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Steering Noise NOW WITH VIDEO!


mra32

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So i've been inspired to figure out what this steering noise is.

 

There is a pop/crack coming from somewhere in the steering system on the drivers side. It seems to do it only at a certain steering angle and it will do it back and forth. Like it will pop at the same steering angle regardless of which way you are turning the wheel.

 

I had my roommate steer back and forth through the cracking with the car on the ground and engine on while i felt around for any movement. The noise/vibration certainly was not coming from the outer tie rod but once I jammed my hand in toward the rack, it became harder to figure out where it was coming from. I put my fingers between part of the rack and the subframe to see if the rack was loose in the subframe at all. As fas as i could tell it didnt move (if it did it was like 0.010" if that).

 

So what would cause a cracking/popping noise that only happens at a certain steering angle thats fairly loud in the steering system? Basically all I can think of is the rack moving (unlikely), inner tie rod being absolutely fuxz0red, some sort of wild failure in the rack, or something amiss in the steering coupler.

 

Right now i'm thinking its the rack. Any ideas or how to check things?

 

Oh by the way there is like 6 inches of snow on the ground, so the earliest I can work on it would be Friday at my friends garage.

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I checked the bolts they werent loose. The passenger side one is Hulk tight and I couldnt tighten the drivers side due to angle (i'll drop the subframe and check it out sometime) but it wasnt loose. Like I said, the rack wasn't moving when I felt around, but I couldnt get a visual on it.

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Bearing plate? Mine was seized and when you would turn the wheel and get to a certain point the spring would twist and make popping and cracking noises.

 

Another time, the little strut bumper was making popping noises. I put a finger full of grease on the shaft where the bumper was and solved that problem.

 

Both were very frustrating for me to find.

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brand new subframe bushings. The bearing plate is not new but it was changed out. As fas as i could tell the sound remained the same.

 

 

The clunking/popping is centralized at the RACK. It would have to be something in the rack or attached to it. If you need vids i can provide, but its pretty straightforward. A loud whack/pop/clunk noise coming from the rack at a certain steering angle.

 

Would the steering coupler make crappy noises? Outer tie rod end? Something else in the rack?

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I had a issue with steering clunk, turned out my rack needed tightened down a little more, never heard it again.

 

also, check the strut bearings.

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Intermediate Steering Shaft? That usually goes on 00+ W-Bodys it makes the same noise that you are describing. I don't know if that has anything to do with the rack or not?

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Ok, i retract a previous statement. It happens at pretty much all steering angles and makes a noise going from turning one way to the other. Now I might accept loose drivers side bolt a little easier. But it definitely wasnt like OMG loose.

 

I took some vids inside and outside the car with it on and just parked. I might have been parked on some roots bucking the pavement on the passenger side, but that would only help the sound happen.

 

th_MVI_2054.jpg

 

th_MVI_2055.jpg

 

Chris, is that the noise you were getting with a loose rack bolt?

 

 

Like I said, If the rack moved at all it was like 0.010" Any suggestions on how to tighten the driver side bolt? I'm thinking i'll probably have to lower the subframe and take off the rear mounts of the sway bar. This might also be a good time to put the 34mm sway bar u-bolt type thing in...is there any reason the 34mm one uses that and the smaller one doesn't?

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sounds similar, however its been several years now so i can't say for sure.

 

I don't even remember how i got to them, I know i did it laying in the street with a jack supporting the car.

 

as for the swaybar thing, i have absoutley no clue!

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This might also be a good time to put the 34mm sway bar u-bolt type thing in...is there any reason the 34mm one uses that and the smaller one doesn't?

Strength.

The 34mm bar puts quite a bit more load on the mounting brackets than the smaller bar. The u-bolts are to try to keep it from pulling out.

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OK I just turned the driver side bolt (I didn't have a wrench on the other side, cos I couldnt fit one and only had a limited time to try to see what was up). That seemed to clear up my growing issue. I'm glad that was it and it makes my car much more fun to drive since there is less weird noises coming from it.

 

I am slowly tracking down all weird noises in my car and figure I will have all strange noises in my car tracked down by spring.

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OK I just turned the driver side bolt (I didn't have a wrench on the other side, cos I couldnt fit one and only had a limited time to try to see what was up). That seemed to clear up my growing issue. I'm glad that was it and it makes my car much more fun to drive since there is less weird noises coming from it.

 

I am slowly tracking down all weird noises in my car and figure I will have all strange noises in my car tracked down by spring.

 

Sounds good. Keep posting them all so we know what they are when we run into them.

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