So a few days ago I started to notice a squeaking when I turn my steering wheel it only happens when in I'm at a stand still and turn the wheel. I noticed the sound when I was turning at a street I was backing up and as I was turning the wheel to drive away I could hear the squeaking, any ideas what I could be? Mods you can see on my sig

 

Is the sound coming from inside the car, or outside? If it's from the outside, it could be a dry tie rod end, or the ball joint. I don't know about the inside though.

 

It's louder on the inside but I can hear it on the outside a bit kinda hard to pin point with the engine noise and exhaust lol might just be my excuse to remove the moog endlinks and get the power grids

 

I haven't been under the dash yet, but I do know most cars have at least 1 u-joint in the steering shaft, could be that as well. Time to grab some beers and a buddy and have one move while the other listens.

 

Lol yup seems like it hope it's nothing major, although I have bigger things to worry about like hail damage atm

 

Theres 1 that bolts to the steering rack and 1 that bolts to something under the dash. Not sure what its called. That would be more of a clanking and clunking noise tho

 

True, yet they could squeek when the lube dries out before they get play. That's why I thought dry ball joint first, see it all the time at the shop I work at.

 

So what you guys do relube or replace?

 

Well if it is a ball joint or tie rod, without a grease zerk really all you can do is replace. You could poke a hole in it and fill it with grease through a basket ball needle, just to see if it quiets down, but that's temporary at best. If you're really handy, you can tap a hole in the cap and install a grease zerk if it's still factory pieces, and they don't have any play. As to the u-joints in the steering shaft, best to just get a new shaft, less of a pain then trying to press those tiny joints. First though, you need to isolate the sound. Have a buddy move the wheel and put your hand on the ball joint/tie rods and see if it feels like it is vibrating while it moves. Or you could grab a cheap mechanics stethoscope and see where it is loudest. Same goes for the steering column.

Hope this helps you find your gremlin.

 

A good way to test your intermediate shaft it to sit in the car with the ignition on, and the car off and shake the wheel back and forth rapidly. Like from 11:30 to 1:30 and listen for noises.

 

I'll give it a try thanks guys

 

Let me know what u find Snail, mine does the same thing, sounds the wooden floor boards of a ship creaking over calm waves at sea

 

Sure will man. mine sounds like rubber against rubber

 

Any luck on this? Mine started doing this the other day and it's killing me!

 

No it just disappeared on its own (one of those things that fixes it self I guess) and that car is long gone now as well

 

I know the part that could be the problem (inside the cabin). I'll take a picture of it during lunch.

 

Beauty. Curious to know.

t think the sound is def my fault as I recently popped my steering wheel off and straightened it out cause it was cocked counter clockwise a bit after replacing the intermediate steering shaft(which turns out I did not need to do). The noise persists and I understand its a plastic gear in my steering column

 

If you're having a hard time turning the steering wheel, it's the power steering - which yes, is a plastic gear (stupid, I know).

If you're not having that issue, it's the steering shaft itself on the inside which can and tends to get dirt on it. I've greased mine a couple times and shot some WD-40 on the U-Joint just past the firewall and that removed the squeaking at least until I replace it.

I meant to get the photo yesterday but lost track of time.

 

No problems turning the wheel. And when you say u joint past the firewall, you must mean the intermediate steering shaft, which I recently replaced.