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Undercarriage Noise

3K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  tallguy240 
#1 ·
Ok guys. Not sure if this was the correct place to ask but wth. I have an '04 4WD LE crew cab. I purchased the vehicle in '07 with 48K. I have not driven this truck hard at all and it has 78K on it now. What is bothering me is this clings and clangs like the whole underneath side of this truck is loose. It drives me crazy. Now I am noticing squeaks along with the other noises. I understand that the truck is 7yrs old and some of these things develop over time. My response is that I have driven other titans the same age, setup, etc and they don't make theses noises. The question is then. Were some of these trucks prone to developing these noises? Are there specific parts that I should have looked at underneath to see if they need tightening up? The truck looks new body wise but the combo of the interior squeaks and rattles and the exterior clings and clangs I am ready to get rid of it and get an F150. I love this truck otherwise, but its driving me crazy. Thanks for you input.
 
#2 ·
I have an 04 LE CC 4x4 also. Perhaps one or more of the exhaust heat shields are loose (the first thing that comes to mine for "cling clang" sound). The front sway bar bushings can squeak and are inexpensive to replace w/ the improved bushings. As far as interior noises like dash rash rattles & squeaks, you have to track them down one by one and deal with them (tighten bolts or maybe isolate or dampen vibrating parts). A 2004 may also experience a ticking noise that can be caused by poor electrical grounding (solution Active Tuning ground kit) or by cracked exhaust manifolds (typical tic at startup and lessens as engine warms). The transmission mount may also tear and cause a clunking noise. U-joints can get worn and sloppy and make noise.

At 78,000 it is overdue for new shocks if not previously replaced (Bilsteins for example) and you should inspect the suspension bushings for wear (control arms, leaf spring mounts). If it still has the original spring shackles, those should be swapped for 2008+ shackles before they unroll and send a spring through the bed. My leaf springs have squeaked periodically and I hose them down with various spray lubricants now and then. They haven't squeaked for quite awhile, wish I remembered what I sprayed them with last.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Thanks very much for the advice. I plan on attacking the interior once it warms up enough here in NE. As far as the under side. Well it does need shocks all around so that might help some. I have replaced one of the shackles as one of them did unravel and was holding on by a just a smidge of metal. I got to it before it snapped and put a hole in the bed. I also think I may have the manifold issue as well. I do notice the ticking sound when the truck is cold and it does go away once it warms up. I have a friend who is a ASE mechanic and he and I will go through the truck front to back and see what we find. Thanks for the hints on where to focus. As always this forum rocks when it comes to asking for help.
 
#4 ·
Another thing to watch out for is cat failure, which can destroy the engine when grit from a disintegrated cat is back sucked into the engine. If your manifolds are cracked, you (or your ASE buddy) can replace them with Doug Thorley long tube headers, Berk B-pipes and Uprev tuning software (to correct AFR and performance tune) which gets the cats well downstream from the engine as the cats are in the Berk B-pipes. The OEM primary cats are right on the exhaust manifolds. Also, be careful not to let the tailpipe rust off and melt the rear harness which can result in complete shutdown and expensive repair. I would also replace the other shackle, as it isn't any stronger than the one that unrolled.
 
#5 ·
I just got off the phone with Nissan dealership and since I still fall under the 8yr/80k mile extension coverage for the manifold cracking issue they are going to look at it this Friday. I just ordered the other shackle right after my last post. I have just been putting that one off till it got warmer too. Thanks again for the advice. Very much appreciated.
 
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