re: popping noise from front of car

[Phil Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

>Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 00:43:08 -0400
>From: "Craig D. Niederst" <niederst@telerama.com>
>Subject: Suspension upgrade / popping noise from front of car


> With my current suspension, I get a
>popping noise from the front of the car (passenger side I think) when
>turning and also when I go over dips in the highway. I think the subject of
>this popping noise has come up before, but I do not remember what it is. Any
>ideas? I'd like to be able to repair whatever it is while the new suspension
>parts are being installed.

One common source of steering-related "popping noise" is the steering gear.
When the car is stopped and the wheel centered, give the steering wheel
some very quick turns left and right--about +/- 45 degrees. Do you hear the
popping noise easily from inside? If yes, you may need a slight adjustment
to the steering gear.

Specifically, there is an adjustment screw (hex head) located in the
steering rac. It is in a flat plate atop the little pinion-gear housing
where the steering column enters the rack (don't confuse it with the two
nearby bolts that secure the flat plate to the gear housing). Depending on
the engine, it can be a little tricky to reach with a wrench; in my '91
200q, I reached it from the right side using a ratchet with a 10" extension
and the socket fitted to a universal joint. Could be lots of brake lines
and hoses in the way.

With someone in the car to turn the wheel back and forth, tighten (takes a
fair amount of force) the adjusting screw by very small amounts (1/16 turn)
'till the noise just disappears. Then perhaps just a _little_ bit more. Too
little is probably better than too much here. Test drive to verify that the
steering wheel does not bind.
HTH,

Phil

Phil Rose		Rochester, NY
'89 100
'91 200q		pjrose@servtech.com