Steering wheel noise when turning it to a certain degree

[soulhound]

Hello!

I recently noticed that my steering wheel does a faint "tok" sound when turning it to the left up to a certain degree. It's somewhere between 90 to 180 degrees. Doing a full turn either left or right seems fine.

Here's a video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jf6...CgF0Z1Ghz/view

The video makes the "tok" sound quite loud but in reality it's not that loud.

Also, I'm quite sure that it's not from a CV joint. It's coming from inside. Perhaps the steering wheel column.

Anyone here who experiences the same issue?

If anyone can test theirs, that would be great! Thank you!

[PireFenguin]

When I worked as a mechanic I fixed a similar issue on Kia/Hyundai cars often. A rubber bushing in the electric assist motor on the steering column would wear out. Not sure if this is the same issue but our cars do have a very similar setup. Never taken a Mitsubishi column apart or if the part is available anywhere. If you Google "flexible steering coupler" you'll see the part I'm talking about. But it was a $6 part and about an hour labor to drop the column, pull off the electric motor, fish out what's left of the old bushing and install the new one.

[soulhound]

Did a bit of a survey regarding this issue. It seems to be a common issue to some attrage and owners in other forums.

I also found this post from timbo350: https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ce-Star-so-far

I just don't know the correct fix for this yet. Some say you just need to add grease to the shaft inside the steering wheel cover.

[James08]

Any update on this?. I also have the same issue.

[soulhound]

No update, unfortunately. Mine is still doing it. What year is your mirage and is it exactly like the video?

[foama]

After looking at the video:
Nothing to worry about!

The noise is created by the die-cast block of metal that pushes on the rack. The rack is the long shaft with teeth on it, inside the steering gearbox, mounted on the front axle body. This block is in a round opening, pushed onto the rack by the crown nut for adjusting it. The nut itself is secured by an almost square ring bolted on it. It is barely accessable unless the steering gear is removed from the car. The block moving horizontally in its hole while turning the steering wheel is causing that noise. The "hole" is slightly larger in diameter than the die cast block. It moves horizontally and thus makes that noise.

The purpose of adjusting the crown nut which pushes the block onto the rack is as follows. The block creates friction to the turning rack, acting as a steering damper for preventing a resonance-like oscillation of the steering. That oscillation can be forced or realized when the crown nut is very much too loose, and the steering turned as in a tight curve, and pressing hard on the gas and letting your hands off the steering wheel, and all that at the same time. Then the steering might oscillate between left and right, and the car body swing heavily from side to side as the car is accelerating. The average driver would be totally surprised or terrified and might lose control. To get the car under control again, the knowledgeable driver would firmly grasp and hold the steering, then oscillation would stop after about two seconds or so.

Since that is terrifying for an average driver, the said block comes very tightly adjusted from the factory to prevent it in all thinkable cases during the entire life of the car. The high friction on the rack is is also the root cause for the "sticky" and poorly self-centering steering!

If you fully understand what is said above, you could loosen the crown nut by about 3/4 of a turn to make the steering less sticky and self-center a lot better. The sound as in the video could become louder, and the pinion gear could rattle on the teeth of the rack, if it were too loose. Then it would be needed to be retightened a little. It is a lot of trial and error to get it right, but about 2/3 to 3/4 loosening would be optimal to find the sweet spot. Btw, a good greasing of the rack on both ends helps a little bit.

Do not do this with the crown nut if you do not absolutely and fully understand what you are doing! All at your very own risk!

That said, on my car the steering is not "sticky" any more since it was adjusted, and it drives/steers so an average person has no problems.

[CROSSBOLT]

After looking at the video:
Nothing to worry about!

The noise is created by the die-cast block of metal that pushes on the rack. The rack is the long shaft with teeth on it, inside the steering gearbox, mounted on the front axle body. This block is in a round opening, pushed onto the rack by the crown nut for adjusting it. The nut itself is secured by an almost square ring bolted on it. It is barely accessable unless the steering gear is removed from the car. The block moving horizontally in its hole while turning the steering wheel is causing that noise. The "hole" is slightly larger in diameter than the die cast block. It moves horizontally and thus makes that noise.

The purpose of adjusting the crown nut which pushes the block onto the rack is as follows. The block creates friction to the turning rack, acting as a steering damper for preventing a resonance-like oscillation of the steering. That oscillation can be forced or realized when the crown nut is very much too loose, and the steering turned as in a tight curve, and pressing hard on the gas and letting your hands off the steering wheel, and all that at the same time. Then the steering might oscillate between left and right, and the car body swing heavily from side to side as the car is accelerating. The average driver would be totally surprised or terrified and might lose control. To get the car under control again, the knowledgeable driver would firmly grasp and hold the steering, then oscillation would stop after about two seconds or so.

Since that is terrifying for an average driver, the said block comes very tightly adjusted from the factory to prevent it in all thinkable cases during the entire life of the car. The high friction on the rack is is also the root cause for the "sticky" and poorly self-centering steering!

If you fully understand what is said above, you could loosen the crown nut by about 3/4 of a turn to make the steering less sticky and self-center a lot better. The sound as in the video could become louder, and the pinion gear could rattle on the teeth of the rack, if it were too loose. Then it would be needed to be retightened a little. It is a lot of trial and error to get it right, but about 2/3 to 3/4 loosening would be optimal to find the sweet spot. Btw, a good greasing of the rack on both ends helps a little bit.

Do not do this with the crown nut if you do not absolutely and fully understand what you are doing! All at your very own risk!

That said, on my car the steering is not "sticky" any more since it was adjusted, and it drives/steers so an average person has no problems.

Pictures, drawings, something showing clearly the pieces involved. Looked at some parts drawings but they were for hydraulic boost, not electric. Saw a youtube of a Chevy electric the guy cut up to disassemble!

[foama]

The Mitsubishi FSM only shows the complete mechanical steering gear (steering box) as one sealed unit. (We are not talking of the electric/electronic servo which is installed between steering wheel and pinion of the mechanical steering box.) The FSM also says what drag (torque) the turning pinion of the steering gear should have, but does not say how to adjust it. Adjustment is of course by the crown nut. It also says to replace the entire mechanical unit when something is wrong with it.
If you want to know what it looks like inside, you need to get one to take apart. That is what I did before touching the unit in the car.

For those wanting to know more:

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ntering)/page9

[allrock]

No update, unfortunately. Mine is still doing it. What year is your mirage and is it exactly like the video?

if the sound is coming from the steering column you need to replace the whole assembly, but for me personally as long as its not a very alarming knock i would not care.

[foama]

if the sound is coming from the steering column you need to replace the whole assembly...

The noise in the video certainly does not come from the column. Take your time to read the above posts for understanding!




The following pictures of a slightly different steering gearbox were taken from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steeri...orm_and_sector






The lower picture shows the die-cast block in its hole that pushes onto the rear of the rack, pushing it onto the pinion; the spring inbetween block and nut; the actual nut for adjustment and the crown securing it.
On our cars the nut does not have a six-sided head, but rather a crown shape. The securing nut is four-sided, size 43mm.