Steering wheel; grinding noise

[Nicola&Tony]

Been out for a drive in the van this afternoon. After we'd been out for a while, started to hear a grinding noise when turning. Sounds like it's coming from the steering wheel itself. The noise came on gradually, fairly quiet at first but became louder over time. The more lock I put on (e.g. roundabouts) the longer the noise happens for. Happens when turning in either direction and it sounds like metal grinding against metal.

Any ideas what the problem might be?

Tony

[toolsntat]

Starter for 10, check the contacts for the horn as they do wear and start grinding

Hope its as simple as that for ya

Andy

[Nicola&Tony]

Thanks Andy, I've taken the steering wheel off to have a look for anything obvious. When the wheel is off there's what looks like a brass contact at 6 o'clock (so to speak) on the unit that the steering wheel sits on, and it does look like it's getting worn down (I cleaned loads of cr@p off this contact a couple of weeks ago). Thing is though, the noise doesn't sound like the sort of noise that a little brass contact would make, it sounds a bit more heavy duty than that.

I tried turning the steering wheel whilst the van is stationery and the noise still happens. Forgot to mention in my first post that it's not power steering.

Tony

[Red Westie]

I had a similar incident last summer on holiday in France, very much a deep scraping noise not at all how you would imagine the horn contact to sound, like a spade dragging on a concrete slab!
I Removed the steering wheel, bent the contact slightly so it touched on a different point, cleaned off the gunge BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY! re-applied a thin smear of vasoline to the contact ring...refitted and has been silent ever since.
Martin

[Nicola&Tony]

. . . like a spade dragging on a concrete slab!

. . . BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY! re-applied a thin smear of vasoline to the contact ring...

That sounds like a good description of the noise!

I'll give the vasoline a try. Thanks for that.

Tony

[scottbott]

mine sounded like that,I sprayed wd40 between the steering wheel and the steering coloumn shroud next day the noise had gone and the steering felt lighter as well, been no more problems in 2000 miles

[Ian Hulley]

I'll give the vasoline a try.

kinell Tony, this isn't Facebook tha knows !

BTW, Yes it's the horn contact

Ian

[T-3PO]

I'll go along with most of that and add that I managed to knock the lower shroud slightly off position with my knee, it actually cracked the upper shroud around the screw mounts so wouldn't sit perfectly straight again and would scrap the steering wheel. I ended up taking off the steering wheel, replacing the upper shroud and refitting it properly as well as cleaning the horn contacts as part of the course.

[Nicola&Tony]

Well I bent the horn contact a bit and put vaseline on the contact ring. Been to York and back today and enjoyed lovely quiet steering once again, so well chuffed!

Thanks very much for all the input

Tony