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General Information => General => Topic started by: 8v-of-fury on February 20, 2011, 08:06:49 pm

Title: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on February 20, 2011, 08:06:49 pm: It would appear I have developed a steering knock in my 84.. The steering wheel is wiggling back and forth upon driving.. and something is knock\clunking and it sounds like the steering rack.. car not moving slightly turning wheel from side to side will prompt the knock/clunk but it wont happen with the car moving by turning side to side. There will be further investigation tomorrow morning.

::) lol
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: theman53 on February 20, 2011, 08:08:30 pm: Did you put in the 80% kit? just wondering...
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: maxfax on February 20, 2011, 08:11:21 pm: Check out the column bearings and joints in the steering shaft.. Power racks will leak, but it's pretty rare for a steering rack to get loose on these..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on February 20, 2011, 08:14:11 pm: Manual rack, stock transmission.

Doesnt sound like column.. sounds like it is outside the cabin..

I have heard of racks coming loose.. hell for all i know i may be loosing another CV.. lol
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: theman53 on February 20, 2011, 08:19:57 pm: The Peloquin 80% kit ate one of my new CVs. The bolt backed out and then was digested buy the inner CV. Sounded a lot like the clunking you are talking about here.
The reason why I did all poly bushings was another clunk and vibration turning. The rubber was ripped out on mine so the rear portion of the control arm could just walk around. Prothane install no clunking, so I think I got it :D
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: maxfax on February 20, 2011, 08:23:34 pm: Loose rack or bushings taking a crap.. Or both! :P *Usually* a bad cv will make itself known one way or another with the car moving..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on February 20, 2011, 08:48:10 pm: well car moving the steering wheel goes back and forth on its own.. similar to the last time i had a cv die.. but not as roughly.

Both tierods are within 8k.. i dunno whats going on.. ill have to see tomorrow.
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: maxfax on February 20, 2011, 09:04:57 pm: Quote from: 8v-of-fury on February 20, 2011, 08:48:10 pm
well car moving the steering wheel goes back and forth on its own..

I missed that in your first post, that sounds more cv related... I've had them knock when turning the wheel sitting still, but it has always been acompanied by some sort of odd behavior while driving..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on February 21, 2011, 08:39:47 am: im voting for tires out of balance followed by worn suspension components..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on February 21, 2011, 08:53:43 am: k3vo at this point ANYTHING is possible :P lol

struts, and upper mounts have under roughly 30k
tierods within 8k

GOING OUTSIDE ;)
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on February 21, 2011, 09:01:55 am: sounds like a ball joint clunking maybe?

does it wander as you give it gas or let off the gas?

my jetta had a bad tie rod end, and it would pull right when accelerating, and left while decelerating..

anyway, jack up the front end and shake everything..

or leave it on the ground and turn the steering wheel, try and make it knock, then try and find the knock..

thats how i found out that i had a SEVERELY BLOWN OUT strut..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: rabbitman on February 21, 2011, 10:00:02 am: I saw that clunk on a chevy lumina van once, it was a bad ball joint. Make sure the big outer cv nut is tight too.
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on February 21, 2011, 02:05:12 pm: Front end jacked up. Laying underneath the car, one tire in each hand.. they move together and dont have any sort of play with another.. Turning the steering wheel moves both wheels the same amount even the most minuet movement. The noise is coming from the rack.. Inside of it.. weiird.
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: CRSMP5 on February 21, 2011, 02:12:42 pm: extend the rack all the way out on pass side... grab the boot/inner tie rod and move it back and fourth.. aka front/rear of car... that bushing fails..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: rabbitman on February 21, 2011, 07:04:55 pm: Quote from: CRSMP5 on February 21, 2011, 02:12:42 pm
extend the rack all the way out on pass side... grab the boot/inner tie rod and move it back and fourth.. aka front/rear of car... that bushing fails..

That bushing fell out in my Dad's '86 manual racked golf, no funny noises though.
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: CRSMP5 on February 21, 2011, 08:18:37 pm: i lowered my 82 coupe back in 96.. 2 weeks later i picked up my euro 2.0 tall bok and stuffed it into my 82 coupein 97 i put it all in my 84 coupe .but when i went to put it in my 82 the rack went from no issue at all to ohh my god its not safe never made noise either, it moved a good inch back and fourth.. :P

the change in ride height/angle of the tierod wiped it out in under 2 weeks..

sadly that was when you could no longer get good racks.. had a many febi ones that only lasted a few mo (customer cars from said clunk noise) till it wiped out said bushing.. i found a almost NIB rack from a 80 rocco that had under 1k on it when totaled.. still using that rack.. :D

so he needs to see if it moves/makes noise..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: rs899 on February 22, 2011, 03:44:08 am: extend the rack all the way out on pass side... grab the boot/inner tie rod and move it back and fourth.. aka front/rear of car... that bushing fails..

x4. That happened on my Caddy. I had a friend with a lathe make me a new bushing.
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on March 07, 2011, 07:06:03 pm: I will try this tomorrow. Havent had a chance or a piece of free time yet. Been driving the car everyday since I asked.. and it seems intermittent. Also This noise was apparent 4 years ago.. and then silent for EVER until now..
Title: Re: steering knock - diagnosis
Post by: 8v-of-fury on March 16, 2011, 01:19:58 pm: Csrmp5, tried your wiggle test... It moves, but its the drivers side.. And I found out I need a bearing on the drivers side too... Greeeat lmao. This car is just till I get my 81 on the road, and then a backup.. Guess I better spend the dough to make it a reliable back-up vehicle though lol.

So its a bushing that the rack slides in and out on? Serviceable part?