I just had an alignment done and I have some new things that may be a problem. When I go over some railroad tracks near my house the steering wheel itself will actually do a jerk a little instead of just staying straight. Also when I turn the steering wheel back and forth there was a noise like a clunk when the wheels were not actually turning yet. You can wiggle the steering wheel back and forth and it would make this noise and you can feel it in the floor board. I am getting under the car again tonight to look for something wrong and could use some guidance as to tests I could try. One of my boots on my rack and pinion is not straight like it is twisted a little. I assume the alignment place did something to make it do that because it did not look like that before.

 

The jerk is what you call "bump steer". I don't think
mine is especially bad, but they make $$$ kits that
supposedly improve it. Alignment will affect this.

Check your steering rag-joint or u-joint and steering
wheel linkage for interference with exhaust, etc. -
a non-uncommon thing esp. with aftermarket exhaust.

There should be zero feelable play in the steering.
If you got one tire on a ramp and the other A-arm
on jackstand, you should not be able to slop the
free wheel around. If you can, then follow the
linkage looking for where the play is. There should
be nothing but tire squirm, no hard slop.

 

I had a similar noise (clunk in the front end when turning the wheel). Has the K-member every been out of your car? The dealer ended up adjusting the K-member and haven't had a problem since.

 

Sounds to me like they just didn't get the botls tight on the control arm and it's moving around. Common for them to be undertightened, but also for them to stretch is a lot of alignments have been done (and I think you have had a number of them done).

The K-member can't really be adjusted as it's got set pins that locate it. And there is no reason for it be loose from an alignment anyway. Possible I guess, but highly unlikely.

 

The torque spec for the horizontal (front) bolt is 75 ft/lbs. and the vertical (rear) bolt's spec is 85 ft/lbs.

 

If they didn't loosen the spring clips that hold the boots in place before turning the tie rods (while adjusting the toe setting) this can happen. Simply use a pair of pliers, loosen the clips, and adjust the boots as necessary.

 

Thanks guys. I will check the bolts on the control arms.

 

wore out rack or bad inner or outer tie rods would be guess if its all tight like it should be. Leave it on the ground and feel the tie rods for play while someone jerks the steering wheel back and fourth. If it's actually clunking theyr either really shot or they did in fact leave things loose.

edit: The steering wheel wiggle you feel is the steering wheel being thrown around in the play, the wheels arent actually moving as the steering wheel does over the bumps. Does that make sence?lol

 

I just got someone to look at it and everything is tight except for the rack and pinion itself. He said it is where the noise is coming from and I have play from that. He said it needs replacing. When I drove home the car feels worse like it isn't alighned anymore. I guess it is from jerking the steering wheel back and forth and making the rack and pinion worse. I drove over a bump in the road on the way home but I was going slow. Hopefully I didn't do something then. Then want 3.5 hours labor to replace it.

 

That seems about right as far as hours. Maby i little high, but its not uncommon for shops to bumo it up a bit to make a little more money.

 

Sounds like your steering shaft bearing, this was the clunking problem on my
'99 -See my post on your steering rack raplacement post.

 

I got the new rack and pinion which fixed the shimmy on the highway but I still have the feeling when going over bumps my steering wheel is still not tight and moves a little. It never did this in the past. I have a clank noise on the drivers side at certain times like when turning onto my street or turning out of a parking place on a hill. Seems to be like when the front end rolls a little making corners such. It can do it going straight also. I always seem to be going at slower speeds when I notice it.

The clank started after the 1st new rack and the other problem started after an alignment was done. But the alignment has been done again twice now since then.