Clicking, popping, noise in steering!

[BlackMoses]

Hey guys,

So I'll start this off by saying my truck is at 93k and I've replaced the upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, and sway bar links with Moog hardware parts as part of due maintenance.

HOWEVER, for the life of me I cannot seem to eliminate what I can only describe as a pop or a click coming from what seems to be the intermediate steering shaft. The boot on the shaft has been torn for a while but I don't know if that would cause any issues. Anyways is it the u-joints on my shaft going or could this be a deeper issue in the gear box and rack?

Also, all the Moog components to my knowledge come pre greased...I have yet to put another shot of grease in them, so other then that I can't imagine it being anything suspension related.

Anyways, I've seen the prices for the steering shaft as around $100 bucks, do I start by replacing that?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Could you describe the clicking sound better? like do you hear it when you turn? Hard or light? does it sound like its coming from the or possibly the wheel bearings? ect ect

 

[BlackMoses]

It happens a few different times, when I go over speed bumps, small bumps, when I make a turn from a stop, and when it's just sitting there I can push the front end down (my hands in the driver's side) and then lift up it will make the click noise.

Would it help if I made a video of it?!

 

[BlackMoses]

Also, I just replaced the wheel bearing a couple of weeks ago when doing all of this work and repacked them with grease...I just finished a 3" spindle lift. However, this popping noise was a noticeable issue before then.

 

[hondaxr650]

Probably the intermediate shaft. That has been a problem on some of the Rangers and Explorers. It's actually the slip joint between the 2 halves of the shaft. There was actually a TSB on the early rack and pinion Explorers for that noise. If your boot is torn, the joint is probably contaminated/rusty etc.

 

[BlackMoses]

So I'm thinking that if I disconnect it and then try to manhandle the front end, and if then I still get the noise, that won't be it...

Anything else you guys think it could be?

Also can I find a new one for less then $130?

 

[hondaxr650]

You may be able to get away with extending the slip joint out all the way and working some good grease into it. I'd try that first.

 

[BlackMoses]

Alright so a little bit of an update...I think I've located the source of the problem. After jacking the front end off the ground and pushing the tires with my hand I get an audible click noise. The noise seems to be coming from the gearbox on the rack and pinion, and it feels like it's coming from there as well.

It doesn't seem to be coming from the shaft, and after close inspection with turning the steering wheel with the tires on the ground, I don't see any play.

I don't have any leaky fluid, and I know the inner tie rods are solid, so maybe the gears in the rack are going on me? I'm going to take the intermediate shaft out for a closer inspection and a good lube job, but right now I think I'm looking at switching out with a new rack and pinion.

 

[BlackMoses]

Okay fellas, I just took out that intermediate shaft which looks like this (not mine but an example):

So the end didn't look rounded down and all and honestly as far as I could tell, the u-joint all seemed in pretty good shape. But while I had that shaft out I could jerk/push/pull the tires and NOT get any of that clicking I heard when everything is connected. So all of this leads me to believe that when that shaft is connected to the rack and pinion it's causing some play within the gearbox on that rack and pinion unit, because it's turning the whole steering column which is an added torque it didn't when the steering shaft was disconnected.

Make sense?!

I really think this is the issue because I am only getting a click during the first part of a turn, or taking from a dead stop where there's that higher initial load before everything gets moving, and that seems pretty consistent with what I'm doing to the tire when I jerk it one way or another and get that click.

What do you guys think?

 

[BlackMoses]

Just another quick update...I was able to head down to a local junkyard the otherday and pick up a intermediate steering shaft that looked practically brand new and installed it in my truck. After I took it off the jacks and did the first road test it was silent, but then after driving around a little bit more I could hear the suspect noise.

So after a closer inspection with my dad pushing and pulling up and down on the fender and myself underneath I think I've traced some of the clicking to the coil spring itself. So the next step is going to be to compress the thing and see if I can reseat it in the coil bucket.

I'll be back with an update!