steering rack creak

[Jonff]

I've tried searching but there doesn't appear to be answers to the issue I have.

While stationary, if I turn the steering wheel slightly I get a slight creaking sound from the rack, sounds very similar to a stiff door hinge. The noise is definitely coming from the rack and not the top mounts. Another thing that's making it difficult to diagnose is when I put the car on axel stands to inspect it, the noise disappears.

I've tried lubricating the UJ joint, and the rack bushes appear to be solid. I haven't got any strange sensations coming through the steering wheel and the car steers and handles as it should, it's just this annoying noise I get.

Anyone have any other ideas to what it could be?

 

[Chri5]

Mine starting doing this a few months back (also stopped when it was jacked up) then suddenly it dissappeared BUT the car now handles terribly and pulls itself all over the place. Its really making me think it could be the rack bushes.

I REALLY must get round to doing them :/

 

[Jonff]

When you say it pulls it's self all over the place, do you mean whilst accelerating, over rough ground etc? Or all the time?

 

[Chri5]

It just feels "wrong", has a mind of its own when accelerating, and follows every dip in the road. (I had the tracking done last november, and went back again a week later, albeit after a track day and it was miles out again) Also when braking hard on a not-so-perfect road its really quite bad. It never used to do it, something is definately moving about.

 

[_WILL_]

Mine is pulling about terribly, I have done rack bushes, track rods and track rod ends. Next on the list is wishbone bushes for me. Just hope it is not the rack that is gone!!

 

[Chri5]

Ive also recently done the track rods and ends. Ideally I want to do the wishbones too but they're not the cheapest, so rack bushes is next. I do hope its them If its the rack itself I wont be pleased Its not a common problem for them to go though

 

[Jonff]

It just feels "wrong", has a mind of its own when accelerating, and follows every dip in the road. (I had the tracking done last november, and went back again a week later, albeit after a track day and it was miles out again) Also when braking hard on a not-so-perfect road its really quite bad. It never used to do it, something is definately moving about.

Mine did exactly that when I had a knackered inner tie rod. I still do get a degree of "pulling" when accelerating on rough ground but nothing like it was.

 

[Chri5]

The thing is it started pulling about before I did the track rods, which is why I changed them. It didnt make alot of difference, it just sharpened up the initial steering but still wanders about. The shocks are only a year or so old too which I know can make it duck and dive about. Obviously thats not your creaking problem though.

 

[_WILL_]

Ive also recently done the track rods and ends. Ideally I want to do the wishbones too but they're not the cheapest, so rack bushes is next. I do hope its them If its the rack itself I wont be pleased Its not a common problem for them to go though

I did exactly what you did, cheap things / easy things first. Wishbone bushes are next for me. Really not sure if I should go with poly bushes or go standard again, not sure I really rate the poly bushes for a road car. Also not sure if I should try and just do new bushes or go all out and get new wishbones while im at it.

I was looking at the various rose joint / bearing conversions that places like K-Tec do to replace the bushes. Think they may be a little brutal for the road tho!!!

If the rack has gone I don't really know where to start. I have an SMI rack, but don't want to pay Renault prices to replace it. Looked on euro car parts and they say the brands they have are replacements but they are not brands I have heard of!!

 

[Jonff]

Aye. Tis' a little strange tbh.

You can hear it from inside the car, where the steering column goes through the bulkhead and attaches to the rack. To me it sounds like it could just be the rubber boot that's creating the noise, or that could just be wishful thinking lol

 

[_WILL_]

Aye. Tis' a little strange tbh.

You can hear it from inside the car, where the steering column goes through the bulkhead and attaches to the rack. To me it sounds like it could just be the rubber boot that's creating the noise, or that could just be wishful thinking lol

If there is a chance it is the rubber boot then start there, should be quick and easy to rule it out. If it is the boot then something like GT86 should stop it (check its a lubricant that won't degrade the rubber like WD40).

 

[Chri5]

Ideally you need to get it up on a ramp so its still got the weight on it and get someone to turn the steering wheel whilst you're under it listening to everything and seeing if the rack moves at all. The problem is it can "sound" like its coming from something but may not actually be from that area.

 

[Chri5]

I did exactly what you did, cheap things / easy things first. Wishbone bushes are next for me. Really not sure if I should go with poly bushes or go standard again, not sure I really rate the poly bushes for a road car. Also not sure if I should try and just do new bushes or go all out and get new wishbones while im at it.

I was looking at the various rose joint / bearing conversions that places like K-Tec do to replace the bushes. Think they may be a little brutal for the road tho!!!

If the rack has gone I don't really know where to start. I have an SMI rack, but don't want to pay Renault prices to replace it. Looked on euro car parts and they say the brands they have are replacements but they are not brands I have heard of!!

There's basically 2 main options, keep your wishbones and get Poly bushes fitted or buy new genuine wishbones and stick with standard bushes (think this is what I'll do) The new ones also come with new ball joints included so always a good thing

Racks are pretty expensive yes, and such a ball ache of a job to fit them. I imagine it would be pretty costly in labour if paying a garage to do it! I'd do it myself but what a chore without a ramp or large garage lol

 

[_WILL_]

There's basically 2 main options, keep your wishbones and get Poly bushes fitted or buy new genuine wishbones and stick with standard bushes (think this is what I'll do) The new ones also come with new ball joints included so always a good thing

Racks are pretty expensive yes, and such a ball ache of a job to fit them. I imagine it would be pretty costly in labour if paying a garage to do it! I'd do it myself but what a chore without a ramp or large garage lol

I have just replaced the lower ball joints.

I would do the work myself, I don't think it would be too bad but have lost use of a garage recently but I am sure I can find somewhere! What is frustrating is I had the engine out just before xmas, it would have been a very good time to change it all in one go but I just couldn't afford all the parts in one go. Just frustrating.

Ideally you need to get it up on a ramp so its still got the weight on it and get someone to turn the steering wheel whilst you're under it listening to everything and seeing if the rack moves at all. The problem is it can "sound" like its coming from something but may not actually be from that area.

This wastes a lot of time at work sometimes and we have hydraulic rigs etc. to mimic road inputs and it can still take ages!!!

 

[Paniro]

I had the same issue a while back, however my garage said the rack was loose to tightened it all up again.
8 months later its back and as above the car follows every bump in the road, so annoying!!!
Will try tracking again and see where I go from there

 

[172-sport]

I had this after a track day and it was the bottom ball joints. Worth checking.

 

[_WILL_]

There are only so many components that will cause this so it should just be a case of systematically checking them. But, as said before, having a ramp or pit makes this much easier!

 

[Jonff]

Right, after inspecting the rack bushes it appears they're fairly new, certainly not the originals from the factory anyway. Removed my coilovers and I found this

Assuming the knackered topmount was my problem I replaced that but to no avail as I've still got this annoying creak.

 

[Teds]

I've just gone through this whole palaver.
And what I found after replacing everything. e.g new Konis + pure-motorsport top mounts plus brace. new gen bottom arms, track rod ends and steering tie rods. Its the rack that's knackered. If you put the car in the air no creak. but with the car on the ground (weight loaded) creak appears. If you pull back the gaiters off the steering tie rods ( Drivers side )with the car on the ramp. drive on ramp that is. you can see the rack move away from the pinion within the rack. So new rack is ordered. car drives horrible. hope that points you in the right direction.
​

 

[Jonff]

I've just gone through this whole palaver.
And what I found after replacing everything. e.g new Konis + pure-motorsport top mounts plus brace. new gen bottom arms, track rod ends and steering tie rods. Its the rack that's knackered. If you put the car in the air no creak. but with the car on the ground (weight loaded) creak appears. If you pull back the gaiters off the steering tie rods ( Drivers side )with the car on the ramp. drive on ramp that is. you can see the rack move away from the pinion within the rack. So new rack is ordered. car drives horrible. hope that points you in the right direction.
​

Just noticed your reply mate.

Difference with mine was, the car drove perfectly fine up until the engine let go 3 weeks ago. Guess I'll never find out what it actually was that was creaking. lol

 

[Tigger]

What the hell happened your engine? lol

 

[Jonff]

What the hell happened your engine? lol

It went pop whilst heroing around Oulton Park. lol

 

[Cup_Phil]

Check the rubber cover on the bottom of the column in the car

When i swapped to an EPAS column/rack the first time I turned the steering on the ground it creaked badly from bottom of the column inside
After loads of checking I pushed down on that rubber cover and it slid down a few inches and doesn't creak at all now

It seems like the rubber gaiter can move up and down and in some positions is creaks like mad

 

[Buddha123]

Mine has begun doing this also a minor bump in the road might as well be the earth moving out from under me, and that bloody creak I thought it was my suspension or something buckling under pressure then realised when turning my wheel its my steering but its weird it will come and go when it pleases???

 

[gazwold]

I had the same creaking noise and it got worse when the car had been in the track, once it had cooled down it was a little better. Firstly I changed to motorsport power steering fluid but the problem didn't go.

I checked all mounts and was all ok solo decided it was the rack for pas pump, I changed the pump first and it's stopped.

Been at spa for 2 full hard days and still no noise.