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      08-06-2013, 01:33 AM   #1
nekky
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Steering linkage woes...

Hey guys,

I'm thinking I might have a bit of a unique issue, given that I've searched quite a bit and haven't found any reports of problems with the steering linkage (the rod connected to the steering column through a rubber seal in the firewall)... I have a decent, intermittant clunk coming from what feels like the centre of the dash/steering wheel area, and I finally got around to poking about.

Turns out if I tug on the shaft (yes, haha, tugging ye olde shaft) back and forth, I can hear the exact noise (albeit less harsh) from what seems to be on the cabin-side on the firewall.

Is there a linkage/u-joint/something back there that is prone to failure? The car rides so quiet otherwise, and my father's '07 MC with nearly identical mileage does not experience this issue in the slightest.

My car is an '06 MR.

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
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      08-06-2013, 12:08 PM   #2
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Are you sure your strut braces are tight? That is the area the noise so common in Z4's comes from. Maybe you have something new though?
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      08-06-2013, 12:30 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chickdr View Post
Are you sure your strut braces are tight? That is the area the noise so common in Z4's comes from. Maybe you have something new though?
I can feel it right in the steering column... Pretty sure it's on the cabin side of the firewall. Gonna go in there tonight or tomorrow and check. I just hope there's not too much in the way under the dash.

Strut braces are tight afaik. I have an OEM strut tower bar that will be coming off too because it's shimmed right now to clear the ESS manifold, and thus is not doing 100% what it's supposed to.
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      08-06-2013, 12:45 PM   #4
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Im experiencing the same clicking noise from steering at Parking lot speed. BMW dealer had just replaced the steering linkages, but I'm still getting the same clicking noise. Im suspecting is coming out from my GC sway bar linkage.
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      08-06-2013, 03:08 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E92M3Pilot View Post
Im experiencing the same clicking noise from steering at Parking lot speed. BMW dealer had just replaced the steering linkages, but I'm still getting the same clicking noise. Im suspecting is coming out from my GC sway bar linkage.
Sorry to hear!

Mine is definitely not endlinks or anything on the "outer" suspension systems. It's right in the steering rack, and the noise is so similar when I pull back and forth on the steering shaft, that I'm 99.99% sure that it is the problem.... Just don't know what "it" is yet
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      08-06-2013, 03:37 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nekky View Post
Strut braces are tight afaik.
Take a torque wrench to your firewall to strut braces. Unless you tighten them up with a torque wrench you really can't rule this out as the most common cause of these noises.
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      08-07-2013, 06:14 PM   #7
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I just got off the phone with GC tech support, they were very helpful regarding my clicking noise issue. They are 99% confident the noise is coming from upper strut bearing, since the clicking occurs during steering. It should be $20 fix, but now, it got me thinking about installing camber plate.
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      08-07-2013, 07:46 PM   #8
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OP - you don't by any chance have H&R sport springs installed do you? The geometry change gave me the same issue. I even swapped out the strut bearings first to find the problem.
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      08-07-2013, 10:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Caddyshk View Post
OP - you don't by any chance have H&R sport springs installed do you? The geometry change gave me the same issue. I even swapped out the strut bearings first to find the problem.
Nope... I was on TCKline DAs w/ camber plates, and now I'm on stock front suspension (to test for the noise). The major clunk in the steering column is still there. Haven't had time to figure it out..
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      08-07-2013, 11:12 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E92M3Pilot View Post
I just got off the phone with GC tech support, they were very helpful regarding my clicking noise issue. They are 99% confident the noise is coming from upper strut bearing, since the clicking occurs during steering. It should be $20 fix, but now, it got me thinking about installing camber plate.
I have camber plates already, but that's another issue... clunk clunk clunk
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