- Feb 9, 2014
- 16
Hello Community!
I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I relocated to Cincinnati for work back in July of 2014. Before I left the comfort of my associations in MI, I had quite a few things done to the Envoy for my traveling peace of mind. *No time to do the work myself unfortunately :-(
-Brake pads and rotors front and rear
-Passenger side tie-rod end (Driver side was done by purchasing dealer in January 2014)
-New tires (and of course an alignment)
Fast forward a couple of months to approx. Oct. 2014 I had the driver-side hub assembly replaced (Firestone)
Fast forward to the end of December 2014 I have one of the new tires (replaced back in July 2014) replaced with another new tire because of nail that got into that funky area on the tire.
Approximately 3 weeks ago, I started to notice little nuances in the way my Envoy would stop and steer. The first noticeable thing was a noise/feeling: a slight clunk/rub as I came to the end of braking....just say that final 3 feet of travel before the vehicle stops completely.
The next "symptom" is a noise consistent with turning the wheel in either direction. This noise seems to emanate from the steering column, either in the actual steering wheel to shaft connection area or the shaft's "u-joint" to steering rack. Imagine a shaft rotating constantly in a sticky rubber bellow...that's the sound. It's really close to my ears so I'm more inclined to believe its right under the dash.
Now to what has me the most concerned: My steering wheel, at times, feels completely disconnected from the rest of my truck. On the highway, with the wheel completely straight- I'll suddenly begin to veer left mostly. Bumps seems to throw the steering wheel ll over the place like never before. If I do a very basic test of play via traveling approx. 60mph and turning the wheel slightly but quickly left to right....there's no feel of play, the Envoy responds to every input quickly.
I am very stumped! I am a DIYer with formal automotive schooling but I currently can't even change my own oil because of the relocation to Cincinnati (all of my tools, jacks,etc. are back home in MI) Needless to say, I feel helpless not being able to even lift my truck to pull the wheel off. Again, apologies for the long post but I feel as the recent repair history lends some clues to these current oddities. Thanks in advance or any insight!
I'll try to make this as brief as possible. I relocated to Cincinnati for work back in July of 2014. Before I left the comfort of my associations in MI, I had quite a few things done to the Envoy for my traveling peace of mind. *No time to do the work myself unfortunately :-(
-Brake pads and rotors front and rear
-Passenger side tie-rod end (Driver side was done by purchasing dealer in January 2014)
-New tires (and of course an alignment)
Fast forward a couple of months to approx. Oct. 2014 I had the driver-side hub assembly replaced (Firestone)
Fast forward to the end of December 2014 I have one of the new tires (replaced back in July 2014) replaced with another new tire because of nail that got into that funky area on the tire.
Approximately 3 weeks ago, I started to notice little nuances in the way my Envoy would stop and steer. The first noticeable thing was a noise/feeling: a slight clunk/rub as I came to the end of braking....just say that final 3 feet of travel before the vehicle stops completely.
The next "symptom" is a noise consistent with turning the wheel in either direction. This noise seems to emanate from the steering column, either in the actual steering wheel to shaft connection area or the shaft's "u-joint" to steering rack. Imagine a shaft rotating constantly in a sticky rubber bellow...that's the sound. It's really close to my ears so I'm more inclined to believe its right under the dash.
Now to what has me the most concerned: My steering wheel, at times, feels completely disconnected from the rest of my truck. On the highway, with the wheel completely straight- I'll suddenly begin to veer left mostly. Bumps seems to throw the steering wheel ll over the place like never before. If I do a very basic test of play via traveling approx. 60mph and turning the wheel slightly but quickly left to right....there's no feel of play, the Envoy responds to every input quickly.
I am very stumped! I am a DIYer with formal automotive schooling but I currently can't even change my own oil because of the relocation to Cincinnati (all of my tools, jacks,etc. are back home in MI) Needless to say, I feel helpless not being able to even lift my truck to pull the wheel off. Again, apologies for the long post but I feel as the recent repair history lends some clues to these current oddities. Thanks in advance or any insight!
...but I've continued to lurk in the shadows! Haha
