Last week I took my truck in to the dealer to have a rattle from the steering column fixed. It happens when I am driving on back roads and the slightest turn in the steering wheel will cause a rattle or clicking noise. It rarely happens on the highway. The dealer had my truck for a week and replaced the clock spring, but it did not solve the problem. If anyone had a similar problem and had it fixed please post a response. I've have done a search of this forum for this problem already.


Thanks

 

Have them replace the entire steering column, shafts and all right down to the gear, I had the same problem and it fixed it.

 

look under your dash at the U-Joint on the steering column. On the firewall side of the Ujoint is a plastic bushing. This bushing rubbing against the metal is the rattle you are hearing. Try spinning the bushing around and/or pushing it back up towards the steering column. A little Technical grade CRC (or other plastic safe lubricant) on this bushing could help too, although just pushing mine back towards the Ujoint fixed it. That was some thousands of miles ago, and hasn't come back since.

Replacing the steering column will fix it, since the bushing hasn't loosened up in the new column yet, but it is just not necessary. If you move the wheel when you are under the dash, you should be able to hear the clicking easily. Play around with your bushing, and I'd bet a 6 pack that it will fix your problem.

 

Great info, I have the exact same problem. Non stop on bumpy back roads. I'll defenitly have to check out that bushing.

 

discovered it purely by accident. There were a number of times I looked for a hanging wire or something and couldn't find it. Then I was under the dash running wires for my power locks, and grabbed the steering wheel for support. Heard the clicking, which luckily happened to be right beside my ear at the time.

The search function is down, but there have been a few posts on the subject before, every thing a dealer has done that fixed it has involved doing something that would be akin to fidgeting with the bushing; taking column totally apart and lubing, total replacement, etc.

Sounds kind of hokie, but if you've got the click/rattle, it's worth 5 minutes of your time to try, as I said, it fixed mine.

 

Inbred: your on for that six pack. I'll prolly have to check on monday I live in the northeast and it won't stop snowing till sunday night

 

Inbred,

I had the clicking sound in my steering column only when the wheel was about 45 degrees off center. I did a search on steering noise and found this thread. I followed your instructions and no more clicking. Thanks for the information.

 

absolutely the bushing ...2 dealers had no clue ,but my persistance paid offf. also you might wanna get some foil backed sound deadening padding from pepboys and apply it to the underside or backside of all the plasticdash pieces, glove compartment, anywhere you can put this stuff will quiet down alot ofnoises in the cab. also had the same clicking/rattle when apply the brake...took out brake switch, opened it up and filled with lithium grease..took care of that prroblem too.

 

Mine had noises... here's a quote from a prior post of mine regarding steering noises:

No grease on the steering joints from the factory..... that was the problem!

I took my '04 FX4 in for the third time to have them solve the annoying little clicking sound coming from the column.

The sound was most noticable when making a slight left-hand turn... the sound could not be duplicated sitting still.

The first time they just "lubed" the column....... noise came back in a few days.

The second time they replaced the clock spring which had gone bad since the first attempt... the clock spring sound was more of a grinding noise and could be reproduced while sitting still. The clicking noise was still there.

The third trip I had the head mechanic drive the truck and we reproduced the noise alot. He admitted that that was not normal and would be quite annoying. They removed the entire steering column which is made up of three sections with two joints.... the first time they lubed the joints, they used WD-40 which didn't last. The head mechanic said that was an improper lubricant. He lubed the joints with white lithium grease........... which had NOT been put on at the factory.

Simple fix, once you know the problem!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

So after a 4 hour road trip two ways last Saturday I have this annoying as hecking clicking on rough roads that you guys are talking about. It almost sounds like my keys hitting (isn't though I held them still while I heard it).

Any pics of what I'm looking for? I mean I'd probably search for days for this thing without a picture.

Thanks,

Duke

 

um so yeah I guess that's a no....

 

um, so that's an I was at work...

 

WOW....mine was the plastic bushing as column goes thru the firewall,not the one indicated here..so there may be two places...will go lube that also!!

 

1st post here--I wanted to quickly thank this board and all who provide help and information regarding our trucks...what a great resource.
In regard to the clicking/ticking noise from the steering, it's driving me absolutely nuts. I have taken my 05 5.4 FX4 to the dealer twice with this problem and no luck....they claimed they couldn't hear/reproduce it so they couldn't do a repair even with the TSB out on it. I even drove with the mechanic and I could here it sitting in the passenger seat....he could not.

I was wondering with the picture posted below by inbred, is it possible to slide the bushing (closer to the steering wheel) up toward the firewall in order to get some white lithium grease in there? I can't get mine to spin, muchless move at all where I could apply the grease. Not sure what to do. I read WD-40 isn't a long-term fix....I could use some guidance. There is no question this is what's making all the racket. Isn't this suppose to be greased from the factory?

Thanks-
Esoxmasquin