Clicking steering column

Dutchy · **Posted:** Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:03 am

I noticed that my steering column is clicking when I turn the wheel slightly to the left or right..
I have not noticed this before and it started last week but only when the steering wheel is turned slightly left or right from the centre.

Any suggestions what could be wrong here?

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Sun Sep 14, 2008 11:39 am

My 03 Sport has done that since I took her home. Dealer could never figure out what it was. It is not doing anything wrong except making a click when I turn left. and some times rite.

So I just left it alone

itsajeepthing · **Posted:** Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:45 pm

Mine started to do that couple of yrs back. It was barely enough to even notice at first. It eventually got a lot worse to the point where I thought my ball joints were on the way out. It was most noticeable in parking lot situations. The dealer investigated it a couple of times before diagnosing a bad "steering coupler". Have not had the problem since they replaced it.

Dutchy · **Posted:** Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:28 am

The clicking is a very delicate sound just underneath the steering wheel.

I had the louder cliking when tunrning left a couple of years ago, but that was like something hitting plastick near the foot well, and it went away after a year.

I'm a bit worried as the steering lock is around the same area the sound comes from.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:28 pm

After messing around with my steering wheel I know what your clicking sound is....the clockspring that's just behind the steering wheel.

It has an 'auto centre device' meaning that if the steering wheel is not fitted the clockspring stays in its centre position. It's a little plastic pin sticking out of the clock spring, when the steering wheel is fitted it gets pushed inwards and releases the clock spring so it can rotate. After a few years you get some play on this pin and it starts making noise...

In the JEEP factory they even put an elastic band around it to keep the little plastic pin in place. No pics of the clock spring, sorry.

I can show you the rear of the steering wheel though, you can clearly see the spot where the pin connects.

Dutchy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:04 am

Whow!
I'm impressed, thanks for sharing your knowledge again Tony!

So I don't have to worry that the steering wheel gets stuck suddenly, that's a relief, thanks again.

BeepBeepJeepJeep · **Posted:** Tue Sep 23, 2008 10:09 am

Dutchy wrote:

Whow!
I'm impressed, thanks for sharing your knowledge again Tony!

So I don't have to worry that the steering wheel gets stuck suddenly, that's a relief, thanks again.

Uh... you do if you're in the middle of a turn! :lol:

clreinstein · **Posted:** Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:15 pm

I dont know about the KJ, but on other vehicles I have worked on in the past, if there is a problem with the clock spring it can cause the airbag to malfunction. The airbag and computer rely on it for some type of sensor input for deployment.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:19 pm

itsajeepthing wrote:

The dealer investigated it a couple of times before diagnosing a bad "steering coupler". Have not had the problem since they replaced it.

Where's the steering coupler located? My wife's KJ has recently started to give me this slight click (not noise, but more like feedback through the steering during low-speed turning, like you said, parking lot situation).

itsajeepthing · **Posted:** Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:11 pm

diagram:

FreedomKJ · **Posted:** Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:39 pm

Mine has clicked since new.

ROWA · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:24 pm

I had a Toyota 4Runner with the same problem. It ended up being the cam that resets the turn signal arm, I put a little grease on it to fix the problem.

Dutchy · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:56 am

Good tip ROWA,

I just sprayed WD40 in the lighting arm and turn signal arm area and I also sprayed in the steering lock and the clicking is gone

06 KJ Sport · **Posted:** Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:33 pm

My 06 KJ just developed the same clicking problem. At first it only happened when it was cold, now it happens all the time!

Clicking steering column

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