Thump when turning steering wheel

[nopain00]

I've been getting a loud thump when turning the steering wheel that I need help diagnosing. I have a 91 Camry, 4 cyl, FWD, auto.

The thump:
(1) is fairly loud, and shakes the entire frame of the car, sounding as if something is shifting slightly while under a large load
(2) can come when turning left or right
(3) comes before I hit the steering stop
(4) only comes when I'm not moving or moving very slowly, like when parallel parking or coming out of a driveway, more often when backing up, or doing multiple steering maneuvers
(5) never comes when I'm going over 5-10 mph
(6) is intermittent and hard to reproduce (I can try to do the same thing twice and it will come one time but not the other)

I suspected an item in the suspension, steering, or drive train systems. The shocks and mounts are fairly new, and not worn. The steering fluid is full, without leaks, and the power assist works adequately without any whines. I did a visual check of the CV joints and boots, which look intact. The torsion bar and mounts also look intact. There's no excessive play in the steering or other noises (other than this one) most of the time.

I'd love to look under the car while this noise comes, but I can't for obvious reasons. I wasn't sure about the rack, but this problem is isolated, so I wasn't sure. Anyone have any similar problems or suggestion? I'd really appreciate it.

[dem2757]

your rack and pinion might be bad

[holmesnmanny]

When was the last time you actually changed your mounts? Are you guessing the mounts are fine? For the most part the engine stays in place due to motion. When you are barely moving the engine will move a lot more.

[nopain00]

I changed the mounts about 2-3 years ago, and they look fine. When they were going, I'd also get noises, but they sounded different, and were most pronounced when changing from drive to reverse or changing gears. The thump I get can occur when I'm not moving at all, but just turning the steering wheel.

I'm now also considering the yoke aka universal joint. A Toyota parts guy said that he remembers ordering that part a lot back in the day, but rarely having the rack go bad.

Has anyone else had their yoke go bad?

[nopain00]

I've been trying to figure out this steering noise problem for a while and it seems that at least one of the components that is bad is the U-joint aka yoke, which connects the steering column to the rack.

I've having a hard time removing it, though. According to the FSM, you simply remove the two bolts and slide it up. The bolts came off no problem but it won't slide at all in either direction. I sprayed it with PB blaster and banged on it, but I can't get it to slide.

Am I missing something?

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by nopain00

I've been trying to figure out this steering noise problem for a while and it seems that at least one of the components that is bad is the U-joint aka yoke, which connects the steering column to the rack.

I've having a hard time removing it, though. According to the FSM, you simply remove the two bolts and slide it up. The bolts came off no problem but it won't slide at all in either direction. I sprayed it with PB blaster and banged on it, but I can't get it to slide.

Am I missing something?

Make sure the bolts are completely removed. You can also pry the sides apart with a screwdriver or something if it is stuck on there. It should be easy to remove after that.

Before you lock everything down on re-assembly, make sure that you have the same distance lock-to-lock from wheel center. If not, rotate the steering wheel in relation to the rack.

-Charlie

[nopain00]

Thanks, Charlie. I actually did just that before reading your post, prying it apart by wedging a screwdriver in the slit. It took some coercing, but once it was free, it came off very easily.

It's actually amazing how much better my steering is after that. There is much less freeplay, and steering effort is decreased. I hope this is what was causing the noise.