Creak and Rattle from Rear Hardtop

[LSUonyx09]

Hi - I have been a very annoying creak and rattle coming from the back of my hardtop. I have tried loosening and tightening the hardtop bolts, moving the rear seats around, and greasing the freedom top seals with Sil-Glyde. I am not sure what else to try. It almost sounds like something is broken or breaking with the way it creaks. It started one day after backing out of my driveway which has a large hump at the end. Any advice? Thanks

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[Lunentucker]

If you're not certain it's from the inside, check the parking brake cables from where they exit the cab and go rearward under the bed. They rattle at the carrier bearing and especially where they go through some metal hangers just ahead of the rear axle.
Check to make sure that your jack is properly secured and check any other items in the under rear seat storage boxes.

Before...

Zip tied at the cross member near the carrier bearing.

Hangers covered with 1/8 ID rubber tubing to deaden sound and prevent wear.

 

[LSUonyx09]

If you're not certain it's from the inside, check the parking brake cables from where they exit the cab and go rearward under the bed. They rattle at the carrier bearing and especially where they go through some metal hangers just ahead of the rear axle.
Check to make sure that your jack is properly secured and check any other items in the under rear seat storage boxes.

Before...

Zip tied at the cross member near the carrier bearing.

Hangers covered with 1/8 ID rubber tubing to deaden sound and prevent wear.

Thanks for the suggestions. After listening to your videos my sounds more like plastic creaking or rattling around. I definitely need to check the jack.

 

[LSUonyx09]

Thanks for the suggestions. After listening to your videos my sounds more like plastic creaking or rattling around. I definitely need to check the jack.

So checked and the jack was not able to be moved around at all. The noise literally is always rattling and creaking on any surface that isn't perfectly smooth. Unbelievable I can't t figure it out.

 

[Undecided]

Mine is always fixed by tightening the roof bolts but you say you did that.

I do tighten in a "pattern" of driver side rear, passenger side rear, a middle one, the top driver, the top passenger and then the last of em. I often have to go back and re-tighten others as it settles through all the bolts.

Maybe try that crazy idea -is yours new enough to have the dealer check it out?

 

[LSUonyx09]

Mine is always fixed by tightening the roof bolts but you say you did that.

I do tighten in a "pattern" of driver side rear, passenger side rear, a middle one, the top driver, the top passenger and then the last of em. I often have to go back and re-tighten others as it settles through all the bolts.

Maybe try that crazy idea -is yours new enough to have the dealer check it out?

Yeah it's only a 2021 with 13,000 miles but I prefer trying to fix it myself. I'll have to try the pattern you are talking about and see. About how tight do you tighten them? Thanks

 

[Undecided]

Yeah it's only a 2021 with 13,000 miles but I prefer trying to fix it myself. I'll have to try the pattern you are talking about and see. About how tight do you tighten them? Thanks

Using the wrench I go about 1/4 turn past "Easy" hand tight.
Turn until it feels tight without hard effort, then an extra 1/4 turn. If that makes any sense at all.

 

[LSUonyx09]

Using the wrench I go about 1/4 turn past "Easy" hand tight.
Turn until it feels tight without hard effort, then an extra 1/4 turn. If that makes any sense at all.

Thanks - appreciate it

 

[LSUonyx09]

Mine is always fixed by tightening the roof bolts but you say you did that.

I do tighten in a "pattern" of driver side rear, passenger side rear, a middle one, the top driver, the top passenger and then the last of em. I often have to go back and re-tighten others as it settles through all the bolts.

Maybe try that crazy idea -is yours new enough to have the dealer check it out?

So just did this and you were definitely right about the bolts settling. Once I got back to the ones I tightened first they were loose again. Fingers crossed this solves the issue tomorrow morning.

 

[hickman785]

My hardtop pops all over when the weight of the Jeep shifts. It's been doing it for over 2 years. It drives absolutely crazy, but I have no clue what is causing it.
Last year it started rattling for no reason at all. I looked everywhere and after about 3 months I figured out it was the bolts that hold the windshield in place.
Now there is another new noise. A pop or snap coming from the passenger side around the sound bar. I've been dealing with it for 2 weeks and cannot find anything. All of the plastic trim is tight, when I tap on the plastic nothing rattles, the hardtop is tight, I've stuffed foam into crevices around the sound bar and other panels with no luck. This noise usually happens when I hit bumps and always when I I turn to the left and the weight of the jeep shifts. It kinda seems like something is in a bind and the pressure of the weight shift is causing the noise.

I've had 4 JKUs with hardtops and none them ever made a sound. It's beyond ridiculous because I never installed any hardtop insulation or sound deadening to any of those Jeeps. This jeep has sound deadening all through it and hardtop insulation and all it does it make unexplained noises.

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