Power Step or Rocker Panel Squeaking on one side

[betzgb]

Love my power steps. But I have a squeaking (creaking) sound on the driver side when you put some weight on them. It did not do that when installed two months back. Turn the volume up to hear it in the video. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this? All hardware is tight and I don't have this issue on the passenger side. I can hear it occasionally when driving and steps are retracted. It happens on a bump or sometimes a turn when things are flexing. The body is new (Delco Nick body) so rockers should be solid.

 

[doran4x]

It sounds like you need to put a wrench to.the bolts to snug them up. Are you using a backing plate like the one Northeast Ford sells?


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[betzgb]

It sounds like you need to put a wrench to.the bolts to snug them up. Are you using a backing plate like the one Northeast Ford sells?


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Any tighter and I am going to snap the bolts. I am using the backing plates from Northeast.

 

[chuckji]

Just throwing ideas out there, but how about the body mounts? Maybe there’s some flex/movement going on between the frame and body causing the mount to squeak...?

 

[betzgb]

Thanks for the idea chuckji, but no sound from the body mount. I noticed it is coming from the front portion of the rocker panel. If I take the palm of my hand and press on the painted surface it is making noise near the front. I loosened the front fender to ensure the sound was not coming from that joint with the rocker. I have loosened all the powerstep hardware behind the support bracket for the power steps and same result. Here is another video:

 

[doran4x]

Possibly put a thin gasket material where the bolts attach to rocker and where step attaches to the panel.


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[DirtDonk]

Why such a large gap/discrepancy between the rocker panel and what looks like the front fender? If the fender is bent from working on it or from an accident, the squeak could easily be from that I would think.
Doesn't exactly sound like two thin pieces of sheet metal rubbing together like a fender and rocker would normally sound, but perhaps the added dynamics of the power-step being mounted to one and not the other are changing the tone of the noise.

Are the rockers new replacements, or original? Obviously been painted, but maybe if some of the body panels were replaced there is a weak point somewhere.

Paul

 

[doran4x]

Just saw the video. Are the spot welds good along the bottom?


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[betzgb]

Hey @DirtDonk, the gap with the front fender is from me just taking the fender loose and pulling it away from the rocker panel to verify that wasn't the problem. It wasn't. This is a brand new body from NorthEast so no rust, never wrecked, etc. @doran4x the spot welds look ok to me, but the noise does seem to come when pressing on that seam as well as flexing the outside of the rocker. I de-installed the powerstep and support bracket to remove that variable and the sound is still there so definitely something with the rocker itself. I don't know enough of the rocker construction to know where it may be contacting another panel to make the sound.

Here is another video:

All thoughts welcome.

 

[hyghlndr]

Look at the reinforcement brackets from Northeast Classic Ford parts, if not your rockers will flex like crazy and twist backing sheet metal. Sheet metal isn't a good place to mount steps, AMP design is awful.

 

[betzgb]

I am using the power step backing plates from Northeast. I have taken them off and the power steps to troubleshoot the sound because it is in the rocker alone.


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[betzgb]

I may have found it! Using a small flex camera, when I look inside the rocker I see the base of the front door post is just "floating" on top of the rocker panel. It hold stationary when I flex the rocker panel and the noise is super loud there. Now how to address...

 

[hsach]

I may have found it! Using a small flex camera, when I look inside the rocker I see the base of the front door post is just "floating" on top of the rocker panel. It hold stationary when I flex the rocker panel and the noise is super loud there. Now how to address...

Can you take a picture of the area to see if there is any way to get a welder in that area? Hopefully it is something that can be addressed with the fender still on, but probably not.

 

[Qumanchew]

I may have found it! Using a small flex camera, when I look inside the rocker I see the base of the front door post is just "floating" on top of the rocker panel. It hold stationary when I flex the rocker panel and the noise is super loud there. Now how to address...

That's a bummer. Sounds like they may have missed a spot weld or two. Is it the inner or outer rocker that's moving independently from the post? Or both for that matter?

 

[betzgb]

The outer rocker flexes and rubs on the bottom edge of the door post. The post looks to be welded to the the inner rocker so no flex there. I will attempt surgery this weekend. Remove front fender to get some room to work and try to get a welder down into the gap and secure the door post to the rocker. I'll check the other side to see if it needs the same though it does not make the same flexing noise. Wish me luck...

 

[Qumanchew]

It's been a while since I've done one, but if I remember correctly the flange of the outer rocker wraps around the door post. If you had your head in the fender well looking back at the post there should be a few spot welds on that flange to the post. If there isn't, you could drill a few holes in the flange, 5/16 is what size I do, to weld through to the post. Might not mess the paint up too much and it's hidden when the fenders on. Oh, and good luck!