Those of us running bigger tires know how tight of a squeeze it can be back there. Lately, I've been hearing a pop/clunk/rattle in the back that was getting annoying. While trying to find the noise, I hit my spare and was able to reproduce it. Crawling under, I saw where the tire was hitting the heatsheild whenever I stopped or accelerated. It was made worse by the fact the the shield was loose and then rattling against the body. Here's how I fixed it.

TOOLS:
Brake quiet
BFH
Scrivet puller/needlenose
POM riveter (Harbor freight)
6.3x25.2 POM rivet (Harbor freight)

Step 1: Lower spare.

Step 2: Hammer any spots where witness marks from tires appear

Step 3: Remove plastic rivet

Step 4: Liberally apply brake quiet between heatshield and body

Step 5: Resecure shield with POM rivet. (This holds much tighter than the original)

Step 6: Re-install spare

Before: (You can see a small black mark from the tire to the right of the rivet)


After: (The whole backside is covered in brake quiet)

_________________
2008 Liberty Sport
OME Lift, JBA A-Arms + Track Bar
245/75/16 Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus
Numerous junkyard upgrades