Steering Squeak Fix

[bobcowan]

Lately, my car has developed this really annoying squeak whenever you turn the steering wheel. Sounds like rubber on metal. Drives me nuts! I tried adding lube here and there. Even trimmed down the plastic shroud and removed the horn connections. Nothing seemed to fix it. Yesterday I removed the column to find it.

The central steering shaft rides on two aluminum bushings pressed on to each end. The steering wheel end also has a plastic bit covering the bushing. I pulled the front bushing out a little and lubed both of them with some high pressure wheel bearings grease.

Then I found the real problem. Just behind the dash, this is what secures the steering column to the car.


Pretty simple assembly. A muffler clamp with a plastic bushing.


Here's the real problem, and the cause of the squeaking.


I considered calling on Monday and ordering another one. Might as well order two, because in another 10K miles I'll be doing this job again.

Then I decided on a permanent fix. Started out with a small piece of billit aluminum.


Drilled a couple of holes through the edge


And cut a 1 1/4" hole in the middle.


Then cut the whole thing in half with a hack saw.

[bobcowan]

And that leaves we with this.


I didn't want just the aluminum across the top, so I added this steel plate to the top. The top bolt holes a tapped, and the nuts are welded in place. No way this is ever coming loose.


I ended up adding another steel piece to the bottom edge as a spacer. I wanted to keep the same geometry

And this is how it clamps on to the steering shaft.


How does it work? Excellent! Steering feels better, smoother, No squeaking! And it's a permanent fix; I shouldn't ever need to do this job again.

This essentially didn't cost me anything except time. I used scraps I had lying around from previous jobs.

[Doublemyv]

Thank God you found the source of the most annoying squeak ever invented. My Backdraft has had this for the last 6 months, and everything Sherlock and I investigate came up empty. Tonight, I will remove the clamp & check it out. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. MM Backdraft # 1946

[FredG]

A god damn muffler clamp lol......I know from experience when I redid the steering there is not a lot of room under there to work and you have to be some kind of contortionist to get under there. Nice work.

Fred

[patrickt]

If you had an FE in there instead of a Coyote, it would leak enough to lubricate the squeak.

[hauss]

My goodness that was a lot of work. That squeak must have been driving you mad.I had a clunk coming from the rear.Thought it was the rear end going out . Found some loose bolts on the suspension, what a relief. Also found a leaking fuel line near fuel tank, fixed that too while I was under there. Guess it is a good idea to go under the car every once in awhile too check on things.Glad you fixed your squeak.

[FredG]

Bob.

How would you like to have discovered this? Car originally had electric steering that the previous owner installed. I didn't like it and removed it when I re-did the dash in carbon fiber. I found he had cut off the bracket that held the steering column clamp to make room for the electric steering unit.

Fred

[Doublemyv]

Well, my squeak persists. I checked under my dash for the "muffler clamp" and plastic or rubber isolator. What I found was a muffler clamp holding the outer steering tube to the crossmember under the dash. No plastic or rubber isolator at all, and based on the clamp size, there never was an isolator. The clamp is snug around the outer steering tube, and no deflection or movement. After very careful listening while moving the steering wheel in a quiet garage, it seems that my squeak is coming from the upper bushing area inside the steering wheel hub cover. I need to remove the wheel with a puller, remove the hub cover around the blinker stalk & emergency flasher button, and check out the upper bushing or guide. Hopefully, after all that, some grease will solve the problem. We'll see. The saga continues. MM Backdraft # 1946

[hauss]

you just need to get louder pipes then you will not hear anything {honey slow down}.

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by Doublemyv

I need to remove the wheel with a puller, remove the hub cover around the blinker stalk & emergency flasher button, and check out the upper bushing or guide. Hopefully, after all that, some grease will solve the problem. We'll see. The saga continues. MM Backdraft # 1946

I should have taken pictures of this, but I didn't. Of you pull off the aluminum hub, you'll see the splined end of the shaft. Just below that is the pressed on aluminum bushing. There's no need to remove the blinker assembly.

Between the chrome tube and the aluminum bushing is a plastic bushing. You can see the black ring in this picture. That might be the source of your squeaking. Put some lube in there, like Lock Ease or motorcycle chain and cable lube. If that stops the squeak, you've found the source.


But that will only be temporary. You'll need to take to column out, move the pressed on alum bushings a bit, and then apply some good grease in there.

[Doublemyv]

Thanks Bob, I did remove the steering wheel hub with a puller last night to see what's in there. My BDR build # 1946 has different internals than your photo, and I think you are right about that internal mechanism squeaking. I lubed the space where the internal shaft disappears into the column ( assuming there's some kind of bushing ) and reassembled the steering. No improvement. Now that you have made this suggestion, I need to remove the hub again, remove the blinker assembly plate that houses the E-flasher switch, and get that stuff out of the way to see what's behind it. The saga continues... MM