Date:         Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:56:56 -0600
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject:      Re: Steering "clunk" noise solved??
In-Reply-To:  <0KDN009IR75FG3N8@vms173009.mailsrvcs.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

My clunk in the 90 GL is more slop and I promise to fix it when it
warms up!!    Along with the ball joints, control arm bushings et
al.  My culprit is the universal joint in the intermediate rod/shaft
having wallered out its thrust surfaces.  Guess all those years of
driving without the power steering pump are finally coming home to
roost.  That U joint prolly wasn't designed for spinning a non
functioning PS rack.  We'll solve the problem when we convert to
manual steering soon.

Thawing out in NE Iowa.

DM&FS

At 07:12 PM 1/17/2009, Jonce Fancher wrote:
>Well my Clunk was a broken link from the sway bar to the suspension.
>I found it by having 2 friends rocking the van back and forth and
>listening for the
>clunk, When the van just sits there the link just lined up to where
>it belonged but when you rocked the van you could watch it lift off
>where it connected
>and come back down to the suspension. got a replacement installed and done.
>Hopefully it is that easy for you.
>C-ya Jonce
>
> >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-g
> as-engines
> >http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
> >http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>
>Jonce Fancher
>
>56 Single Cab
>66 Sunroof Bug
>66 Variant Squareback
>66 Porsche 912
>71 Sunroof Bus
>84 Vanagon "Godfried" 24k Original Miles
>85 Vanagon Westi Zetec 2.0L DOHC
>2003 10 Passenger Sprinter
>
>Fancher's Upholstery Inc. -  www.fanchers.com
>Not-A-VW Club - http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jaransont3/notavwclub/
>Buses by the Beach - http://www.busesbythebeach.com/
>Full Moon Bus Club - http://www.fullmoonbusclub.com/news.php