Creaky steering
 

I've been meaning to ask about this for a few weeks but kept forgetting (not been using the car much). At low speed, with the window down and the radio off, I can hear a creaking coming from the front when I turn the steering wheel. When I'm stopped at home, it makes a really loud creaking if I turn to the right, then still creaks but a lot quieter when I turn the wheel to the left. Is this likely to be the inner/outer track rods or possibly something else? Need to get it sorted soon as the MoT is out in 5 weeks.

Cheers.

Ps. I've got a video on my phone, I'll try and upload to youtube when I get home from work and then link it here.

Strut top bearings perhaps Derrick?

Worth a look, as these can be checked (with assistance) by rocking the steering wheel, while placing a hand on one of the spring coils and feeling for roughness.

Brian :D

Brian as usual is spot on, boy do they “twang” when you have your hand on the spring.
Mick

Thanks, I’ll see if I can get my hand in that gap and check, if it is those, are they especially tricky to replace? Need spring compressors for it I guess?

That would be my educated guess as well.

Nice easy fix !

Just got my son to turn the wheel for me before I dropped them off at school, there’s a definite knock on the drivers side. I’m sure I’ve got a spare strut top bearing somewhere too. Though I’m wondering if I should take the opportunity to do the spring as well, 170,000 miles and still on the originals.

If you wanted to do the top bearing fairly effortlessly, you could simply comress the spring, release the top nut , leave the spring compressed to the strut, swop over the bearing and re-assemble. The spring condition cannot really be judged over mileage or visuallly to any real degree. Surface corrosion is normally found due to powder coating rubbish. If the corrosion is well set in and the effect has reduced the material diameter substantially - then yes change it as a matter of course.

No you can't, well certainly not safely ;)

Brian :D

That's what I thought so I asked that question.


( Must be doing something right as I still have all my fingers at 82.---:D--)

Not in a month of Sundays - No.
But with the whole leg off the car IE:
Drop off the caliper complete & detach hose mount and tie / support
Drop off the track rod end and drop link from anti roll bar end.
Drop off the hub nut and bottom ball joint from the hub.
ABS wiring plug from engine bay
Then the 3 turret nuts off, then you have the whole leg there in your hand.
Place the leg into a vice or secure as well as possible, attach your spring clamps to the spring and the lower clamps to the PLATFORM BASE.
Attach a load strap to the middle of the coils and loop the strap to the leg lower end and take the slack up gradually as you slowly compress the spring sufficiently to release the top mount components, at this stage dont release the clamps or strap! Leave it all in the compressed state. A small clamping device to prevent the piston receeding is a good plan and will save time !
Remove the top mount, Clean components, re-assemble the top mount and attach ensuring the spring is still located at the base properly. Slowly release the clamps and strap progressively. This completed the re-fit is similar to removal process.
Plenty have been done using this strategy, even on a call out process in public car parks where the spring has broken.
So easily done with good tooling and the process of safety as paramount importance !

The piston clamp to prevent the strut receding is -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLAMP-FOR...72.m2749.l2649

Happy to do it if your in doubt !

Thanks, not sure I fancy messing with spring clamps on this car, it was dodgy enough on the little springs on the wife’s corsa, ZT springs look a lot more destructive. I think the driver side spring has started to rust fairly bad too, so should imagine I’d be best replacing that while I’m there, and then I’d have to do the other side. The more I type the more I’m convincing myself it’s a garage job!

I had mine done at a garage, it wasn't overly expensive.

Wow. Now that's a TINY bit different to your number 8 post.---:D


Not really a DIY job for most folk.---:laughing2::target:

Really ?

The post 8 gave a brief idea of the "Plan of attack"
The following post I made, gave a bit more detail, but either way - after you've done a few of these they are far from a complex job. The safety aspect is important, but just to add to the post :
As this is a ZT, the spring length is much shorter than a standard 75 spring for a diesel, this in part makes the job much easier.

Anyhow, I have made the offer and that's that !

Nothing in life was made to be easy, but we find ways to manage the hurdles as they come along !

I didn't see the offer of help before. I'll get back to you on that, currently trying to price up parts on rimmers but their site doesn't seem to be working properly for me at the moment.

Roger. Lots of the forum members have few tools and little knowledge of mechanical things. Probably more than 90% of the car drivers on the road have no idea how their car works.

The work you suggest is complex. I suspect you are looking at this from an engineers point of view.

For instance a couple of my intelligent friends, accountant/stock exchange members, wouldn't even be sure what end of a spanner to use. Like the majority of car owners they pay others to do the dirty work.--:D:D:D

I understand you, I look after plenty of these when time allows.
Yes I have the tools, experience and enthusiasm to perform this type of repair and have spent many occasions working alongside PhilT-4 completing many repairs that many would not even dream of doing.
So I hear what you say. I cannot do simple things like decorate a room, or fit carpets for example, so we all have our specific forte :}

The vehicle in question will be over tomorrow afternoon for the repair and some T-4 investigations. :}

That is a very risky way to attempt it, you risk the compressors slipping and taking your fingers off..

I guess you would need to keep a tube of Super-Glue handy then Harry.--:eek:


PS. How would you pick those fingers up ??---:shrug: