Rattle from rear of JKU

[IPA]

So for a couple weeks now, whenever I go over a bump with my 2015 Unlimited, I've heard this rattle coming from the rear of the Jeep. It wasn't that bad and didn't seem to be getting worse, but it was driving me nuts. Several times I've poked around in the back trying to find out what it was. One of the first things I checked was the tailgate and spare tire. Everything there seemed really tight, and with the tailgate closed I could rock the whole Jeep with the tailgate handle and it didn't replicate the rattle. I tried taking the jack and all my tools and stuff out, pulled apart the plastic trim and put it back, and put my hands on everything I could think might possibly be causing it, inside and out and underneath. I couldn't figure it out and it was pretty maddening.

So I got out of work early today, and spent about 2.5 hours cleaning the Jeep really well and looking again for this rattle. I was just about to give up and drop it off at the dealership when something told me to try tightening the tailgate somehow, even though I didn't think that was it. I looked at the hinges and latch mechanism closely and decided to try something with the v-shaped support underneath the latch.

I put some electric tape on the "male" side of the support and went for a drive. The rattle was GONE! I came home, put some tape on the female side, and also bent the female side inward slightly to tighten the whole thing up. Can't hear a thing now.






Just wanted to share this in case anyone else has a similar annoyance.

 

[Ben Thur]

I have the same rattle! I'll try this solution this weekend I hope it works! Thanks

 

[kojackJKU]

Its your hinges guys. They wear, and cause movement in your tailgate. it will keep coming back as the hinges wear more. Pick up a set of morryde/jscherb hinges....You will be a happy camper. solved all of my issues with tailgate rattles...plus they are STOUT for hanging extra things off of.

 

[IPA]

Its your hinges guys. They wear, and cause movement in your tailgate. it will keep coming back as the hinges wear more. Pick up a set of morryde/jscherb hinges....You will be a happy camper. solved all of my issues with tailgate rattles...plus they are STOUT for hanging extra things off of.

How fast do they wear? My jeep is 4 months old and only has 5000 miles on it.

 

[kojackJKU]

Depends on how hard you use it....One "hit", big bump the right way and they will loosen up. mine took about 50000 miles, but man....had me drove. The hinges fixed all the flex and stopped future problems.

 

[Hilldweller]

I have a small generic "clunk" that seems to come from the left-rear only when starting from a dead-stop on a small incline.
Been chasing my tail for nearly two years looking for it. I'll try your trick and see if that's it.

 

[WininUtah]

I've had a persistent noise, too. This week I had the Jeep serviced and told them to check the suspension, turned out to be a loose shock. We'll be out this weekend, hope the noise is gone.

 

[GetOutThere]

The JK tailgate is a serious weak link. I was very happy to move all the weight off of it and onto a tire carrier. Wouldn't be surprised at all if it was failing.

 

[KevinsMap]

Hinges the cause?

Not so fast, absolutists. The answer is "maybe".

I have owned 2 JK Rubicons since new; my 2008, sold at 100,000 mi, and a 2014 currently at 37,000 mi. Thousands of miles of dirt roads, offroad, and all sorts of adventures... but always with stock rims and LT255/80R17/E 121 Q KM2 tires, mounted on the factory tire mount. Yea, sure, boring ;-) but a perfect test bed for this problem.

The fix described above by the OP might indeed be a lasting fix for a new-ish JK, with good hinges. I do not recommend it, though... more on why in a moment. And. Simply adjusting the strike plate that the OP modified will work too (I have done just that, twice)... but the adjustment lasts only a few months and the strike plate must be adjusted very, very tightly against the tapered plastic strike "key" mounted to the body. And kept that way.

If the hinges are already worn, you have a different problem.

Back to first problem; how to keep the strike plate tight? Very tight, and easily kept that way? Because that strike plate adjustment is a pain.

This is why I cannot recommend the OP's method. I found a very simple solution. First step, have the tailgate strike adjusted to spec. Not extra tight, just stock, like it should be when new. Next step. Line the body-mounted (plastic) tapered strike plate with self-adhesive hard felt. The felt layer acts as a compressible dampener, sound deadener, and strike plate tensioner all in one. Most hardware stores sell it, in .75" squares. You will need two squares side-by-side along the upper edge, two more along the lower. Place it where you see contact between the inner plastic strike and the outer metal strike. Prepare the plastic with alcohol to remove any oils and get a good adhesion. And once again - Hard Felt, heavy duty; not medium, not soft, but hard... and they look like this:



Cheap, easily maintained, reliable over 100,000 miles of real world use. They last about 10,000 miles, and take 5 minutes to renew. I keep extras in my kit. If it is kept very tight with this felt modification (and the hinges are not yet worn) the rattle is gone. Also, over 100,000 miles, it will never wear the hinges and you will never need to adjust the strike, so long as the strike plate is kept very tight by the felt. You will never hear a rattle. Ever.