Creaky steering

[snes]

Jumped into my 86 Gtl yesterday in the scorching heat, fired her up, but when I drove her away, the steering wheel seemed to creak like an old sailing ship rigging whenever I turned it.
When the weather cooled down, no more sound! Is there anything here I should be lubing, and if so, how?

Secondly, I havnt changed my tyre pressures since I got the car. I checked them, and found all to be 28-30psi. I checked the handbook and found they should be 24-25. But tyres have always been around 30 in all the cars I have owned, and I cant pluck up courage to deflate them to what seems a ridiculously low pressure. What do others think?

 

[malcolm]

I think the manual pressures are ridiculously low too. Tyre technology has moved on a bit since the manual was written (softer sidewalls these days) and I tend to go for 28psi all round.

The steering squeak is likely the back of the wheel rubbing on the plastic covers attached to the dash. They'll have bent a bit in the heat and were a bit tight to start with. I don't know the answer but I do know Bobble's car squeaks all the time so post what you find as it will be useful to others. Angle grinder on the plastic bits might be effective.

 

[snes]

Thanks Malcolm, thought I was going to have to dismantle my steering column and lube some deeply buried bush. So I'm a tad relieved to put it mildly!

 

[malcolm]

I've never been into a GTL column but I'd imagine you are safe with the column bearings. Earlier ones had a plasticy rubber thing with a metal sleeve that had plenty of clearance.

All fine unless you happen to rebuild a column with the wrong bits. :!: Some work needed there on mine.

 

[Steve Hennessey]

WD40 is the answer - certainly cured my squeaking!!!