This is an appeal for help from you guys, but also a vent session.


My 04 2500HD has a strange noise coming from the rear of the truck. It's a loose-sounding "clunk" that reports when I drive slowly over uneven pavement, particularly while turning.


I brought it to my local GMC stealer at 9:00 am (per their request), and asked them to look at it. I called at 1:30 to get an update, and they hadn't even brought it into the garage yet ("But a service tech will call you once they look at it."). I get a call at about 30 minutes later and the tech tells me he can't do anything about it unless I authorize up to $250 to diagnose it.


I asked if something like this should be covered under warranty. He said normally, yes, but since I have 285 BFGs on the truck and nerf bars installed, they can't do it under warranty. I'd need to put my stock tires on, take off the nerf bars, and lower the torsion bars before they'll look at it! Maybe it's just me, but this is NOT good customer service. I will never go there again.


I did a search on this forum about noises and found one related to leaf-spring slap. I checked, and all my rubber pads are in place. Don't think it's this.


The tech said there are aftermarket body mount bolts in my truck (part of the nerf bar installation--Putco SS Boss Bars, wheel to wheel). He said this could be the problem--non-factory bolts. Seems strange to me.


Does anyone have any ideas on how to track down the noise and remedy it? Anyone else have this problem?


Thanks,


Terel

terel, Did you have to discard the rubber mount that sits under the body mount to install the Boss bars ?
I just installed a set of Westin bars on my `04 3500 truck and found it odd that the factory rubber mount that sits under the cab brackets were not re-used. I wonder if this could be the source of the noise you are hearing ?

My '02 1500 started making a funny noise that turned into a clunk under my feet. I took it to the dealer and they said it was the nerf bars. I took the nerf bars off, but left the mounts. They said it was the nerf bar mount bolts that were not stock. I called BS on that, but went to the parts department and got two more bolts. I replaced the forward aftermarket bolts with the stock bolts, remounted the bars and went for a test drive. No more clunk. Well I'll be. It didn't ever clunk again. I never did call them to apologize and tell them they were right...

My '02 1500 started making a funny noise that turned into a clunk under my feet. I took it to the dealer and they said it was the nerf bars. I took the nerf bars off, but left the mounts. They said it was the nerf bar mount bolts that were not stock. I called BS on that, but went to the parts department and got two more bolts. I replaced the forward aftermarket bolts with the stock bolts, remounted the bars and went for a test drive. No more clunk. Well I'll be. It didn't ever clunk again. I never did call them to apologize and tell them they were right...

My truck exibhits this same thing. Is it possible that the bolts just need to be tightened? I haven't tried that. I didn't even thing that there was something wrong with the body on the truck.

What I didn't understand about the bolts that I got with mine was that they looked just like the factory original bolts. I just about put the original bolts back in, but I didn't. Now I wish I would have kept the darn things...

CADman_ks

CADman_ks:


You can try that. I had mine as tight as I dared make them and it didn't help. They were just a bit longer and they bottomed out before they put the joint in tension. As I recall, the bolts weren't too bad from the dealer. It seems like less than $6 for the pair. Alternately, you could just add a couple of thick fender washers under the bolt heads and try that for free/next to nothing. I went with the OEM bolts to prove those guys wrong...but I didn't.

Are the bolts possibly a wee bit too long? Sounds like they are knocking on the bottom of the cab. I've never had this problem with any of my trucks. I used to use Westins and now I have the GM "factory installed" set.

Guys,


Thanks for the tips. I need to check the garage to see if I kept the stock bolts. If not, I'll just order some from my local GMC stealer. They can't be THAT much (of course, they charge $24 for a spin-on Allison filter that costs $8 direct from Allison).


I'll let you know if this works. I hope so!


~Terel

I have the rear spring clunk. I want to fix it myself but I dont know what to do. The techs wont answer my post.

I have the rear pads already.

After listening to mine a little bit closer today, I'm pretty sure that mine is the infamous steering wheel clunk.

http://dieselplace.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=281&PN=1

CADman_ks