Well I replaced my rack and pinion last year, alls been well until a couple weeks ago I started hearing this cracking noise everytime I turn the wheel wtf, it's coming from the rack. Had someone turn the wheel while I was under the truck sure enough it's coming from the center where your power steering lines go into. Now I don't really want to pull it out again right now. Just a lot of BS that's it's acting up so soon.

 

Mine has been sloppy for a while. Eimer had the same issue, he replaced his over a year ago too and said it was loose again recently

 

Yeah it's not that it's loose it's just making some horrible noise I'm sure it's gonna start getting loose again soon, it seems like you can never win with this truck.

 

I've been crossing my fingers for over a year hoping it would get stolen. I've tried to trade it in and dealerships pretty much want me to pay them to take it.

 

There are some things that bug me, but I've made it my own and I can look past all the bad... which means I must have x-ray vision.. cause all the bad is as thick as cream of mushroom soup.

SO you are sure that the hiem joints aren't making the noise? Maybe removing the weak/soft point in the tie-rods actually revealed another weak point in the steering rack.

 

Nope the hiem joints aren't doing it. I thought it was at first without really looking it over good I just sprayed them with some lithium grease. Idk if the valve body of the rack is going bad?

 

Does it make noise whenever you tell the wheel, without regards for which side, what terrain you're on, speed you're traveling, etc?
That might be the u-joint in the steering shaft starting to bind up. With the people that I see on a regular basis, it actually seems to be a rather common problem.
Regardless, check it out...try to clean it up if you can/want then grease it up. Hopefully that helps

 

Makes noise no matter what terrain, speed. If you turn the wheel while not moving it cracks the loudest. It's def the rack the intermediate shaft is new. Only thing I can think of is you don't use the rubber boots for the inner tie rods anymore, maybe the excess moisture is doing it. Not sure, my boots are cut but not completely removed so it still keeps some crap outta there.