Strange "bell" type noise

When ever I got through some bumpy terrain, weather it's a single speed bump or hoping off a curb I hear what I can only describe as a bell noise, a hollow loose kind of rattle. When i'm on a bumpy / washboard trail it is worse, almost constant.
I believe the sound is coming from the middle/back of the truck.
I have crawled around under the truck shaking and hitting everything and can not recreate this sound; nothing is loose.
Anyone else experiencing this?

Thanks.

 

Check the spare tire retainer chain. Mine sounds like a cowbell if it is hanging down. Use a cable tie to secure it.

 

@tonered, you have any experience with this? I've only known about rattling with the MT's.

 

Spare tire mechanism would be my first look.

Tools in the rear compartment my second.

 

I just tried the spare. The chain is hanging down, but when I smack it against the rim it is not the same noise. The spare seems to be in there tight. This is going to make me crazy if I can't figure it out!

 

Have you tried tightening your spare tire holder? I had a similar issue and sadly, took me months to figure it out.

 

I'm going to remove the spare and take a bumpy spin. Thanks everyone.

 

Secure the chain anyway.

Tomorrow's lunchtime Diet Coke says the noise will end.

 

Mine is loose stuff in the cubbies behind the seats.

 

make sure your jack is secured tightly

 

What was posted above about the tire chain would be my first bet. I put a weak zip tie up there so that I could break it by hand if I needed the tire. I also flipped the tire for easy air checks.


On the earlier Tacos (I can't remember if it was just MTs?), there was a cable that ran out of the cab and would vibrate against one of the heat shields.


Finally, the driveline lash can be noisy on the MTs. It doesn't sound exactly like a bell, but can be clang-y. It is mainly attributed to the quite soft (IMHO) cush drive springs on the friction plate. They could stand to be about twice as stiff.

 

^im going with this since mine did the same thing.

 

Do you have a tow ball installed in the hitch? They can rattle around and make a lot of noise on bumpy roads.

 

OP does it happen in neutral or in gear as well? Many of us MT guys have noticed a similar rattle when in neutral and hitting bumps. Someone tracked it down to a heat shield and they were able to isolate it with some soft washers and it got rid of about half the rattle. It's been a while since I've seen that thread so I'll see if I can track it down or someone else may remember it better than me.

 

Thanks! I know that most are insisting that it is the spare tire mount. I'm sure that it is not. It happens either in neutral or in gear, but not under load. Bouncing down a trail, it's almost constant. Hopping over a curve or speed bump, one good "ding"

 

Have you taken the 3 min. to secure the chain with a zip tie or even a twist tie from a bread bag?

Costs nothing and proves yes or no.

 

Did one of your friends hang a bell under your truck somewhere ?

 

When I was a mechanic I used to work with a former Datsun mechanic who used to work at the local Datsun dealership back in the 70s. He told me of a new Datsun station wagon that would make a metallic clank when turning corners sharply. He removed an interior side panel in the rear and found a large nut suspended by a string next to the quarter panel that was the culprit. Back then all Datsuns were imported from Japan so he was really amused someone did that.

 

Honestly my best guess is that Christopher Walken himself is hanging under the truck and at every bump he requests “more cowbell”.

 

I once heard a story that Boomer Esiason used to do the same thing when he worked at a GM plant when he was young!