Steering thud

[1fast72]

Get this... Every time I turn the wheel left I hear and feel this fairly quiet thud or knock and I feel it in my steering wheel. I checked the steering unit and the coupler but nothing seems to be wrong! I got a new steering unit from 440Source (which is an amazing company if you want good quality parts) about 3 weeks ago. It's a Level 2 power steering unit by the way.

I'm confuzzled!

 

[69 Runner]

My guess would be that the linkage is getting against a header tube (assuming you have headers):grin:

 

[roadrunnerman]

was the thud there b4 or after you changed the steering unit and coupler?

 

[1fast72]

After, and no I don't have headers which is a bummer!!! I'm installing them really soon though

 

[HitIt]

Steering box to frame bolts tight? Those being loose can cause a thud because the box will shift while turning.

 

[1fast72]

I'll fix it up tomorrow and report back, thanks!

 

[khryslerkid]

Make sure your wheel lugs are tight too! No kidding, seen it before.

 

[rp23g7]

I think my box to frame bolts or idler arm or pitman arm may be loose too.

I can feel and here a thunk, clunk, sometimes when i hit the brakes and the road is uneven, the car will want to kind of drift in the direction of the crown of the road or the groove, when i correct it, i can feel and hear a thunk, when the suspension gets pulled the other way. The car goes stright down the road though, no real drifting.

The header is pretty close to the torsion bar, but nothing seems to be hitting. Gotta crawl under there when someone can turn the wheels sometime.

 

[69 Runner]

I was at a cruise one night and a friend with a really nice E body said "take a look at my steering cause it seems really loose". So I go over to his car and he starts turning the wheel back and forth................................

steering box was ready to fall off the car it was so loose. Lucky for him he didn't live far from there.

 

[HitIt]

Those bolts really deserve some loctite.

 

[1fast72]

Yea so the problem was the steering unit bolts were all loose which is weird because before I put them back in when I replaced the unit, I re-threaded and applied loctite. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[1fast72]

Thanks HitIt, you were right on the money with that problem

 

[HitIt]

Great glad to help! I only knew that one from experience. I think I'll check mine again soon...!