The rattle mystery....

Sounds good!

I am pretty good at finding noises/issues as well, but this one is a head-scratcher...Lol I don't have a recording as of yet, this is my plan for this Friday. I'm going to Formula Drift on Saturday and Mother's day Sunday, so Friday will be the day! I will post it up once I have it!

 

FD Nice! Participating or spectating?

A friend of mine runs a s15 nosed 180sx LS1 swapped (had a RB25DET making 481 at the wheels but wanted the big V8 torque) in pro-am but hasn't done anything competitive yet. He's done all the work himself or with friends like me, honestly though, mostly by himself, he's kind of a badass.

 

Haha, Spectating. I don't have the time or capital right now to build anything. Expensive hobby.

That's awesome though, your boy sounds like me. I don't trust people enough to work on my stuff I guess. Lol

I will tell you this, when you get past Pro-Am and in to the pros in any form of racing, it gets too political. He should just have fun and enjoy what he loves.

 

Hmm, I do have one spot on the exhaust manifold heat shield where the shield has rusted through separated from around the stud (so the nut isn't actually doing anything). Have always wondered if that was the cause but never took the time to fix it or at the very least find some sort of shim to shove in there. #toolazy

 

Argh, I have been dealing with this same issue for about 6 months. You have been a hell of a lot more thorough and replaced far more hardware but I can't track it down either.

I had a shop put it up on a lift and run in 1st and 2nd and when the truck isn't under load the sound doesn't really present itself, there is a slight "tink" noise originating from somewhere along the shaft but like you say, that noise could be being transmitted from anywhere up or downstream due to the percussive nature of the shaft.

Symptoms are very similar, only occurs in gear under load and rpm dependent. It's a "tinking" sound like hollow metal with a lot of acoustics. The noise is not really perceivable from inside the cab but if I drive along a wall the sound bounces right back at me.

Inspected propeller/output shaft teeth, good shape. Lubricated.
Removed and inspected double cardan, all ujoints and center ball, no play, good shape. Lubricated, including the ball zerk.
Replaced center/carrier bearing. No change.
Removed and re-torqued all the shaft hardware.

Utterly maddening, not to mention fairly worrisome. The cockpit/dashboard squeaks drive me nuts let alone an indeterminable and potentially severe mechanical noise.

Thank you for your work thus far. If you uncover anything new, please share!

 

Anxious for someone to crack this nut, as my '04 2.4L 2WD is affected as well. I bought the Chassis Ear and am looking for some free time to undertake it or to find a good automotive exorcist.

 

I put my Taco on jackstands and could hear the scraping sound in third gear at idle RPM's. I went under the truck with a mechanic's stethoscope and the noise is loudest at the output of the transmission. It is detectable anywhere along the driveshaft and also at the rear pinion bearing housing. I guess the driveshaft needs to come out for a look.

 

OP what's the verdict? Updates?

 

Reviving Old thread. I apologize for the lack of updates and I do not plan on leaving this one alone until it is solved.

I will be hooking up the ChassisEAR again this weekend. The problem has not been solved.

Quick re-cap.

Rattle is RPM based and is originating from under the cab. The rattle is heard when throttle is given in gear under a load OR keeping it in gear and letting off the throttle (engine braking). It is a rotational rattle. Sounds kind of like an empty red bull can in your cup holder rattling with RPM. Read original post for more detail.

Things that have been done:
Engine Replaced
Clutch Replaced
Transmission Rebuilt
Transfer Case changed
Driveshaft Rebuilt
Rear Wheel bearings replaced
Exhaust system replaced (header, downpipe, cat deleted, muffler replaced)
All heat shields good and tight
Fuel pump replaced (involved dropping the tank and re-installing everything so no rattle there)

That said, after I changed my fuel pump...AGAIN 2 months ago, the sound actually went away....but it just came back 2 weeks ago. So, I have a feeling it has something to do with perhaps the Cab or Bed mounts? I will be playing with it this weekend.

Again, I apologize for the lack of response to this thread. I have been swamped at work which involves a lot of travel.

 

Have you used the chassis ear on yours yet?

 

Your explanation here sounds almost dead on with what I have going on. Glad to know I'm not alone!

 

I had a single tink sound when I would put my truck in reverse. I ended up tightening the carrier bearing nut to 90ftlbs and it quit. It won't hurt the bearing since your just tightening up against the inner bearing race.

 

Does it happen in 4th gear? I had a rattle exactly as described and was about ready to cut off my balance shaft chain (3rz w59) until I noticed it didn't rattle in 4th. Replaced the trans with a used unit and all is well. I see you have rebuilt the trans but thought id ask. Maybe my fix can help someone else..

 

I will have to lift it up again and run it in 4th and see as it's normally too loud when driving due to tires/wind/etc....

I deleted my balance shaft when I put the new engine in.

Thanks for your input! I'll have to dive deeper.

 

Alright! So, better late than never I suppose....
UPDATE:
The noise/rattle has gotten progressively worse and from the diagnostic side this is great as it helped me pinpoint this crazy gremlin!

However....from an owner side I have to look for a new diff and rebuild my driveshaft for the 4th time...

This is what is happening:
The spider gears in the rear end were worn and had play, this in turn would cause them rattle and actually bind intermittently! This created excessive loads, forces, and vibrations through the drive shaft which kept damaging my delicate CV inside the double-cardan joint. The binding and rattling of the spider gears are the culprits of the sound resonating in to the driveshaft!
Lately I've been feeling a faint vibration while driving on the highway around 60-70 and the rattle sound got really loud and noticeable especially in 1,2, and 3rd gears. This morning I pulled out of my driveway and had my window down as my windows were slightly fogged up and I was backing up. I then drove forward while turning in the cul-de-sac and started to hear a pretty loud pop from the rear end while turning, then as I straightened out and went faster I noticed the pops get faster until they disappeared and were replaced by the rattle!

That said, my diff is about to blow. Anyone in GA around the dunwoody or snellville area that has a diff? Either front and rear non locker 4.10 or just rear 3.53?

 

Thanks for following up with an update! Glad you were able to figure it out but sucks about your diff!

 

spider gears binding wont damage the driveshaft in any way. during regular straight driving they barely rotate at all. i have my doubts that those are the cause of your rattle.

you can see the spider gears fairly well through the oil fill hole with a flashlight. jack rear end up and see how they look and mesh

 

While I see what you are saying....regardless of the exact cause inside the diff, the diff is toast.

Read up on the full thread when you get a chance to get a scope of everything I have tried, tested, and replaced.

Bottom line:
The differential is locking up and popping when turning. When jacked up one wheel will spin while the other one spins intermittently with loud clicks and pops. The differential itself is creating enough load/resistance to cause my driveshafts CV's to begin to fail. Whatever exactly is causing the noise from the driveshaft which sounds like a tin pan is coming from the differential. Remember: I have rebuilt the trans, rebuilt the driveshaft 3 times, and replaced the xfer case. With the differential sounding that bad, clicking and popping, and creating a noticeable vibration while driving; it cannot be a coincidence. Either way, I need a new diff. The vibration when driving straight tells me there is a problem with the ring/pinion, and the pops and clicks when turning tells me there's a problem with the spider gears.

@devinzz1 @ireymon

I will post pictures of what I find once I tear it apart. I thankfully made it to and from work (50 minutes on the highway each way) yesterday. Then, I had my gf ride with me in her car to go to my farm 2 hours away so I can pick up my farm truck and drove it back last night so I can go to work worry free. My taco is still at her house. Now I will need to get my taco after work to my shop 45 minutes from her house.
I've got a chevy with a trans out in the shop taking up space I need to finish up then I will get to my little taco.

Will keep everyone updated.

 

i havent read the full thread just that post yea. i wana see the results out of curiosity though