Door rattle

[justins81213]

Have a 2006 Ford ranger and my driver door is rattling. I live in the country on dirt road and that's when it's worse. On regular pavement you never hear it. I've tried moving the door up and down and there no play on hinges but there's play when you close it. It's like it's not closing all the way. You can push on it and it goes in a little and comes back out.I took the door bump stop of passenger and tried switching and it still does it. What would cause it to do this? Any help would be appreciated as it is driving me crazy

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Your strikers are probably missing the plastic bushing more than likely. They age, get brittle, and crack. Then eventually they fall off. You can use some small pieces of Pex tubing over the striker bolt, or just buy new strikers at any parts store. If not, then RockAuto will have them I imagine.

https://www.ebay.com/i/351894022723?chn=ps

 

[justins81213]

Neither one of my striker plates have bushings on them and only the driver side rattles

 

[justins81213]

Here's my striker plate

 

[Ranger850]

sometimes the bushings on the door hinges (pins) go bad. had the same rattle on my mustang ( i think). couldnt feel any play in the door ,but replacing those bushings fixed it. not sure if rangers even have rhose bushings
EDIT,: $6.95 @ "otto's own"/ Add Vance

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

 

[Bird76Mojo]

Usually you can lift up on the tail end of the door and see/feel any play in the pins or bushings. Even if you can't feel it, someone else can watch the pins and still see them move.

Rubber door seals being flattened/cracked from age can also cause some door rattles.

 

[justins81213]

@ ranger850 I've checked play up and down and there is none but I can shut my door and push on it and it's got play going in and out I've posted a picture of my striker plate and there are no bushings on that and from the wear shown on the plates I don't think there ever was. I will check to see if it has the bushings on the hinges but will that cause in and out play? I would think that would just be up and down but I'm not for sure!

 

[Ranger850]

im not sure either, but it helped me with my mustang.the only indication that something was wrong, was the rattle over bumps that came from the door.

 

[Yspecv19]

@ ranger850 I've checked play up and down and there is none but I can shut my door and push on it and it's got play going in and out I've posted a picture of my striker plate and there are no bushings on that and from the wear shown on the plates I don't think there ever was. I will check to see if it has the bushings on the hinges but will that cause in and out play? I would think that would just be up and down but I'm not for sure!

Did you figure anything out yet? My 04 has the same kind of rattle but just when you hit bumps. Thanks

 

[Elutheros]

Try loosening the torx bolts slightly and tap the striker/latch with a hammer to move it in towards the interior. Then tighten the bolts. The weather stripping may be compressed just enough to allow the door to rattle and by adjusting the striker you can get rid of the rattle.

 

[justins81213]

I put a piece of tube on my striker plate where the latch latches and took the rattle right out but the tube won't stay because I had to cut it open to slide it over so that leads me to believe my striker plate has just worn over the years or like someone else said the weather strip is worn allowing the door to come in more.

Is my striker plate adjustable? It looks like it is fixed in place. I have an 06 Ranger sport 3.0 2wd

 

[Ranger850]

Try loosening the torx bolts slightly and tap the striker/latch with a hammer to move it in towards the interior. Then tighten the bolts.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I don't believe his striker plate will really move any, due to the type of fasteners they used to secure them. They seem like a kind of countersunk fastener. (look at post #4)

But it's certainly worth a try.

I imagine the weatherstripping is compressed from being old, which is allowing the door to rattle.

 

[Ranger850]

new weather stripping it is then.lol

 

[Bird76Mojo]

It can really only be four things.

1 - weatherstripping
2 - striker
3 - Hinge pins/bushings
4 - Door latch malfunctioning/wore

Unless the frame is tweaked/bent.