The Focus is making a funny noise again...

[Bailes1992]

Someone try shed some light on this for me.
I have a clicking as I'm steering, mainly when I'm braking at the same time. Happens if I steer over 180° in either direction. It seems to be comming from the drivers side. It dosen't happen all the time, but nearly all the time if I'm moving slowly and applying the brakes at the same time?
I.e. tight downhill S Bends.
If I'm not braking then it dosen't usually happen, but usually when I'm slowing down and steering at the same time I get the click or crack noise?
It usually only happens the once, which is why I'm discounting the CV joints.
It's not a constant tick, tick, tick when I move, it's just the one clunk or crack.

I recently had a new steering rack but it's been happening since before that.
I did fit new track rod ends though and I can't recall it happening before I fitted those?
Could it still be the CV joint? Should I pop the boot off and have a look at the condition of the joint?

Any advice more than welcome.
Bailes.

[ToddM]

Can you slide the boots off without damaging/ripping them and still be able to put them back on? If so it's worth a shot I guess but if the CV joints are screwed then you should really consider flogging that piece of dog poo already. Is it possible for it to be your steering rack or a servo issue? One of my ex-neighbours ( A woman of course..) never topped her servo up and it lost a lot of fluids over the years (Old Fiesta), when she braked all the fluid went forwards and when she turned the wheel it was nice and heavy as no fluid was going where it should and was instead being splashed around the small tank.

[Bailes1992]

Can you slide the boots off without damaging/ripping them and still be able to put them back on? If so it's worth a shot I guess but if the CV joints are screwed then you should really consider flogging that piece of dog poo already. Is it possible for it to be your steering rack or a servo issue? One of my ex-neighbours ( A woman of course..) never topped her servo up and it lost a lot of fluids over the years (Old Fiesta), when she braked all the fluid went forwards and when she turned the wheel it was nice and heavy as no fluid was going where it should and was instead being splashed around the small tank.

Got a brand new steering rack and this noise has been going on since before the steering rack was changed.
Can't see it being a servo issue, I think the braking is just a coincidence. The only time I'm crawling and steering hard at the same time is usually slowing down through tight bends. Might try and take the S bends in 1st gear and steer slowly and still see if the click is there.
Might get some spare split CV boots but I can't see why I just can't cut the clip and pull it back, clean it off and regrease?

[ToddM]

Got a brand new steering rack and this noise has been going on since before the steering rack was changed.
Can't see it being a servo issue, I think the braking is just a coincidence. The only time I'm crawling and steering hard at the same time is usually slowing down through tight bends. Might try and take the S bends in 1st gear and steer slowly and still see if the click is there.
Might get some spare split CV boots but I can't see why I just can't cut the clip and pull it back, clean it off and regrease?

I see. Well you should be able to but split boots tend to fall apart when you do that sometimes.

[steve_earwig]

I am the god of hell fire, and I bring you
Fire, I'll take you to burn
Fire, I'll take you to learn
I'll see you burn

You fought hard and you saved and earned
But all of it's going to burn
And your mind, your tiny mind
You know you've really been so blind
Now 's your time, burn your mind
You're falling far too far behind
Oh no, oh no, oh no, you're gonna burn

Fire, to destroy all you've done
Fire, to end all you've become
I'll feel you burn

I wouldn't have thought ball joint if it's just once. Top bearing? We need someone who knows the suspension set up on these heaps. If I get a chance later I'll ask our mechanic if he's come across anything like this.

[gumby6371]

Can I just ask how Ford set the steering up to allow the front wheels to turn 180 degrees?

Have you tried not turning the front wheels quite so far?

I apologise I'm just in one of those moods today

[Bailes1992]

Turning the steering wheel 180 degrees

And the setup is much the same as the 406, never thought about the top bearings! Will have a look later.

And Todd, never had an issue with split boots, I think they're great.

[sirwiggum]

You need to rename that car "Christine".

Does your 180 degree steering allow you to crab into spaces for easy parking?

I concur with the opinion on this board that your split boots you fitted a while back may be suboptimal.

[Bailes1992]

I havent fitted split boots
They're the boots that came with the car
I fitted split boots to the 406 and they seemed to work really well!

[mjb]

Here's my thinking for figuring it out:

See if it happens while stationary. Try with the wheels on the ground and in the air, and with the engine both off and running (obviously, not all at the same time... ). Try putting it in gear with the front wheels in the air... If you can reproduce it on a stationary car, you've as good as found the problem... Watch the springs while turning the wheel with the car on the ground - they should rotate smoothly, otherwise you've got a knackered bearing on it. It may help to get a mate or two to sit on the bonnet to simulate the extra suspension compression from braking (I doubt it'll be the brakes themselves)

Try having a look at the steering column - you may simply have a loose UJ...


MJB's guesses:
1) Knackered strut bearing(s)
2) Loose steering column

[Bailes1992]

Hmm starting to think I have a nackered strut bearing. I'l try replicate it with the front wheels on the air

[Bailes1992]

Right I can now say it almost definatley only always does it when I got my foot on the brake?
I couldn't recreate the click without my foot on the brake.

The last few weeks I've done nothing but Stop/Start driving, one mile here, another mile there, 0.5 a mile there etc.
Due to this my oil gained a layer of water along with some white sluge and the engine generally drove like crap.

So today give the car a good blast down the motorway, then little bit of city driving and a good blast home through the back/coat roads. Engines sweet again now, just waiting for the oil to cool and settle before I top it up.
Just needed that blast to burn off any impurities in the oil.

But this clicking is still doing my head in?

[DiscoPol]

is it the a pad slipping about in the caliper? if its only under braking it makes sense to me, whip em out and have a look if one has any obvious signs of movement.


just my 2 zlotys worth.

[Bailes1992]

I got a spare set of pads here, ECP accidently sent me 2 sets
Maybe I should swap them over with new pads?
Not doing anything today, I'm too lazy. The cars driving 110% though!

[DiscoPol]

is the extra 10% the clicking?