes and between 55mph and 65 mph.

Hi! I've read all the threads related to this, but wanted advice.

I have a 99 tacoma prerunner extra cab v6. Just means it's up high on shocks from factory for off roading, but not the 4x4, although it does allow me to push a button and lock all 4 wheels for mudding, if that makes any sense. They had a name for it back then, but can't remember now. Something almost like 4x4, but not.

Anyways I have a jingling sound like dragging a chain or a bunch of quarters shaken or jingling in your pocket, like if you had a pound of change in your pocket. I know strange to say.

At first I thought it was a chirping noise, but really it's not, it's a jingling noise, much like a ghost with a chain being dragged under the bed of my truck. =) hah! If only it were so. =)

It usually only shows up when driving between 55 mph and 65 mph.

It sounds like it's coming from under the bed, I could swear, but could be omnidirectional.

I've checked all the usual suspects, the U_Joint front and back, drive assembly etc... and looks solid from what I can tell from looking underneath it. Springs/Leafs, etc... I can jump up and down on them and no sound.

It's intermittent meaning it doesn't always happen, sometimes I can drive all day and it doesn't make a sound at all, no matter how fast I drive, then another day it may make the jingling noise all the way down the highway and then stop for 50 miles and then start again for 50 miles.

I thought for a little while stopping and pulling the emergency brake and releasing it helped, but not sure any more.

It does seem to go away if I brake harder, but then again, not sure if it is just that the speed goes down.

And like I said it will go away for periods of time and then start up again.

Never makes the noise while driving around town, nor at medium speeds.

Anyhow I haven't checked the brakes yet, but they work great, can stop on a dime.

Any thoughts? Is it dangerous? Not a whole lot of cash at present and want to drive 100 miles to see my girlfriend with it. =)

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Check your exhaust for tightness. Is your spare tire winch and mount tight?

 

I have had two strange noises like that. One was the plastic door panel scraping against the door kinda chirping like. Also has a plastic push pin looking thing that holds the rubber fender skirt under the front tire that jingled......sounds crazy but it made a lot of noise. Also have lost many bolts that I dropped that rattle time to time on my skid plate.

 

when the truck is cooled down tap the catalytic converter with a hammer and see if it makes a similar sound. My cat on my 2.7 rattled like crazy

 

Hi! Thanks for the help, much appreciated, it's weird because it really is a high pitch jingling noise. =) Not a rattling or thumping, unless of course you were rattling a really big chinking chain on the ground, with two big hooks on the end. =) That you might use to hook up and pull somebody out of the ditch with. =)

And it only happens at speeds. =) You'd think it'd be no big deal, but on the highway you drive at that speed always. =) Never happens below 45.

I just wanted to make sure it wasn't dangerous. =) Because you are driving 55 to 65 on the highway. =) Not annoying, but concerning. Although I'd like to ignore it. =)

Thought if it was the U_joint etc...that it would be mostly all of the time. =) And more like a rubbing or chirping noise. Would I be wrong? =)

The truck although a TRD is pretty light and so it does sort of lift off up at higher speeds, plane a bit, higher shocks from the factory, so I was wondering if it didn't have something to do with that. Meaning that it raises up high enough for it to make the noise. Vibrates. Then lowers and the noise goes away.

Although, frustrating is the guessing. =) You'd think this would be one of those things where people would go ahhh I know what that is. =)

Trying to figure out why it doesn't make the noise all the time. Weird. Does it sound dangerous?

I'll tap the converter, but wouldn't it make that noise cooling down as well, oh you might be saying it reaches the right vibration at that speed and then stops at higher and lower. Will check it.

For the push pin/fender skirt, door panel, bolts on skid plate, did the noises happen all the time or just once in a while? Did the bolts come from somewhere on the truck? Curious, will check.

Somebody mentioned a heat shield, possibly hitting something when the air/wind speed pushed it up. Or possibly something to do with the brakes, brake cylinders, tires raising up at speeds because the bed does.

Could be the spare tire stuff I guess, although I had the spare changed with a new one and it made the noise before and after, but good idea to check. Something with air pressure or vibration.

I know nobody can tell, but does it sound dangerous if it is any of these things? It's sort of a cheerful noise, so I'd like to ignore it. =) Like Santa Claus. =) And it was so quiet before.

Thanks again!

 

My door panel did it at different temps due to plastic. Fender skirt doodad did it constant. I also have the damn dash rattle that I live with. And the bolts came from me dropping crap. I remove them during oil changes lol

 

Almost forgot.....if my tailgate isn't closed tight it squeaks also

 

Could it be the wear sensors on your disc brake pads rubbing the rotor, indicating that they need to be replaced?

 

Hi Michael,

So doesn't sound like it is the door panel, as it's not temp related. And it doesn't do it all the time, so probably not the fender skirt or skid plate.

But I don't envy you the rest. =)

Hey Larry's Tacoma, thanks!

Possibly. Would it do this all the time or just once in a while? It seems only to do this at highway speeds. And sometimes stops doing it for a while then starts up again. never does this under 45 miles a hour.

Although it may have to do with the brakes, as I thought it seemed to stop a bit if I
pressed down good on them at speeds. But again not sure, could be coincidence.

If I could trust my hearing, it sounds like the back right tire area. My right as I sit in the drivers seat. But again hard to tell with noises. As sometimes they are omnidirectional meaning they can trick you. =)

Wonder if there is a creative way to actually pinpoint the sound. =)

I'm going to drive it anyways, as the more I go through this the more it doesn't sound too dangerous.

 

I had what sounded like crickets living under my truck for a while. After I tightened up the emergency brake cable they surprisingly moved away. Maybe they are now living in your truck.

Also the e-brake light stopped shining and I stopped having to push my handle down to turn it off.

 

A washer jingling on a loose bolt,,it's endless.

A spare key?

The spare tire one is a good one,,forgot about the short length of chain there.

How are your rear brakes??. Replaced the hold down springs recently?

 

Not sure if your truck has one, see if there is a dust shield on the rear yoke on the rear end where driveline connects. I had this problem on a pickup the dust shield was loose causing a jingling noise as you have described.

 

Just throwing out a couple issues I had over the years that made similar noises...if your drive shaft has zerks, make sure they are greased. Also, the carrier bearing made some odd sounds when it went bad, but it also had some weird vibrations associated with it so that may not be it.