Ideas to make doors close softer/eliminate rattles

[Danno1985]

Hey y'all,
I have a 2011 XLT Super Cab (2 doors) with just over 127k. Like both previous older Rangers I've owned, the doors seem to require a pretty significant amount of force to shut. Because I'm familiar with my truck's quirks, I have a techique down where I'm able to lose the doors gently but firmly enough, but whenever someone else who's used to a new car gets in my truck, I cringe when they slam the passenger door so hard that everything inside the panel rattles.

When I bought the truck, I noticed it was missing the rubber stoppers about midway up the door pillar, so I ordered a set and replaced them, but it doesn't seem to have helped much. I've also used some anti-rattle tape, which seemed to help some with some of the secondary rattles inside the door card.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions here. I'm not looking for nor expecting a Mercedes "thunk" when closing the doors, but it feels like there should be a little more damping. The striker bolt doesn't have a bushing, but I'm wondering if adding something there might take up some of the slack caused by wear on the latch itself. Also planning on adding some soundproofing to the inside of the panels. There is a fair amount of wind noise entering the cab, seemingly from the windshield pillar areas, so I'm also wondering if the weatherstripping might be part of the issue. I'm kind of a perfectionist about this little truck, so all of this is nitpicky, but it really would be nice if the doors closed more easily if for no other reason than to avoid having a passenger slam it and break something that's going to take me a while to track down a replacement for.

 

[superj]

My 04 only rattles when the window is part down. Closing the door doesnt cause any other rattles inside the door.

Maybe there is something loose inside around the door pull or window crank mechanism?

 

[Danno1985]

My 04 only rattles when the window is part down. Closing the door doesnt cause any other rattles inside the door.

Maybe there is something loose inside around the door pull or window crank mechanism?

Oh yeah, if the windows are partway down, it's brutal.

That being said, the issue isn't so much the rattle itself, it's the fact that when the door shuts, it feels like there's no damping whatsoever - just a "bang". That's what makes me worried that something else, whether a brittle plastic door panel clip or, a window regulator, etc, is going to bust one of these times. My hope is to find something to help the doors close a little softer first and then dig into dampening the inner panels with dynamat, etc, to eliminate whatever rattles are left.

 

[superj]

Oh. Are your door door gaskets flattened? Mine are good so that makes it so you have to really pull the door hard

 

[sgtsandman]

It might be time for some new door seals. Also, check the window guide rail inside the door. One of the ones in the 1998 I had broken loose and was rattling around inside the door.

 

[SenorNoob]

Pretty sure there should be a bushing on that latch pin too...

 

[Danno1985]

Pretty sure there should be a bushing on that latch pin too...

I’m not sure if they changed the design at some point, but the latch pin on mine is a black-painted metal loop. There doesn’t appear to be a place for a bushing to go, so perhaps the newer trucks just have doors that feel cheaper to close? I looked at a couple pictures from listings on Bring A Trailer just to see what the striker bolts looked like, and none of them had bushings. I’ll take some pictures, but they don’t seem particularly worn.
Gaskets are probably a better bet, especially since I’m getting a fair amount of wind noise. I saw an old post about inserting small diameter vacuum hose into the gasket to avoid the PITA and cost of replacing them, so maybe I’ll try that.

 

[SenorNoob]

Definitely changed at some point then. Mine is a single stud with a plastic bushing. Seems like it would still need some kind of cushioning somewhere.

 

[Curious Hound]

If you don't hear the doors rattling, how do you know they're still on the truck?

 

[Danno1985]

If you don't hear the doors rattling, how do you know they're still on the truck?

Well played.

 

[Danno1985]

Here’s what my latches look like. Nothing here looks particularly bad to me. I’m not getting any up-down play in the hinges, so I don’t think that’s an Issue. I’m wondering if it makes sense to try some type of diy bushing out of pvc pipe or something. It’d have to be pretty thin. The gaskets do seem pretty flat.

 

[superj]

that looks fine. maybe its just the door gaskets?

 

[gaz]

@Danno1985
I use Teflon oil on the hinges and locking mechanisms. The real money made is asking passengers to please close the door with ease and gentile.

Of course after they slam it and explain that they can not comprehend an old truck door closing better than any automobile they have ever ridden in or the "my dad had a truck, I had to slam it's doors as hard as possible"??? I ask them again to please remember not to slam the door.

After learning that this mindset can not be tricked into being smarter, I demand that I shut the door for them...now my passengers are angered but I am not ..)

 

[Danno1985]

My first cheap fix attempt is going to be to apply some silicone lube and see if that gets the OEM seals to puff back up a bit. If that doesn't help, my next move is to insert some silicone tubing into the weep holes and thread it through the weatherstripping. I saw a few posts about this on other forums and it seems like a fairly easy fix. I don't really want to mess with replacing them if I don't have to. Seems like the kind of thing where it's either going to cost an arm and a leg (or at least hundreds) for THE LAST OEM SET IN THE WORLD from a dealer somewhere, or I'll replace them with something aftermarket and have seals that have a whole bunch of additional problems within just one or two years instead of 14.

I'll let y'all know how it goes. Anyone have experience with the silicone thing? This Shin-Etsu (Honda OEM) stuff seems to be highly-recommended.

 

[Danno1985]

Update: I’ve done two things so far. First, I used a can of PB Blaster-brand silicone lube on the seals. I’m sure it’s not as good a product as the Honda pure silicone gel or something similar, but I will say the seals did seem to puff up a bit. I’m noticing less whistling from the windshield pillars on the freeway, so that’s a plus.
Second, I took the remaining roll of anti-rattle tape and wrapped/lined the crap out of everything attached to the door. Just started tapping on things to see what rattled, then used tape to either insulate it or secure it down. Every single spot where a plastic tab on the door card contacts metal now has a layer of foam tape, and there’s a strip of foam tape around the edge of the plastic door card.

It’s not Mercedes or even Subaru (they know how to make doors y’all) hushed, there are still some rattles that can’t be muted (the lock rod for one), but this is a huge improvement. The door closes much easier, and the extra damping makes it feel much more substantial - no more old truck tin can door feel. Next up I’m going to add some dynamat. I know it’s over the top, but the body of this truck is nice enough to warrant spending a little effort making all the details a little nicer.

https://youtube.com/shorts/3EMfnh58zZg?si=vfGP1lE4coMx-njI