cold weather and clunking shocks

[07Alloy]

Just get used to it. Then get over it. That's what I did


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[LFtrip]

Well everyone on this thread is talking about cold climates. I live in Southern California and it's never that cold. My rear shocks have clunked since I drove it off the lot.

 

[MJslasherADMIN]

I own a 2014 Rattle Trap with 3300 miles. Never been offroad and treated like a baby. The Front and Rear are extremely noisy. I have owned several 4x4 in my life. The most recent were a 2006 Chevy Colorado, a 2008 Single Cab Tacoma, A 2010 Access Cab Taco, a 2012 TRD Offroad Tacoma, A 2012 TRD TX PRO Tacoma with Bilstein Shocks front and back. The only noise any of these made came from the inner fender liners of the Tacoma's. I drilled holes in them all and cable tied them down. No more Noise.

My raptor sounds like a 1965 model, its extremely loud. It clunks on cracks in the road, speed bumps, and god forbid I drop a tire of the road at 40 - 60 MPH to play around. It sounds like the wheels are going to fall off.

I do have experience with SVT, I traded in my 2012 Shelby GT500 for this Raptor. The Shelby Was my daily driver and was quite as a mouse, but once it hits 35 degrees outside the GT500 is a deathtrap. So I traded up/down for the Raptor. Every dealer in the country (I called several of them in several states) wants $10,000 - $15,000 over sticker for a new Rattle Trap.. A $50,000 truck that you cant touch for less than $65,000 - $70,000 out the door. You walk out of the dealer upside down on a truck that soudns like teh wheels are falling off.

I expected this truck to be quite. The shocks are not so bad ass that they are making tons of noise. FOX says they should be quite.

In checking my truck I have noticed that the Inner Fender Liner is very loose in the front, both sides. They are making a ton of noise. I am going to remove the fronts and drive, then see what I have. Im pretty sure its the majority of my noise.

The rear may not have fender liners, but it does have flimsy unsupported plastic bouncing around. I plan to secure it and retest as well. I think the closed tailgate is another source of rear end noise.

I am aware that the lower shock mount needs to be 400 pound plus. But the noise I here at 10mph shouldn't be caused by an under torque shock. Tightening it doenst ever seem to fix most peoples noise issue.

I will let you guys know the outcome of removing my fender liner. Granted some people may have had bad shocks, but pretty much every raptor makes this horrible noise. I dont think its the shocks in most cases. Just my observation from driving my rattle trap. No offense to anyone else. I know people love their Raptor, but I am not sure how I can enjoy taking it offroad even with the radio turned up knowing it sounds like its falling apart.

Taking it to a dealership would be useless. Ford Dealerships are the laziest bunch I have ever dealt with. In my Shelby they always did more harm than good, they couldnt ever diagnose anything on their own. I would find teh problems myself, then go to Ford and show them exactly what it takes to fix. Once they put 9 quarts of oil in my car. 9 quarts, it called for 6 quarts. I drove it that way for 3 months before I caught it. SO going to Ford is not an option for me. Leaving my truck there for days to be told its normal is a waste of my valuable time.

I wish I could take my Raptor to a Toyota dealership for warranty work. I would be confident the truck came back repaired, at no cost to me. Seriously though, the Ford Dealership Service department sucks compared to Toyota, at least in my experience.

 

[LastLight]

Just get used to it. Then get over it. That's what I did


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Its all just character, expensive character.

 

[J. Wolfe]

There is a tid-bit in the owners manual about the shocks making noise at slow speeds and that it is normal. My 14 does it when you first take off over sharp bumps, but stops by the time I get home, so it's no big deal to me.

 

[COBRA90GT]

^ Yup, it's on page 5 of the Raptor Supplement manual.

 

[ntm]

I wish I could take my Raptor to a Toyota dealership for warranty work. I would be confident the truck came back repaired, at no cost to me. Seriously though, the Ford Dealership Service department sucks compared to Toyota, at least in my experience.

True for sure. Ford service is epically terrible in my neck of the woods, particularly for warranty.

You have sensitive ears, lol.
You will never appreciate the truck if you get hung up on low speed clunks and cracks. Better off with a Denali or limited for cruising the strip.
Point it offroad, grab your balls, and hit the gas. Hold the gas down way past what seems safe or prudent. You will be amazed, and quickly develop an appreciation for the truck, and an understanding for the clunks.

 

[MJslasherADMIN]

True for sure. Ford service is epically terrible in my neck of the woods, particularly for warranty.

You have sensitive ears, lol.
You will never appreciate the truck if you get hung up on low speed clunks and cracks. Better off with a Denali or limited for cruising the strip.
Point it offroad, grab your balls, and hit the gas. Hold the gas down way past what seems safe or prudent. You will be amazed, and quickly develop an appreciation for the truck, and an understanding for the clunks.

I do have sensitive ears, no doubt. I hear all unusual noises from my vehicles, I always have. However, I have been watching the Raptor since it was first released. I always thought it looked great and planned to get one someday. The noise I hear in my truck isnt minor, its major. COld or warm outside, its there.

I grew up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky (Easy on the Hillbilly Jokes) and learned how to drive as a little boy in the hollers and on Strip Jobs (Whats left on Mountain tops after surface coal mining takes place). I know 4 wheel drive vehicles well, I have driven almost everything imaginable. I did not expect this noise in a truck I paid $56,000 to own. I have read hundreds of posts where people have this problem and are upset that they now own a truck that is supposed to be the top of Fords fleet, but sounds like a Rattle Trap. Some people have an $800 - $950 a month payment for 72 months. At those rates, a truck shouldnt make noise.

I expect my Truck to ride quite. Dont care if its super smooth or not, but when it sounds like the front end is loose that gets under my skin. I will find a way to stop mine from cluncking. Hopefully its a cheap fix. Based on the comments from others taking it to Ford would be a big waste of time. I will try to take a video of the sounds and share hear, but the quality will be lacking and the true noise probably wont be done justice. There is no way the noise my truck makes is what the TSB or Manual is referring too, If it is I have lost all faith in SVT. If Ford knew my truck sounded like this, and thinks thats acceptable, and sold it to the public anyway, I will never buy anything else FOrd sells.

Please dont take my comments as rude or arguing. Just stating how I personally feel. I work so hard for my money. I get really upset when I trade my money for a product that doesnt live up to its hype or perform as expected.

 

[ntm]

I would check the obvious stuff, lca shock bolt for torque, and the steering rack for slop ( they are poor quality, I've purchased a brand new one that was sloppy out of the box). This is the cure 90% of the time.
Past that, catch some rides in other trucks with bypass shocks and see if the noise is similar.
Bypass shocks are noisy. In a raptor or in a tacoma.

If you're still unhappy, go test drive a dodge !
My 2014 dodge makes my 2011 raptor look like the space shuttle. I can't believe people buy dodges on purpose...that's a rattling, rough riding pos.

 

[MJslasherADMIN]

I would check the obvious stuff, lca shock bolt for torque, and the steering rack for slop ( they are poor quality, I've purchased a brand new one that was sloppy out of the box). This is the cure 90% of the time.
Past that, catch some rides in other trucks with bypass shocks and see if the noise is similar.
Bypass shocks are noisy. In a raptor or in a tacoma.

If you're still unhappy, go test drive a dodge !
My 2014 dodge makes my 2011 raptor look like the space shuttle. I can't believe people buy dodges on purpose...that's a rattling, rough riding pos.

Hear is the best way to imagine the noise my truck makes. Anyone on this forum that is mechanically inclined will be able to imagine this sound.

- Imagine that I took the driver side inner fender liner and popped out all of the plastic rivets that hold it in place. Now the inner fender liner is not secure at all. The inner fender liner can now bounce up a down several inches, back and forth, back and forth, making lots of noise each time the suspension moves or each time the truck moves across changing terrain. The rougher the changing terrain, the more that driver side inner fender liner bangs and flops around.

That sound, if you can imagine it, is exactly what my truck sounds like from the front end area near the tires. I hear it much more on the drivers side, but I am closer to that side.

The rear end noise is not as severe. The rear end sounds like the tires have 20 pounds to much air in them. Sounds like the tires are made out of concrete. Every crack, bump, gravel causes a thud.