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| Pesky door rattle. Any ideas on what to do next? (Page 1/2) |
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Akheron
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AUG 16, 04:59 PM
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My stock 87 GT has a driver's side door rattle that is driving me bonkers. Here is what I have done so far:
1.) replaced door striker (Fiero Store)
2.) replaced door hinge pins and bushings, upper and lower, with pins and bushings from Rodney Dickman
3.) removed door latch from the car, cleaned out all old grease and relubricated with spray white lithium grease. Sanded and lubricated door rods at contact points. Latch works really well with no binding.
4.) while in the door, I checked all rivets and bolts on the window mechanism and everything was tight, no wobbling parts, and everything was well greased.
I'm at my wits end, and this is driving me nuts. Now I will say that after all the things I've done, the rattle is not as bad, and lubricating the latch did fix my sticky locks, but the rattle is still there. I hit a bump, and "rattle". With the window up, the rattle is not as bad as it is when the window is down. When the window is up, the rattle sounds like it originates at the striker side of the door. I can't see any scrapes in the paint that would indicate that the door is hitting the body. Anyone have any advice on what to do next? Is it possible that worn door felts are causing this ( I do have a light long scratch on the window)? Any other suggestions to try?
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Larryinkc
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AUG 16, 05:38 PM
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cebix
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AUG 18, 02:04 PM
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You have done the hinge side but it's the striker side that is the most common source of this issue. You can weld on some metal on the striker to make it thicker to compensate for the latch wear. That's at least what I've done and is good for some years now.
There was a thicker Ford striker sold years ago that also seemed to do the trick. HELP/Motormite #38421
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Akheron
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AUG 18, 03:26 PM
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So is the Ford striker different diameter/thickness than the one sold by the Fiero Store?
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Raydar
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AUG 18, 03:39 PM
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You might try putting some heat-shrink tubing over the striker shaft. No guarantees, though.
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Larryinkc
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AUG 18, 08:39 PM
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fierogt28
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AUG 18, 11:14 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Akheron:
So is the Ford striker different diameter/thickness than the one sold by the Fiero Store? |
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Yes, but you need to remove the plastic bushing on the striker bolt before installation.
The Ford striker is bigger in diameter.
That's what makes the door less move around. (tighter)
Got them on my 88GT.------------------
fierogt28
88 GT, Loaded, 5-speed.
88 GT, 5-speed. Beechwood interior, All original.
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Patrick
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AUG 18, 11:15 PM
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It might be mentioned in one of the posted links, but is the door's rubber bumper in place? I often see them missing.
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Akheron
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AUG 19, 09:30 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
It might be mentioned in one of the posted links, but is the door's rubber bumper in place? I often see them missing.
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Yep. I checked that. It's in place and in good condition. It's not brittle or dry rotted. Thanks for the suggestion.
I went ahead and ordered the recommended Ford striker. Should be here tomorrow, and I'll post my results. Thanks for all the suggestions and links everyone.
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cebix
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AUG 19, 09:46 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Raydar:
You might try putting some heat-shrink tubing over the striker shaft. No guarantees, though. |
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Been there, done that. It was shredded by the latch in just a few door shuts. The striker needs to be metal on the outside.
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