Creak in steering wheel/column? Anyone ever track this down?

I've been hearing a slight creak around the front dash for months now. Finally was able to track it to slight movements in the steering wheel from either my hands pressure, or just bumps in the road.

Anyone have this and track it down? I've done my share of rattle hunting before, but don't love doing it around airbags...

https://photos.app.goo.gl/prY5SroRA25d7mXT6

 

I have this same rattle/tick, although mine will ticks when I pull down on the steering wheel . I started looking closer as sometimes I hear a plastically rattle noise from around the steering column on colder days. All winter I have been trying to find the source of the rattle, initially thought it was my keys jiggling.

So this weekend, I took apart my steering wheel thinking it was the back plastic cover on the steering wheel. I had replaced mine with a Tacoma leather wheel and maybe thought I didn't swap over something correctly. I found out it wasn't in the steering wheel at all. I then removed the steering cover, none of the wire looms or connectors make the click. Even with the steering column cover off, the noise seems to echo all around and its hard to determine the exact source. It doesn't seem to come from the steering u-joint or the brake pedal assembly (alot of loose rattling parts on it). My guess so far is it seems to come from within the steering wheel shaft assembly, assuming its a bushing inside or something I can't see.

Oddly when it starts making the noise, if I adjust the steering wheel position, it stops for a few day. I have given up at this point.

 

Mine sounds like a nut/bolt rattle or keys too.

I adjust the telescopic steering wheel by loosening and tightening (keeping in same position) and it seems to go away for 5-10 minutes and then comes back.

I'll be following for a fix...but I'll chalk it up to the Tundra Rattles for now.

 

I think you guys are hearing the same thing - and I havn't found it yet.

Yeah - this is the same rattle. I've noticed it stops when temps get over 60 degrees which is weird. Every time I've tried to track it down the temps warm and I don't hear it.

I removed the covers and know for sure it comes from right around the telescoping handle assembly and the bits and pieces that make all that work.

I'll check back in with my results next time I get in there.

 

clock spring ?

 

@MistrRoboto

I made a discovery today, at least on mine.

My steering wheel is always in the upmost position (towards the windshield and dash, not pulled toward me). When I would tighten it down, it would make the noise. I dropped the steering wheel down to a middle and lower position and tested the tightening mechanism.....NO sound. If I go back to the top and tighten, I get the sound.

So I literally put the steering wheel down about 5mm and tightened it (as it seems to naturally lift it up when you tighten it and I didn't want it on the very top, because it was making noise during my test). To my amazement, not a single click, squeak, creak or noise on my entire ride today. As long as the final resting position wasn't the extreme top position after tightening, the noise disappears.

I'll report back if it stays or comes back, after a few days. But for now, I'm hopefully it has something to do with the position of the steering wheel and telescopic adjustment being in the top position.

 

Oddly, I've had mine in the lowest position, fully extended for the last few days and I haven't noticed it. Normally, its just below mid way fully extended and I get the noise.

 

FIXED!!!!!! Noise has not come back since I did this.

It came back as the temps got lower. I can grab the top of the steering wheel and pull down/towards and got it to consistently click/tick.

It is the steering adjustment mechanism. I grabbed the metal guides on both side of the column, squeezed them together and the noise would lessen. I moved the column to the top most position, took a pair of channel locks and squeezed the plates together at the bottom to deform them so they are closer to the column. You don't want to deform them much as it makes adjusting the column up and down slightly harder. Also you want to be careful as you don't want to slip off and accidently nick a wire loom. You need to remove the column cover first to access these.

I'll see if I can find a picture of what I adjusted.

 

Interesting! Thanks for posting this... I was just complaining about it again today. I fiddled with a bunch of stuff in that area but didn't bend anything. I'll give it a go.

 

Mine rattles too... I saw the FIXED post from Critical050 and got excited, then noticed that it looks like his is a manual adjust column. Anyone figure out a similar fix for a power adjust column? Currently, I just move the wheel a half inch to kill the rattle...

 

I think I fixed it!

The adjustment arm has an associated nut that keeps that entire assembly together. I had tried tightening it last year but that did nothing. Recently the ticking/rattling got bad again with the weather changes... every time I hit even the smallest bump it would happen. Loud enough my passengers would ask what the rattling was. I could recreate it by pushing on my steering wheel up/down.

My fix was to hold the adjustment arm on the left/underside of the steering wheel so it didn't spin and use a 10mm wrench to slightly loosen the opposing nut (picture below). Go only far enough to get rid of the noise. If you loosen it too far, the adjustment assembly will be too loose to hold the wheel in place.

Good luck.

 

Nevermind... its worse than ever. Asking again - any thoughts on how to fix this? It's definitely coming from the area of the steering column where the adjustment arm/mechanism is.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/godVGNfsYrhJ6rFY6

 

Yep, same rattle for about 10 mins, temps come up and it goes away. I figured it was a bushing or something on the actual dash mounts.

 

You just opting to live with it? I did for a year or two but its driving me insane now. Its so bad even just raising and lowering the telescoping locking arm is making the noise.

 

It goes away so fast I can just live it. The benefits of living in the desert

 

I finally brought it into the dealer who pulled apart most of the dash and poked around. They tracked it to a similar spot I did (around the mechanisms that allow for telescope adjustments) but none of those parts are servicable. Their only course of action is complete replacement of the steering column... $1600. F.