Weird Scraping Noise ( steering wheel )
Thread Starter
Obsessed
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 627
Likes: 394
From: Valencia, Spain
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
Weird Scraping Noise ( steering wheel )
The other day while parking my 71 and getting out I noticed an odd scraping sound when I moved the steering wheel…. Never noticed it before. With motor on or driving it’s not auditable so I’m not sure if this is new or just never noticed it. Still steers well and everything works, blinkers, horn …etc Don’t have telescopic tilt. How concerned should I be about this. Please see video
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 44,693
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From: Huntsville AL
Sounds like the steering wheel bell (round part forward of steering wheel) is making contract with the turn signal housing or turn signal cancelling cam rubbing inside the housing. A bad column bearing can cause this.
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
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From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
IF. you decide its time for a rebuild, DIY . Take lots of disassembly pics!
Or... as Mr D suggested....it may need only a simple adjustment and retighten all parts as long as the upper and lower bearings are in good shape, greased.
Or... as Mr D suggested....it may need only a simple adjustment and retighten all parts as long as the upper and lower bearings are in good shape, greased.
Thread Starter
Obsessed
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 627
Likes: 394
From: Valencia, Spain
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (stock)
Actually what I’d like to do is swap it out for a tilt telescopic steering column… if I could find a blue one for a 71 I’d do it for sure… when I get out of my Vette I tend to pull on my steering wheel in order to get out. I’m thinking I just pull on it too much and bent it a bit, enough to scrape. So can it be bent back or greased to stop the scraping… It still steers fine and everything works but is it dangerous?
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,607
Likes: 7,053
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Actually what I’d like to do is swap it out for a tilt telescopic steering column… if I could find a blue one for a 71 I’d do it for sure… when I get out of my Vette I tend to pull on my steering wheel in order to get out. I’m thinking I just pull on it too much and bent it a bit, enough to scrape. So can it be bent back or greased to stop the scraping… It still steers fine and everything works but is it dangerous?
I dont think its a safety hazard unless the upper or lower bearings are destoyed and couldcseize up while turning a curve. M y lower bearing was lliterally losin ***** when I inspected the column.
Yours may/may not be that danngerous.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 94
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From: Charleston SC
As a follow-up thought, I suspect this screw came from when I installed my American Hydrocarbon dash.
There are several 7mm black bolts that hold that trim piece on and a couple near the HUD (as can be seen in this very useful post on the subject). I suspect that one fell down and when I couldn't find it and said "Well that's gone forever" only for it to materialize 2.5 years later...
There are several 7mm black bolts that hold that trim piece on and a couple near the HUD (as can be seen in this very useful post on the subject). I suspect that one fell down and when I couldn't find it and said "Well that's gone forever" only for it to materialize 2.5 years later...
