RacingFlyer

All right guys, I have a noise question for you. I am trying to figure it out and I may be on a lead but I need confirmation or help to be steered (punt intended) in the right direction

Symptoms:
When I make a hard right turn, I hear a weird "bubbling" noise coming from the front of the car. Kinda like gargling, bubbling... hard to explain. Noise goes away when the wheels are straight again. The noise is more obvious after driving for a while. Almost absent when the car is cold. And I have not noticed any change in the steering wheel lately. The car still seems to steer the same way.

Troubleshooting:
Power steering fluid, normal. Exactly where it was a year ago, which is half way full. I topped it up for giggles.
I thought either Steering or A/C... So, yesterday, I drove it for about an hour without the A/C on. Coming home, I have the hard right hander on the brakes and... there is my noise... so it is not the A/C. Noise is also here when I am not on the brakes. So, I concluded "Steering"

Investigation:
Put the car up on all four today, removed the panel under the steering rack. It is greasy in there but no obvious sign of leak. The panel was actually quite clean, so no obvious leak.
I checked the CV axles (remember C4), and all CV boots look good. No tear. Diff looks good, no leak.
However... this is what I have found
Both rubber boots of the steering rack are torn. One of them (left side) was actually twisted on itself about 180 degrees. They obviously look like crap and need to be replaced. But could that explain the noise by itself? Also, some greasy fluid has been projected on the body just above the steering rack on both left and right sides. But I have never ever cleaned this area so it may be 15 years of "stuff" there.

Has anybody ever experienced that? Any idea?
Again, no power steering fluid leak, bad steering rack boots and a weird bubbling type, gargling, may be a little grinding noise..

Any help welcome

Edgy01

Power steering. How is your power steering fluid level? That's my first thought. Sometimes the seep results in a lower level in the PS reservoir that will sound like cavitation of that pump.

RacingFlyer

Power steering fluid level is good. It is not a low level noise, I have had that in other cars. It is really different. But it seems to come from the steering...

Edgy01

And with a left turn, no additional noise?

RacingFlyer

Oddly, no. I think for the moment I am going to plan to change the boots on the steering rack and see. May be when I remove the rack more stuff will become obvious

ruffy

bump

Peter B

Mine does the same, and has done so for at least 5 years. So far no obvious adverse effects apart from my nerves as I'm expecting something expensive to break!
P/S levels ok, boots and seals done about two years ago. Mine only creaks on full left hand lock at low speeds. Have tried to locate source of noise by putting car on stands and removing the front diff cover and getting friend to wind lock on and off. Silence.
Put down to the unique characteristics of a hand built car.