Rack and pinion is clonking. Help!

I have a 1999 Lumina car, 3.1L. I hear an add noise from my left front end, something is loose. At first I though that it’s my lower ball joint or the tie rod end. They both are tight. When I drive the car 60 mph I can hear a clonking noise. Also if the car is parked and I move steering wheel from side to side, I can hear the same clonking. Then I held my hand on the tie rod end and moved the wheel from side to side, I was able to feel the clonking on my hand. It feels and seems that the looseness is on the rack and pinion side. As I said the tie rod end and the ball joints are tight. This looseness is only on the driver’s side.

Do I need to replace the whole power rack and pinion steering gear assembly in order to get rid of the clonking or is there another part of the tie rod that I could replace?

1. Did you check the inner tie rod end (inside the rubber boot on the rack) as well as the outer, and

2. Did you look at the rack as someone rocked the steering side-to-side?

Sometimes there can be a problem with the hardware mounting the rack to the body of the car and produce hard to find noises.

Also make sure ther axle nut is properly torqued and the hub nounting bolts are tight.

Thanks for the advice!

I think the inner tie rod end could be the reason for the clunking. I haven't tested it yet, but I will do that as I get around to it again. Is it easy to replace?

I am thinking that it won't be a loose spindle nut, because when I tried to move the wheel vertically, camber, it didn't clunk at all. Am I assuming too much? (I don't have big enough socket)

I did have the transmission rebuilt on this car a couple of months ago. I don't exactly know how they take the transmission out, but could this have something to do with the clunking?

The axles came out, get a 36mm socket on the axle nuts, the way you tried to check them doesn"t work, tighten to 185 I believe. Holding the tie rod and turn the wheel ( 2 people needed of course), you should feel play in the inner tie rod, if that is the noise.

I think I tested the looseness on the tie rod as you said. I was holding my right hand on the tie rod and then with my left hand I wiggled the wheel from side to side. I was able to feel clunking with my right hand, but the outer tie rod end didn't seem to be loose at all. That is why I strongly think it is the inner tie rod end that is loose.

I didn't know that an inner tie rod end existed. Is it easy to replace? What is the procedure preafly?

Check autozone.com/repairinfo, enter the car as a 96, same vehicle, then go the repair guides.

My car a 93' Euro has some of the same symptoms such as when the car is parked and I move steering wheel from side to side, I can hear the clonking. My car also makes a single pop/clunk front left front when a make a right hand turn most times. My car does not make the noise at 60mph. My car has 82,000 on it and has been to three shops and no one can find where the noise is coming from. The last shop I took it to, told me the only thing they could find was a little play in the upper strut mount on the drivers side. They as well as the other shops have tested the ball joints, and tie rods. My axles have never been out of the car nor have the hubs been replaced. All four struts have been replaced on the car but I am thinking about pulling the left front strut back out and replacing it along with the upper mount.

There's a lot of service bulletins for Luminas regarding grunts and pops in the front end...it's not unusual for any of them once they get older. Mostly harmless, related to isolators and bushings, like you're thinking.

I try to tear the wheels off, and if it's solid, I ignore the noise.