Creaking noise while turning
 

I'm at 55k miles and issues are popping up one after another. :bs:

The most recent problem is this constant creaking sound whenever I turn the steering wheel, and I can't pinpoint exactly where it's coming from. It's not from the steering wheel itself as far as I can tell.

Here's a video of me turning the steering wheel. You can hear the noise very well.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK9s7c5rmG4[/ame]

Any idea what this could be? Been told either bad top hat or something to do with the electric power steering by some people. (They haven't seen the video though.)

I hear a spring ringing in there. I would first look for a failed bearing under one of the top hats. Not the end of the world. Shit happens.

Yup, the sound seems to be coming from the spring... o.O
I don't know how to tell if it's actually the spring or an underlying problem like the bearing. Would you be able to tell by this video?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgo596eF70I[/ame]

Please excuse my dirty mess of a car. It's been raining for weeks so I haven't bothered washing the car, let alone the wheel wells.:thumbdown:

The only thing that can go wrong with the spring is that it breaks. Also, now we know that you have aftermarket dampers. That's essential information. Your OP and complaining about low-mileage issues leads us to believe that you are discussing a stock system. The problem is up top for sure.

WD40, spray liberally on places..
Worked wonders on my shitty D2's

Pirate ship steering wheel sound is usually top hats.

Isn't there a TSB for this? I was told that struts fall under powertrain 60k warranty, so you might be OK as long as your dealership is cool with aftermarket parts.

were you able to figure out the problem?

I've already had the upper strut bearings replaced under warranty once, not long after I got my '13, and now they're starting to creak/pop/groan again at just over 60K miles... Time to see if the dealer will try to deny warranty coverage because I have aftermarket swaybars now...:rolleyes:

Does it happen at certain speeds only? While steering turned or while turning? While moving forward, or while backing?

Sent from a potato

Confirmed by dealership that it was top hats. Changed under warranty. 2 years later, same noises. Updated design didn't fix it.
Is it a durability concern? I'm thinking of putting some heavy duty grease if it is not a concern for longevity/wear/durability.

Sent from a potato

Yeah that’s really strange that even the updated part # become damaged after just 2 years.

Do you keep the dust covers attached to the top hat?

Dry steering (steering while not moving) could put stress on those bearings as well as your steering rack.

The top hat bearing is not only responsible for allowing the strut to spin but it also absorbs bumps hardcore that don’t get absorbed by the rubber.

FYI, I had a very similar issue recently and tried to chase it down. Eventually, I figured it was my coil overs needing some attention so I swapped the OEM setup back on and the creaking is still there. So I really started focusing on the steering setup instead. I sprayed WD-40 on the steering knuckle joint and like magic, the creaking went away (almost 100%).

I'm not really looking for a diagnosis - (I've replaced a few dozen of these over the past 35 years..lol) - just complaining that I have to do it in the first place. I think I'll wait until after winter though..