flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

This has been happening on and off for a year or two, it goes away for a long time. Well recently it came back, I would say its the loudest its been. Mainly over bumps as you can hear in the video, but when I went to the back of the truck today and pushed down on tail gate while open, it also produced the sound. So it sounds like its coming from that general area. I'm hoping its something that just needs some lube, any thoughts?

Thanks

doolyd

Sorry can't help but I have a chirping sound as well. Been like that for a couple of years. Pretty annoying but I only really hear it with the windows down. Sounds like it is coming from the bed of the truck so I am hoping if someone solves your issue maybe I will look into mine.

FLXLT

Try greasing the tailgate.

cutigers08

iTrader: (1)

This. Drove me crazy for a while until I figured it out.

DaClownie

It is absolutely the tailgate. I just greased every hinge/moving point on the tailgate with some white lithium grease and it is silent now. Drove me nuts for a full year before I figured it out LOL

flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

I will try this today but I'm not convinced... I went to the back yesterday, dropped the tailgate, and pushed down and bounced it around. It produces the sound but doesn't seem like it's coming from tail gate, sounds more like a foot or two back and under the bed. I'll have someone else bounce it while I try to pinpoint it.

flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

So it absolutely wasn't the tailgate

I rolled my cover back and bounced around a little, the back right bolt to the bed of the truck was loose. So as I bounced the play in the bolt would move about and cause the squeak. I hit it with some CRC just to confirm its that friction causing the noise and it was.

Now the problem is tightening it since its a bit head that I don't have. I was able to get a large flat head into the bit and tighten, it went about two turns and doesnt actually tighten, just kind of keeps going. Is there a bolt on the other side I need to somehow access, or is it just stripped? I definitely tightened it a bit because the bolt is not sticking out as much. Regardless, problem solved on the noise end.

joedotmac

The bolts heads in my '13 use a 40 torx to secure.

The nuts are integrated into a capture clip. The nut is fixed in the assembly so there's no need to secure the nut with a wrench while tightening the bolt unless the clip nut assembly is broken.

See page 5 -> http://www.taptite.com/pdfs/PR-171.pdf

I would try to remove the bolt, inspect it for integrity, peer down the hole and under the truck to see if the secured nut is still in tact and in good working order.

flynavy812

iTrader: (2)

thats a pretty detailed report on a bolt, cool stuff. So if it's tightening to a degree then kind of clicking loose again that tells me it's stripped at a certain point?

but if I replace the screw isn't the nut assembly still going to screw up the ability to tighten?

wondering if I should just leave it and keep an eye on it from time to time.

joedotmac

Wouldn't worry about anything being stripped. If it was stripped the likelihood you being able to turn the bolt (40 torx) faster with a screw driver is indication the threads are intact and working as designed.

If the bolt and or faster are screwed up, what negative can occur attempting to tighten to specification? None.

Put a 40 torx on the bolt and torque to the service specification of 59 ft lbs with a torque wrench. With the screw driver you maybe got 10 ft. lbs on it.

If you remove the bolt the clip/nut are still going to be straddling the frame, so no nothing is going to be screwed up if you remove the bollt.