knocking when turning
 

What the hell is this noise? When I am turning I can hear and feel a knocking. I have been told that it is just a silverado thing and that they can't fix it. That info is from a friend of mine and not any one from GM. So does any one know what it is and how i can fix it if there wasn't a recall.

I have heard this same noise in my uncle's 03 rado as well.

Thanks for your help! and don't worry, I'm not going to tuck my tail and buy a toyota just yet.

RE: knocking when turning
 

That knock is the steering sector shaft. GM was doing a temporary fix on it by injecting it w/ a grease packet. They now have a replacement shaft that cures the problem

RE: knocking when turning
 

Any idea if it is a warranty-covered part?:D

RE: knocking when turning
 

If your in warranty,it'll cover it..

if not...they are about 90 bucks...purty simple to replace

RE: knocking when turning
 

does the dealer have to do it? what happens if it is not corrected?

What does a steering sector shaft look like ?

My Avalanche knocks when I turn too.

They said it could be body mounts.

You ever heard of that one ?

The mounts feel tight !

Red, *<(:{)-

might want to check the ball joints as well, GM ball joints infamous for going out.

On my 2004 GMC Sierra I had the knock or pop as I described it in the steering also. First thing the dealership did was put shims in the frames steering support crossemember to tighten it up and a front end alignment. A week later the dealership packed grease into the intermediate steering shaft. A few weeks later the dealership replaced the intermediate shaft with a new intermediate shaft. And a few weeks later they replaced it with a GM re-designed intermediate steering shaft. And I have not had a problem since then.

I just fixed the same problem on my truck. Got it done at a neighborhood garage for $200. If you want to check first, lift the hood, find the steering shaft, grab it and pull it back and forth. If it is bad, you should be able to feel the play (The mechanic demonstrated this for me). Hope this helps.

yea i have the SAME problem! just bought the truck about 3 months ago. didnt realize it when i bought it. when i first heard it, i was worried it would MAYBE be a tie rod r something. but i kno in my head that i cudnt and it was def in the steering. im just glad others are experiencing the same as me. it literally feels like a knock, or slack in the steering. i thought it cud be in the steering knuckle. but as u guys say its the shaft. GLAD TO HEAR THAT! btw..how do u install the new shaft?? is it complicated?

Also after having intermediate shaft replaced (under warranty) truck developed a rattle in steering column that dealership did not know how to find and or fix.... Seems that the big white bushing/bearing at lower of steering column (in cab) either shrinks or is not a good fit into steel sleeve of steering column.. And it is loose in tube and rattles, go under dash and grab bushing and if it has up/down sideways movement, go to auto parts and get 2 inch universal muffler clamp and put it on end of column to clamp bushing.....

Dale

Thanks to this site and thread I have been freed of the dreaded turning clunk in my Yukon (and my wife's Yukon XL). When I called the dealer the parts department could not tell me whether GM redesigned the intermediate steering shaft so I went online and searched for a redesigned shaft and found one, actually two for the price of the dealership part and replaced them in both trucks in fewer than 30 minutes for under 90 bucks. Two bolts, compress the shaft slide it throught the firewall boot into the passenger compartment under the dash. Do the reverse to put the new one in. Done. Thanks again for solving this mystery for me.

If you drive with the wheel tilted into your lap . . .

That knuckle seams to wear out quicker ?

It knocks less with the wheel up.

Got to be steering related.

Red, *<(:{)-

Been researching this fix for my 04 Silverado 2500HD. Bought the part today and am ready to try and put it in myself. Just had a question though. Is it really necessary to disengage the airbag to put the shaft in?

Chris

Well, gave it a whirl. Had no problems. Ratchet strapped the steering wheel to the passenger door (something I read in my research, may help others). Took it for a test drive and had no clunking, so nice. Now I only hope I am one of the lucky ones where this problem doesn't pop up again.

Chris

2005 GMC Steering Problems
 

I have a 2005 GMC 2500HD, 6.0L, and have been feeling a looseness in the steering for the past year. I had this same thing with a 2003 GMC 1500 and the dealer said it was the Intermediate Shaft and they replaced it under warranty at about 17000 miles. My 2005 GMC only has 29000 miles on it so I contacted GM Customer Care to see if they had a fix for this problem. Customer Care sent me to the local GMC dealer to have the vehicle evaluated. The dealer said that the intermediate shaft should be replaced and it would cost $196.55 plus tax. GM Customer Care contacted me the same afternoon and said that my case was forwarded to a regional Customer Care. Well the regional Customer Care called me today and said that GM would not replace this shaft, although I told them that this was a problem with all of these vehicles. They said that my truck was almost 8 years old but not one time addressed that it has only 29000 miles on it. I bought it new in 2005 and used it to pull a 31 foot rv so that is why it only has this number of miles. As of today, I will not purchase another GM vehicle of any kind. I also own a Chrysler Town and Country which I have received outstanding care from our local dealer.

They don’t care, they won’t do it if it is past the 3 year warranty (if you have a 3 year warranty).

I had the same problem with a 99 gmc sierra 1500.

It was like a clunking sound that you could feel in the steering wheel, usually when making a sharp turn to the right or left.

They replaced it 3 times, when it was still under warranty, then after searching on this forum about the issue, and it was about 6 or 7 years later or maybe even longer that GMC finally came up with a solution to the problem, it was the intermediate shaft, I have not had a problem since this was replaced, but I had to buy the shaft and pay to have it installed, my vehicle was out of the 3 year warranty, although they knew this was a previous problem they should have resolved, I still had to pay, someone on this forum gave me the solution to the problem, and the part # to purchase the correct and newly revised shaft from GMC dealer.

It took a company that big, that long to figure out a solution to the problem, make's you wonder why I purchased another one 12 years later, I like seeing the big GMC on the grill !!

I then had it installed by my local mechanic. Have not had the problem since.

I still have the vehicle, it has 104K on it, Just bought a new Boss snowplow for it, it's in great shape and great condition, old GMC's never die the just run better, had to replace the tranny 3 years ago, but I will continue to use it, also have a 2011 sierra, u see how hard it is to replace a headlight bulb in the 2011, Crazy…

Another thing that will cause that problem is un-matched tires.