Hey guys.

My TE was recently in an accident which involved alot of heavy braking and me hitting a couple of thick road signs. Now as you can imagine my car isnt running great, but first thing i did was get an alignment on the wheels. However when im driving now if i put my whole hand on the steering wheel i can find a knocking actually coming through.

I plan to swap my rear tyres onto the front tomorrow, but what could be causing this knocking?

Here is a pic if it helps.
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5476/dsc00701t.jpg
By peaandham (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/peaandham) at 2011-04-19

steering rack, rack ends, tie rod ends, steering shaft joints, rack mounts, worn bushes in the steering column

Probably bent the tyre rim on impact....that's the usual cause after a hard hit.

No way is it the rim. Wasn't a hard enough impact or solid enough to do that sort of damage

No way is it the rim. Wasn't a hard enough impact or solid enough to do that sort of damage

Unless you were there you are only stabbing in the dark like me:hmm: ...and as the OP says "alot of heavy braking and me hitting a couple of thick road signs." which indicates also running over the signs - thick signs at that. When you run over them it's the tyre that goes over them. But I could be wrong.

I WAS THERE! I nearly hit him lol So yeah i know the situation

Thanks for the responses guys, swapped the tyres around worked a treat, the steering feels like its fighting itself, but hopefully its just the tyres wearing in.

I am sorry but I struggle to see how a rim, a solid object that rotates, can cause a knock, even if buckled it will not knock

If you have hit the wheel in any way, shape or form, then you need to check your steering rack, if there has been any form of knock thorugh the steering wheel post accident, replace it. you will not get a second chance if your rack quits when you are mobile

Steering, brakes and seat belts are things you do not mess with, if not 100% then repalce them.

He just put a new rack in!

He just put a new rack in!

You know me better than i know myself.

But yes i have a new rack in and with swapping the wheels over everything seems to be alright.

BUT did this accident happen after the rack was installed as if it did then I would be worried. Wheels dont knock unless they are loose

BUT did this accident happen after the rack was installed as if it did then I would be worried. Wheels dont knock unless they are loose

Yes it did happen after the rack was fitted, but with that said im pretty sure the rack wouldnt have sustained any damage, as the front bar really took the full force of the impact. Im thinking maybe the wheels were worn un evenly thus having the rears on there solving this problem.

stabiliser mounts, link pins (but I would not expect this to come thru the steering wheel)

I am sorry but I struggle to see how a rim, a solid object that rotates, can cause a knock, even if buckled it will not knock



I'd hazard a guess and say it's not an audible knock that's reported - as in someone knocking on the door. In this case the OP says: "However when im driving now if i put my whole hand on the steering wheel i can find a knocking actually coming through.

I plan to swap my rear tyres onto the front tomorrow, but what could be causing this knocking? "

So this means to me that he feels the knocking thru his hand on the steering wheel...it's not a sound but a feel. The rim is distorted from the impact and totally out of balance, and this is then felt through the steering wheel as a knock.
That's the way I read the first post and apparently the OP then swapped the wheels around and the knocking went. Therefore a bent/distorted rim seems obvious to me but I'll be the first to admit that I am totally wrong.

I'd hazard a guess and say it's not an audible knock that's reported - as in someone knocking on the door. In this case the OP says: "However when im driving now if i put my whole hand on the steering wheel i can find a knocking actually coming through.

I plan to swap my rear tyres onto the front tomorrow, but what could be causing this knocking? "

So this means to me that he feels the knocking thru his hand on the steering wheel...it's not a sound but a feel.

Bingo.

You should bring it into my work and we'll check if the rim is buckled

You should bring it into my work and we'll check if the rim is buckled

Thanks for the offer Murph i might need to also look at getter some performance tyres as these "Altenzo" branded ones arent to flash as you'd imagine.