Steering column rattle (possible bearing problem)
09-27-19, 12:48 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Steering column rattle (possible bearing problem)
Future me edit: This turned out to be my lower ball joints. Replacing those tightened everything right up. How they affected the steering wheel is beyond me, but hey, it did the trick.
I've been trying to track down this for quite some time, and I've finally found what seems to be the issue with help from my local shop who were on a hunt to find what was going on.
Symptoms:
Steering column can move. I can grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down by a millimeter, maybe two, it's very very slight. It wobbles up and down by a tiny amount and "clunks" as it moves. When driving over bumps at low and high speeds, I can feel the wheel and entire steering column move a tiny bit. If I get in the driver footwell, I can grab the shaft and press up on it and it will move up and down a tiny bit. So it would appear there is something worn down outside of tolerances and allowing the entire column to move. It does not move left and right at all, only vertically up and down.
I made a audio clip of the sound it will make during normal driving:
https://vocaroo.com/i/s1MM68ujdVp0
So the shop took apart the column. At first we tried to do a OEM TSB that my car was a part of:
http://australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/L...B-ST001-04.pdf
Once they got it apart, they said this didn't make any sense for what was happening and the parts that I acquired for it weren't what was at issue.
They dug down and their best guess is a lower bearing at the lower end of the column. The gentleman who did the teardown physically looked at the bearing itself and got a P#: 18BSW-05A.
Sadly they couldn't source one. You can only buy from NSK (the oem) themselves in quantities of 100. I can find some sources on google, but I can't tell if the item itself is actually in-stock and I trust their judgement that they couldn't source one. Dude was looking on ebay and everything.
The only other option is to find a used steering column and replace the entire assembly, but that brings in other problems as potentially the tilt motors could be impacted from this. I'm not gonna replace the entire column.
Does anyone know what is going on here? Insight? I'm trying to chase down this damn noise and would really like to nix this.
If this is the problem and it parts really don't exist, then let this be a warning to anyone trying to find a solution to their noise!
I've been trying to track down this for quite some time, and I've finally found what seems to be the issue with help from my local shop who were on a hunt to find what was going on.
Symptoms:
Steering column can move. I can grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down by a millimeter, maybe two, it's very very slight. It wobbles up and down by a tiny amount and "clunks" as it moves. When driving over bumps at low and high speeds, I can feel the wheel and entire steering column move a tiny bit. If I get in the driver footwell, I can grab the shaft and press up on it and it will move up and down a tiny bit. So it would appear there is something worn down outside of tolerances and allowing the entire column to move. It does not move left and right at all, only vertically up and down.
I made a audio clip of the sound it will make during normal driving:
https://vocaroo.com/i/s1MM68ujdVp0
So the shop took apart the column. At first we tried to do a OEM TSB that my car was a part of:
http://australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/L...B-ST001-04.pdf
Once they got it apart, they said this didn't make any sense for what was happening and the parts that I acquired for it weren't what was at issue.
They dug down and their best guess is a lower bearing at the lower end of the column. The gentleman who did the teardown physically looked at the bearing itself and got a P#: 18BSW-05A.
Sadly they couldn't source one. You can only buy from NSK (the oem) themselves in quantities of 100. I can find some sources on google, but I can't tell if the item itself is actually in-stock and I trust their judgement that they couldn't source one. Dude was looking on ebay and everything.
The only other option is to find a used steering column and replace the entire assembly, but that brings in other problems as potentially the tilt motors could be impacted from this. I'm not gonna replace the entire column.
Does anyone know what is going on here? Insight? I'm trying to chase down this damn noise and would really like to nix this.
If this is the problem and it parts really don't exist, then let this be a warning to anyone trying to find a solution to their noise!
Last edited by 400fanboy; 11-02-21 at 03:24 AM.
09-28-19, 02:12 AM
#2
Intermediate
If they found what the issue is and can't get a part just shim it somewhere so it does not move anymore. I don't know where it could be shimmed but if possible it might work. If it only makes noise and is not causing more damage it might not be worth it. Even if you find a single part that you need, could not fix it.
09-28-19, 08:35 PM
#3
Lexus Champion
I've been trying to track down this for quite some time, and I've finally found what seems to be the issue with help from my local shop who were on a hunt to find what was going on.
Symptoms:
Steering column can move. I can grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down by less than a millimeter, it's very very slight. It wobbles up and down by a tiny amount and "clunks" as it moves. When driving over bumps at low and high speeds, I can feel the wheel and entire steering column move a tiny bit. If I get in the driver footwell, I can grab the shaft and press up on it and it will move up and down a tiny bit. So it would appear there is something worn down outside of tolerances and allowing the entire column to move. It does not move left and right at all, only vertically up and down.
I made a audio clip of the sound it will make during normal driving:
https://vocaroo.com/i/s1MM68ujdVp0
So the shop took apart the column. At first we tried to do a OEM TSB that my car was a part of:
http://australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/L...B-ST001-04.pdf
Once they got it apart, they said this didn't make any sense for what was happening and the parts that I acquired for it weren't what was at issue.
They dug down and their best guess is a lower bearing at the lower end of the column. The gentleman who did the teardown physically looked at the bearing itself and got a P#: 18BSW-05A.
Sadly they couldn't source one. You can only buy from NSK (the oem) themselves in quantities of 100. I can find some sources on google, but I can't tell if the item itself is actually in-stock and I trust their judgement that they couldn't source one. Dude was looking on ebay and everything.
The only other option is to find a used steering column and replace the entire assembly, but that brings in other problems as potentially the tilt motors could be impacted from this. I'm not gonna replace the entire column.
Does anyone know what is going on here? Insight? I'm trying to chase down this damn noise and would really like to nix this.
If this is the problem and it parts really don't exist, then let this be a warning to anyone trying to find a solution to their noise!
Symptoms:
Steering column can move. I can grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and move it vertically up and down by less than a millimeter, it's very very slight. It wobbles up and down by a tiny amount and "clunks" as it moves. When driving over bumps at low and high speeds, I can feel the wheel and entire steering column move a tiny bit. If I get in the driver footwell, I can grab the shaft and press up on it and it will move up and down a tiny bit. So it would appear there is something worn down outside of tolerances and allowing the entire column to move. It does not move left and right at all, only vertically up and down.
I made a audio clip of the sound it will make during normal driving:
https://vocaroo.com/i/s1MM68ujdVp0
So the shop took apart the column. At first we tried to do a OEM TSB that my car was a part of:
http://australiancar.reviews/_pdfs/L...B-ST001-04.pdf
Once they got it apart, they said this didn't make any sense for what was happening and the parts that I acquired for it weren't what was at issue.
They dug down and their best guess is a lower bearing at the lower end of the column. The gentleman who did the teardown physically looked at the bearing itself and got a P#: 18BSW-05A.
Sadly they couldn't source one. You can only buy from NSK (the oem) themselves in quantities of 100. I can find some sources on google, but I can't tell if the item itself is actually in-stock and I trust their judgement that they couldn't source one. Dude was looking on ebay and everything.
The only other option is to find a used steering column and replace the entire assembly, but that brings in other problems as potentially the tilt motors could be impacted from this. I'm not gonna replace the entire column.
Does anyone know what is going on here? Insight? I'm trying to chase down this damn noise and would really like to nix this.
If this is the problem and it parts really don't exist, then let this be a warning to anyone trying to find a solution to their noise!
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...aft-clunk.html
For some reason the lower column shaft outer diameter does not watch the lower bearing inner diameter.
09-28-19, 10:56 PM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
Check out this post;
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...aft-clunk.html
For some reason the lower column shaft outer diameter does not watch the lower bearing inner diameter.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...aft-clunk.html
For some reason the lower column shaft outer diameter does not watch the lower bearing inner diameter.
The below visually looks like it makes sense for the vertical play I experience within my entire column.
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GX - 1st Gen (2003-2009)
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