Hi folks,

Tracking down that mysterious rattle in my steering wheel. I had the luxury of driving in light traffic today, and was able to experiment with the feeling of looseness I am experiencing.

With the wheel dead center, I turn it one degree or so either way and feel and hear a click. With the wheel rotated 45 degrees to either side, I can wiggle it slightly and experience the same click.

Dirt roads and bumpy highways make my steering wheel click and rattle.

I checked to make sure the rack was bolted to the frame, and it was. I lifted the car and performed the 'wiggle test' on the tires, and on the hubs sans tire. No play at all (tie rods and ball joints GOOD! Yay!).

What I have not done is had a buddy jiggle the wheel while I examined the u-joints.

How do I approach this problem? Is there I linkage in the steering column that I should investigate? Has anyone experienced these same things before?

Thanks!

Ari