creaking noise from steering wheel

Mon Oct 30, 2006 12:39 am

Hello all,

Changed the power steering belt a couple of months back and also bled the power steering fluid all the way through the steering system. However, I'm still getting a very loud creaking noise from the steering column when turning full lock to the right - it almost sounds like metal on metal which could do with a spot of WD40 (kidding).

Anyone have any ideas what the problem could be and how to rectify this?

Cheers

Ben

Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:09 pm

No idea.

You'll have to get a mate in the car wiggling the wheel while you track it down - ideally without getting any fingers taken out by the drive belts...

Listening down a long screwdriver can help locate sounds sometimes.

Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:30 pm

Mate of mine had the same problem a few weeks ago.
Think he finally traced it to the point where the column goes through the bulkhead, by carefully squirting WD40 around the area.
HTH
Iain S

Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:30 pm

think ul find its your rack mines doing it im geussing it travels through the coulum

Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:14 pm

try changing the fluid with new stuff, and make sure when you flush the system through you do it untill the stuff being bled out is the same colour as whats going in (remember to top up as your constantly bleeding it)

it should take a few litres to do this apparetnly

also check to make sure that the tension on the new belt is still ok and it hasn't streched slightly or the pump hasn't moved slighty on its mounting bolts

Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:53 pm

Thanks for the comments chaps - i'll have to work on this over the weekend to see where the problem is.

billgatese30 - I did flush the power steering system quite a bit before, seemed to do the trick for a little while but it's now back with a vengeance. Hope it's not leaking - don't think it is though.

Cheers

Ben

Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:28 am

I had something similar on mine - creaking when turning the wheel to the right, but only at very low speeds. This disappeared when I changed the o/s track rod (old one had a worn ball joint at the rack end).
Still don't really know where the creaking came from, but it's gone now!

Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:59 pm

I also have this problem - and on two different cars! It's a real dry metal on metal sound, kind of like when you drag a steel legged table across a solid floor...! Only happens to me when I turn the wheel to the right after making an almost full lock left turn (3 point turn into a driveway, slight slope). Seems like some sort of clearance issue with the steering components? I can't seem to see how the power steering pump and belts could make this sort of noise.

JP