Steering Wheel Loose?!? WTF Ford?!

[Intuit]

Prior car, knocking noise was the rack and pinion. 100k+ over rough streets had worn the pinion gear. Wasn't a safety issue, didn't affect handling and couldn't feel it in the steering/wheel. Dealer mechanic pinpointed the noise with a stethoscope. I later replaced the rack & pinion myself. The part was $300 at the dealer. Paid a shop to do the alignment though, they didn't really have anything to do as I compared the OEM and replacement to match up the tie-rods.

To state it again, you can't tell whether your rack mount nuts are loose without putting a torque wrench on them. If regular movement is allowed, it may damage the rubber bushings.

 

[Thirty-Two]

Prior car, knocking noise was the rack and pinion. 100k+ over rough streets had worn the pinion gear. Wasn't a safety issue, didn't affect handling and couldn't feel it in the steering/wheel. Dealer mechanic pinpointed the noise with a stethoscope. I later replaced the rack & pinion myself. The part was $300 at the dealer. Paid a shop to do the alignment though, they didn't really have anything to do as I compared the OEM and replacement to match up the tie-rods.

To state it again, you can't tell whether your rack mount nuts are loose without putting a torque wrench on them. If regular movement is allowed, it may damage the rubber bushings.

Thanks for the help. I can't fit any of my torque wrenches up where I need to, so dealer appointment Tuesday should resolve this. Dealer had indicated that they had similar issues on Fusions, but I had seen that issue before and its not the same thing, as that issue was just at the wheel itself. Here the looseness is resonating from somewhere along the column or rack itself. I'll update everyone when I bring it in.

 

[alnhoo]

Thanks for the help. I can't fit any of my torque wrenches up where I need to, so dealer appointment Tuesday should resolve this. Dealer had indicated that they had similar issues on Fusions, but I had seen that issue before and its not the same thing, as that issue was just at the wheel itself. Here the looseness is resonating from somewhere along the column or rack itself. I'll update everyone when I bring it in.

Any update on the issue?
Keen to know what the issue was and how it was fixed.

 

[Thirty-Two]

Sorry, I never did update here.

As you can read along this hilarious thread, I was very certain that it was the bolts at the steering gear knuckle. So I went to the dealer.

Service advisors couldn't feel anything at a stop or at low speed, so they took the car back to a lift and came back soon. Finding nothing loose under the chassis at the suspension, they concluded (as they did earlier on the phone) that this is the same issue with the Fusions, and quoted me 600 and 2 weeks for a new gear assembly and labor.
The master tech, wanted a look himself and invited me back. He compared another Fiesta on the lot and found that there was a difference in feel when slightly turning the steering wheel back and forth at a stop. He ended up pulling the boot, and after taking a torque wrench to it found that the bolt from the shaft to the gear was loose introducing play.

New bolt, some threadlock and I haven't had an issue since.

I bet others also have this loose bolt, but they may not feel it until it becomes super apparent with higher mileage/use. Anyone can do this at home with the right tool before it poses a larger issue.

Parts Diagram:

https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/steering/steering-parts-other/column-assy-steering-7869729-1

Bolt HB-2:

https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/bolt-7828037-1#sectionId:4228132

Pink bolt below. Torque to 34nm. Per Ford Service manual, "Reuse [of bolt] could result in bolt failure and loss of vehicle control."

 

[M-Sport fan]

I'm going to have to check this out, since when sitting still and parked, with the engine running, and sawing the wheel back and forth I get a light knock, just off center in either direction, but do not notice anything at all when moving and turning.

 

[unearth078]

I'm going to have to check this out, since when sitting still and parked, with the engine running, and sawing the wheel back and forth I get a light knock, just off center in either direction, but do not notice anything at all when moving and turning.

Did this remedy your knock as well?

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

Jesus. This new generation will be the death of us

 

[dhminer]

Jesus. This new generation will be the death of us

I feel the same way, but at the same time I’m fairly certain that was said about my generation as well.

 

[HardBoiledEgg]

It's hard cause sometimes I get bunched up in the same thing cause my age