Steering noises

[kimmykun]

Hey, all. I have some problems with my 93 (base) Beretta's steering. Basically:

1. The steering wheel squeaks when I turn it. It doesn't matter which direction, it squeaks. And it seems to be getting worse.

2. The car pulls to the right. I had it alligned and it didn't fix it. I got new tires (they were all different sizes) and that didn't work either. So, what can I try now?

3. Whenever I make a hard turn, there's a sound coming from the front tires, but I can't tell from where. It sounds sort of like an empty can hitting the ground. It's not a clicking noise, though.

So, any idea what might be causing these? Thanks.

[Jeff P]

Hello,

1.  It's possible, though not likely, that your steering wheel is rubbing against the steering column and causing the squeaking.  There are bearings inside the steering column that may need to be lubed or replaced.  It's easier to get a new steering column, though, and the cheapest place to get one is the junkyard.  If you have the gray interior, I believe you'll need a '93-'96 steering column if you want the color to match.  These are just ideas, so maybe someone else has some input on what may cause the squeaking.

2.  Did the tire shop give you a printout of the alignment specs?  Sometimes they can't get the car aligned correctly and don't let you know.  I would suspect a camber problem (RH wheel positive camber, or LH wheel negative camber), though toe could easily do it too.  Incorrect camber won't give you much of a tire-wearing problem, but incorrect toe can cause severe tire wear.  There's not really much else that will cause the car to pull to one side.

3.  You may have worn wheel bearings.  The swaybar endlinks may be broken, or bushings worn.  Typically you'll get a clunk sound if the endlinks are broken.  Other than that, I'm not sure without hearing the sound.