Tailgate rattle - one simple fix
04-10-2015, 02:49 PM
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Tailgate rattle - one simple fix
I recently bought a 2011 JKU. It has a Freedom Roof with the hardtop currently installed.
It had a rattle in the back end when going over rough road. Not like off road rough terrain, but gravel roads with potholes and minor cross ruts. I won't go through the process of elimination that finally revealed the cause. But if you have such a rattle, try lifting the bottom of your spare with the tail gate closed. If you get a click or tap, make sure the spare tire carrier is on the gate tight and that the spare wheel lug nuts are snug.
If it still clicks after everything checks out as snug, then suspect the fit between the tailgate bumper which lives on the left end of the tail gate (shown in the pic below) and the part it mates with on the body. The misfit may only produce a click or tap when the rig is stationary and you're lifting and dropping the spare tire. Going over bumps, though, it can produce a very annoying rattle, with the noise amplified by body panels and the hard top.
In the pic below I've circled the temporary repair I made that ended the rattle. What you see in the circle is three layers of ordinary black electrical tape, which serves to snug up the fit between the tailgate bumper and the mating suface. So far, it's done the trick and lasted for two or three weeks of normal driving. If it doesn't fail for months and months, I'll just refresh the tape if it rattles again. If the tape only lasts a matter of weeks, then I'll try a thin coat of black silicone, smoothed out and cured overnight.
It had a rattle in the back end when going over rough road. Not like off road rough terrain, but gravel roads with potholes and minor cross ruts. I won't go through the process of elimination that finally revealed the cause. But if you have such a rattle, try lifting the bottom of your spare with the tail gate closed. If you get a click or tap, make sure the spare tire carrier is on the gate tight and that the spare wheel lug nuts are snug.
If it still clicks after everything checks out as snug, then suspect the fit between the tailgate bumper which lives on the left end of the tail gate (shown in the pic below) and the part it mates with on the body. The misfit may only produce a click or tap when the rig is stationary and you're lifting and dropping the spare tire. Going over bumps, though, it can produce a very annoying rattle, with the noise amplified by body panels and the hard top.
In the pic below I've circled the temporary repair I made that ended the rattle. What you see in the circle is three layers of ordinary black electrical tape, which serves to snug up the fit between the tailgate bumper and the mating suface. So far, it's done the trick and lasted for two or three weeks of normal driving. If it doesn't fail for months and months, I'll just refresh the tape if it rattles again. If the tape only lasts a matter of weeks, then I'll try a thin coat of black silicone, smoothed out and cured overnight.
Last edited by Pine Buffalo; 04-10-2015 at 03:50 PM. Reason: Better spacing of text
07-31-2015, 11:57 AM
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I've got to say, I was pretty skeptical that this would work, but it totally did. My rattle isn't completely gone, but definitely cut down about 75% after doing this. Thanks for the tip 
11-13-2015, 06:19 PM
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UPDATE - 7 months later
The rattle is still gone, with nothing more than a layer or two of electrical tape in place. That's close enough to permanent to suit me.
11-13-2015, 11:10 PM
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Either way wrench or tape. I use wrench.
11-15-2015, 06:34 AM
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Thanks.
If it re-occurs (it hasn't to this point) I'll go the wrench route. It just seemed that moving the assembly a distance equal to two layers of electrical tape would be a finicky little job.
Take care, safe travels, keep jeepin'