Steering clunk... clunk over hard bumps
- Thread starter kruegs
- Start date
TonysRunnin
New member
Hey man, I just read this thread, you posted a while ago. I'm having the same sound....just wondering if you figured it out?
Thorgan112
New member
I replaced by rack and pinion bushings, and the tie rods, and cvs and that clunk is now gone, but now I have another one:AK47: grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Nelsonmd
New member
Steering column clunk is when you are steering back and forth. Shimmy is not caused by the steering column. The steering column tack weld is a desperate fix for a very specific symptom, which you HAVE to diagnose properly first. Read the threads on it and make sure you get your hand on the column while someone turns and you can actually feel the play. Until you do that, look elsewhere for your problem and don't tack weld. You are disabling a safety feature when you do that.
For shimmy's, they pretty well covered the possibilities, steering components, joints, steering rack bushings and guide, etc.
And don't forget that suspension can affect this stuff too. I had steering looseness over bumps and it was the suspension, nothing in the steering.
TonysRunnin
New member
What do you figure was the culprit.....the rack and pinion? Sucks you got another clunk!
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G-C@T
Junior Member
I have a 2008 SR5. The clunking sound coming from my front end turned out to be due to the front stabilizer bushings. The sway bar is supposed to twist while seated in the rubber bushings but I think the rubber became less supple and was gripping the bar too much and allowing the bar to smoothly twist in the mount. When it finally did give, it made a clunking sound. I replaced the bushings with new ones but probably could have just taken it apart and put some silicone grease between the bar and the bushing and solved the problem. Easy cheap fix. FYI the bushing bracket clamps are marked left and right.
Steering slip joint
Check your steering column for play. Mine is heinously noisy over bumps... and worn control arm bushings/suspension stuff will exacerbate it. Reach under the dash, inside the rig, and grab the steering shaft. Move the wheel with your free hand left to right slowly. If the wheel moves, and the shaft in your other hand doesnt then there is a ton of play there. Mine is obnoxious. I'm hitting the bone yard this weekend to find one that doesn't have as much play as mine.
Check your steering column for play. Mine is heinously noisy over bumps... and worn control arm bushings/suspension stuff will exacerbate it. Reach under the dash, inside the rig, and grab the steering shaft. Move the wheel with your free hand left to right slowly. If the wheel moves, and the shaft in your other hand doesnt then there is a ton of play there. Mine is obnoxious. I'm hitting the bone yard this weekend to find one that doesn't have as much play as mine.
97t4r81
New member
Thanks! I know about welding it, but I'm an EMT, I've seen what steering wheels do to people when they slam into them.... I'd rather just replace it with new, or at least better than I have.
97t4r81
New member
Definitely not a mod to override a safety feature, I agree that wheel needs to collapse on impact. Check out the write up though before you invest time or money.
It's just a small tack weld, maybe two. I suck at links,but the write up I'm referring to is very informative. The author even cut into the welds to maintain that safety feature of the column. Even "jb weld" on the slip shaft may help ya out.
