Why does the steering wheel creak when turning on a car?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

When the steering wheel creaks during rotation, the driver immediately perceives this sound as a signal for troubleshooting. This is logical, because most often extraneous noise occurs due to a malfunction of any systems or wear of parts. In addition, if the steering wheel creaks during rotation, this creates the risk of an accident, which can lead to sad consequences.

Possible causes of creaking

We note right away that there can be many reasons, and it is quite difficult to identify most of them on your own. Even specialists will not be able to determine the nature of the malfunction without diagnostics, however, at the service station, it is advisable for the master to explain in detail the situation in which this sound arose for the first time:

1. Driving on rough roads.
2. Turn direction (left or right).
3. Other possible "symptoms" in the form of knocking from under the hood, etc.

Maybe this will help the cause. To summarize, the following car systems can be sources of creaking:

1. Steering element (most likely). Most often steering tips, column andpower steering creak when malfunctions.
2. Pendant. On domestic cars and foreign cars like the Nissan, the steering wheel creaks during rotation due to a faulty suspension part that takes the load when turning. There is a feeling that it is the steering wheel that creaks, although in reality it is not.
3. Brake system. If the brake pad is loose, then when the disc is turned, for example, it can rub against it, which will cause a squeak or knock. But it's common for loose brake pads to rattle, and not just when cornering.
4. Chassis.

Steering wheel

Sometimes poor quality materials in cheap cars can cause characteristic squeaks. Such shuffling is clearly audible in the cabin, but on the street it is almost imperceptible. It has nothing to do with the malfunction of the steering mechanisms. It rarely happens that the steering wheel rubs against plastic, which has moved away from its place due to loose fasteners. To eliminate this malfunction, significant efforts will not be required, and any service station will cope with this problem within an hour. You will need to remove the steering wheel, tighten the fasteners of the system that has moved away from its place, install the steering wheel back.

Steering column

This steering element is equipped with a clutch that may squeak due to lack of lubrication. Solving the problem on your own will not work. Masters at the service station must remove the steering column, lubricate it, and put it back. The creak will go away in this case. Also, the reason maybe in the cross of the column when the cardan rubs against the walls of the anther. The problem is solved with the help of lubrication, some car owners claim that WD-40 helped them.

Lastly, the reason why the steering wheel creaks when turning in the VAZ-2114 may be the curvature of the steering column. In this case, vibrations on the steering wheel, shocks are possible. If the noise level is low, then this means that the problem is insignificant, but sooner or later the steering column will have to be replaced completely. It is very difficult to do it on your own.

Steering rack

The rack mates with the steering column. There is a possibility that the creak is coming from this very place of pairing. If the steering wheel creaks when rotating on the VAZ-2114 due to the steering rack, then you can check the mating place yourself. However, on foreign cars, most often this site is not available, so you have to contact the service station. The cause of the creak is the wear of parts or their incorrect adjustment. It can also be:

1. Wear of the steering rack mechanism.
2. Loosen pressure.
3. The smallest bend.

In these cases, diagnostics will be required, and practice shows that most often the rail is not repaired, but replaced with a new one.

Other steering elements

When the steering wheel creaks during rotation, wear of other parts of the steering system cannot be ruled out. In particular, the reasons may be as follows:

• Damage to the anthers on the tie rod joints. If asand or dirt gets inside due to a holey boot, this can cause a rattle or a characteristic creak. The integrity of these parts can be checked manually. If they are leaky, then they need to be replaced. It is also worth checking the anthers of the tie rod ends. The ingress of sand into them can also be the reason why the steering wheel creaks on the Opel during rotation. This also applies to other imported or Russian-made cars.
• Worn steering hinges. This problem causes not only a creak, but also a knock at the initial section of the steering wheel. Worn hinges are never restored, but immediately changed.

Lack of lubrication or grit in knuckle bearings. This is accompanied by a strong heating of the bearings, which leads to the appearance of a creak and whistle. The problem is solved by adding lubricant

Power steering

Note that this node is the noisiest, and even in a stationary car when the steering wheel is turned, it emits a hum that is clearly audible in the cabin. To fix the problem, you need to add fluid to a special tank under the hood of the car.

However, not always the lack of fluid causes a creak. The steering wheel may make sounds when rotating due to wear of the power steering belt, a malfunction of the pump of this system, or air entering the system. The correct "diagnosis" can be made at a service station.

Suspension and chassis

There is nothing to be surprised if the steering wheel creaks when the VAZ 2107 rotates, because these cars are old, their suspension and running gear are very worn out. In the event of an extraneous creaking when turning the steering wheel of a stationary car, it is worth carrying out a wheel alignment. Perhaps the reason is the incorrect adjustment of the wheel alignment angles. This procedure is done at the service station, where there is a special stand.

Another possible undercarriage failure is ball bearing wear. In this case, wheel play may also be observed. Supports are replaced by service stations, not repaired. Similar symptoms occur with heavily worn strut bearings. Often such parts are lubricated, and the creak disappears for a while. Ideally, bearings should be replaced and relubrication is only a temporary measure.

In all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive vehicles, CV joints can creak when the steering wheel is turned. The creaking becomes louder and more intense as the rotation speed increases. If it is diagnosed that the cause is in the CV joints, then they must be changed urgently, since a malfunction of these elements greatly reduces the level of safety of the driver and passengers when driving.

In cars of the VAZ 2110 brand, the steering wheel may creak during rotation due to old shock absorbers that have served their time. The fact is that during the turn, the load on one of them increases, and if it is very worn out, it will creak. At the same time, the driver gets the impression that the steering wheel creaks. Additionally, the shock absorber will knock when driving on uneven surfaces.

In closing

Definethe specific cause of the malfunction is impossible without a complete diagnosis of all systems that can cause a creaking steering wheel. The driver himself can only check the anthers for damage, and if holes in the anthers are found, they must be replaced.

As for the other probable causes of the squeak, they can be detected at the service station (and even then not always), therefore, if extraneous sounds appear when turning the steering wheel, it is advisable to follow the diagnostics, because it is likely that at high speed the steering fail at all, and this can lead to an accident.