Steering Column | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Steering Column

arcticguy57

Member
Joined
October 12, 2006
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
City, State
Wasilla, Alaska
Year, Model & Trim Level
92 XLT
I've got a 92 Explorer and there is a clunking sound coming from my steering column whenever I turn the wheel. It's definetly something inside the column. Anybody know what might be causing this? I just got this truck and the only other problem I have is the fuel gauge doesn't work. Any ideas on that? Thanks So far I really like this truck!!
 






I believe the 1992 will be the same as the 1993 and 1994. What I would suggest is with a 9/32" nutdriver or socket remove the cover that attaches to the lower dash that sits directly under or below the steering column. Then remove the 9/32" hex-head screws that are in the steel plate that is behind the lower cover you removed earlier. Lower that panel to the floor (it should be holding your hood release cable (if you have an inside hood release). With a phillips screwdriver remove the screws from the underside of the plastic cover that wraps around the steering column. Carefully work the two-piece plastic column cover apart and remove the two sections. If you have a tilt column you might have to tilt the column (wheel) up or down to accomplish this. Try moving the column around when the truck is parked to see if someone loosened the column bolts to replace an ignition switch and didn't tighten them back up completely. If this isn't so put the steel plate back up tempoarily to get it off of the floor and take it for a test drive to see if you can isolate where the noise is coming from. SOME NOISES FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION CAN TRAVEL UP STEEL PARTS LIKE THE COLUMN AND SOUND LIKE THEY ARE COMING FROM THE COLUMN ITSELF. See what you come up with.

The fuel guage is another thing, it could be wiring, the guage itself, the fuel sending unit in the fuel tank. I don't want to give you any troubleshooting tips on this because I haven't troubleshot a newer vehicle like this one with an inoperable guage, I have only done this on 60s Mustangs and Cougars. I have seen posts on here that tell people to ground the fuel sender wire at the tank end and go inside to see if the guage pegs. I burned up a guage in my 1967 Mustang doing this manymany many years ago because the hard ground pegged the guage and burned up the filament wire inside before I could get back to the back of the car to remove it. This is, in my opinion, a two-person operation.
 






arcticguy57 said:
I've got a 92 Explorer and there is a clunking sound coming from my steering column whenever I turn the wheel. It's definetly something inside the column. Anybody know what might be causing this? I just got this truck and the only other problem I have is the fuel gauge doesn't work. Any ideas on that? Thanks So far I really like this truck!!

The majority of cases for the fuel gauge not working are caused by the fuel float on the fuel pump developing a leak. The float itself may be replaced or most people replace the entire fuel pump assembly as long as they got it down. Do a search and feel free to ask questions.
 






Back
Top