Gang:

I have been noticing that when I turn a certain way, or back up, occasionally, I feel a slight clicking or movement in the steering column. There is no lack of steering response, no dead spot, the steering is in fact right on the money, and very responsive. I checked my 2 steering rack bushes, and no problemms I could detect, but I replaced them anyway with Vlamos bushes. What I noticed is that the movement is not when turning the wheel, it is when placing force on the wheel from side to side. It is very slight, but annoying. I wonder if any of you are experiencing this, and if you have found a fix?

Here is the test:

Sit in your car, with the engine off, take hold of the steering wheel at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. Gently try to move the wheel from side to side, and see if you feel a slight movement or clicking. Do not try to turn the wheel, just move it from side to side. Please let me know what result you get?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

Is anybody going to try this and reply? It would be great to see if anybody else is experiencing this...

Ryan

 

I did........nothing sorry

do you think it could be a problem with the tilt/ telescoping feature of the wheel? Maybe just a loose bolt in the colum some where alowing the slight side to side movement. Or maybe a loose bolt on the wheel its self where it attaches to the colum.

 

I didn't hear anything either... Have you tried lifting you car with a jack and trying to move the whell at 3 and 9 positions... If there is movement then I'd say check for any loose connections if none maybe its time for a new steering rack and pinion..

 

I don't hear anything either.

 

yeah mine does this tooo....i have never noticed it until i did what you said though. It doesn't ever do it while i'm driving. I dont' know what it could be.

 

I've noticed this click as well.
Except it's an unusual click, one that kinda had me worried.
I'll try the side-to-side movement later on today.
I only heard the click when making sharp turns (usually U-turns) and occasionally while backing into a parking spot (involving turning the steering wheel almost completely).

~Alan

 

yeah this thing kinda worries me too...I have never heard it while driving, but i defenitely heard it when i did the side to side thing.

 

That's when I hear it...Lexus could not figure it out. The dealer did tell me that a lot of the SC's seem to do this. They do not know if it is a bushing in the steering column, or if the whole column would need to be replaced. That is ridiculously expensive. The dealer did not seem worried that it was unsafe. They did not think much of it. Does anybody have a fix? How about Euro julian? Any other CL Lexus techs?

Thanks,

Ryan

 

Mine does this as well.

But I found a way around it. It only does it when the wheel is telescoped out. Being the lanky fugger I am, I just put the wheel all the way retracted and the play is gone.

Try it: Telescope the wheel toward you, and then retract it. At the very last millimeter of travel it will shift over to the side and stop. It is in this position that it won't move anymore -- and where I have mine. Seems that when fully retracted the column gets more bearing from the back stop and the play is gone.

Being that the above situation stops the play, I'd conjecture that the telescoping mechanism houses this play. Could be a bushing, loose track, whatever.

I won't bother looking into it because I always use the wheel at full retract anyway so I'm good.

 

You must have really long......arms.

~Alan

 

Yes, my extremities excel in lank.

 

Delusinons of granduer... HA HA HA HA HA, just kidding

Thanks for the info. I will replace that bushing...

Ryan

 

I tried the side to side test and it clicked a little bit.
I don't think it'll do any damage so I'm ok with it.
Kinda annoying though.

~Alan