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steering column creak

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
'09 Ranger 4x4, 94.5k miles. All stock, and the only non-original bits in the front end are outer tie rod ends (~68k miles), front wheel bearings and brakes (~75k miles) and Bilstein shocks (~89k). At low speeds (e.g. backing into a parking space or turning out of my driveway) I've heard a creaking sound coming from what sounds like the steering column, down around knee level, through maybe 10-15* of steering wheel movement. But it's hard to tell where the sound comes from.

Heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago on a cold (sub-zero) day, but as I've driven the truck in much colder weather this winter, and since experienced the same symptom on warmer days, that may be coincidence.

I haven't yet discerned a pattern of where in the steering wheel's travel it occurs, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. I've only heard it a few times.

My thoughts are either a dry joint on the steering column, or a suspension component (e.g. ball joints).

I'm leaning toward the former, for a number of reasons:
-It sounds like it's inside the cab, but it's hard to tell...
-I'd expect ball joints to make themselves known under "flexing" loads, rather than backing into a parking stall on smooth flat ground.

Anybody got any experience with this?
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Mine started doing this not even a month ago; IMO, I *think* it's in the column but I don't know exactly where or what other than I too, suspect it's a dry bushing. Temp doesn't seem to affect it. FWIW, my last Ranger also developed this issue (slight moan in the column) and it preferred to do it on very hot days after sitting in the sun. I never chased after the problem.

I doubt your BJ's have anything to do with it. As you probably know, the front end parts Ford used on these Rangers is junk; lubed for life means life of the part, not life of the vehicle. I replaced lower BJ's and outer TRE's when I replaced tires, but the parts were toast before the tires and had already left their marks. Most people end up replacing these parts; mileage seems to be between 30K - 100K. I went with Moog, they have a lifetime warranty, are lubeable (like the earlier Rangers) and I've used their parts over the years with great luck.

FWIW, it's amazing how quiet the front end of a Ranger get's when those crappy BJ's and TRE's are replaced, and how noisey they become as those parts wear.

Edit: On the mile long to-do list here, I want to go look over on fordparts.com and see if there is an exploded view of the steering column in the IPC. In there, I'd like to see what bushings/bearings are in that steering column. Feel free to beat me to it. :D
 

fatherdoug

Tonto Papadapolous
Could it be just the steering column rubbing on the shroud around the column? My '78 does this when it is cold.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
I doubt your BJ's have anything to do with it. As you probably know, the front end parts Ford used on these Rangers is junk; lubed for life means life of the part, not life of the vehicle.

They're junk parts that have lasted beyond their expected (expected by me, that is) service life already...which is most of the reason I even considered them.

I found a blowup of the column at your link, but I'm not yet caffeinated enough to figure out how to paste it here. (And, frustratingly, the drawing just list part numbers, without names or links, so it's a little bit of a cross-referencing guessing game.)


Doug, it could be something like that, too...I just found it odd that it developed all of a sudden, and want to make sure it's not a critical safety component giving it's notice.
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
I found a blowup of the column at your link, but I'm not yet caffeinated enough to figure out how to paste it here. (And, frustratingly, the drawing just list part numbers, without names or links, so it's a little bit of a cross-referencing guessing game.

The (partial) part numbers along with the name and prices are there and to the right of the image; they will best be viewed on a desktop/laptop, something with some viewing area. I have not taken a steering column of this vintage apart, personally and based on the past, I don't really enjoy tearing into steering columns but maybe this one isn't too bad. I do know that for $22, I could go to a u-pull and buy a donor, one that can be used for experimentation with and tossed in the trash when done. I also wished I knew if the steering column from an Explorer of the 02 - ?? vintage is the same length as the Ranger, as I can think of a nice mod I'd like to do sometime. Would be nice to tear into tan Expl column, do the mod and lube it/replace any worn items, then install it in the Ranger as the noise cure AND a no-cost upgrade.
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Ian................


Found the source of my noise tonight, by accident and while doing a rather involved series of mods to the vehicle. Grabbed the (steering wheel locked I might add) wheel while putting things away for the light and heard the moan. With flashlight already in hand and a trouble light, I crawled under the (partially disassembled for the mods) dash and rotated the still locked steering wheel. No, it's not coming from the column. It is coming from.................the steering shaft seal right at the firewall, where the shaft penetrates the firewall. There is some funky seal that rotates with the steering, but keeps out water and dirt. The fix? Haven't tried yet, bit I'm expecting some tri-flow spray (teflon) will hopefully take care of it.

Enjoy. Look down there on yours, it's easy, let me know what you find. I'm doing 20+ mods at once and things are already apart for the weekend and maybe more, so this annoyance just got added to the list. So glad I found it, I dreaded having to tear into a column to apply 10 cents worth of lube.:)
 
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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
So the stationary outer column doesn't go all the way down to the fire wall. ?? Thus requiring a seal that rotates with the shaft. ?

Yes and no; the seal does rotate with the shaft but there is no outer column extending down to the firewall, it's ended before the firewall. Along the steering shaft, just before the firewall, inside the cab, there is a funky u-joint. Steering shaft is not straight between the main steering column and the rack/pinion. I'll look again in the next few days for better details, but it's more like a pillow block bearing. An outer ring is stationary with the firewall and an inner ring is penetrated by, and rotates with the steering shaft. The confirmation of the source and problem was twofold, first, listen and second, press on the shaft while turning steering wheel (noise goes away).
 
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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
I wonder if its designed that way for collapsing in head on impacts.

Possibly but I'd want to look at it further. I do know that there is another u-joint setup where the steering shaft meets the rack/pinion. Last time I looked at what allows a steering column to collapse was on a GM product (67 Firebird). For the outside of the column, down low and towards the firewall on the inside, they used what looked like an 8" section of heavy gauge wire mesh with a diamond pattern. For the steering shaft itself, they used a double D configuration, male and female sections to form a slip joint. So during a hard front crash on that car, the double D slides and the mesh merely crushes.
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Checked my 96 Explorer for this, and a dab of dielectric grease solved the anoying screeee that it was doing. Thanks.
Tried to rep you, but my rep gun is jammed
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Checked my 96 Explorer for this, and a dab of dielectric grease solved the anoying screeee that it was doing. Thanks.
Tried to rep you, but my rep gun is jammed

That's great! I'd been scratching my head trying to decide what lube would be the longest lasting and most resistant to being washed away by water.

**There is a little flip side to all this. If it was a steering column issue, I'd planned on looking into doing a steering column swap + mod. That mod would be, installing a tilt steering column from the 2002 - 200X? generation Explorer, if the column mounts and length were the same or easily changed to be the same as the Ranger, and if the air bag, steering wheel and clockspring from the Ranger would fit the Expl coumn. Research on the multifunction switch and cruise switches would need also to be done. It's a project.

The benefit? I've already got tilt and surely the Expl would too, but most people don't know that ALL Expl tilt columns from that generation noted have the telescopic adjustment, but only the upper trim levels (ie, limited, EB) had the linkage to take advantage of it. All others were simply bolted into a fixed position. There is very little work needed to change that one aspect. ;)


Edit: Where did you apply the lube at, on the side facing inside the vehicle or outside, or both?
 
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dustybumpers

don't play well w others
My 'Sploder is a limited 4x2, and the column is as you say.
I put the grease in from the inside with my finger, pushing it in as you would if you were packing a bearing.
I used dielectric grease, because it is waterproof.
2012-08-17_18-35-14_255.jpg

This is the only picture I have of the column. I can take more If you need me too
 
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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Thanks Charlie, I'm gonna try the same grease in the same spot. Thanks for the offer on the pics but I'm good to go. Ford used that column in the Ranger from 1995 - 2011 (mechanically anyway, multifunction switch and other electrical may have changed).
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Found the source of my noise tonight ... It is coming from.................the steering shaft seal right at the firewall, where the shaft penetrates the firewall. There is some funky seal that rotates with the steering, but keeps out water and dirt. The fix? Haven't tried yet, bit I'm expecting some tri-flow spray (teflon) will hopefully take care of it.
Cool- thanks!

I dreaded having to tear into a column to apply 10 cents worth of lube.:)
Yep...I was too.

Checked my 96 Explorer for this, and a dab of dielectric grease solved the anoying screeee that it was doing. Thanks.
Tried to rep you, but my rep gun is jammed
Cool- thanks!
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
I'm anxious to hear your results.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
I'll be sure to post an update, but it might be a while...gonna be a busy next month or two. (And, of course, once bike season hits, I'd rather be riding than wrenching...)
 

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