Hi everyone, I just picked up my 09' clubman S 6-spd and love it! But I'm having a bit of an issue, stopped, and at low speeds, I'm hearing a clicking/clunking noise coming from the rack and pinion. It does not seem to be coming from the steering column. I did alot of searching and all I can find is that this was an issue on the 1st gens, but not on the 2nd gens like mine. I've tried oiling the bearings and ujoints on the shaft just in case, but no change. If I get my head down in the foot well, it really sounds like the noise is coming from the rack itself. Another interesting thing, i cannot get the steering wheel to lock, with the car off and key out, every car I have ever had has a locking steering wheel. Any ideas? Anywhere I should look? Thanks in advance

Jeff

 

You'll love the Clubman. Not sure about the clunking though...have not had that on mine with 154,000 miles.

I've been working on mine lately and have had it on jack stands and the steering wheel has never locked....key in, key out, doesn't make any difference....never really thought about till recently.....

 

Hey bugeye, thanks, love it so far, just that damn noise. I did find out that Mini discontinued the locking steering wheel in 06-07, so there's the reason for that!

So i want to make sure I wasn't crazy and the noise wasn't coming from the column. I disconnected the steering shaft from the rack at the floor and turned the rack input shaft with a wrench, still making a noise. I need to get under the car and check it out, maybe this weekend. And this is supposed to be the car I don't have to work on lol........

 

Are you sure its not the strut bearings?

 

It sounds like it is coming from down at the rack, but everything is so tight in the car, i'll have to get my hearing stick out to confirm its location. But I would say no, because if the car is off, i can get it to make the noise by trying to turn the wheel, before any actual wheel movement