Date:         Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:46:07 -0800
Reply-To:     neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Steering "clunk" noise solved??
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi all.

So....

A while back, I kept hearing an intermittent hard "clunk" when
returning steering from hard right. Replaced upper BJ's. (driver side
had a torn boot). Lubed steering rack. Noise seemed to go away.

Replaced all rubber steering couplers. (cracks visible)

Then....

The other day, I heard a "clunk" while parallel parking. Saw my
mechanic. He listened. Said it might be coming from the relay box. I
listened at home. I heard it coming from same area. Sound happened
when turning steering wheel quickly back from just R or L of center.
Clunk not as loud as original. No play in steering.

I checked coupler fasteners on relay box. One bolt/nut needed
**slight** snugging up.

Tightened it.

Clunk seems to have gone away.

Could the clunk noise be due to 1 **slightly** undertightened bolt/nut
on a coupler?

(I used new proper copper nuts)

This clunk was hard to track down, so really appreciate any input.

Thanks!

Neil.

--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta "Jaco
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/