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[nixoro]

Now I have just had the steering idler done on my car and its now nice and responsive. but my dads

My dads car however when the car is sat with the engine off and if you rock the steering wheel side to side you can hear a slight clonking, and if you touch the tracking arms either side you can feel the clonking. i havent checked it for dodgy wheel bearings yet, looking to check this tomorrow.

Could this be what I have just had done to my car, I never heard any clonking with mine.

I am thinking the steering arm but could anything else be causing this, at first when I was told I thought it was the droplink or the wishbones making the clonking but these look to be ok.

Any Ideas would be much appreciated

[Elite Pete]

I think the best thing to do is jack the car up and get someone to hold the road wheels at 3 and 9 o clock and rock backwards and forwards while you look for play. I would thing that its either the idler arm or track rod ends.

[nixoro]

I think the best thing to do is jack the car up and get someone to hold the road wheels at 3 and 9 o clock and rock backwards and forwards while you look for play. I would thing that its either the idler arm or track rod ends.

Cheers Elite Pete I plan to do this tomorrow, I also have a spare steering idler so if its this it could be interesting fitting changing my one never happened a cost me in the end as mine was heavily corroded on.

When you say the track rod end I'm assuming you mean the balljoints nearest the road wheel

[Elite Pete]

Yes there are two ball joints the long one which is closest to the wheel and a shorter one on the other end if you know what I mean

[Craig_R]

Sounds just like mine was it was the Track Rod End


Craig

[nixoro]

Yes there are two ball joints the long one which is closest to the wheel and a shorter one on the other end if you know what I mean

I have a vague idea I'm thinking where the tracking arm attaches to the back of the strut and the other end to the centre tie rod hope this makes sense.

[nixoro]

Sounds just like mine was it was the Track Rod End


Craig

Was it clonking before you changed the tracking arms?

[Elite Pete]

Yes there are two ball joints the long one which is closest to the wheel and a shorter one on the other end if you know what I mean

I have a vague idea I'm thinking where the tracking arm attaches to the back of the strut and the other end to the centre tie rod hope this makes sense.

Now why couldnt I have described it like that

[Craig_R]

Yep If you turned the steering wheel back and forth only a little bit you could hear a clonk and feel it in the steering wheel alittle

I got my Girl Friend to do the same as i was under the car and tracked it to the Track Rod End.




Replaced it and got it retracked and it was fine after that the track rod end cost about £15

Craig

[nixoro]

Cheers guys for the responses, certainly gives me better idea of what it could be.

I at first thought it could be a bearing but its not a rumbling noise and having read CraigR post I am now thinking its the same problem.

£15 thats cheap was that from ebay

Cheers again just hope it is now, still it will be thoroughly checked tomorrow.

[Craig_R]

Nope It was from my Local Auto Parts Place turns out they supply all the garages in my area.


don't forget it was 15 pounds for the track rod end not the whole track rod

[ians]

On a 10 year old car it might be difficult to release the track rod end (seized).  I seem to remember it was 30-40 quid for the whole track rod but it was a while ago.

[Elite Pete]

On a 10 year old car it might be difficult to release the track rod end (seized).  I seem to remember it was 30-40 quid for the whole track rod but it was a while ago.

Might be a good idea to give it a few coatings of plusgas for a couple of days before you do the job