Center Console Creak - SOLVED
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 175
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From: South Glastonbury, CT
Center Console Creak - SOLVED
The center console squeak has been driving me crazy for months. As my wife likes to lean her elbow against it, the creak is constantly there. Anyways, the problem may be different for you, but for me, it had to do with the entire plastic piece underneath the top-most lid. Basically, even though the screws underneath were tight, that entire plastic piece still had movement (compress the top of the top-most lid and the underneath plastic piece together to see what I mean). I think this level of movement caused it to creak or rub when my wife leaned on the top, compressing the top-most lid.
To test my theory, I loosened the screws and placed small folded (to make it thick) pieces of cardboard (from a box) into 4 small gaps. These pieces of cardboard act as shims to minimize the compression phenomenon. After tightening the screws, the shims stay in place.
Creaking gone.
Jung
To test my theory, I loosened the screws and placed small folded (to make it thick) pieces of cardboard (from a box) into 4 small gaps. These pieces of cardboard act as shims to minimize the compression phenomenon. After tightening the screws, the shims stay in place.
Creaking gone.
Jung
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Re: Center Console Creak - SOLVED
Originally posted by jjpark
The center console squeak has been driving me crazy for months. As my wife likes to lean her elbow against it, the creak is constantly there. Anyways, the problem may be different for you, but for me, it had to do with the entire plastic piece underneath the top-most lid. Basically, even though the screws underneath were tight, that entire plastic piece still had movement (compress the top of the top-most lid and the underneath plastic piece together to see what I mean). I think this level of movement caused it to creak or rub when my wife leaned on the top, compressing the top-most lid.
To test my theory, I loosened the screws and placed small folded (to make it thick) pieces of cardboard (from a box) into 4 small gaps. These pieces of cardboard act as shims to minimize the compression phenomenon. After tightening the screws, the shims stay in place.
Creaking gone.
Jung
The center console squeak has been driving me crazy for months. As my wife likes to lean her elbow against it, the creak is constantly there. Anyways, the problem may be different for you, but for me, it had to do with the entire plastic piece underneath the top-most lid. Basically, even though the screws underneath were tight, that entire plastic piece still had movement (compress the top of the top-most lid and the underneath plastic piece together to see what I mean). I think this level of movement caused it to creak or rub when my wife leaned on the top, compressing the top-most lid.
To test my theory, I loosened the screws and placed small folded (to make it thick) pieces of cardboard (from a box) into 4 small gaps. These pieces of cardboard act as shims to minimize the compression phenomenon. After tightening the screws, the shims stay in place.
Creaking gone.
Jung
:p 
2400 Watts in a TL...Why?
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 1
From: Richmond Hill, Ontario
Pick up some rubber washers at Home depot and either cut them and use them as spacers or use them how they are supposed to be used. Rubber washers if found in the right size shouild work without cutting them. Keep the page updated if anyone tries this.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 175
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From: South Glastonbury, CT
Problem with the above solution: when I extend the arm rest, the shims pop out!
So instead, I took the entire top portion off and then apart. It seems the real cause of the creak is coming from the slider mechanism having too much play. There are adjustable plastic blocks which have grooves. The grooves allow the whole arm rest to slide. If the plastic blocks aren't abutted to the slider tight enough, there's too much play. I adjust the plastic blocks tighter against the slider and tightened everything else as I put it back together. In any case, this method seems to have worked. Plus, no shims needed.
Jung
So instead, I took the entire top portion off and then apart. It seems the real cause of the creak is coming from the slider mechanism having too much play. There are adjustable plastic blocks which have grooves. The grooves allow the whole arm rest to slide. If the plastic blocks aren't abutted to the slider tight enough, there's too much play. I adjust the plastic blocks tighter against the slider and tightened everything else as I put it back together. In any case, this method seems to have worked. Plus, no shims needed.
Jung
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