Do things inside your door clang when you hit bumps? Did you figure out how to quiet?

[DeloreanJoshQ]

I am noticing my passenger side door making clanging noises inside of it when I hit bumps. I haven't taken the panels off but was wondering what inside the door would bounce around...
What all have you experienced and what did you do that fixed it?
This is the only thing that seems to make abnormal noise in the car right now when hitting bumps...

Thanks!

Josh Q

[David T]

Something is loose inside. Open it up and fix it. Be careful of all of the sharp edges of the S/S.
David Teitelbaum

[Dangermouse]

Or it could that one of the latches isn't catching and that's what you hear rattling.

[DMC1983]

It is also possible for a nut, or bolt, or fir tree broke off and fell down into the bottom of the door. There are way too many components in the door that could cause a rattle. Pull the door panels off and shake it while it's open to locate the source

[dmc6960]

Can also be caused by the door itself moving, if the latches aren't tight when closed. Also related to that, you can get a higher-toned "pinging" sound from a latch which is shaking freely with no tension on it from the striker. I have this issue right now with my passenger door which had never quite perfectly aligned. With recent talk about how the doors themselves can become bent, I'm thinking right now I may have exactly that.

You'll find there are a LOT of places for squeaks and rattles in this car. Dont try to fix them all at once or you'll burn yourself out.

Jim Reeve
DMC6960

[DeloreanJoshQ]

The door opens and closes great and alignment looks excellent.
It sounds more like rods banging back and forth and there is a squeaking that could be from the door latch to striker as the car runs over bumps....

I'll put it on the list for the DMC Tech day coming up in a couple of weeks....

Thanks!

[Manxmann]

My car does exactly this, as you say it sounds like the 'rods' of the latch mech rattling.

I choose to ignore it, if I started worrying about rattles from my car I'd go insane :)

[Rich]

It sounds more like rods banging back and forth and there is a squeaking that could be from the door latch to striker as the car runs over bumps....

One short-term zero-effort fix for the door rod noise is to slightly rock the door lock rocker fore or aft on the offending door when this shows up during a drive. This puts a little load on the door lock linkage. If that's what was rattling then it gets quieter. But it only treats the symptom not the cause.

It's also useful as a way to rule that linkage in or out as your target should you decide to go into the door. If that does not quiet things then try slightly lifting the door handle without opening the door while you are driving to see if the door release linkage is what's noisy.

[jawn101]

If you've been inside the door mechanicals before, you'll see that there are quite a few rods interconnecting the various latches and locks and controls. You have a lock and latch at both the front and rear of the door, connected to the exterior handle, exterior lock cylinder, interior handle and interior lock control. All of the rods run very close to one another, and several of them pass through small access holes in the door structure.

What I did to quiet it: Get some 1/4" (I believe this was the diameter I used... it was exactly the diameter of the lock rods) clear vinyl tubing, about 2 feet for both doors. This will run you about a buck and is available at any hardware store.

Remove the upper and lower interior door panel. Find the places where your rods criss-cross or pass thru the small holes. Cut small lengths of the tubing and slit it up the middle. Install the tubing around the rods and tape it down with electrical tape. Test the movement of every rod by actuating the controls attached to it to ensure that you aren't going to catch your new tubing on anything - if you are, make the tubing longer. You really just need to avoid catching the 'lip' of the new tubing on anything.

This really helped quiet my car down going over bumps and didn't impact the functionality of any of the mechanisms.

[DeloreanJoshQ]

If you've been inside the door mechanicals before, you'll see that there are quite a few rods interconnecting the various latches and locks and controls. You have a lock and latch at both the front and rear of the door, connected to the exterior handle, exterior lock cylinder, interior handle and interior lock control. All of the rods run very close to one another, and several of them pass through small access holes in the door structure.

What I did to quiet it: Get some 1/4" (I believe this was the diameter I used... it was exactly the diameter of the lock rods) clear vinyl tubing, about 2 feet for both doors. This will run you about a buck and is available at any hardware store.

Remove the upper and lower interior door panel. Find the places where your rods criss-cross or pass thru the small holes. Cut small lengths of the tubing and slit it up the middle. Install the tubing around the rods and tape it down with electrical tape. Test the movement of every rod by actuating the controls attached to it to ensure that you aren't going to catch your new tubing on anything - if you are, make the tubing longer. You really just need to avoid catching the 'lip' of the new tubing on anything.

This really helped quiet my car down going over bumps and didn't impact the functionality of any of the mechanisms.

Great Tip, Thanks!

[DeloreanJoshQ]

At the DCO tech day (Sean Lowe hosted) today we took the door apart.
I found two nuts and a washer in the bottom of the door. There was a missing bolt and nut that holds the window regulator to a bracket in the door. The top black plate below the drop glass had a bunch of loose screws.... After I went through all of the bolts and screws and tightened them up (also did the clear plastic hose over rods where they hit metal parts, thanks!), no more squeaks and rattles!

Thanks!!

[jawn101]

At the DCO tech day (Sean Lowe hosted) today we took the door apart.
I found two nuts and a washer in the bottom of the door. There was a missing bolt and nut that holds the window regulator to a bracket in the door. The top black plate below the drop glass had a bunch of loose screws.... After I went through all of the bolts and screws and tightened them up (also did the clear plastic hose over rods where they hit metal parts, thanks!), no more squeaks and rattles!

Thanks!!

Right on, my first helpful post ;-) I've been absorbing way more knowledge than I've given back so I'm pleased to have suggested something useful to you. I had a few floating screws in mine as well - and, to add insult to injury, the remnants of my power mirror switch that exploded. Those stupid little ball bearings and rollers are remarkably non-ferrous... so fishing them out with a magnet took the better part of an afternoon :)

Congrats on a successful door quieting!

[BladeBronson]

What I did to quiet it: Get some 1/4" (I believe this was the diameter I used... it was exactly the diameter of the lock rods) clear vinyl tubing, about 2 feet for both doors. This will run you about a buck and is available at any hardware store.

Remove the upper and lower interior door panel. Find the places where your rods criss-cross or pass thru the small holes. Cut small lengths of the tubing and slit it up the middle. Install the tubing around the rods and tape it down with electrical tape. Test the movement of every rod by actuating the controls attached to it to ensure that you aren't going to catch your new tubing on anything - if you are, make the tubing longer. You really just need to avoid catching the 'lip' of the new tubing on anything.

This really helped quiet my car down going over bumps and didn't impact the functionality of any of the mechanisms.

I read this years ago and even remembered to buy some tubing maybe two years ago, but finally got around to trying it today. I probably added only about 9" of tubing on 2 rods and the exterior door handle cable. My door is SILENT for the first time in a while. I'd just grown to be used to all the clanging in the door, but with an investment of maybe 5 minutes of work, the experience of driving my car around is significantly upleveled. Thanks for this tip!

[jawn101]

I read this years ago and even remembered to buy some tubing maybe two years ago, but finally got around to trying it today. I probably added only about 9" of tubing on 2 rods and the exterior door handle cable. My door is SILENT for the first time in a while. I'd just grown to be used to all the clanging in the door, but with an investment of maybe 5 minutes of work, the experience of driving my car around is significantly upleveled. Thanks for this tip!

Aw, yay! I’m so glad it worked for you.