The Top 5 Signs of a Bad Steering Column

Your vehicle’s steering column is the link between the steering wheel and your car’s steering mechanism. The column transfers that torque power to the steering shaft and pinion when you turn the steering wheel, allowing the front wheels to turn left or right. Needless to say, your steering column is an integral component in safely getting from point A to point B.

While today’s steering columns are advanced and designed to last for tens of thousands of miles, they can still run into problems that necessitate steering column repair.

These are a few of the signs that your steering column is failing.

Steering wheel isn’t centered

Your steering wheel should return to the center when you’re finished making a right or left turn. This is one of the benefits of power steering. If your steering wheel doesn’t return to the center or if it’s difficult to move back to the middle after completing your turn, the column may be blocked or damaged.

A professional can perform a full inspection to see if the column is broken or if that issue has something to do with the wheels or your vehicle’s alignment.

Steering wheel tilt malfunctioning

Most vehicles with power steering have a tilt function allowing drivers to adjust their steering wheel’s angle to meet their needs. If that tilt function no longer works or if the steering wheel doesn’t lock into place after you adjust it, there’s something wrong with your steering column.

While the broken tilt function might seem like a minor inconvenience, you should bring your car to a mechanic for steering column repair ASAP.

Strange sounds

Regardless of where the sounds are coming from, you never want to hear any weird or loud noises while you’re driving down the road. If you hear a clicking, squeaking or clunking when you turn, the internal components of your steering column may be failing. These sounds tend to start out quiet and get louder the longer you wait to bring your vehicle to a mechanic.

Difficulty turning

Power steering makes turning left or right a breeze—but if it’s getting increasingly hard to make turns, your steering column could be to blame. Just like how noises get louder, your car will become increasingly harder to control the longer you wait to see a mechanic.

Unusual tire wear patterns

You might also be able to tell that your steering column is going bad by checking out your tires. Unusual tire wear patterns—like diagonal wear running across one or multiple tires—often indicate that something’s wrong with the steering column or some other component of your steering system.

Be advised that irregular tread wear can be the result of other failing components, so it’s best to bring your vehicle in for an inspection as soon as you notice something strange about your tires.

See our team today

If you need a team for steering column repair, look no further than our experts at Dana’s Tire Center. We work fast to diagnose the issue and set it straight so you can rest easy knowing you’re safe behind the wheel.

Categorised in: Auto Repair

This post was written by Writer