[Surferdude]

I too have just had a similar problem on my 09 FD however unlike surferdudes problem mine was not evident at a standstill. It was worst at about 40kph, with any bump or irregularity in the road causing what I would describe as a severe clunk. The noises were virtually gone at speeds above 80kph. An initial diagnosis was a problem in the steering shaft or rack.
I took it to my mechanic (not dealer) and he has found the steering yoke (at the floor) had play, he has replaced this and a test drive by me yesterday did not produce any abnormal sounds. It does look like I will need to do the fix as detailed in the above mentioned TSB though as there is a small amount of freeplay in the steering wheel.

Cheers
Steve

Picked up my car today. They pointed out to me that the noise from part they replaced as per the TSB NORMALLY is most evident at around 40-60kph over bumps, not at a standstill as mine was.
@panthersteve , by "yoke" do you mean the sort of universal joint in the column. There are two and one is near the floor. They were the first thing I checked in mine. No play.
Also, Fulcrum tells me a few weeks ago, there were none of these flexible couplings in the country. One insurance job they were involved with had to replace the whole steering column because of it. When they wanted one for mine, there were only two available and the dealer who had one nearby was reluctant to part with it (I wonder why?).
Anyway, as I said in the pm, there is a Fulcrum store at Stafford and I gave you Graham's phone #. Or you can tell them there to speak to Shane Boyle at their Moorooka office. He actually did the job on mine.
I saw a photo of the remains of my coupling this morning.
When they e-mail it to me I'll post it here.
Pretty scary actually.

[Dazzler]

I saw a photo of the remains of my coupling this morning.
When they e-mail it to me I'll post it here.
Pretty scary actually.

You ARE an ex rally driver Trevor...

Must be all those roundabout slaloms you mention from time to time... 

[The Gonz]

I saw a photo of the remains of my coupling this morning.
When they e-mail it to me I'll post it here.
Pretty scary actually.

Looks pretty scary to me already!

(click to show/hide)

[Phil №❶]

 

[Surferdude]

I saw a photo of the remains of my coupling this morning.
When they e-mail it to me I'll post it here.
Pretty scary actually.

Looks pretty scary to me already!

(click to show/hide)

Goddamit!
Who took that photo?

Who, I say? 

[panthersteve]

@panthersteve , by "yoke" do you mean the sort of universal joint in the column. There are two and one is near the floor. They were the first thing I checked in mine. No play.

Hi

I picked up the old part that was replaced on my car yesterday. It was the shaft with a universal joint on each end which goes from the power steering to the floor. The play is not evident by hand but the mechanic could feel the play when it was installed. There was only play in the lower joint.
Have now been driving the car since Friday and there is definitely no noises now so all is good 

Cheers
Steve

[Surferdude]

On an interesting side note, I was talking yesterday to a good friend of mine who is still rallying. You may remember thein car footage of his rollover in the NZ Silver Fern Rally after which he still recorded second fastest time for the stage.

Anyway, John has had more Datsuns than you can count.

And because he is running in the Silver Fern event again this year (7 days long  ), he has had electronic power steering fitted to his Datsun 1600. Reckons at his age (52!  ), he needs all the help he can get.

There's a guy here in S E Qld who we both know who is specialising in this conversion. Apparently (at least in John's case), he uses a steering column from a Suzuki Swift, disconnects all the in car electronics and reattaches it to a control which allows the driver to adjust the level of power assist depending on how tight or fast the stage is. It can also be turned off and used without power assist. John's 1600 has shortened steering arms (giving less turns lock to lock).

Now I know why I got out of rallying when I did. Toooooooo much technology.

But at least I now have another contact if EPS problems arise.

I still haven't received the photo of the coupling from my car but it was basically pretty much circular and all the cogs had disintegrated inside the column into about 20 small bits.