well i tried wd40 first time round, noise went away for a week, tried wd40 again, noise went away for a couple of days. this time tried lithium based spray on grease and the noise has stayed. the weird thing is that every time i lubricate the bearing the steering becomes a lot more responsive and lighter feeling, regardless of what i lubricate it with (wd40 or grease). if i dont lubricate the bearing the steering starts to become heavy and stiff again.
ive got a few ideas about the problem but wanted some opinions from you guys as im new to tinkering with cars. my ideas are that:
a) im not lubricating the bearing enough/properly
b) the bearing is stuffed and needs replacing or
c) its a coincidence the bearing needs lubricating but its actually the issue with the steering wheel contacts needing greasing (ive heard this can be another cause of the issue?)
im thinking its more than likely to be b or c as im fairly sure ive been lubricating the bearing properly. i jack the drivers side front wheel right up and get under the car and give the bearing a good soaking. maybe im soaking something else? just to confirm, the bearing in question is where the steering racks meets the front axle yes?
this issue is more of an annoyance than anything, having to keep lubricating the bearing every week is a pain to keep the steering light. i really want to get this fixed, especially if its something cheap, quick and easy (fingers crossed). this is one of only three things wrong with my vs, the other two being the electric antenna mast & motor need replacing and the indicator stalk needs replacing (self-cancel only works on cold days, the plastic is warped).
if anyone can help thats great. sorry for the long, somewhat rambling post...