Steering Shaft Clunk/Pop
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Joined: Feb 2014
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Steering Shaft Clunk/Pop
Hey guys I am trying to chase down a wondering issue with my C5 Z06. Car is a 2003. When I got the car it have a very aggressive autocross alignment on it. Car came from a National Champion in A Street. Anyways since the car has become a daily driver I put a far less aggressive alignment on the car. When I bought the car the rear bump steer was pretty bad. Stable to slide around but any bump in the road and the back would move around. I got a pretty standard alignment. -1.5 Camber in the front. Zero toe. Rear was -1.2 camber and 1/4inch toe in. First couple weeks the car drove great. No more nasty bump steer over bumps. After that the car started to wonder pretty bad.
When I got the car the old owner said that an inner tie rod was starting to fail. I went under the car and found the drivers side had some play. I could feel it and visually see the play. I replaced the inner tie rod as well as the outer tie rod as it had some play. Pretty sure it was just a failing outer tie rod. I used some toe plates and got the front back to zero toe. The car was better but still wondering. Over the last week it seems to have gotten worse. I crawled back under it and the tie rods feel tight. Had another buddy who has a c5z look at it and we found if you shake the wheel there is a pop or clunk that seems to be coming from the steering shaft from the column to the rack and pinion. I checked the bolt in the engine bay near the rack and it was tight. I have not checked the upper yet.
Has anybody had issues with the steering shaft going bad? I am going to go out here in a few and look at the other bolts to make sure that its ok. I made a pull on a highway on ramp and it hit a few small bumps and the car wants to change lanes. So I want to get this fixed asap as it seems to be getting worse as well.
This is the shaft that feels like it is making the noise and you can feel movement in it.
https://www.ebay.com/i/371616984298?...evt=1&mkcid=28
Any ideas. Anything else to check or look over. Car is currently the daily driver and my only running car as the track day miata has a nasty exhaust leak that I need to fix.
When I got the car the old owner said that an inner tie rod was starting to fail. I went under the car and found the drivers side had some play. I could feel it and visually see the play. I replaced the inner tie rod as well as the outer tie rod as it had some play. Pretty sure it was just a failing outer tie rod. I used some toe plates and got the front back to zero toe. The car was better but still wondering. Over the last week it seems to have gotten worse. I crawled back under it and the tie rods feel tight. Had another buddy who has a c5z look at it and we found if you shake the wheel there is a pop or clunk that seems to be coming from the steering shaft from the column to the rack and pinion. I checked the bolt in the engine bay near the rack and it was tight. I have not checked the upper yet.
Has anybody had issues with the steering shaft going bad? I am going to go out here in a few and look at the other bolts to make sure that its ok. I made a pull on a highway on ramp and it hit a few small bumps and the car wants to change lanes. So I want to get this fixed asap as it seems to be getting worse as well.
This is the shaft that feels like it is making the noise and you can feel movement in it.
https://www.ebay.com/i/371616984298?...evt=1&mkcid=28
Any ideas. Anything else to check or look over. Car is currently the daily driver and my only running car as the track day miata has a nasty exhaust leak that I need to fix.
