The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Loud squeak/ chirp

Now that my ‘54 mod is drivable I can start working on details. High on the list is finding the source of an annoying body noise- any movement of the vehicle causes a loud chirp-like squeak coming from the passenger side upper door frame. Opening the door while driving has no effect. The upper half of the cab is original and unchanged. It even squawks when the 283 idles rough when cold and the truck is not in motion; it takes very little to trigger it.

Any ideas gang?

You sure it’s not the tires chirping when you shift that big engine ?,
Ha😂

Seat mounts? Gas tank straps rubbing on tank? Tank moving in cradle?

Nearly the same sound on my 52. I am 6'4" and trying to gain all the leg room I could I had pushed the seat as far rearward it would go and the top edge of the seat frame was rubbing the cab corner lightly.

Not the seat frame, I have 2 individual buckets.
Pretty sure it’s not the mounts or the fuel tank as it seems to be sourcing somewhere high in that door frame cab structure.
Anyone ever try using a stethoscope?

Does it make the noise when the door is open? Have you tried lubricating you weatherstripping?

He said opening the door while driving has no effect on the noise.

Otto: I parsed that comment as it doesn't squeak when he opens the door (like it is not the the hinge) rather than he is leaving the door open.

Perhaps the OP can clarify what he meant.

I do not think the noise is coming from the door hinges.
Opening the door and holding it open while driving has no effect. I would think that the change of load on the hinges , open door vs closed , would influence the noise if that were the source. It is not friction between the door and the frame- again because of the open door test.
As stated, the offending sound seems to originate from the area of the upper passenger door frame.

Window making noise in frame?? Same noise with windows rolled up/down??

I’ll be test riding with daughter driving, me on passenger side this morning. I’ll check the window.
I’m even going to try a stethoscope.

I know you said upper passenger side, but I found my clutch and brake pedals were actually rubbing on the floor boards. Check them.

Also, I have a hand operated parking brake and found that the seal was gone around it. It was rubbing and clunking on the floorboard.

Took a hood long ride yesterday, daughter driving, me investigating.

It’s not coming from the floor. Window open/closed, no difference. Door open/ closed, no difference.
Stethoscope was useless; it is based on a diaphragm that is sensitive to low frequency sounds - like a heartbeat- doesn’t pick up a high pitched squeak .

Still stumped.

What about the hood? Could it be the hood seal squeaking and you just hear it through the window?

Or the glove box?

The source is definitely in the cab. I’ll check the glove box - but I doubt that’s it simply because it would be too easy to fix.

Waveski,

Another "passenger side" place to possibly look for a squeak could be the fuel filler neck to tank hose connections or maybe the filler neck to cab rubber insulator ring. Just a minor movement amongst those parts could result in a squeak.

Check your tank straps for tightness, filler neck hose clamps for tightness and see if the filler neck is pressing harder on one section or another on the through cab insulator rubber ring.

Let us know what you find???

Dan

Your best friend for finding where a squeak like yours is coming from is a rubber mallet. Light taps until you find where it is. You might have to climb under the truck to find it.

Inner fender or something rubbing firewall. On my LS swap my coil bracket off valvecover was rubbing and made a terrible chirp on passanger side. My other annoying squeak that took a wile to diagnose was my steering column to dash bushing. THAT one drove me crazzy.

Rubber mallet- I will try that.
Will look at inner fenders/ firewall, good advice.

Visor possibly vibrating against roof????

What about the metal strip that supports your head liner? Grasping at straws now.

Is the battery box cover tight? Latching mechanism tightly closed? I think mine squeaks a little when I twist the handle to open/close it.

-Visor is tightly through-bolted. It is aluminum, so I doubt it would offer enough resistance to torque against steel anyway.
-There is no headliner, haven’t gotten to that detail yet.
-I don’t think it’s the battery lid, but I will try driving with the lid removed to be sure.

I would like to get on with sound proofing and other niceties, but I really think I need to solve this problem otherwise I’ll just wallpaper over it.

Can you have someone jumping on the bumper or shaking the body without the engine running while you narrow it down.
I did this and found the two bolts radiator bracket to frame loose.

I’ll try that again - more vigorously this time.

I would love to get more detail of this for I'm having a chirpy sound coming from my steering column (I think) as well. Were the two bolts that hold the steering column to the dash just loose?

Craig

I had a similar noise. My problem was the hole in floor for battery box. The battery box opening, the lip that bends down, was touching the frame. Just bent it slightly, didn't take much. Noise went away.

If that was on an AD truck, then your cab supports were shot. You need to install something to prop it up (see pic.)

I had a phantom squeak that I could not locate, one day I drove with tailgate down and squeak was gone. The gate was squeaking and the noise migrated all over through the box. I isolated the chain latch arrangement with a thin rubber and now the squeak is gone even when gate is latched. I too thought the noise came from cab.

- I think I already eliminated the battery floor lid , but I’ll double check that.
- Tailgate… never occurred to me. Will check that tomorrow.
- Truck is a ‘54 3100. I had it down to bare frame , cab mounts are new.

Took another test ride this evening...

- Battery floor lid removed - no change. (aside from an entertaining view of the road going by)
- Tailgate open , no change.

Still stumped.

Didn't you say earlier that you hear the noise when the rig's motor is running but the truck is not moving? Just idling?

I may have commented that engine vibration can trigger the chirp. It is not engine related because I can trigger it by rocking the truck with engine off.
Sounds like metal on metal, emanating from the upper rear passenger area. Almost as though the the source is in the B pillar.

Have you checked the rear cab mounts. There located near the “B” pillar. Maybe the rubber bushings are shot.

They were new last June, but it’s worth a try.

Unless they came from Steele, don't count on them. Chinese rubber garbage disintegrates if you look at it sideways. Seriously, rubber parts rotting on a vehicle that has never been on the road in less than a year after installation is a story I've heard more than once.

Acknowledged.

So it wasnt the column? The bolts being tight mean nothing if the rubber bushing wears through it will be chirping metal steering shaft sliding in metal clamp. The cab does move a lot and the steering column cant move at all since its solid mounted to frame.

The sound emanates from the far passenger side of the cab.
I believe we can eliminate the steering column.

Sound does strange things in enclosed spaces. I wouldn't eliminate any possibilities until you've actually found the source.