crunching sound from steering wheel?

[vinnY]

ok i should have had it look at ages ago but anyway..

so sometimes when i steer left theres an odd *crunch* sound
best way to describe it is the sound your mouth makes when eating chips

anyway when it makes the sound, you can slightly feel it in the steering wheel
happens when i have the wheel straight then steer to the left at about a 60 degree angle
pretty much always happens when i swerve right then left to go around islands on some roads
it hasn't affected my steering as far as i know, no leaking fluids, cv joints good and drive shafts are okay
no rocks stuck anywhere(that i can physically see), no problems with my tie rods, suspension is all good(happened before even with stock shocks), engine mounts are all good and nothing hitting the bonnet
its got me completely stumped guys

my guess is something might be stuck(tiny rocks?) inside the steering rack and being crunched everytime it happens to be in the right position(its sort of an intermittent problem but happens more often than not)

anyone have any ideas what i could check?

[bennjamin]

the grease on the spline or plastic hub around the spline has dust/foreign material , or is low on grease/lubrication.
Take off ya wheel , there should be a white plastic hub thingy for your indicator canceller. take it out and get some general purpose grease and smear abit inside. Put back on and see if that helps.

Also look around the back of the wheel and hub area for signs of scratches / wearing to look for the culprit

[vinnY]

thanks for the suggestion, will check it out tonight and see how i go :)
i've changed steering wheels but i'm sure i reused the plastic hub thing from the original wheel

[vinnY]

okay driving home tonight, realised more characteristics

seems to make the crunch anywhere between 60 to 180 degrees while turning left
only happens after the wheel is street, won't happen if i say full lock to the right and steer left
seems to only happen when i'm actually moving forward, no sounds when steering on the spot

[MikeyG]

check in the engine bay maybe something is interferring with it?? maybe dirt or cables

[vinnY]

not that i can see, all seems clear
been happening for years but hasn't really affected anything but i thought i should check it out anyway :p