I had a similar problem with my 74 MGB. My steering wheel shaft was not
seated firmly in the carrier bushings. I loosened the nut on the universal
(just below the master brake cylinder) and tapped the shaft back in. I had
caused the problem originally when I removed the steering wheel. As with
yours the rattle only showed up on rough roads (my 600' gravel driveway).
I would guess the problem with your explorer is some damage you did while
4-wheeling. Or a loose component somewhere in your steering train.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Councill <dcouncil@imt.net>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, July 16, 1999 10:46 PM
Subject: steering rattle
|Here is the problem - there is a rattle in the steering, particularly when
|the car is on a bumpy road. On a smooth paved road, all is well - no rattle
|and the car handles fine.
|
|To make the matter more complicated - the car is a 92 Ford Explorer. And it
|started happening after the car did four miles of what I would call "mild"
|four wheeling.
|
|Why do I ask the MG list? Because oddly enough, my 67 BGT has the same
|problem. Except the rattling is much less severe and only occurs on the
|dirt road to my house, which is only a couple of city blocks from the end
|of the pavement. So I never gave it much thought until it suddenly happened
|to the Explorer but in a more serious way.
|
|Its even more serious because these new American cars require specialists
|for most everything. On the 67BGT, I just received new tie rod ends and
|rubber rack seals. I was planning on doing some inexpensive and fairly
|routine maintenance on it and maybe get rid of its rattle this weekend.
|Mainly I was replacing the cracking rack seals though, rather than getting
|rid of the rattle.
|
|So any ideas on what can cause this steering rattle? Can it be the tie rod
|ends? Or is that too easy of a fix? But I guess easy is "relative" - I got
|the pair of tie rod ends for the BGT for $24. I'd be lucky to get one Ford
|tie rod end for that.
|
|
|David
|67 BGT
|71 BGT
|74 FJ40 Landcruiser (no rattle and lots of real 4 wheeling)
|92 Ford Explorer (mechanic's dream)
|
|