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Clicking in Steering Left or right, but only when 50% or more to full crank

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  luck11 
#1 ·
Hi all.

Searched for this but could not find something that matches my situation. 2013 Mazda 3 GT Sport 2.5L. Changed the front strut assembly with Monroe Quick Struts due to passenger strut leak...comes as full assembly to swap out. That was in June of this year.

About 3 weeks ago, noticed a clicking in my steering when cranking steering to back out of driveway and onto road. So, so additional testing:

  • Short turning throws don't seem to produce clicking. Only when cranking the steering wheel more than 50% (estimate) of way, either left or right.
  • it will click 4 or 5 times before I hit max turn of the steering, left or right.
  • Will click when rotating the steering to turn, and also when rotating the steering to return to center.
  • Will do it when driving slow and cranking more than 50% or when in park.
  • Feel it very slightly in the steering wheel.
  • No clicking when driving straight or even turning left or right at insection where roads meet at 90 degrees.

I mentioned the struts because others have mentioned strut bearings being the issue, but with these being fairly new struts, is that a possibility?

I checked for CV boot leak and did not notice anything, but I suppose a leak is not needed to have faulty CV joint.

Appreciate any advice or guidance anyone may have. Still have extended warranty on powertrain, but suspect this is either steering or suspension related, so if it is something I can do myself, it would be preferable.

Thanks in advance.
 
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#2 ·
I had some faulty strut bearings and it skips, vibrating the spring with a clunk.
Here's a video I found that has the noise and shows the root cause


you can try having someone turn the wheel while you put your hand on the spring to see if that's the clunking you hear
 
#4 ·
I had some faulty strut bearings and it skips, vibrating the spring with a clunk.
Here's a video I found that has the noise and shows the root cause
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khZ16AOztT4

you can try having someone turn the wheel while you put your hand on the spring to see if that's the clunking you hear
Cool...thanks. However, that definitely sounds like more of a clunk than a click. Also, will be really p!ssed if it is the bearing in the mount given these the Monroe Quick Strut assemblies are 4 months old with less than 5000 kms on them. Nevertheless, I will get help from someone to stand outside to try to pinpoint the source and whether we can see the springs shuttering like that when turning.
 
#5 ·
That's what I read elsewhere. But would a faulty CV joint do this only under the conditions I describe or would a faulty CV joint normally have other symptoms as well? eg sounds while rolling in a slight turn or straight line. Just trying to determine if there are conditions that would eliminate the CV joint as the culprit. Genuinely asking because as handy as I may be around a vehicle for basic maintenance and repairs with instructions, I am no mechanic. :smile2: Thanks for the input.
 
#6 ·
It all depends upon the car; when the axles start to go some cars exhibit a shimmy in the steering wheel, especially during light acceleration or when climbing a long grade. Other cars seem to be immune from the shimmy and you won't know there is a failing CV until it starts clicking, or worse, fails.
 
#7 ·
Sorry for the late reply but son has been home very infrequently. We only had about 5 mins to test somethings out and murphy's law, I felt like a dealer because we could barely "reproduce the problem". Figures. He's back today so we'll do some additional troubleshooting this weekend then I will report back.

BTW, I found a thread about the M6 steering making clicking noises and it had something to do with lube in the steering column and the fix was to pull and retract the telescoping steering wheel several times to lube it up. Seemed to work for several owners. Now that I think of it, I did try that several times before our last 5 min test. It did not have any immediate impact, but when we did the 5 min test about 1 hr later, sound was almost gone. Maybe that was the trick? Some wishful thinking.
 
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