Subwoofer Rattle? I think I gotter licked.

[RC Bronco]

I like the shop towel holder, very convenient placement for vehicle camping!

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[Rick U]

Today I was all set to remove the cargo panel to see if I could find my horrible sub rattle. I had seen a post saying check the aux power. I stuck a paper towel under the cig lighter flap and that was it. Didn’t have to remove the panel today but I will when I upgrade the sub. Come on Ford that flap could not have been designed any better if the goal was to create a rattle.

 

[thenewjs]

when I first got mine the audio was outstanding then the rattle started and has gotten worse over the two months in my possession. I think the outside temps has something to do with it. It was warmer in late October when I took delivery. The plastics were a lil softer and the rattle wasn’t so bad. It's cold now and the plastics are harder making it sound worse.


Dynomatt is currently on 50% off through the end of year. I think it would be cheaper to chase this rattle than replace the speakers. Maybe I’ll get some more sound deadening out of it.

 

[Bird Dog Off Road]

The rattle in mine has gotten worse since I've had it. I think the outside temps has something to do with it. It's cold now and the plastics are harder than when its warmer out.

Dynomatt is currently on 50% off through the end of year.

Where are you seeing that sale at?

 

[Indica]

Where are you seeing that sale at?

Dynamatstore.com

 

[Turbo24]

I have been dealing with this since i installed my own 8in hideaway sub in that panel. Like OP I thought the rattle was coming from within that 'door' on the panel, which some of it was. I used similar padding methods to get rid of it, but I could never completely get rid of the rattle. So I recently ripped off the whole side panel again and discovered the last rattle is coming from the rear passenger side seatbelt mechanism inside the panel. They used a combination of plastic and metal on that component and that is where my last rattle is coming from. I wasn't able to find a way to get rid of it without potentially restricting the movement of the rear seatbelt. Audio sounds great though and I am hoping I will just get used to the last faint rattle. I only hear it with certain types of bass, not all. Anyway, the audio gains vastly out weigh the annoyance of the small rattle.

 

[Ksjrb03]

I have been dealing with this since i installed my own 8in hideaway sub in that panel. Like OP I thought the rattle was coming from within that 'door' on the panel, which some of it was. I used similar padding methods to get rid of it, but I could never completely get rid of the rattle. So I recently ripped off the whole side panel again and discovered the last rattle is coming from the rear passenger side seatbelt mechanism inside the panel. They used a combination of plastic and metal on that component and that is where my last rattle is coming from. I wasn't able to find a way to get rid of it without potentially restricting the movement of the rear seatbelt. Audio sounds great though and I am hoping I will just get used to the last faint rattle. I only hear it with certain types of bass, not all. Anyway, the audio gains vastly out weigh the annoyance of the small rattle.

Same. Last rattle is the seatbelt. Which fucking sucks because I can’t fix that with Kilmat or cloth tape or rubber washers or splooge lube.

 

[Tex]

splooge lube

I thought water based lubricants weren't recommended for mechanical parts?

 

[Ksjrb03]

Is wd40 lithium spray water based? No idea but it’s definitely splooge

 

[CamptownBD]

Hey everyone. I need a little help on how to pry off that little door above the sub. I found that my rattle stops (for the most part) when i put pressure on the blue x in the photo. I am guessing it is the same bolt that has come loose. I am planning to tighten and stuff as described (thanks, by the way! OP) but perplexed as to how to pull that panel off without breaking something. I have panel removal tools, but the bottom clips are stubborn. Can anyone share any tips on getting these clips to release? I think there are five at the locations in yellow below. I appreciate it.

Got it. Just took a little patience.

 

[Westbayou]

Glad I found this thread. Popped the smaller panel off and used a felt furniture pad (sticky on one side) and stuck it on the sub box where the panel was contacting it on the bottom right. 99% of the buzzing/rattle is GONE. At least the sub is now serviceable for the time being.

 

[Dbra]

Well bois, I think I sent her a little too fu.. wait. Wrong post.

Oh, tailgate slash subwoofer rattle? Problem solved in 30 seconds or less, or you get your money back.

First, go open the tailgate and look above the subwoofer. There's a little panel like this:

Rip that mother off real gingerly like and take a gander. You'll see that the side of the trim is rubbing that black doohickey.

You can even see the little marks where it's been rubbing.

Ok, here is where it gets tricky.. aquire yourself one premium Costco brand blue shop towel, fold that guy in half a time or three and jam it in there between the trim and that black thingermaboob.

Reattach trim and Bobs your aunty.


This got rid of 98% of that horrid rattle. I don't have a patreon, but sub to my only fans for some hot Bronco on Bronco action.

This is GUARANTEED to fix your problem.


(This is not a guarantee).

This is obviously a temporary solution, I'm looking for some dynamat. In my case, that stupid 12v outlet cover is rattling a bit as well.. but this is a HUGE improvement already.

UPDATE: My newest mod. Keeps my rattle stopper close by for future issues.

This didn’t work for me.
There are a bunch of plastic panel mounts with a black rubber seal on them, presumably to prevent rattle, that actually cause the rattle. When they don’t make good contact with the body they vibrate and spin and make a very notable sound. They panels are covered in them so they can all make noise. In my case there are too many to fix. It’s winter here now so I basically have to listen to my stereo upgrade with the bass way down, thanks Ford, totally worth it…. It’s like I brought my Bronco to some guy on Kijiji who botched it, only it’s straight from the factory. garbage.

 

[Ksjrb03]

This thread is a blast from the past. I had my rattles licked, until they weren’t. Finally tracked down the new rattle and it is the rear seatbelt mechanism mounted close to the sub. Isolating with rubber doesn’t help, as it’s the internal spring loaded windup part that rattles. Just and FYI for anyone else loosing the battle.

 

[edernest]

This didn’t work for me.
There are a bunch of plastic panel mounts with a black rubber seal on them, presumably to prevent rattle, that actually cause the rattle. When they don’t make good contact with the body they vibrate and spin and make a very notable sound. They panels are covered in them so they can all make noise. In my case there are too many to fix. It’s winter here now so I basically have to listen to my stereo upgrade with the bass way down, thanks Ford, totally worth it…. It’s like I brought my Bronco to some guy on Kijiji who botched it, only it’s straight from the factory. garbage.

Those plastic clips were loose on mine as well. I was able to bend the tabs a bit over the summer so that they clipped in more solid but maybe replacing them would be the way to go. If you haven't already tried it, see if you can tighten the small bolt that holds the sub enclosure to the frame (the one just below where you're pointing in the photo). That was the biggest offender in my case, tightening it down made a big difference. Good luck!

 

[Ft. Worth Rob]

Those plastic clips were loose on mine as well. I was able to bend the tabs a bit over the summer so that they clipped in more solid but maybe replacing them would be the way to go. If you haven't already tried it, see if you can tighten the small bolt that holds the sub enclosure to the frame (the one just below where you're pointing in the photo). That was the biggest offender in my case, tightening it down made a big difference. Good luck!

I wrapped cloth tape around the plastic heads on the clips so it makes contact with the slot the clips rest in. I’m going to put adhesive-backed felt over the holes in the metal that the clips go into and cut the holes open with a razor blade so the felt folds into the hole when the clip is pushed through. After I dynamat the few spots that are flat enough on the back of the trim panel to give it some weight, I’m also going to tape flat quilt batting to the back of the trim panel to isolate all of those ridges on the back of the panel from contacting metal. I’ll know this weekend if it worked.

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