2013 Suburban, rattle or tapping noise from the right rear wheel well area.

[George B]

OK, while driving around in silence I can still hear the noise but it occurs at a much lower volume and is pretty random. At this point I can ignore it if i I want to. Not sure if I can do much more about it at this point anyway. I captured an image from a video on a rust repair. This is of a NBS but as far as I can tell the structure layout is similar enough. My theory is that the end of the plastic alignment piece that is hidden from view and buried in that assembly foam is rubbing on the back side near where the inner, outer and lower wheel well panels all come together just below and behind where I clamped my vise grip on the seam. I don't think it was the clamping that made it quiet. I think I flexed things just enough to change the interference. I have a slide hammer with a clamp on the end and thought about pulling on that wheel well seam a little to move it away from the alignment tab but I don't want to take the chance of making it worse either.

 

[avalonandl]

Try putting some flocking tape where the plastic panel meets the metal.

Also some HD butyl rubber from a tube around that spot weld

 

[George B]

Try putting some flocking tape where the plastic panel meets the metal.

Also some HD butyl rubber from a tube around that spot weld

I can't access that plastic piece on my truck. it is buried inside the body.

 

[avalonandl]

You could drill a hole into the cavity and put some flexible expanding foam in there.

 

[George B]

You could drill a hole into the cavity and put some flexible expanding foam in there.

I have a can of Great Stuff sitting on the bench now.

 

[George B]

So, for anyone following along. I have pretty much eliminated the noise. It is so random and subtle that I can rarely hear it and sometimes I think I am hearing something else like stuff in my tool box or other components rattling.

In the process of trying to quiet it down I had sprayed a bunch of penetrating oil into that body cavity. Well, that stuff smelled like a mix of fuel oil and gear lube. Needless to say the wife wasn’t happy. So I had to pull the interior panels AGAIN to try and flush it out of there with brake cleaner and then compressed air. It worked pretty well and reduced the small quite a bit. So she should be satisfied.

While I had It apart I drilled a 1/4” hole down low near the floor and filled that cavity with expanding foam. I probably put half a can in there which should help deaden any additional noise that might occur.

 

[Rocket Man]

So, for anyone following along. I have pretty much eliminated the noise. It is so random and subtle that I can rarely hear it and sometimes I think I am hearing something else like stuff in my tool box or other components rattling.

In the process of trying to quiet it down I had sprayed a bunch of penetrating oil into that body cavity. Well, that stuff smelled like a mix of fuel oil and gear lube. Needless to say the wife wasn’t happy. So I had to pull the interior panels AGAIN to try and flush it out of there with brake cleaner and then compressed air. It worked pretty well and reduced the small quite a bit. So she should be satisfied.

While I had It apart I drilled a 1/4” hole down low near the floor and filled that cavity with expanding foam. I probably put half a can in there which should help deaden any additional noise that might occur.

Nice work George. And happy wife happy life so good going there too.