Heat shield: Important, or just for giggles?

[nfpgasmask]

Last night I put my heat sheilds back on. I went to Home Depot and picked up 4 pipe clamps, ended up using 3 of them, but I was able to get the sheilds back on nice & tight. I still have one rattling down there that I need to find and clamp on better.

Bart

[Kenny]

Are you sure it's a heat shield rattle - did it go away when you took off the shields?

I thought I had a heat shield rattle and hoped it would go away with the new exhaust system since the new system doesn't re-use the shields. It didn't, we found that it was an O2 sensor that rang like a bell when tapped - that was the rattle I heard. I replaced it and the rattle went away.

But now I have another one when I go over bumps.... another O2 sensor? dunno yet, too lazy and exhausted from Moab to look right now...

[kelvin]

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah, that's probably it. Slide under your VX on the passenger side about 2/3s the way down and look for the loose heat shield (looks the one I pictured above). Usually though, the rattling is coming from the rusted apart pipe clamps, at least in my case, this was the situation. I pulled everything off and put it back on with some new pipe clamps. Easy. Now these don't rattle.

Bart

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

[WyrreJ]

The chrome on my wheels is peeling and I get a "clikity-clikity-clickity" sound from it timed with the speed of the wheels, I just reach in and peel off the biggest chunk of chrome and that usually fixes it for a few months. Don't do it barehanded, that stuff is sharp.

[kelvin]

The chrome on my wheels is peeling and I get a "clikity-clikity-clickity" sound from it timed with the speed of the wheels, I just reach in and peel off the biggest chunk of chrome and that usually fixes it for a few months. Don't do it barehanded, that stuff is sharp.

well i dont think its the heat guard... things seemed pretty tight... and i have a 99... so no peeling chrome for my little wheels.... I hate sounds i cant identify and this things getting alot of those...

[CrnCnn]

i have a bad rattle that i thaught might be bad wheel bearings, but it didnt go away when they were re-packed....

can you describe this heat shield "rattle"? mine kinda sounds like bb's in one of those rain stick things... does that make sence? like a clikity-clikity-clickity shaking thing over and over again....

I dont think that is the sound but I dont know that I've heard a rain stick in a long time, or ever. I have the same loose shields Bart is describing. Mine happens mostly while sitting at a stop light or when I first start the VX. I used to have a Chevy that made that noise but it was a catalytic converter that was falling apart.

[nfpgasmask]

Oh yes, this was definitely the culprit of my loud jingling. Once I removed it, the rattling from the right side immediately went away. I still have a quiet rattle on the left side though, which I am going to find soon. I just figured that even though the sheilds are rusted, I am better off with them on. And quite honestly, it was pretty easy to do. Took me about 40 mintes to get them back on nice & tight. I don't know the source of the quiet rattle coming from the drivers side, but maybe its an O2 sensor like you said. I have to get under there again and poke around.

Bart

Are you sure it's a heat shield rattle - did it go away when you took off the shields?

I thought I had a heat shield rattle and hoped it would go away with the new exhaust system since the new system doesn't re-use the shields. It didn't, we found that it was an O2 sensor that rang like a bell when tapped - that was the rattle I heard. I replaced it and the rattle went away.

But now I have another one when I go over bumps.... another O2 sensor? dunno yet, too lazy and exhausted from Moab to look right now...