Bronco rattle when turning right only

[JMer811]

Hi looking for help diagnosing an issue. My 72 is rattling only when I turn right, and only within the first 5-10 minutes of driving. It then goes away or becomes less noticeable. I checked and tightened bolts etc around steering column, but no resolution.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance. Weird it’s only happening on the right turns.

 

[tasker]

i get a weird "tin" sound once in a while on mine too....I'm thinking the access cover for the torque convertor nuts but that's a project for this winter

 

[.94 OR]

Simply poking a guess.

Is the steering knuckle contacting the inner fender?
Curious if the gear box is sufficiently tight to the frame which could allow a slight bit of movement by body roll in a corner like that.

 

[DirtDonk]

You don’t say where the rattle is apparently coming from. Or how loud, or how rapid, or approximately what pitch.
Is it a rattle like a small bit of tin touching something else? Or is it more of a pronounced knocking?
Any more details you can add?

 

[JMer811]

Yes it sounds like the rattle is coming from the steering wheel column. It’s like a screech almost

 

[DirtDonk]

Does it have power steering, or manual? Any other modifications to the vehicle that you care to list? Such as:
Amount of suspension lift, if any.
Size of tires.
Type of steering.
Any modifications to the Steering linkage.
Any work done to the wheel bearings or brakes in recent past.
How long have you had the vehicle?
Has it done it since you got it, or did it just start?

You know, a few things like that.

 

[DirtDonk]

Oh, and does it appear to be a stock steering column? Or could it be aftermarket?
If you’ve owned it a long time, then you probably know that off hand. If you haven’t owned it a long time, might have to dig a little deeper.

 

[DirtDonk]

If you try to move the steering wheel up and down side to side, does it move, or does it feel tight?
I would not think that your problem could come down to as simple as a bad column bearing, because theoretically it would make the sound in both directions.

Speaking of the column, does the sound follow the frequency of your turning? Or does it sound related to something else such as engine speed? Or perhaps vehicle speed?

 

[Oldtimer]

Does it make noise when turning steering wheel to right, when Bronco is not moving?
If moving, does sound change with speed?

You could take up Nascar racing.
They only make left turns.