# 2018 HB Steering Squeak



## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

Hey everyone, 

Anyone else get an annoying steering squeak when turning the wheel? I thought that was ironed out in the early gen 2s. I have a 2018 with 5000 miles and am experiencing that. I figured the shaft was just dry so last time I was at my garage I lubed up the boot and shaft with white lithium grease and it seemed to help but then came back leading me to think this is a design flaw. 

Maven, you're a current tech right? Do you know of any TSBs about this? I don't wanna have to spray it with wd40 every 1000 miles. That's really silly.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

My 16 never did this, but my '12 did once the steering was disconnected to get the transmission out. The plastic bearing thing was sitting too low in the floor passthrough. Hammered it up a bit from below, and it solved that.


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## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

jblackburn said:


> My 16 never did this, but my '12 did once the steering was disconnected to get the transmission out. The plastic bearing thing was sitting too low in the floor passthrough. Hammered it up a bit from below, and it solved that.


Ugh pretty sure this is probably the issue then.

The full story is I took my car in at about 2000 miles because I had steering noise over bumps which ended up being the sway bar end links. Despite GM engineers telling my dealership how to diagnose the problem and to replace the links, they also changed my sway bar at the time. I used to be a mechanic so at this point I'm basically 99% sure the tech was padding their hours because warranty work pays terribly. I've been there. Problem is they dropped my subframe for that and in the process put my car out of alignment. I was so pissed. I had to go back and when they agreed to fix it the **** tech didn't tighten the lock nuts on the tie rod and by the time I got home it was clunking from play. I tightened them myself and left a very stern email with the dealership manager. 

Sorry that turned into a rant haha. But after hearing you say that I bet they messed something up when they dropped the frame.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Iamantman said:


> Ugh pretty sure this is probably the issue then.
> 
> The full story is I took my car in at about 2000 miles because I had steering noise over bumps which ended up being the sway bar end links. Despite GM engineers telling my dealership how to diagnose the problem and to replace the links, they also changed my sway bar at the time. I used to be a mechanic so at this point I'm basically 99% sure the tech was padding their hours because warranty work pays terribly. I've been there. Problem is they dropped my subframe for that and in the process put my car out of alignment. I was so pissed. I had to go back and when they agreed to fix it the **** tech didn't tighten the lock nuts on the tie rod and by the time I got home it was clunking from play. I tightened them myself and left a very stern email with the dealership manager.
> 
> Sorry that turned into a rant haha. But after hearing you say that I bet they messed something up when they dropped the frame.


I also had my tie rods replaced on the 16 for the clunking, but I have avoided the dealer where shoddy warranty work was done on the '12. Sorry; it's super frustrating when you get one of those techs that cuts corners like that and the service department doesn't seem to care.


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## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

jblackburn said:


> My 16 never did this, but my '12 did once the steering was disconnected to get the transmission out. The plastic bearing thing was sitting too low in the floor passthrough. Hammered it up a bit from below, and it solved that.


Hey Blackburn, I meant to follow up to this. We're you able to access the bearing from underneath without a lift or jacks? I'm in the city so if I can't just crawl under there on a dry day and take care of it I'll have to go to the dealer ? lubing it isn't cutting it so I'd like to try what you did there.

Thanks


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Iamantman said:


> Hey Blackburn, I meant to follow up to this. We're you able to access the bearing from underneath without a lift or jacks? I'm in the city so if I can't just crawl under there on a dry day and take care of it I'll have to go to the dealer ? lubing it isn't cutting it so I'd like to try what you did there.
> 
> Thanks


I have Rhino Ramps I drive the cars up on any time I go under them. I can't get under most low-slung cars these days without.

It was pretty awkward on the Gen 1 - the steering shaft comes through sorta behind the transmission.


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## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

Update to this!

I took my car in a few weeks ago for this concern while it was still cold and the dealer was able to repair it. They were very brief but told me the rub coupling was dry so they had to lubricate it. I questioned him on this that it was a permanent repair and not a once every 10,000 miles kind of thing and he assured me it wasn't. I did question it though because I have never heard that term before. I turned wrenches for Ford a while back and just figured he meant the upper or lower seal for the intermediate shaft.

My car was in for suspension work early in ownership to have the sway bar links replaced and for some reason the tech dropped the subframe to change the sway bar as well. I can only assume that they didn't re-lubricate it when reinstalling and it was dry enough to cause an issue. Or it'll come back next year and I'll take it back in haha.

Either way, still annoyed at that first dealer. That tech really didn't know what he was doing which was frustrating. I've had a great experience with my new dealership so far though so all is well 

Betty is super quiet inside again


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## Bvasquez02 (Feb 10, 2021)

Iamantman said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> Anyone else get an annoying steering squeak when turning the wheel? I thought that was ironed out in the early gen 2s. I have a 2018 with 5000 miles and am experiencing that. I figured the shaft was just dry so last time I was at my garage I lubed up the boot and shaft with white lithium grease and it seemed to help but then came back leading me to think this is a design flaw.
> 
> Maven, you're a current tech right? Do you know of any TSBs about this? I don't wanna have to spray it with wd40 every 1000 miles. That's really silly.


I have a 2018 as well. I'm experiencing the same thing. Just wondering if you ever found the reason.


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## Iamantman (Sep 24, 2018)

Bvasquez02 said:


> I have a 2018 as well. I'm experiencing the same thing. Just wondering if you ever found the reason.


See post above yours haha.


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