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Maintenance You cannot replace your rack and pinion bushings with the steering rack in the truck

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Tyler

Tyler

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Apparently.

I thought you could because I’ve seen the videos of people doing this on older Tacomas and 4Runners. But on a 3rd gen, apparently you need to pull the whole steering rack first because you can’t remove either bolt:

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I’m also pretty sure Toyota claims you need to lift the engine to be able to get the rack out, although I know that’s not true. So I guess I’m pulling my steering rack tomorrow. :(

My truck does what I can only describe as “this annoying thing” where you can essentially feel and hear the rack move during stopping and accelerating. So I bought polyurethane bushings to replace the OEM ones with.

So far I’m 0 for 1. I’ll probably go 0 for 2 when I finally get the rack out and back in with the new bushings and the truck still does “the thing” because this wasn’t even the problem, lol.🙃
 
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I was thinking about that afterwards. Top bushings for sure. Lower bushings maybe. There’s another guy I work with who I’m sure will order them up now and install. We will give it a shot on his.

To get the movement you would need out of the rack, you will at a minimum need to get the steering shaft coupler off the rack, the pressure and return lines off, remove the tie rod ends from the knuckles.
 
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CementOffRoad said:
I was thinking about that afterwards. Top bushings for sure. Lower bushings maybe. There’s another guy I work with who I’m sure will order them up now and install. We will give it a shot on his.

To get the movement you would need out of the rack, you will at a minimum need to get the steering shaft coupler off the rack, the pressure and return lines off, remove the tie rod ends from the knuckles.
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That would be my main goal when I do mine...id prefer not to disconnect the pressure/return lines but if it must be done then it is what it is :P

Its good to hear you noticed that big of a difference! Makes me wanna do it even more now...
 
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I tried to really analyze if you can a while back and from what I saw after just tinkering around down there, I think putting the new ones in might be the only reason you can't. Not entirely sure either though.
 
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Just want to give an update on this.

I am almost done dialing most other things I wanted to fix or adjust on the truck before hitting the road, and the camper is almost done—just needs some finishing touches.

Paige left her job a few days ago and we’re eager to get out of here. So I’m going to do the lazy thing (like usual) and save this job for after our shakedown run.

The shakedown will roughly consist of New York to Maine and back with some other places mixed in. When we get back I’ll adjust stuff in the camper and on the truck as necessary, including doing the bushings.
 
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Tyler said:
Just want to give an update on this.

I am almost done dialing most other things I wanted to fix or adjust on the truck before hitting the road, and the camper is almost done—just needs some finishing touches.

Paige left her job a few days ago and we’re eager to get out of here. So I’m going to do the lazy thing (like usual) and save this job for after our shakedown run.

The shakedown will roughly consist of New York to Maine and back with some other places mixed in. When we get back I’ll adjust stuff in the camper and on the truck as necessary, including doing the bushings.
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Im excited for you guys to get going too on your adventures!

Im hoping to do my bushings closer to the fall...ive run out of time this summer with events and trips going on. But I fully expect to remove the whole rack to do the swap, ive been doing a lot of forum research and removing the old OEM bushings seems to be the biggest pain. Pickle fork, beer, more beer, and big hammer seem to work the best :P
 
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New Holland Overland said:
Im excited for you guys to get going too on your adventures!

Im hoping to do my bushings closer to the fall...ive run out of time this summer with events and trips going on. But I fully expect to remove the whole rack to do the swap, ive been doing a lot of forum research and removing the old OEM bushings seems to be the biggest pain. Pickle fork, beer, more beer, and big hammer seem to work the best :p
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I agree, def gonna need to take the whole rack out because nothing happens on my truck without a fight, lol.

In a way, the job seems simple. We know what we have to do and there’s only a few steps to be able to remove the rack. But on the other hand, actually removing the rack and then getting the old bushings out is gonna = time + cursing + beer.
 
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Update on my end. I was tired of trying to get the tacoma to drive really nice (rack bushings definitely helped), but in the end it was going to be a never ending chase so i traded it in. 2017 Silverado 3500hd with the L5P. 910lbft is so refreshing. Its no offroad machine I know. Taco wins in that arena.
Now to tackle that chrome problem....
 

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CementOffRoad said:
Update on my end. I was tired of trying to get the tacoma to drive really nice (rack bushings definitely helped), but in the end it was going to be a never ending chase so i traded it in. 2017 Silverado 3500hd with the L5P. 910lbft is so refreshing. Its no offroad machine I know. Taco wins in that arena.
Now to tackle that chrome problem....
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Wow, unexpected and congrats. It must be so much more comfortable in there.
 
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Any updates and advice on this? So trying to search for the reason for a clunking and popping while turning led to me replacing my lower control arms and switch upper control brands. Then I did the marlin lower brace kit, and a heim steering upgrade on my spindles. Well two months later the popping came back. After hours I finally sound that my steering rack is tight but slightly moves under pressure. I am guessing my bushings are shot.

Anyone complete this yet? Dreading it. And mines not too bad, my steering is very tight with the double heim steering. But need to get it done.

Part number that works? And any recommendations?

Thanks guys. Super frustrated with the time and money of my turd lately hahaha
 
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Hunter399 said:
Any updates and advice on this? So trying to search for the reason for a clunking and popping while turning led to me replacing my lower control arms and switch upper control brands. Then I did the marlin lower brace kit, and a heim steering upgrade on my spindles. Well two months later the popping came back. After hours I finally sound that my steering rack is tight but slightly moves under pressure. I am guessing my bushings are shot.

Anyone complete this yet? Dreading it. And mines not too bad, my steering is very tight with the double heim steering. But need to get it done.

Part number that works? And any recommendations?

Thanks guys. Super frustrated with the time and money of my turd lately hahaha
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I still haven’t done it and likely won’t until complete failure or until I take the camper off my truck and switch to the next version of my build.

I have the clunking too. I’ve had it for, what, 2+ years now? I know it’s not the UCAs, LCAs, or most other easy spots to check. I do believe it’s coming from this.

I can get you the part number for the bushings that I ordered if that’s what you meant.
 
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@Tyler thanks for the help man! Yeah I will get those ordered, I will probably wait a bit to as well. Mines more of a pop pop pop. When turning. Super frustrating though, my truck is only at 40k but I do offroad the crap out of it. Could be more pronounced since I have heim joints
 
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Hunter399 said:
@Tyler thanks for the help man! Yeah I will get those ordered, I will probably wait a bit to as well. Mines more of a pop pop pop. When turning. Super frustrating though, my truck is only at 40k but I do offroad the crap out of it. Could be more pronounced since I have heim joints
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I havent done my steering rack bushings either...my trucks been in and out of the dealer so no time for upgrades

Mine did that and it turned out to be the lower spherical bearings on the shocks that were popping since they were worn out. I also had another popping and it was the body mounts on the core support that were worn out.
 
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New Holland Overland said:
lower spherical bearings on the shocks that were popping since they were worn out
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My shocks/coils are EXHAUSTED to the point where idk how they don't leak or make noise or anything yet. But I suppose it's possible the clunking noise could actually be this. Good tip.

New Holland Overland said:
I also had another popping and it was the body mounts on the core support that were worn out
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I don't have stock front mounts anymore. Was it the front ones making noise?
 
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Tyler said:
My shocks/coils are EXHAUSTED to the point where idk how they don't leak or make noise or anything yet. But I suppose it's possible the clunking noise could actually be this. Good tip.


I don't have stock front mounts anymore. Was it the front ones making noise?
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Yeah my front body mounts on the core support were making some popping sounds when turning or at full flex. That spot on the truck moves surprisingly quite a lot.
 
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New Holland Overland said:
That spot on the truck moves surprisingly quite a lot.
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I think that’s why a lot of guys suggest against the mount relocations and sometimes say it eventually leads to your windshield cracking if you don’t do it perfectly.

Mine were done by master welder welds_taco though lol
 
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I definitely had to replace my body mounts a few months ago, I was getting a bad clunk up front.
 
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As an update I actually was able to get the bushings out without removing the steering rack. Cutting the bolts method, then just air hammered them out. Replaced them with the recommended energy solutions bushings. It’s a ton better now and more solid. My noise is gone! Until the next noise comes along haha
 
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Hunter399 said:
As an update I actually was able to get the bushings out without removing the steering rack. Cutting the bolts method, then just air hammered them out. Replaced them with the recommended energy solutions bushings. It’s a ton better now and more solid. My noise is gone! Until the next noise comes along haha
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Nice! Hearing that your noise went away (ha) makes me want to actually do mine.
 
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Hunter399 said:
As an update I actually was able to get the bushings out without removing the steering rack. Cutting the bolts method, then just air hammered them out. Replaced them with the recommended energy solutions bushings. It’s a ton better now and more solid. My noise is gone! Until the next noise comes along haha
Click to expand...

I’ve been dealing with pop/clunk for the pass 2 weeks. Starting to think it’s the rack & pinion bushing at this point. What energy bushings?
 
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Hunter399 said:
As an update I actually was able to get the bushings out without removing the steering rack. Cutting the bolts method, then just air hammered them out. Replaced them with the recommended energy solutions bushings. It’s a ton better now and more solid. My noise is gone! Until the next noise comes along haha
Click to expand...


Hi, did you have any issues with your steering wheel being slightly to the left or right after doing a hard turn?
 
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