Source of steering noise?
06-16-2004, 09:32 PM
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Source of steering noise?
I borrowed my mom's Town & Country today, and noticed this sort of creaking/ratcheting noise. I traced it to the area of the driver's side front wheel well, and then realized it was happening when I turned the steering wheel.
The noise happens all the time, not just when the car is making a turn like when a CV boot or joint is messed up. I'm thinking maybe it has a bad tie rod end, which would cause the steering to make the ratcheting noise.
Any suggestions?
The noise happens all the time, not just when the car is making a turn like when a CV boot or joint is messed up. I'm thinking maybe it has a bad tie rod end, which would cause the steering to make the ratcheting noise.
Any suggestions?
06-16-2004, 09:52 PM
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if it were the tie rod you would notice it the wheel shaking when your driving...is it a rolling ratcheting sound or a what is ratcheting sound? Does it do it when the van is going straight, or only when the wheel is turned, or when it's not moving?
06-16-2004, 10:16 PM
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Any time the steering wheel is turned, the car makes the noise. Driving straight with a slight course correction, making a turn, or while the car is parked with the engine on (it's too hard to turn the wheel w/o power assist). "Rolling ratcheting" is probably the best description for it. The wheel isn't shaking or anything like that, and no vibration from the ratcheting noise makes its way through to my fingertips via the wheel.
Last edited by MrFatbooty; 06-16-2004 at 10:18 PM.
06-16-2004, 10:19 PM
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with the wheel down on ground grab hold of it and pull it towards you. if there is play it could be the control arm or warn ball joint of one kind or another.
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06-16-2004, 10:49 PM
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Aytime the car is moving or sitting still...It's hard this way but I take it you checked the powersteering fluid, as well as the lug nuts to insure they are tight, other then that I got nothin.
06-17-2004, 03:42 AM
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i know it sounds stupid but did you check the power steering fluid to make sure it is full? When I use to work at a job where I drove vans they would make those noises all the time because they leaked power steering fluid. Once we would fill it up, they'd be fine until they got low again
06-17-2004, 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by FA9S8U
Aytime the car is moving or sitting still...It's hard this way but I take it you checked the powersteering fluid, as well as the lug nuts to insure they are tight, other then that I got nothin.
loose lug nuts wouldn't make noise when not moving
also if a few are loose then you would feel vibration through the steering wheel when power is not applied.
PS fluid sounds like a good item to check.
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06-17-2004, 08:43 AM
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Originally Posted by DakarM
with the wheel down on ground grab hold of it and pull it towards you. if there is play it could be the control arm or warn ball joint of one kind or another.