Can you help me tracking down that clunky noise on my steering system?


It's about 2 or 3 years that my steering rack clunk when you turn the wheel and my mechanic never sorted it out.

Symptoms
Car completely still: you turn the wheel from left to right and vice versa; you hear a clunk sound; it happens especially when the wheels are near the lock.
When you drive the car, you can hear it when you try to park the car, or when you drive and you make a really tight turn.

It appears you can hear the cluck only wen you put a lot of force /stress in the steering system.

So far, I've checked all the moving parts (my wife was turning the wheel)
No noise or sudden vibration from suspensions, track rod end;
I can feel the sudden vibration on both the inner tie rods, so the problem is from there back to the wheel.

I've already changed one of the two inner tie rods (I was sure the problem was there) and it seems a little better, but I'm not so sure.


If I jack the car up, I can't reproduce the clunk.


If anyone has tips 'n tricks to track down the culprit, I'm all ears:worship:....

I had a similar noise, it was the top strut mounts were dry and the springs was moving a couple of millimetres causing a clunk.
I poured some light oil like 3 in 1 down and around the mounts and it sorted it.

alfacool said:

I had a similar noise, it was the top strut mounts were dry and the springs was moving a couple of millimetres causing a clunk.
I poured some light oil like 3 in 1 down and around the mounts and it sorted it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience, but it not my case:

I've just finished a big fixing and replacing on the car, and I've changed the dampers, and double checked the top strut mounts.

I'm also sure that is not the case, because as I said I've found, using hands and ears, that the knock is from the inner tie end back to the steering wheel....

when you changed the dampers, did the top mounts spin smoothly before refitting the assembly?

D

The bottom ball joints make a creaking clunking nose when they are worn out. Noticeable when turning at slow speed when parking???

when you changed the dampers, did the top mounts spin smoothly before refitting the assembly?

Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely

The bottom ball joints make a creaking clunking nose when they are worn out. Noticeable when turning at slow speed when parking???

Click to expand...

They are brand new (it was one of the job I've done, because they been working well, but the gaiters were in bad condition; so I 've changed them).

You have to believe me, I'm SURE that the problem is between the inner tie rod and the steering wheel, but I'm not sure were.

Do you know anything about the bushing in the steering rack? I suspect the problem is there, but I never take apart one of those.

I was thinking to change the whole steering rack, but .. if the problem is elsewhere, for example the steering shaft, u-joint, ecc.
Anyone that know how to check properly to see if one or the other?

Thanks.

I've managed to reach with my hand the steering rack from above (I can't jack it up if I want to test.
I have all the a/c hoses and pipes in the way, but when I get a good grasp on the steering rack, I can feel like a stroke of a hammer from the inside, at the same moment I hear the "clunk".

If I keep my hand on the u-joint inside the car when it turns, I can feel the same knock but a bit less loud....
And no part of the u-joint seems to play in.....

I'll double check the bolt on the joint just to be sure it's tight enough....

I would replace the remaining inner and outer tie rods.

First job I did to my Sei when i got it with 80k miles on the clock.

It seems the rack rarely fails.

hello guys,

I'm just posting here to say that I've changed the steering rack (without changing the outer tie rods), and after several months all is working perfectly.

thank you for your cooperation.