If i sit in the car and turn the wheel back and fourth about 1-2" i can hear a clunk. At first I thought it sounded like a outter tie rod end. I put the car on the lift and that was not it.

Then I had someone turn the wheel while I looked for the sound... THOUGHT it sounded like it was coming from the inner tie rod joint on drivers side

So I bought a new one.

When I was in getting an alignment (havent yet installed new inner rod) I had the alignment guy see if he could find the problem and he said it was coming from my steering rack.

I build cars for a living but if there is one part on a car that I am the least familiar with... its the steering rack.

Anyone else ever have this problem? I need to find a fix or TRY and get them to warrenty it on my car. I am gonna have the engine out in a week or two so it will be easy to get at then... but I honestly have no idea what to even do with a steering rack once I take it out... other than put it back in.

-Charles

 

I have the same problem. I did put the car on a lift and apply pressure to the wheels and the clunk was coming from the steering rack.
The dealer here in Aruba changed the steering rack under warrenty but the problem is still there.
There is only three 350z here on the island I hope I can find a fix for this. Because the dealership here cannot solve it.

 

I'm having the same issue here. Called the dealer for the part and quoted me $1200. Anyone had this problem fixed? Did you replace the rack and tie rods?

 

4.5 years later...

i changed the inner and outters and its still there. i learned to live with it. i look for it in most cars now and i am noticing that most sports cars do it... perhaps it has something to do with the huge front tires. or perhaps some solid rack bushings would eliminate it? maybe ill try that in this summers build.

 

has anyone found the solution to this problem yet? I am having the same issue and have already chaned the upper control arm and inner tie rods with no success. Next, my mechanic wants me to change the steering rack and pinion but if there is no solution then I wont bother because its costing.

Dave

 

i was predicting it was the control arms but you took care of that already. get a 2nd opinion from another mechanic and see what happens

 

had the same thing leading up to me putting the built motor in the car. We tried previously changing the mounts/bushings, same noise existed. This was also after installing new innners/outers. While we were doing the engine install, I swapped in a new rack, problem was solved from there. That was 2007, has not come back since

 

I have a G35 with the same noise since I've bought it...I just ignore it.

 

Is this something that gets worse over time or something that can be ignored? I have the same issue

 

+1 in for responses to this

 

it's not supposed to make any noise whatsoever, so not something that should be ignored

 

My 350 still does it. Never found anything. New rack is too expensive for me to just throw at it with no proof it will fix anything since no proof it's in the rack

 

It never got worse, it's exactly the same as it always has been

 

Over the years everything but the rack and steering column was replaced with no luck. Also replaced the steering u-joint.

My car was doing this when it was less then a year old, and still now 6 more years later. I'm over it, 350z just does it.

 

A thought just struck me (and almost knocked me out!!...lol). What if it has to do with the arc of movement the steering rack moves thru, and the load bearing that incurs..

It would seem to me that at the apex of the turn; the point at which the wheels are straight and just prior to the transition from moving right to moving left (or vice versa) that there would be a moment where the steering rack is NOT under load.

The cluncking could be the the result of the release of load on one side of the rack & the other side of the rack bearing the load. The design of the gears would seem to have a dramatic effect on this phenomenon. Just a thought.

 

Well it happens in any steering position when alternating load left to right. But ultimately I agree with you, it's probably lash (slack) inside the rack.

 

I never had this problem until one day I had to have my car towed. They had to use a regular tow truck because ETA for a flatbed was 4 hours from the location I was in. I believe their are bushing in the steering rack, almost like a guibo, that go bad. I remember reading something about it a few years ago of a different forum.

 

If anyone resolves this by replacing or rebuilding the rack, post up about it! I will swap my rack out if I knew that would eliminate it.

 

Great thread...I heard my car making this sound tonight. Going to see how much the dealer wants for a rack. The installation seems not too difficult as long as the steering wheel is tied so it does not move at all and the lower joint teeth position are marked.

 

^ i have this same problem.

i only hear this sound when im manuvering out of a parking spot. i don't hear it while driving.

it happened shortly after i lowered the car. it bugs me...sort of.