steering problem making me worry

[sciguy007]

generally i never go offroading, but a friend and i went to a really secluded place that took some offroading to get to. since then, there is a strange clunking coming from my steering column. i can feel the clunk through the steering wheel, and can hear it as well, but i cant feel it from anywhere else. the clunking occurs most noticeably when making small rotations quickly with the steering wheel when the wheels are pointed straight. it does occur almost all the time now. any ideas please? i am probably going to bring it in for service but i wanted a heads up on what it might be for cost and time issues. thanks very much.

 

[AlaskanJack]

put the front up on jacks and get someone to turn the steering for you. Don't pay for service unless you have to. turn car on so you get the power steering. I'd look at tie rod ends or steering gearbox. Check and make sure your power steering resevoir is full. It could also be the steering rod going to gearbox check to see if it tight.

 

[dgibson]

Check your radius arm bushings also. The driver side of my x makes the clunking sound because I haven't replaced that side yet. The passenger side to replace was a living hell.

 

[AlaskanJack]

Check this out also I think I may have found your gremlin. Ran across it while trying to find manual tranny weight. There are some torx screws just under horn pad and it sounds like your problem could be this.

http://www.glue.umd.edu/~singletn/web/pages/steering.html