I got my 1954 F100 out on the road and it did great. Sill taking it easy because it sat for so long. Got it up to 62mph at 2200 RPMs and it drove like on rails, actually seemed to handle better at higher speeds.

Way before my trip I did a few things:
- went over every front suspension bolt and tightened them up, few turns but nothing loose
- A few loose bolts in the oil pan, strange but whatever
​​​​​​- Put rubber hoses on brake lines down the frame and zip ties them in place
- Made sure the spare tire rack was snug with no movement
​​​​​​- etc
And at top speed on a smooth road, man was she a rattling. I will put it back in the air and look for any obvious evidence of rattle but I have a few thought:.

1) the cab to frame rubbers more than likely left the frame a long time ago and the gap with metal to metal is an issue
2) the wooden bed is from HD and not the exact measurements as the bed calls for so maybe the straps are rattling
3) no rubber strips were used on the bed
4) the fenders rubber strips are also deteriorated if not gone

Any thoughts on my ideas or additional suspects I should look for?

Front end is a 1977 Dodge aspen, welded in place, front towers are tight so I do not think that is an issue.

Thanks,

Will

 

Following.

 

Congrats on a successful drive. It's always nice to hear stories of enjoyable use of our old trucks. These old machines never won awards for quiet and lack of noise, vibration and harshness, the dreaded NVH that manufacturers are always chasing. And there's a reason why they call the window track repair parts an Anti-Rattle Kit. Cab vibration and door shaking, with all of the associated inner parts bouncing around inside are one of the biggest contributors to noise and rattles. If you haven't done this, it's as good a place to start as any. https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/tru...-pu-dlx-anti-r

After that, it's pretty much all the things you described. Squeaks are different from rattles. Parts rubbing typically produce a noise or squeak. If they're loose and can shake against something, there's your rattle. You can walk around the truck and give it a shake and see what makes noise. You may never get them all, but you can probably find quite a few.

 

Thanks for the reply. The windows actually seem good, lol! The first run a few weeks ago the doors would not stay closed and the speed ranged from 37 to 64 in second gear, no rear brakes, etc…Got that fixed so was real happy to open it up!

I went to a part site and they had a blow out of the parts ranging from A to Z. Actually listed some things in the pictures that may need replacing, upgrades and possibly some repairs.
- the rubber in the Vance under the hood, I do not have that, could be some vibration
- rubber between the running board and front fender, did not see any rubber so I wonder how that is connected
​​​​- front fender rubber to the cowl, might be there but there is none above the fender
- pads between the bed and frame
- rubber in the groves of the sides tail gate where it closes on the bed
- rubber nipples on the locks that fold on the tailgate ears
- did not check the bolts on the running boards for tightnesses
​​​​​​- retighten the carrier bolts in the bed
- no rubber between back fenders and bed
Other options:
- get three or four guys to rock it while I am under it listening
- sacrifice a small mammal in front of it
- spend my kids college funds on a 2020ish donor truck frame
- learn to weld and make some permanent adjustments
- get some really nice ear phones and just enjoy the ride!

Thanks again
Will post if anything works!

Will

 

That's a good list. Just a note, originally there was no rubber welting between the rear fenders and the bed sides.

No rubber under the hood wouldn't make rattles or squeaks but you should have it to help keep engine cooler by forcing air thru the radiator.

 

So here is what I found and was able to address.
- Tailgate chains, they were sagging and even with the rubber sleeve they were making noise as the tailgate was not tight
- Tailgate was not closing firmly and staying, was making a lot of noise.
Fix was the tailgate side bumper set from LMC, instructions were still available on mid-fifties website. Did not make sense at first on how to install them, but it tightened up the chains where they no longer sag and the tail gate is very tight with no movement.

- Both front alignment brackets under the hood were loose. The nuts had stripped out and the bolts were only resting. I got them out and found some bolts, lock washers and nuts to hold them tight. Could not believe they were so damn loose.

- A few of the fender bolts were loose as well.

- the fenders to the cowl, running boards, bed boards, doors, windows, and hood were all tight and not rattling.

Driving it to work Friday so will see how much everything helped, I think there is goin* to be a big difference!

 

Nothing like that feeling of the first drive. Keep up the good work and we like pictures on here too.