A rattle or clunk sound may be heard at the front of the vehicle on some 2017-2023 Acadia; 2018-2023 Traverse; 2019-2023 Blazer; and 2020-2023 XT5 models. The sound may seem to be coming from a strut, control arm or sway bar. It may be possible to duplicate the concern by driving the vehicle over bumps or making turning maneuvers.
The rattle or clunk sound may be the result of a loose, mispositioned or improperly torqued cradle brace. The cradle brace is a flat bar that is bolted across the cradle. (Fig. 13, #1)
Fig. 13
If the rattle or clunk sound is heard, check the position of the cradle brace. To verify the source of the sound, remove the cradle brace (Fig. 14) and drive the vehicle under conditions that will cause the sound. If the sound is no longer heard while driving with the brace removed, reinstall the brace and torque it to the proper specification.
Fig. 14
TIP: Do not simply torque the cradle brace to specification. The cradle brace bolts are torque-to-yield (single use) fasteners. New fasteners must be used when installing the brace. Be sure to remove and reinstall the brace with new torque-to-yield fasteners before torqueing the bolts to specification.
Refer to #PIT5931 for more information.
– Thanks to David Goodrow
