Creaking/Rubbing when steering

35thGTLimited

Active Member
Mar 10, 2007
48
8
28
The Pocono's
I searched and couldn't find anything describing my problem, here go's. I drove with my windows down today, finally warm enough, and I noticed this sound, no idea how long it's been doing it cause of winter (windows up) and my exhaust and music. Anyways, it's easiest to hear at a dead stop, so, sitting in my driveway, idling in nuetral, I put it center, then, I turn slowly toward the right, and it's making a kind of, creaking sound, like a heavy wooden door being opened, no vibration in the wheel, or clunks, nothign like that, and I don't think it's the pump, it's not a whine like a normal ford power steering does. Ok, turning back to the left to center, it does it, but not nearly as much, from center, and turning it left, it almost doesn't do it at all, adn coming back from hard left to center, nothing. Now, I've never had a problem with this car, it's as cherry as it gets. But I'm sure most of the parts are stock. BUT, it has never seen a dirt road, I drive 99% on the highway, I avoid potholes, I don't rip around, I'm easy on it all the time. Any idea's? I don't care long as it's not the rack, I'll be so pissed if it is, cause I got over 200k in my old stangs and never had a steering problem.

It's a 1999 Mustang GT 35TH Anniversary Limited Edition, fully loaded with everything. I have O/R X and Magnaflow Magnapacs W/ 3" cromes, and Roush CAI. It really sounds like somethings rubbing tho, it's weird, like a creak, like, if you had a heavy wooden door, very heavy, and hadn't opened it in a hundred years, adn you opened it slowly, cccrrrrreeeeeeeaaaakkkkk, with perhaps, a very very slight vibration that go's with it, most certainly as a result of the "sound" of it, man it's annoying turning into places, but driving down the highway I don't notice or even care.

Any help at all, please!! I try not to ask in here, usually it never breaks, but hey ss**** happens, help me outz peeps, tomorow is sunday, it's late, I'm up late typing this hoping when I wake up someone has an idea for me, hopefully something, well, anything but needing a new rack.... In my experience a bad rack leakcs or clunks, this sounds like a tire is rubbing against, something slippery, I dunno, I can record with my camera tomorow if I have to

Peace till tomorow morning!!
 
Do a search for "steering rack bushings"

The good news is they are cheap and easy to install. Get the new ones from Maximum Motorsports. I would suggest the urethane but you might decide to choose the aluminum...
 
I commute like 75 miles per day, but about 70 of it is all highway, nice and smooth, almost no turning lol, and to be honest, it doesn't seem like something that will get worse if I keep driving, like, the sound, and how it feels and everything, usually I have a good sense of something terribly wrong, and this just doesn't seem too too bad. To my question, since my commute is virtually all highway, (77mph@2200rpm)> that's my sweet spot where I hit CC, and so, will it hurt to drive it a few weeks like this, lets assume it's both the rod ends/joints and the bushings, both as in a worst case scenerio. I don't know much about the front end, never worked on any part of it. So, I will do whatever you guys suggest. If you say don't drive it at all, I won't, if it's ok since it's highway, and as long as it gets no worse, I will. It will probably take a few weeks to get fixed, I have a laptop I'm selling but it broke so I have to mail it to the warrenty company, takes a few weeks, then to sell it, so as long as a month. I can swap miles with my explorer tho if I must. I just don't wanna drive the explorer too much cause it just developed a minor issue also. Over where the coolent lines run into the firewall, out about 12 inches from the firewall, up near the coolant resavoir, there's a small hose/fitting type thing that's leaking a small amount of coolent, no biggie, it only leaks a little when it's warming up, after that nothin, so I'm not concerned really, just lazy, next sunny day I'll fix it. Jeez I go on and on ehh?
 
have your k-member attachment bolts strut bolts and controll arm bolts checked or put it up on some stands and check them yourself i had a similar problem with my car and 2 differernt shops told me it was my struts or stearing rack bushings (retards) its a semi common problem on our cars
 
Same problem on my 03 GT. In my case, the crappy metal tube that's used as the post for the rack's bushings isn't welded to the k-member, so it moves some and causes the creaking noise when I turn.

I replaced the bushings with Energy Suspension replacements and lubed it all up. The noise went away for a few days, but it has come back as the lube has gone away. I will fix the problem this weekend by putting on a Mac Prochamber o/r h pipe and 2 chambered flowmasters. lol

If you decide to tackle it yourself, I did a write up that could help:

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=660501
 
mine does the same thing!!!! i just came onto tech to write a post on this exact thing. funny.

it started about a month ago, i have no idea what to do...any suggestions? should i just take it in somewhere?
Buy new polyurethane steering rack bushings from Maximum Motorsports and install them yourself for a total cost of $40.
 
I had a simillar noise. I took the motor out of the car for a rebuild and noticed my hyroboost for the power steering and brakes was leaking on my steering shaft. The goop had made it all the way to the firewall where there are bearings that surround the steering shaft. I had everything apart and changed those bearings and fixed the leak......and no more squeak. I also have aftermarket steering rack bushings. I also have changed more than my fair share of ball joints too. Good luck, and let us know what the cause is.:shrug: