Cure for door rattles

[BossCobra]

Any suggestion on how i can eliminate my door rattles on my 86 coupe? i am having subframe connectors installed next week. I am sure that should help.

[86capriASC]

It depends on what kind of rattles you are hearing.

Is it the door itself rattling or is something inside the door?

[mossybull]

i think the sub cons. are going to make it rattle more as they stiffen up the chassis.just turn the radio up louder or cut off the mufflers so you can't hear it,lol!

[Chris Wood]

Well, the car IS 14 years old, things deteroiate. I would replace the weatherstripping, window run channels, put some sound deadner in the doors, check the hinge pins for wear--replace if worn, make sure all of the hardware in the door is tight, and all the little rods and linkages in the doors are wrapped with the proper fabric to keep 'em from clangin'.

[TheWizard]

Replacing the dew wipes fixed 95% of my window rattles on my vert.

[BossCobra]

I guess the best way to explain the sound is that it sounds like the doors are not closed all the way. If feel like the latches are loose. How do you correct this? Can they be adjusted or do they have to be replace? The weather stripping being replaced around the doors should help also.

[jvaughan]

I guess the best way to explain the sound is that it sounds like the doors are not closed all the way. If feel like the latches are loose. How do you correct this? Can they be adjusted or do they have to be replace? The weather stripping being replaced around the doors should help also.

weatherstrip might help. otherwise 50resto sells a door restoration kit.

[downtime!]

Sounds like mine, new door striker pins, or at least new striker bushings should help that quite a bit. LRS has the bushings available separately -

http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...ehicle=Mustang

['86 5.0L]

I put black electrical tape to give a softer closing and opening sound,

[negusm]

As was said, WEATHERSTRIPPING, WEATHERSTRIPPING, WEATHERSTRIPPING. ALL of it.

And buy it from FMR if you want the good stuff. Please support a site sponsor. He's single handedly gotten products made for our cars that no vendor would touch before he came along. He's a serious 4I fanatic.

-Mike

[85 Capri]

I have the same problem with rattling except it sounds like my glass is loose or something to that effect. I know for sure I wouldn't ever put subframes on another fox again. Stiffness and rattling is amplified 100%.

[project79]

Sounds like mine, new door striker pins, or at least new striker bushings should help that quite a bit. LRS has the bushings available separately -

http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...ehicle=Mustang

You can also get the bushing in the "Help" section of most parts stores. At least, that's where I got mine.

[4eyegt]

I had rattles from my door glass since 50% of the inside weather strip was gone. Once I replaced that almost all my rattle went away. The door has a nice solid thud like most newer cars.

I would start with dew wipes, window run channel and inner felt strip and go from there. That should hold the glass as long as the window bushings are good. If the door still rattles then striker pin kit and door to body weather strip would be next. Unless you know your striker pin is wore out. If so I would start there then do window stuff.

[wgt500]

+1 for ALL weatherstrip. I also use sound deadening mat, (Hushmat, Dynamat, etc.) inside my doors against the outer skin. This wont stop rattles, but it will reduce road noise considerably. While you're in there might as well make it as quiet as possible. It doesn't cost that much more.

[BossCobra]

thanks everyone. i going to start with the striker pin and weather striping around the door. the window only rattles if its halfway down because of the dew wipes but that will be next to replace. Im worried about getting the trim off without damaging it. I will check out FMS first as they seemed to have all that stuff. one more question, does this site have instructions for replacing the weather striping and the dew wipes? Im sure there has to be something in the restoration section or does this stuff come with instructions when you buy it? I will search around on the site too. Thanks again. I will post some pics later of the car.

[JACook]

For the latch bushings, I use a piece of flexible HDPE sprinkler head tubing from Lowe'sDepot.
The tubing is smooth, black, and has the correct ID to fit the striker bolt. It's a bit larger
on the OD though, so the door tends to be a bit stiff opening and closing until the tubing
takes a set. It's a quick repair, and makes for a bit quieter latch sound than the hard
plastic bushings. And you don't have to remove the striker bolt.

I start by cutting a piece of the tubing to the proper length, then I do a spiral cut that
wraps about halfway around the tube, so I can wrap it over the striker pin. I do all this
with a single-edge razor blade. Hold the piece of tube with a needle-nose pliers when
you do the spiral cut, -NOT- yer fingers.

[escogt]

When my hatch on my '85GT was rattling profusely & occasionally popping open on it's own, I bought new hatch weatherstripping & a new latch striker & all was fixed. She shuts & stays shut just like new.

[downtime!]

Just out of curiosity, how do you get the striker bushings on? I bought a set today, and when I removed the striker bolt, it has a large, thick washer attached to it that is smaller ID than the threads on the bolt and doesn't want to come off. The bushing are not split, but I'm guessing they could be split easier than I can get that washer off!

And for the record, after seeing the issue with the bushing, I ended playing around with the placement of the striker bolt. I moved them both in about 1/8" and down about the same distance, and the doors both close with a reassuring thunk now. The rattles I have left are strictly from the glass now.

[TheWizard]

For the latch bushings, I use a piece of flexible HDPE sprinkler head tubing from Lowe'sDepot.
The tubing is smooth, black, and has the correct ID to fit the striker bolt. It's a bit larger
on the OD though, so the door tends to be a bit stiff opening and closing until the tubing
takes a set. It's a quick repair, and makes for a bit quieter latch sound than the hard
plastic bushings. And you don't have to remove the striker bolt.

I start by cutting a piece of the tubing to the proper length, then I do a spiral cut that
wraps about halfway around the tube, so I can wrap it over the striker pin. I do all this
with a single-edge razor blade. Hold the piece of tube with a needle-nose pliers when
you do the spiral cut, -NOT- yer fingers.

Not sure what you're talking about here Jeff
But coming from you its probably a good idea.....I wish you had pix.

[JACook]

I'm talking about the round plastic bushings on the door striker posts, that break when
they get old. You can buy replacement bushings, but then you have to remove the
striker bolt, and use a BFH to get the washer off so you can slide the new bushing on.

The plastic tubing I use is in the sprinker head department at LowesDepot. It looks a
lot like this- http://www.orbitonline.com/products/.../02/55/13/147/
Notice this is not the corrugated stuff.

I use a single-edge razor blade to cut off a piece just long enough to fit snugly over
the striker bolt. Then I take the razor blade and slice the piece lengthwise in a spiral,
or at an angle, rather than just a straight slice. A straight slice would tend to get
pushed apart by the door latch, where a spiral slice won't. Then I just wrap the
piece of tubing over the door striker bolt and slam the door and let it take a set.

I'm not sure how I would go about photographing this, 'cause the tubing is black...

[TheWizard]

Thanks Jeff, I have a pretty good idea now, I'll make sure to get a piece of sprinkler riser flex pipe next time I'm at Lowes

[BossCobra]

I was going to add the bushings but i could not get the large washer off the bolt, so tightened the striker pins down with and the doors stopped rattling.
I noticed after putting the pin back in the doors closed tighter. Weather stripping is next.

[negusm]

I was going to add the bushings but i could not get the large washer off the bolt, so tightened the striker pins down with and the doors stopped rattling.
I noticed after putting the pin back in the doors closed tighter. Weather stripping is next.

You need to whack the bolt out with a BFH. It will take the edges of the threads off. You can then replace the bushing.

Or you can go to the Help section in Advance Auto and just buy the whole unit for $7.

-Mike

[Chris Wood]

I have the same problem with rattling except it sounds like my glass is loose or something to that effect. I know for sure I wouldn't ever put subframes on another fox again. Stiffness and rattling is amplified 100%.

True, the sub frame connectors may increase the rattles but they also help to prevent floor pan cracking and other stress cracks from forming along with firming up the ENTIRE chassis and improving handling.

They dont put them on at the factory because of cost and ride quality. If horsepower is increased the SFC are definately needed.

The thing that makes them seem like they really increase the rattles is most of these cars don't get the SFC put on until the car is already over a decade old--well the weatherstripping, hinges, and bushings are already worn out, if you stop the chassis from flexing that energy has got to go somewhere; just replace the weatherstripping, dew wipes, window runs, add some deadner, etc. and it will quiet back down while retaining a solid feel.

[69clark]

True, the sub frame connectors may increase the rattles but they also help to prevent floor pan cracking and other stress cracks from forming along with firming up the ENTIRE chassis and improving handling.

They dont put them on at the factory because of cost and ride quality. If horsepower is increased the SFC are definately needed.

The thing that makes them seem like they really increase the rattles is most of these cars don't get the SFC put on until the car is already over a decade old--well the weatherstripping, hinges, and bushings are already worn out, if you stop the chassis from flexing that energy has got to go somewhere; just replace the weatherstripping, dew wipes, window runs, add some deadner, etc. and it will quiet back down while retaining a solid feel.

I agree with this.

To add to it I would like to say if you don't want to add subframe connectors because of the rattles, then your just covering up problems.