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!