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'09 Ranger 4x4, 94.5k miles. All stock, and the only non-original bits in the front end are outer tie rod ends (~68k miles), front wheel bearings and brakes (~75k miles) and Bilstein shocks (~89k). At low speeds (e.g. backing into a parking space or turning out of my driveway) I've heard a creaking sound coming from what sounds like the steering column, down around knee level, through maybe 10-15* of steering wheel movement. But it's hard to tell where the sound comes from.
Heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago on a cold (sub-zero) day, but as I've driven the truck in much colder weather this winter, and since experienced the same symptom on warmer days, that may be coincidence.
I haven't yet discerned a pattern of where in the steering wheel's travel it occurs, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. I've only heard it a few times.
My thoughts are either a dry joint on the steering column, or a suspension component (e.g. ball joints).
I'm leaning toward the former, for a number of reasons:
-It sounds like it's inside the cab, but it's hard to tell...
-I'd expect ball joints to make themselves known under "flexing" loads, rather than backing into a parking stall on smooth flat ground.
Anybody got any experience with this?
Heard it for the first time a couple weeks ago on a cold (sub-zero) day, but as I've driven the truck in much colder weather this winter, and since experienced the same symptom on warmer days, that may be coincidence.
I haven't yet discerned a pattern of where in the steering wheel's travel it occurs, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. I've only heard it a few times.
My thoughts are either a dry joint on the steering column, or a suspension component (e.g. ball joints).
I'm leaning toward the former, for a number of reasons:
-It sounds like it's inside the cab, but it's hard to tell...
-I'd expect ball joints to make themselves known under "flexing" loads, rather than backing into a parking stall on smooth flat ground.
Anybody got any experience with this?