dartman59
Well-Known Member
I feel like I'm missing something important, and I can't figure this out. I have a rattle in my steering (at least that's where I think it's coming from), that seems like a "clunk" and a "rattle" combined. It's most prevalent when travelling over uneven pavement at moderate speeds (20-35 mph). It can be heard inside the car and outside the car.
The ride? 1971 Dodge Dart, manual steering, three speed, column shift. I have tried wiggling the steering wheel (it's tight), wiggling the steering coupler (it's tight), the box is tight to the K frame. I've tried putting pressure on the shift lever when hitting bumps, thinking maybe the noise is in the shifting linkages, but makes no difference.
Eventually, I'm swapping in a four speed and floor-shift column, but that's not scheduled until at least next year. Until then, I gotta figure this one out. Oh yeah--one last clue--the noise is getting worse. First noticed it about 1500 miles ago. This is my daily driver this time of year. It used to happen only when hitting a medium- to large-sized pothole. Now, simply rough, uneven pavement will cause the rattle. And I live in New England, so there is no shortage of crappy roads around here. The fact that it is getting worse is a big concern ...
I've been assuming it's bushings or bearings in the steering column, but again, everything seems tight enough--no slop noticed. Don't want to blindly replace those if there is a simpler or more appropriate approach.
Any and all ideas and tips appreciated!
The ride? 1971 Dodge Dart, manual steering, three speed, column shift. I have tried wiggling the steering wheel (it's tight), wiggling the steering coupler (it's tight), the box is tight to the K frame. I've tried putting pressure on the shift lever when hitting bumps, thinking maybe the noise is in the shifting linkages, but makes no difference.
Eventually, I'm swapping in a four speed and floor-shift column, but that's not scheduled until at least next year. Until then, I gotta figure this one out. Oh yeah--one last clue--the noise is getting worse. First noticed it about 1500 miles ago. This is my daily driver this time of year. It used to happen only when hitting a medium- to large-sized pothole. Now, simply rough, uneven pavement will cause the rattle. And I live in New England, so there is no shortage of crappy roads around here. The fact that it is getting worse is a big concern ...
I've been assuming it's bushings or bearings in the steering column, but again, everything seems tight enough--no slop noticed. Don't want to blindly replace those if there is a simpler or more appropriate approach.
Any and all ideas and tips appreciated!