Ok, a few thoughts would be helpfull here.

In idol (only when the fans draw in, not all the time) and under light acceleration, basicaly enough to make the block shudder i am getting a light metallic rattle froming from the drivers side front.
I havent narrowed it down to the suspention or the engine bay because it wont always happen on its own and im not in the car to press the accelerator to force it to make the noise.

It probably happens at higher revs or all revs but the engine becomes too loud to hear it.

It sounds like 2 thin bits of metal vibrating together, possibley a loose hose clamp?
I know its not much to go on but if anyone has had anything similar a starting point would be lovely.
Im putting it up on a hoist on Saturday to take a look, some idea before then would be fantastic.

TJ AWD
Last mod was extractors if that helps.

No recent bangs or potholes
It did have a service about 3 weeks ago
Started recently.


Thanks.

Exhuast heat shield rattling against the exhaust? That'd be my best guess.

Mine was doing exactly what you described when the cat was cactus. Give it a bang and see what happens.

If it was the cat though, you should get a rotten egg smell. But Lugo said to check can't hurt either.

Mines started to rattle also on start up, I've put it down to the heat shield on the exhaust manifold rattling.
Nothing major, just annoying.

i also have a rh side rattle...am thinking it could be a the tensioner or something behind the cover???

i have always been told its the y piece in your exhaust, i got the same thing, i have my heatshield already taken off, the exhaust guy gave my cat a lil tap and nothing happened but i may give it another. i rekon its manifold heatshields perhaps..but i cant get mine off lol

i just let my car warm up a lil anyway, then the rattle is easier to hide

Normally I'd suggest those because the engine pipe is known to have a rattling sound from that little bit of metal where the join is - however, OP mentioned he had just done extractors, which do not have this fault.

Yeah i've got that darned shield rattle too.. driving me nuts! How unwise is it to remove the heat shield? Will it create any problems down the track?

Sounds to me like your belts being a/c and alternator belts.
They stretch and need replacing/tightening.

Sounds strange i know, i had it in my AWD under warranty and mitsub couldnt find it, replacing the whole exhaust in the mean time.
Turns out it was the belts and walla, silent again.

pretty sure it isnt the heat sheilds on the extractos.

mine does this between 1300 2000 under low-normal acceleration.

sounds kinda like a rodeo diesel.

i think it is the flexible piece or the y piece heat shields as said before becase i have checked and double my heat shield on the exractors.

also, mine only started after i did the clutch, because the motor had to be dropped a bit, it may have flexed one of these components a little too much.

Quite honestly take the heatshield off your secondary collector (the Y piece) and the rattle will magically disappear. Worth a shot :)

Quite honestly take the heatshield off your secondary collector (the Y piece) and the rattle will magically disappear. Worth a shot :)

Any heat issues if you do this? or are you suggesting temporarily?

If it was the cat though, you should get a rotten egg smell. But Lugo said to check can't hurt either.
Mine was stuffed and it didn't smell one bit.

Apparently they don't have much of a tendency to smell if they just crack inside, they smell when they actually break up.

Luci mate, he has extractors, was in the OP lol

Could be a couple of things, some extractors are very close to the floor on the AWD's and this could be just tapping there. Also check the Cat, you never know as these can also cause a metalic rattle

Also a little left of field, check your belts and the tensioners as these can make a very similar sound