Terrorist 5.0
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Hi everyone, the SN95's are a huge upgrade in terms of quality from the Fox Body, but they still have many rattle points in the interior. Some comes with age, some with neglect, but I have spent months driving my car, tracking down the rattles, and fixing them one by one. If your car suffers from rattles like mine did, follow these easy steps to make your Mustang feel like a Mercedes on the inside, because that is where it counts.
Here is what you will need:
1. Electrical tape
2. Weatherstripping/felt
3. Heat shrink
4. Lighter
5. Channel locks
6. Needle nose pliers
Rattle #1: Door Panels
The door panels in the SN95's are set in place by small hooks molded into the back of the door panel, and are held in place by use of screws. Over time, these plastic hooks get fragile, and it doesn't take much to break them when taking the door panel off. The first time I pulled mine off, I broke the front-most clip on the passenger side door panel. Now, the panels will rattle some, even when in good shape because of rough roads, but a broken hook will make the rattle significantly worse.
To stop this rattle, you will need weatherstripping or felt. I myself used bed cap weather seal. It is sticky on one side, and a somewhat firm, foam like substance. It is about an inch wide, and a couple millimeters thick. First, take note of where the door panel ends in relation to the door itself. The cars paint would typically show a visible line where the door panel was, but mark it with something, being careful not to paint your door panel. Then, take your door panel off. Line the weatherstripping along the door where the panel sits, making sure to get the weatherstripping right in the middle so that the panel itself will sit back in the middle. If one of your hooks are broken, or your panel is distorted in one spot for whatever reason, double stack the weatherstripping. Once you are finished, put the door panel back on. Putting the panel back on requires you to push the panel down into place. The weatherstripping can make this difficult. I managed without, but some light lubrication could help out in putting the door panel back on.
If you are a perfectionist, this will look somewhat out of place, especially if the weatherstripping you used was not black (mine was silver), but I advise you to not cut away excess. The reason for this is that if your door panel shifts, and you cut the weatherstripping close, the weatherstripping can fall under the seam and your door panel will no longer be insulated from the door.
Rattle #2: Center console bezel
Replace it. If it is rattling, one of the mounting tabs are broken.
Rattle #3: Emergency brake button
I cannot explain this one completely, as I have never taken one apart, but the emergency brake button is known to rattle on these cars. Supposedly, there is a metal spring inside the handle, that will vibrate when there is no tension on it. This makes the button make noise. To fix this, you can use many things. Electrical tape stuffed in the hole around the button, electrical tape wrapped around the button, or heat shrink wrapped around the button. The latter option requires a lighter, and care, as you can melt the interior if you are not careful. Pretty self explanatory.
Rattle #4: Rear headrest
This one is more specific to some cars. It shows up when clutch chatter occurs. My car desperately needs a clutch (and it is getting one in a couple days), and the whole car shakes when taking off and especially when reversing. The fix is really easy though. Lower your rear seats so that you have access to the trunk, and remove the bolts holding the rear headrest down. Move the headrest out of the way. Line the area where the headrest sits with weatherstripping. One layer fixed this rattle for me, but you can use more if needed. Put everything back together after that.
Rattle #5: Aluminum clutch quadrant
This one seems to be a problem with many people that install an aluminum quadrant. It is possible that their clutch cable is too long, or adjusted incorrectly. This was not the case with mine. I have a Maximum Motorsports quadrant and UPR firewall adjuster, along with a Pioneer stock style clutch cable. I have had good luck with this cable and I don't believe that all parts store cables are awful. In my case, the hole that rotates with the clutch quadrant (not the hole that just rotates in place), was slightly too big, causing a light knocking noise between the quadrant and the shaft. To make matters worse, my aforementioned bad clutch is also causing a slight pedal vibration, making the noise more noticeable.
To explain this better, there are two small shafts that the quadrant sits in. The one on the main shaft is the one that requires washers (as per Maximum Motorsports) to align the quadrant to the clutch cable. It prevents premature fraying and wear of the cable. This is likely where the cables get a bad rap from. Aftermarket quadrants utilize a different radius for "quicker shifts" which also make driving the car daily more difficult. It basically means more clutch movement with less pedal movement. It puts a weird pressure/fraying point on the cable. That, along with inadequate shimming, and no wonder the cables are snapping left and right.
This will be the most difficult out of all rattles to fix, as you will need to look up while under the dash. First, loosen your clutch cable all the way. In my case, I just turned my firewall adjuster all the way in, counting the number of turns needed so I could set it back to how it was after I finished. Now comes the tricky part, getting under the dash. The easiest way to do this is to sit in your drivers seat. Upside down. The easiest way to get in this position is to move your seat all the way down and back, and your steering wheel all the way up. Sit down in your seat facing the left of the car. Remove your shoes. Pivoting, move your legs up, and place your feet next to the headrest, one on each side. Lift your body up using your feet. Lift yourself high enough to fit your head under the dash, and ease yourself back down. You should be facing the quadrant now. Release the cable from the quadrant. Pull the two clips preventing the quadrant from sliding off the shafts, and remove the quadrant. Move the clutch pedal to see what I am talking about. One shaft will rotate in place, and one will move. The one that moves is where you need to focus your attention. The hole on the quadrant is ever so slightly too big to sit firmly on the shaft, which allows movement. This causes a light banging noise from engine vibrations at the right RPM.
Take some electrical tape, and wrap it around the shaft to take up any slack. I cut a piece about 3 inches long, but trial and error will show what works best. Wrap it around the shaft. Lubricate your quadrant in the hole that slides onto the shaft and the tape wrapped around the shaft to make installation easier. I used automatic transmission fluid as it was all I had at the time. After confirming all your shims are where they need to be, put the quadrant back on. The quadrant may feel stiff going back on due to the tape, but slowly work it back and forth, and gently use the channel locks if necessary. You are essentially pressing it on instead of sliding it on, making for a tighter fit. You want to make sure it is sliding on top of the tape, and not just pushing it back. Put the clips back in their place on the shafts, and put the cable back in place. Make sure it sits properly in the quadrant on the back as well. Adjust your clutch cable and you are finished. Depending on the car, the stop for the clutch can also be a cause for noise. I just wrapped it with some tape as well to solve that. Be sure not to put too much tape so that the pedal won't come up all the way.
I expect this fix to last a long time, I don't think the tape will wear on that shaft anytime soon, if ever. If it does, doing it again is pretty easy, so no big deal.
Here is what you will need:
1. Electrical tape
2. Weatherstripping/felt
3. Heat shrink
4. Lighter
5. Channel locks
6. Needle nose pliers
Rattle #1: Door Panels
The door panels in the SN95's are set in place by small hooks molded into the back of the door panel, and are held in place by use of screws. Over time, these plastic hooks get fragile, and it doesn't take much to break them when taking the door panel off. The first time I pulled mine off, I broke the front-most clip on the passenger side door panel. Now, the panels will rattle some, even when in good shape because of rough roads, but a broken hook will make the rattle significantly worse.
To stop this rattle, you will need weatherstripping or felt. I myself used bed cap weather seal. It is sticky on one side, and a somewhat firm, foam like substance. It is about an inch wide, and a couple millimeters thick. First, take note of where the door panel ends in relation to the door itself. The cars paint would typically show a visible line where the door panel was, but mark it with something, being careful not to paint your door panel. Then, take your door panel off. Line the weatherstripping along the door where the panel sits, making sure to get the weatherstripping right in the middle so that the panel itself will sit back in the middle. If one of your hooks are broken, or your panel is distorted in one spot for whatever reason, double stack the weatherstripping. Once you are finished, put the door panel back on. Putting the panel back on requires you to push the panel down into place. The weatherstripping can make this difficult. I managed without, but some light lubrication could help out in putting the door panel back on.
If you are a perfectionist, this will look somewhat out of place, especially if the weatherstripping you used was not black (mine was silver), but I advise you to not cut away excess. The reason for this is that if your door panel shifts, and you cut the weatherstripping close, the weatherstripping can fall under the seam and your door panel will no longer be insulated from the door.
Rattle #2: Center console bezel
Replace it. If it is rattling, one of the mounting tabs are broken.
Rattle #3: Emergency brake button
I cannot explain this one completely, as I have never taken one apart, but the emergency brake button is known to rattle on these cars. Supposedly, there is a metal spring inside the handle, that will vibrate when there is no tension on it. This makes the button make noise. To fix this, you can use many things. Electrical tape stuffed in the hole around the button, electrical tape wrapped around the button, or heat shrink wrapped around the button. The latter option requires a lighter, and care, as you can melt the interior if you are not careful. Pretty self explanatory.
Rattle #4: Rear headrest
This one is more specific to some cars. It shows up when clutch chatter occurs. My car desperately needs a clutch (and it is getting one in a couple days), and the whole car shakes when taking off and especially when reversing. The fix is really easy though. Lower your rear seats so that you have access to the trunk, and remove the bolts holding the rear headrest down. Move the headrest out of the way. Line the area where the headrest sits with weatherstripping. One layer fixed this rattle for me, but you can use more if needed. Put everything back together after that.
Rattle #5: Aluminum clutch quadrant
This one seems to be a problem with many people that install an aluminum quadrant. It is possible that their clutch cable is too long, or adjusted incorrectly. This was not the case with mine. I have a Maximum Motorsports quadrant and UPR firewall adjuster, along with a Pioneer stock style clutch cable. I have had good luck with this cable and I don't believe that all parts store cables are awful. In my case, the hole that rotates with the clutch quadrant (not the hole that just rotates in place), was slightly too big, causing a light knocking noise between the quadrant and the shaft. To make matters worse, my aforementioned bad clutch is also causing a slight pedal vibration, making the noise more noticeable.
To explain this better, there are two small shafts that the quadrant sits in. The one on the main shaft is the one that requires washers (as per Maximum Motorsports) to align the quadrant to the clutch cable. It prevents premature fraying and wear of the cable. This is likely where the cables get a bad rap from. Aftermarket quadrants utilize a different radius for "quicker shifts" which also make driving the car daily more difficult. It basically means more clutch movement with less pedal movement. It puts a weird pressure/fraying point on the cable. That, along with inadequate shimming, and no wonder the cables are snapping left and right.
This will be the most difficult out of all rattles to fix, as you will need to look up while under the dash. First, loosen your clutch cable all the way. In my case, I just turned my firewall adjuster all the way in, counting the number of turns needed so I could set it back to how it was after I finished. Now comes the tricky part, getting under the dash. The easiest way to do this is to sit in your drivers seat. Upside down. The easiest way to get in this position is to move your seat all the way down and back, and your steering wheel all the way up. Sit down in your seat facing the left of the car. Remove your shoes. Pivoting, move your legs up, and place your feet next to the headrest, one on each side. Lift your body up using your feet. Lift yourself high enough to fit your head under the dash, and ease yourself back down. You should be facing the quadrant now. Release the cable from the quadrant. Pull the two clips preventing the quadrant from sliding off the shafts, and remove the quadrant. Move the clutch pedal to see what I am talking about. One shaft will rotate in place, and one will move. The one that moves is where you need to focus your attention. The hole on the quadrant is ever so slightly too big to sit firmly on the shaft, which allows movement. This causes a light banging noise from engine vibrations at the right RPM.
Take some electrical tape, and wrap it around the shaft to take up any slack. I cut a piece about 3 inches long, but trial and error will show what works best. Wrap it around the shaft. Lubricate your quadrant in the hole that slides onto the shaft and the tape wrapped around the shaft to make installation easier. I used automatic transmission fluid as it was all I had at the time. After confirming all your shims are where they need to be, put the quadrant back on. The quadrant may feel stiff going back on due to the tape, but slowly work it back and forth, and gently use the channel locks if necessary. You are essentially pressing it on instead of sliding it on, making for a tighter fit. You want to make sure it is sliding on top of the tape, and not just pushing it back. Put the clips back in their place on the shafts, and put the cable back in place. Make sure it sits properly in the quadrant on the back as well. Adjust your clutch cable and you are finished. Depending on the car, the stop for the clutch can also be a cause for noise. I just wrapped it with some tape as well to solve that. Be sure not to put too much tape so that the pedal won't come up all the way.
I expect this fix to last a long time, I don't think the tape will wear on that shaft anytime soon, if ever. If it does, doing it again is pretty easy, so no big deal.
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