New steering sound/thudding - Ideas?

[Mike]

Hey all,

Starting today a new noise started happening with my 22 R1T when actively turning. I'm dumbfounded on what this one is and couldn't find any videos online or on any forums/reddit with this exact same noise. Any ideas? I had service replace my front air compressor (PT00995399-C) a week or two ago so it was recently handled by service.

When this happens, the steering wheel also doesn't feel right, I don't know how to explain it other than the steering losing control or having a "skipping" feeling like it's losing steering so it makes me kind of uneasy driving it. It doesn't just happen at low speed, if I'm going 20-30 or pulling into a parking spot it also happens. I also raised the suspension and looked around both wheels, suspension, brakes, and took a peek at the subframe and didn't see anything that didn't look right, no loose bolts or parts touching anything it isn't supposed to.

Video -


Already scheduled a service appointment but it's on the 29th so it'd be useful to be able to figure out what exactly the cause is beforehand..

Edit: I think I might call Rivian tomorrow and have them give an idea or see if I can get it towed there maybe. I fed this into Gemini with the recent work history and while it might not be accurate it makes sense:
1. Loose Steering Intermediate Shaft Pinch Bolt (Critical Safety Issue)
To get clearance in the front left area, or if the subframe was slightly lowered to access the compressor brackets, the steering intermediate shaft (which connects the steering wheel column to the steering rack) may have been disturbed.
The Symptom: If the pinch bolt securing this shaft was loosened and not properly torqued back down (or left out entirely), the splines can slip or bind as you turn.
The Feeling: This perfectly matches the "skipping" or "losing control" feeling in the wheel, as physical mechanical contact is briefly slipping.
Action: Do not drive the vehicle if this is the case. If the splines strip or slip entirely, you will completely lose the ability to steer.

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[elektrode]

Weird. I just started experiencing something similar. For me I’ve heard a pop a couple of times and the center of the steering wheels feels less certain and it’ll settle left or right of center.

 

[Mike]

Weird. I just started experiencing something similar. For me I’ve heard a pop a couple of times and the center of the steering wheels feels less certain and it’ll settle left or right of center.

Have you had the halfshafts/dampers replaced? If you don't actually feel much in the steering wheel (like the skipping/loss of steering for a split second) it's probably a halfshaft/damper issue. Back in December or January I had a popping sound when turning as well and a tech drove it and wrote a note about and he replaced both left/right halfshafts and dampers that had a leak. This issue I have now can actually be felt in the steering wheel pretty good alongside the

 

[elektrode]

Have you had the halfshafts/dampers replaced?

just the ting washers and another round of tightening.

If you don't actually feel much in the steering wheel (like the skipping/loss of steering for a split second) it's probably a halfshaft/damper issue.

I hear the pop when the vehicle is stationary and I’m turning the wheel fully. Happened the first time when I started to back out and the front wheels were against the curb.

the pop sounded like the steering mechanism “region”. I can influence where the steering wheel sits off center by turning the wheels full one direction and then back to center. The steering wheels favors that direction of turn.
It’s weird.

 

[ch33rio]

My truck just started making this sound. When driving and making a turn, there is a vibration in the steering coming through the steering column. When parked and I turn the wheel 90 degrees and turn it back, it makes like a thud or pop felt in the steering wheel. Did Rivian ever fix it? I just had my subframe replaced with the newer g2 version earlier this year. 2023 quad launch 25k miles.
Trading it in for a new R2 in 10 days. I love this truck but im terrified how much repairs will be when the warranty runs out.

 

[Mike]

My truck just started making this sound. When driving and making a turn, there is a vibration in the steering coming through the steering column. When parked and I turn the wheel 90 degrees and turn it back, it makes like a thud or pop felt in the steering wheel. Did Rivian ever fix it? I just had my subframe replaced with the newer g2 version earlier this year. 2023 quad launch 25k miles.
Trading it in for a new R2 in 10 days. I love this truck but im terrified how much repairs will be when the warranty runs out.

My issue in the video actually went away the next day, seemingly after the truck went into deep sleep mode overnight but maybe a coincidence. I cancelled my service appointment after it stopped for a few days. I haven't had the problem since. It's extremely weird. Honestly the only thing I can assume is something was stuck somewhere I couldn't see from under the truck, and maybe if it was something stuck like debris it fell out. Totally dumbfounded, I wish I could have figured out what it was because it was extremely weird and very worrying, but zero issues since.

 

[Mathme]

Likely half shafts, ting washers, and torquing.
At a recent service visit (2500 miles after a half shaft/ting washer visit) when it was in for mysterious tire wear (that happened since the half shaft replacement) the service advisor was rather cavalier about half shaft replacements as they are a casual thing. Stating that they are about $750 to do off the top of his head. He said some last 20k miles and some go way more.

I’m sorry, but half shafts should go over $100k miles of not more without replacements.

 

[Mike]

Likely half shafts, ting washers, and torquing.
At a recent service visit (2500 miles after a half shaft/ting washer visit) when it was in for mysterious tire wear (that happened since the half shaft replacement) the service advisor was rather cavalier about half shaft replacements as they are a casual thing. Stating that they are about $750 to do off the top of his head. He said some last 20k miles and some go way more.

I’m sorry, but half shafts should go over $100k miles of not more without replacements.

The half shafts and most parts for the front were replaced a few months ago under warranty, and only have like 3-4k miles on them. I'm familiar with the sounds around issues with them, I think it's unrelated to my original post unless you were replying to someone else in the posts. the issues in my original post went away a day or so later and never happened again so far, with no changes to the truck.

 

[Rade]

The only time I get a noise is when I put the truck in gear and begin to back out of the garage after the truck had been parked for several days. I get a "thunk" as the brakes release.

 

[elektrode]

In my case, I took it in and they did some alignment work and the steering returned to center and had a proper feel (as opposed to feeling a bit loose).

of course I was not able to replicate the pop sound for the tech, despite being able to do it before I went to the shop. Something about Heisenberg.

 

[ch33rio]

My issue in the video actually went away the next day, seemingly after the truck went into deep sleep mode overnight but maybe a coincidence. I cancelled my service appointment after it stopped for a few days. I haven't had the problem since. It's extremely weird. Honestly the only thing I can assume is something was stuck somewhere I couldn't see from under the truck, and maybe if it was something stuck like debris it fell out. Totally dumbfounded, I wish I could have figured out what it was because it was extremely weird and very worrying, but zero issues since.

just drove the truck today to run some errands and the problem is no longer there. This must have been some sort of software issue after it goes into a deep sleep. These trucks are so fickle sometimes. I love this truck but I cannot wait to trade it in next week for my R2.

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