Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Steering Rack Creaking Noise

Hi all.

My rolling crash course continues on my 96 Plus8! Great Fun! So I have now developed a creaking/groaning sound when turning wheel left and right. I can also feel that it's a bit "rachety" through the wheel as well? Thoughts? Am I missing a service item here by not oiling the steering rack?

Thanks for help!

No I don't think so. Maybe have somebody turn your steering wheel back and forth while You look at the steering rack and listen. Might become obvious.

When was the last time you did a grease job on the front end?
I had the same symptoms which went away after greasing the front kingpins.
Hope this helps.

Rather than the steering rack, the creaking is more likely to come from the steering damps and main springs. The 'ratchety' feeling is probably making its presence felt as the steering wheel in turned and the main springs try to overcome the stiction and rotate with the stub axle.

The grease in the stub axle not only greases the king pins but also the bronze steering damper bearing plate that fits between the stub axle and main spring. The oilway that feeds this area often becomes blocked with dirt and congealed grease.

Lever up the bronze damper bearing plate with a screwdriver and pump a bit more grease through the stub axle nipple and you should see grease emerge. If not, its blocked and you either try to clear the blockage with a piece of wire or you can simply work grease under the bearing plate. Alternatively, you can rebuild the front suspension.

Agreed first try greasing the front end.

Then check this full section in GoMog. The link is only to part of it.

http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/r&p.html

Hi all,

Oddly it arrived after I greased the front end. I have grease nipples at top and bottom of springs, I grease them ever 750/1000 miles. I grease until I see it come out top and bottom. Both seem to take grease fairly willingly.

Replacing my shocks this weekend, so will have a closer look and will go in and adjust R&P also to reduce the play.

Alex, I have seen/heard a few with a similar creak, if you can get a can of motorcycle chain lube (good for rear springs also) and spray around the base of the front suspension main springs where they rub at the lower point and up to where they rub up against the dust cover at the top (under the crosshead upper lug) whilst someone is turning the steering lock to lock you may find the noise goes. Needs doing as part of the regular service, just ensure you don't get any overspray on the brakes.

interesting SpannerJuggler, I've definitely found the noise is from wheel end of axle not the R&P so to speak so that certainly makes sense. I kind of assumed that greasing would keep this space sorted but what you're saying is the grease is not really getting into those contact points?

Alex, most people grease top and bottom but there really is no point in pumping grease through the top nipple as it all ends up in the same place. It's rather like stuffing one's face then shoving another meal up one's....... well you get my drift.

Furthermore, the oilway through the kingpin was meant for oil and it can have a tendency to block as the grease congeals in the small diameter oilway. The nipple on the stub axle goes directly into a chamber within the stub axle through which rotates the kingpin.

The oilway to the bearing surface of the steering damper and facing of the stub axle was made probably purposely small - to prevent excess grease and oil getting on to the brake surfaces. It is this oilway that was designed to feed a mix of oil and grease between the bearing surfaces. If it gets blocked then the steering damper cannot do its job, that is to allow the springs to rotate with minimal binding and pevent the springs causing the wheels to change direction and the springs deflect over bumps and wind themselves up.

By the way, the term steering damper in the context of a Morgan is a misnomer. The point of the so called steering damper is to reduce the effects of mainspring windup on the steering. It would more accurately be called a mainspring damper.