Talons Cat Shield Creaks and Noises. Is this normal?

Recently installed Talons cat shield- both transmission and transfer case plates for full coverage. I must say the coverage and materials are top notch; however when I drive over uneven roads, slanted driveways, dips, and speed bumps I can hear the cat shield creaking and pinging underneath rather prominently. I tightened all the hardware down properly. When I try to move the plates around from underneath with my hand it doesn’t move around but when I’m driving around there must be some give hence the noises. Is this normal? Others experiencing the same? Kind of bothers me because I hear it every day.

@Talon2006

 

Sub'd.

This is a common issue with most skids, I even have it with my eBay copycat TRD engine skid+RCI trans skid. Most people will say proper torque is required or suggest to use rubber or nylon washers.

I noticed mine started creaking after I removed it to clean up spilt oil from an oil change I did. I didn't properly torque it when I put it back on so I know that's likely to be my problem. If you over tighten, that will cause it to creak n pop.

 

Very common with skid or protection plates such as these and the TRD front skid plate. Toyota even has a TSB for the TRD plate.
My solution was to trace the overlap of all the plates and note where they came in contact to the frame. I then removed them and glued a thin layer of rubber roofing membrane to the plates. This eliminated all of the noises. As mentioned above, rubber or nylon washers may do the trick, but when I used them, it still made some noise.

 

When I had this, I *believe* the issue was that it was making contact with some heat shield or other. Removed it and the issue was fixed.

 

Mine did this for the first 1-2 weeks then seemed to settle. No more noise at all with no action taken.

 

Did you remove the transfer case skid?

 

Do you have the TRD front plate?

The other suggestions above are the best course of action. To date this has not happened on a truck local to us for us to get our hands on it and play with it.

Do you have larger tires or anything aftermarket suspension wise?

 

Yes I did.

 

I do not have the TRD skid plate and I removed the stock transfer case skid. My truck is complete stock. Tires and suspension are all factory. The sounds I’m hearing are not rattles so I don’t think it’s rubbing on anything. The sounds are more creaks and pinging noises as if the plates are flexing. Do you think I didn’t tighten them down enough? Is is true over tightening can cause the noises? If I try move either plate with my hands they seem very snug but when my truck is going over uneven or slanted roads the weight of the truck I’m guessing is ever so slightly shifting it around perhaps. I’m not really not sure. You sent me the thick washers by request but I haven’t gotten around to swapping them out with the thin ones I initially received. Do you think it would help it?

 

Sub for solutions. My skids didn't make any noise initially.it took maybe a year. Now it drivese nuts with the popping.

I also have a rattle from the center console that I've been fighting. Today I'm putting down either some sound deadening material and possibly some cloth tape in a few spots.

 

Those are a lot of specific questions to a very broad issue. Any one of those could solve the issue or make the issue worse. Maybe your plates are already tight, so making it tighter will make it worse. Maybe they are loose so tighter will help. As I said before, we have not had a Tundra locally ever have this problem, so I have not been able to gain any first hand experience on the tundra. I do think that part of the issue is there is something on your truck allowing the plates to slip. Maybe it got a little bit of oil on it at some point? Hard to say without putting my hands on it. I do think the thicker washers would help, as the thinner ones can flex and won't provide as much clamping force. If I was going to drop the skids to do this I would do what @Bergy24 suggested at the same time.... or just throw a nylon washer or two on there.

I personally have a F-150 and a Bronco with my skids on it. Have never heard a noise. Sent out a set of skids to a youtuber, and go figure he got some noise. He actually got some good video of the issue, and it was fixed with some longer bolts. (he was also helping with a new skid setup that we prototyped.) He talks about the issue he had at 7:25. I since went back to my truck and have messed with it trying to get it to make a noise, leaving the bolts really loose, slowly tightening it, still nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtpYeWBwPb8&t=24s

I really do not think this is that common of a problem, and it is not concentrated to one specific brand of skid plates but it does suck when it happens to you.

Here are a few other threads with the same/similar issues, and there are a few fixes in there.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/popping-noise-after-turning-on-incline.12101/#post-215185
https://www.tundras.com/threads/cat-plates-creaking-and-noisy.146866/#post-3682685
https://www.tundras.com/threads/skid-plate-creak-squeak.137410/#post-3476926
https://www.tundras.com/threads/tundra-trd-pro-skid-plate-noise.53618/

 

Where do you suggest I try nylon washers? Add it on top of all steel washers you provided? Do you have a torque setting for your hardware?

 

I have rubber sheeting between every overlap of the valhalla shields and my TRD front skid and it constantly creaks. I'm ready to take all these off. SHields cam on the truck when I bought it. Drives me nuts.

 

I'll have to listen for mine. RCI aluminum front and steel trans/cat shields. I don't recall anything but the rubber between their mating surfaces sounds like it would do the trick.

 

What about between the plates and the frame? If not, try that.