Clicking when steering
Where the noise comes from
brakes and steering, the wheel area
Do not put it off: check within days
Clicking when you turn the wheel is sorted out by one simple question: is the car moving at that moment or standing still? Crackling and clicking while driving on lock is the signature of the outer CV joint, the joint through which rotation reaches a wheel that also steers. The more lock and the sharper the start, the clearer the crackle. It usually begins with a torn boot — the rubber cover that keeps dirt out of the joint.
If the clicking is heard while turning the wheel on a stationary car, the CV joint is usually innocent. A crunch from above, from inside the wheel arch, comes from the strut top mount bearing — the part on which the top of the strut turns together with the wheel. Clicks in the steering wheel itself, down by the driver’s feet, are the steering column joint, the small universal joint between the wheel and the rack. None of these means abandoning the car where it stands, but none should be dragged out for months either.
Possible causes
| Cause | How likely | Danger |
|---|---|---|
| Outer CV joint | Most often — if it crackles while driving on lock | shop this week |
| Strut top mount bearing | Common — if it crunches while stationary, from above the arch | shop this week |
| Steering column joint | If the clicks are heard and felt in the steering wheel itself | shop this week |
| Track rod ends or the rack | Rarer; usually a knock rather than clicks | shop this week |
| Inner CV joint, anti-roll bar links | Rarer; checked in the same inspection | shop this week |
Can you keep driving
You can drive with a crackling CV joint, but do not drag the replacement out beyond a week or two: at worst a worn joint seizes, and that is no longer a sound but an immobilised car. Until the repair, a gentle routine helps — do not pull away hard with the wheel on full lock.
The top mount bearing and the steering column joint cause more discomfort than immediate danger, but the steering is a safety system, so get it checked within days: on a lift it takes a few minutes. Reasons to hurry: the wheel has gone vague around the straight-ahead, the car wanders in its lane, or the clicking has suddenly become far more frequent.
What to check yourself
- Separate the scenarios in an empty car park: does the crackle appear while driving in a circle on lock, or are the clicks heard when turning the wheel with the car standing still?
- Look at the CV joint boots — the rubber concertina covers on the inner side of each front wheel. A tear with grease flung around it is an all but confirmed diagnosis.
- Ask someone to turn the wheel with the engine off while you put a palm on the strut top under the bonnet: the clicks of a worn mount can be felt by hand.
- Rock the steering wheel left and right with the engine off and listen down by your feet: a distinct click in the column gives away the column joint.
- Remember which wheel the crackle comes from while driving and which direction of turn makes it louder — these details noticeably narrow the search at the garage.
Narrow the cause down with questions
Answer a few questions and the diagnostic tree will shorten the list of causes for your case.
How the app helps
In the Pro-Stuk app these forks are gathered into a short tree of questions: is the car moving or standing, where the sound comes from, what state the boots are in. You can record the crackle on your phone and compare it with examples. The report gives likely causes with an estimate and a recommendation on timing: no panic, but no clicks forgotten for a month either.
Common questions
What is a CV joint and why does it click?
A CV joint is a constant-velocity joint, the part that passes rotation to a wheel that also steers. When dirt gets in through a torn boot, the balls and tracks of the joint wear, and under load on lock it starts to crackle clearly.
How long can you drive with a clicking CV joint?
There is no exact life: for some it lasts months, for others it finishes itself off in a couple of weeks. A sensible guide is not to delay the replacement beyond a week or two, and until the repair not to pull away hard on lock: that keeps the load on the joint at a minimum.
Why does it crunch when turning the wheel on a stationary car?
With the car standing still the wheel is not rotating and the CV joint is not working. A crunch on the spot usually comes from the strut top mount bearing — the sound comes from above, from inside the arch — or from the steering column joint if it clicks in the wheel itself. Both are checked at a garage in a few minutes.
The app for iPhone and Android
The questionnaire, the sound recording and the full report with probabilities are all in the Pro-Stuk app.
Installed from a store, the app updates itself.