Door Problem--need help

[jefffoxsr1]

I have a 99 Suburban.  The driver's door rattles loudly when I hit bumps.  

 

I've edited this post.  I found the problem!!!

 

I spent more time today carefully comparing the driver and passenger door stability.  While open, I grabbed the doors and lifted up and down.  The passenger one is tight.  The driver's one is loose.  It has welded hinges.  

 

Although the hinge pin set up looks basic I need some help figuring out how to make the door tight again.  Is it worn pins, or something else?  

 

Thanks for the help.

 

[Shaners]

Rattles can be almost as hard (and sometimes harder) to fix than electrical problems.

 

I had a rattle in my HD's drivers door and it ended up being a loose window regulator....

 

Good Luck, and welcome to the forum!!!

[MemphisDoug]

Check your window regulator attachment bolts. If one of those has come loose, it will cause the window regulator (what raises the window up and down) to bang against the door inner panel sheet metal causing a rattle. I think there are 4 of these bolts, upper and lower, front and rear.

[BlueRado]

Check your window regulator attachment bolts. If one of those has come loose, it will cause the window regulator (what raises the window up and down) to bang against the door inner panel sheet metal causing a rattle. I think there are 4 of these bolts, upper and lower, front and rear.

Although I don't have it, there was a bulletin released on this dealing with interior door rattles, especially when the window was partly or all the way open.  

 

My '99 had this on the pass. door, but didn't rattle when the window was up.  Dealer found a couple of loose bolts - but didn't say whether it was the regulator.  

[jefffoxsr1]

Thanks guys.  

 

I've edited this post.  I found the problem!!!

 

I spent more time today carefully comparing the driver and passenger door stability.  While open, I grabbed the doors and lifted up and down.  The passenger one is tight.  The driver's one is loose.  It has welded hinges.  

 

Although the hinge pin set up looks basic I need some help figuring out how to make the door tight again.  Is it worn pins, or something else?  

 

Thanks for the help.

[BDBWTE]

If your striker is good and the mechanism in the door checks out open the door and pull up and down on it..the truck should move not the hinges.. if they move you should be about to tighten them up..if they are welded and moving then something is not right...rattles can be a punk to find thats why most of the time I employ the ole turn the radio up a couple notches...hehe...

 

LATA

[MemphisDoug]

I am currently running a door slam durability test on one of these vehicles so I went out to look at it to get you some ideas. I still think it is probably a fastener related problem assuming you have no cracked sheet metal. Here are the fasteners I saw that you should take a look for. Any of them missing or loose could be the cause of a rattle.

 

The hinge halves are welded to the body and door but there is one bolt in each hinge to allow the doors to be removed. If the bolts are missing, the door could bounce up and down on the hinge pins.

 

There are 3 nuts that hold the outside rearview mirror on. There is a bolt that holds the front glass run channel. It is located to the left and below the mirror mounting area. There are 3 bolts that hold the front half of the window regulator into the door and 3 that hold the rear half. Finally, there is a bolt for the rear glass run channel just below the beltline.

 

I am assuming your door check link is working and holding your door open when you want it to stay open. If the check link breaks, a chunk of it will fall in the door and rattle. I don't think this is your problem or you would be saying the door doesn't stay open too.

 

Look carefully for cracked sheet metal, especially around the window regulator mounts. Your vehicle is still pretty new for this to be happening but you never know.

 

Have you tried driving your truck with the door trim off to try to be able to pinpoint the location of the rattle? That may help.

 

Hope this helps you some.

[jefffoxsr1]

Thanks for the very detailed response.  I really appreciate the time.  I will print this out and check this stuff out this weekend.  I think it may be possible that worn hinge pins are causing my door to move up and down as I lift it.  This seems odd though as the truck only has 41000 miles.  

 

Would worn hinge pins cause the up and down motion as I lift it?

 

The other door is super tight and does not move when I lift and release it.

 

Thanks again.

[jefffoxsr1]

Anyone else?

 

Thanks.

[MemphisDoug]

Worn hinge pins and/or the bushings they go through would definately cause motion in the door when you lift it up and down. You should be able to replace the pins or bushings and tighten everything back up again.