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Creaking sound from driver side pillar

RubenZ

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Wonder if you can put a screw in there and tighten to prevent separation and flex.
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Khsonic03

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Good stuff. Have you tried putting a bolt and washer through that bolt hole for the hard top and try cranking it down really tight? Curious if that would help it at all and would eliminate that as an area of concern if not.
 

spoiledkari

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Good stuff. Have you tried putting a bolt and washer through that bolt hole for the hard top and try cranking it down really tight? Curious if that would help it at all and would eliminate that as an area of concern if not.
I’m a step ahead of you. I stuck the hard top bolt in there and torqued it down as tight as it would go. It didn’t make a difference which is why I’m thinking it’s just all of those plates rubbing against the roll bar. I’m torn now because I could probably just start spraying foam in every spot I can find but then I’m not really fixing the movement. Plus if the creaking doesn’t go away after that, I now have a foam mess to deal with as I continue to chase down a creaking sound.
 

SkilledOne4

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It's ironic that my noise started right around when I swapped out the hardtop for the soft top. I removed the bolt that held the hardtop on and never put it back until seeing some posts about that being the potential source of the noise. I wonder if the bolt was out long enough for things to start moving around and once that happens, you are beyond the point of no return.

I would love to figure out how to stop this noise because it drives me crazy each time I hear it. The only thing that has worked has been removing the doors as that makes the sound of the air too loud to hear the creaking :cwl:
 

NOVAJL

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I’m a step ahead of you. I stuck the hard top bolt in there and torqued it down as tight as it would go. It didn’t make a difference which is why I’m thinking it’s just all of those plates rubbing against the roll bar. I’m torn now because I could probably just start spraying foam in every spot I can find but then I’m not really fixing the movement. Plus if the creaking doesn’t go away after that, I now have a foam mess to deal with as I continue to chase down a creaking sound.[/QUOTE

I sprayed WD-40 brand silicone grease between the plates and then installed the bolt. My sound went away. This means it is definitely those 3 plates.

Try loosening your bolt to separate the plates and then putting some lubricant in there before tightening the bolt.
 

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spoiledkari

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So I tried the WD-40 in between those plates yesterday. It improved the sound greatly but after sitting overnight, the sound returned full force today. It's almost like the WD-40 isn't thick enough and it ran down to the bottom of the plates. Sounds like this noise may be coming from the top plates. Here's my concern...should welded pieces of this body be moving enough to creak like this?
Spoke with my case specialist at Jeep today and they instructed me to take it to another dealership for a second opinion. If they can't pinpoint the problem, then we're going to escalate to area manager for an engineer to look at it. I'm all for any fix that takes away the sound (whether temporarily or permanently) but I'd also like to find out why all of those plates are allowing so much movement. That B pillar is a major safety component of our vehicles. I want to know that it's solidly in place should I happen to get in an accident where I am relying on that part of the vehicle to keep me safe.
 

SkilledOne4

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So I tried the WD-40 in between those plates yesterday. It improved the sound greatly but after sitting overnight, the sound returned full force today. It's almost like the WD-40 isn't thick enough and it ran down to the bottom of the plates. Sounds like this noise may be coming from the top plates. Here's my concern...should welded pieces of this body be moving enough to creak like this?
Spoke with my case specialist at Jeep today and they instructed me to take it to another dealership for a second opinion. If they can't pinpoint the problem, then we're going to escalate to area manager for an engineer to look at it. I'm all for any fix that takes away the sound (whether temporarily or permanently) but I'd also like to find out why all of those plates are allowing so much movement. That B pillar is a major safety component of our vehicles. I want to know that it's solidly in place should I happen to get in an accident where I am relying on that part of the vehicle to keep me safe.
I completely understand your safety concern and that should be primary for any fix as this area has to be structurally sound. I tried having my dealer address the noise but all they wanted to do was replace the plastic trim around the rollbar.

Alternatively, do you think there is any way to wedge a piece of cork or even a thin piece of rubber/gasket material in between there to take the noise out?
 

Khsonic03

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So I tried the WD-40 in between those plates yesterday. It improved the sound greatly but after sitting overnight, the sound returned full force today. It's almost like the WD-40 isn't thick enough and it ran down to the bottom of the plates. Sounds like this noise may be coming from the top plates. Here's my concern...should welded pieces of this body be moving enough to creak like this?
Spoke with my case specialist at Jeep today and they instructed me to take it to another dealership for a second opinion. If they can't pinpoint the problem, then we're going to escalate to area manager for an engineer to look at it. I'm all for any fix that takes away the sound (whether temporarily or permanently) but I'd also like to find out why all of those plates are allowing so much movement. That B pillar is a major safety component of our vehicles. I want to know that it's solidly in place should I happen to get in an accident where I am relying on that part of the vehicle to keep me safe.
Unfortunately I had a busy weekend and didnt get a chance to mess with this, but I have been thinking about it.

If it is the plates, I'm guessing it's a lateral or twisting force that's causing the noise.

Thinking applying structural epoxy in the spots below could eliminate lateral movement and reinforce the whole area.

Screenshot_20181015-185642_Gallery.jpg
 

SkilledOne4

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I don't know about anyone else but I think the cold weather has made this worse over the last few days. I feel like it has become a little louder and more frequent now.
 

SkilledOne4

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I think I have solved my problem but I don't know if it will work for everyone. I verified that the noise is coming from the top of the B pillar after I removed all of the soft top frames and some of the plastic around that area. It has been getting cold around here so I decided to switch the soft top out for the hardtop. Once I switched over to my hardtop, the noise stopped completely. For me, I think it was definitely because of the bolt not being at the top of the B pillar when the soft top was on. Either that or the added weight of the hardtop pressing down on it caused the plates to line up properly and no longer cause that noise.

I would suggest that others with this problem at least try putting the hardtop bolt in place. If you don't have one, I'm sure a trip to the local hardware store will yield a bolt with the same thread pattern and depth.
 

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Khsonic03

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I think I have solved my problem but I don't know if it will work for everyone. I verified that the noise is coming from the top of the B pillar after I removed all of the soft top frames and some of the plastic around that area. It has been getting cold around here so I decided to switch the soft top out for the hardtop. Once I switched over to my hardtop, the noise stopped completely. For me, I think it was definitely because of the bolt not being at the top of the B pillar when the soft top was on. Either that or the added weight of the hardtop pressing down on it caused the plates to line up properly and no longer cause that noise.

I would suggest that others with this problem at least try putting the hardtop bolt in place. If you don't have one, I'm sure a trip to the local hardware store will yield a bolt with the same thread pattern and depth.
Funny you posted this. Yesterday, I went to home depot and picked up an M8x1.25 bolt and a rubberized washer and installed it in that bolt hole (i didnt get the hard top, so i didnt have the hardware).

It made a HUGE difference. Need to drive with it more, but now all I hear is a slight click here and there, rather than the full blown creaking.

I plan on getting a beefier washer so I can really crank it down. Also still considering getting some of that structural epoxy and applying it in those areas I posted above, then cranking down the bolt so it hardens in that position.
 

Khsonic03

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Just wanted to follow up on this. I bought some torx head bolts with a plastic washer built in, added some blue thread locker and cranked them into both sides. The previous bolt I was using definitely seems to have been keeping the creaking at bay.

I'm not sure if it's related to the recent temperature drop, but for now it's working. If the noise comes back, I'll probably add some structural epoxy.

For those who don't have the hard top and therefore no bolts, here is a link to the ones I bought.

Xprite Set of 4 OEM-Style Replacement M8 Torx Screws Bolts for Pillars, Windshield Frame, Hinges, Hard Full Doors, Hard Door Hinges, Half Doors, Roll Bar - 2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler JK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M01EQ2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8Di1BbS3ATBCV
 

SkilledOne4

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I will also follow up after a week with the hardtop on and the bolts back in place. I have not heard the noise at all and am so glad for that. I will definitively be putting the bolt back with a washer when I switch to the soft top next spring to hopefully eliminate the noise when the soft top is on.
 

Peanut Butter

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Just wanted to follow up on this. I bought some torx head bolts with a plastic washer built in, added some blue thread locker and cranked them into both sides. The previous bolt I was using definitely seems to have been keeping the creaking at bay.

I'm not sure if it's related to the recent temperature drop, but for now it's working. If the noise comes back, I'll probably add some structural epoxy.

For those who don't have the hard top and therefore no bolts, here is a link to the ones I bought.

Xprite Set of 4 OEM-Style Replacement M8 Torx Screws Bolts for Pillars, Windshield Frame, Hinges, Hard Full Doors, Hard Door Hinges, Half Doors, Roll Bar - 2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler JK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M01EQ2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8Di1BbS3ATBCV
Thanks for the link. I ordered and installed today. Quick drive around the block and problem solved!

I just used 2 of the 4 bolts above the B pillar.... any other holes I could fill with the other two bolts?
 

spoiledkari

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It got cold here in Southwest PA and I decided that it was time to swap the soft top for the hard top. I sprayed a bunch of silicone spray between the plates and then reinstalled all plastic and installed the hard top. I cranked the bolt down so hard that I thought I was going to crack fiberglass. As I was cranking, silicone spray was squeezing out of the back of the plates. The noise is 100% gone now.
I had installed the hardtop bolt while running to soft top but the noise persisted so something with a big washer that’ll push down on a big chunk of the metal is definitely the fix during softie weather.
I’ve made 2 trips to different dealerships and both said they couldn’t hear a darn thing. Really??? I was in the Jeep with the second service advisor and it was creaking away right above his head while he drove but he still couldn’t hear it.
Hopefully that awful creaking remains at bay for a long, long time now.
Thanks for everyone trying different fixes.
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