Mysterious steering clunk
 

Hi all,

2000 986 2.7 manual. I have a mysterious steering clunk that I can’t track down. If the car is stationary, engine on, and I turn the wheel quickly to the left, it will clunk, and if I keep turning it, or stop turning and start turning left again, it won’t clunk again. Then, if I start turning right instead, it will clunk once, and then not again, unless I start turning back left again. However, both directions, if I turn the wheel slowly, so the power steering is doing all the work, it does not clunk.

If there was a loose bearing somewhere, I don’t get how it will clunk when I’m putting quite a lot in of manual torque down the steering column but not when the power steering is providing the torque.

Have done pretty major front-axle refresh and was expecting this to go away as result but it hasn’t. Changed coffin arms, suspension (including top mounts), tuning forks, drop links, and checked the tie rods and track rod ends, which are tight, ball joints are tight, and look to be quite new. ARB bushes seem alright. Under the car, I can sometimes reproduce by turning the wheels with my feet (steering) and trying to stop the steering input shaft from moving at same same time, but it is almost impossible to work out where in the system the clunk comes from.

Steering rack?

I don’t know but my guess is the steering box but usually when they get loose like this they leak too.

Fairly easy to check it up (with a helper..), and tighten it again :-)