Any ideas for building a 'car rattler'?

[alchemysa]

Best way I've found to get rid of rattles is - Don't buy a Dodge.

Or any wagon. But I like wagons.

 

[bcp]

You fix rattles by turning up the volume on your radio.

Bruce

 

[SPYDERLK]

Variable speed on the fly is essential, but don't need variable amplitude on the fly. That would get very complicated.

'Some sort of Cam'. I like it! How about using a head off an old overhead cam engine? (An old V6 head for example). A cam is strong enough to carry one corner of a car and its already mounted in the head with bearings and everything. Beautiful. The cam could be belt driven using a V belt and pulley to replace the original timing belt sprocket. A plate, hinged at one end could be resting on top of the cam shaft, maybe with thick nylon runners bolted to the underside of the plate so its only sitting on 2 matching cams at once.

A problem could be that the 'rattler' makes more racket than the rattles, but this sounds like a direction worth considering.

NOT.

Amplitude is too low. Forces are too hi.

 

[jaotguy]

think 1/4 Hp electric motor ( with brushes like a variable speed drill ) with a wheel / pulley on the end .... mount on a vertical surface ... have an arm from the circumference down to a plate on the ground so that you have 1 " of up and down when it rotates ... ( wiper arms and motor style ) ... plug the motor into a variable speed controller for a drill press or router to vary the speed of the rotating wheel with the arm attached .... drive wheel onto the plate and turn the unit on ...

or shim it up so it rests under the frame with tension so you only shake the body and not the wheels and suspension parts ...

 

[bcp]

How do railcar shakers work?

RSCS | Railcar Loading & Unloading Shaker Equipment | NAVCO

POCKET ROCK-IT® Closed Top Hopper Solutions

VIBCO Railcar Vibrators and Shakers

Rail Car Shakers | M.C.Schroeder

Bruce

 

[alchemysa]

think 1/4 Hp electric motor ( with brushes like a variable speed drill ) with a wheel / pulley on the end .... mount on a vertical surface ... have an arm from the circumference down to a plate on the ground so that you have 1 " of up and down when it rotates ... ( wiper arms and motor style ) ... plug the motor into a variable speed controller for a drill press or router to vary the speed of the rotating wheel with the arm attached .... drive wheel onto the plate and turn the unit on ...

or shim it up so it rests under the frame with tension so you only shake the body and not the wheels and suspension parts ...

Yes, something driven by a variable speed corded drill would be good.

 

[alchemysa]

NOT.

Amplitude is too low. Forces are too hi.

Yeah I realised that after I typed it. Amplitude wouldnt even be a 1/2". Useful perhaps to establish a high frequency rattle but theres probably simpler ways to do that.