Completed: Steering rack replacement - 2WD version

multiple related projects for this week:


1. Correct steering wheel alignment. Has been off a few degrees since I replaced my steering wheel a few months ago

2. Replace steering shaft seal. Edit: was not needed. Factory seal looked like new

3. Replace steering rack, including inner TRE

4. Replace drivers side outer TRE. I replaced the passenger side a few months back






After finding a good bit of power steering fluid leaking into my bellows I just decided to replace the steering rack, including the inner tie rod ends. If it's gonna eventually have to be done, might as well do it now. I will also do a full power steering fluid flush

I might be expecting too much, but the truck has lasted me 18 years and 309,000 miles. If I can stretch it to 500-600,000 miles I'll be 80 and won't be driving as much

I believe this will get my entire steering totally refreshed. OEM outer TRE's, steering rack including inner TRE's, and bushings. Power steering pump replaced last year.

Also saw the thread on replacing the steering shaft seal at the firewall so I thought I might as well do that at the same time since I have to separate the steering shaft from the steering rack anyway. However, upon further review, it appears that on my truck it may be disconnecting at 2 different points. Either way I'm here, might as well do it all at the same time

After much research and several recommendations, I settled on the Detroit axle new rack version with a 10 year warranty, not the rebuild where you return the core.

even though it was packaged very well, it's still had one ding in the power steering lines which pinched it slightly. I'm going to talk to them about just replacing that one line instead of swapping out the whole unit.

I went with total chaos poly bushings and OEM steering shaft seal. I saw where @shifty` recommended poly compatible grease for the bushings to avoid squeaking.



My steering wheel has also been slightly off-center since I replaced my worn out steering wheel with a used leather steering wheel. So I'm gonna start with disconnecting the btty and correcting that



I've watched quite a few videos, but I still have yet to see someone address this issue:

why is it important to mark the steering shaft to be sure you put it back in the same spot? Unless I missed something, you have no way of knowing if the steering rack comes perfectly centered. So isn't this more or less a trial and error where you have to disconnect the steering shaft once you have the wheels pointing straight forward with the new rack?










Slight pinch of fluid lines in rack



Once complete I am going to raise my 5100's up to the 2nd notch and get an alignment. These were the specs after my last alignment. I know with a lift and bigger wheels and tires some people report that the steering may have a little float or Take a little more effort to keep the truck in a straight line.

Would slightly more positive caster also help?

 

Yeah I’m not exactly sure why it matters to mark the steering shaft if your putting in a new rack.
I basically measured the outer tie rods and tried to make sure they were both sticking out equal lengths when I installed a new rack

 

I highly recommend

 

For the bushings? I'm guessing I can also use that to grease the steering shaft to slide the new seal up to the firewall.

 

Yup, use gloves. It's crazy sticky. Like, need brake cleaner to get it off your hands sticky.

 

When i ordered my new rack from Toyota, it had marking on the rack. I assumed that was to indicate the center, however...the mark was only on the little rubber grommet piece, and that spun freely...so lol. I used a pair of vice grips to spin the shaft side to side, eventually i was able to determine what i thought was center with reasonable certainty.

 

Thanks. That was what I was thinking.

And if I have the the tires already reasonably centered before removing the rack and i turn the rack until both the TRE's can connect to the knuckles without moving them, that's probably as good as I can do

 

More caster will help with light steering feel / float.

-0.3 camber
2.8 caster
0.10 to 015 total toe

 

Thanks very much.

Josh at 1stgen told me to set the camber toward the higher positive end. But he didn't tell me why and I neglected to ask. With the bigger tires and wheels, I can easily see it is positive which seems counterintuitive for tire wear and traction while steering

how did you come up with those numbers? I'm sure it's through experience just curious if this is your personal experience or generally accepted through the experience of others in the forum

only concern with lowering the camber is whether that will push the tire closer to the upper control arm. I don't have a lot of clearance there in certain positions

 

Caster. Set the caster higher positive end. And if you have adjustable uppers like the SPC/Eibach adjustables, and you're lifting, don't follow their advice on where to clock the UBJ (which I want to say is "D"). Use a clock that adds at least +1, and ideally +2 caster (which I think is "C" and "B", respectively).

I actually need to re-clock my SPC UBJ to "B", I think, and go back in for a re-align. I'm suffering with my current alignment.

But yeah, @assassin10000's alignment range has been used by a shitload of people on here who've lifted and I've yet to hear a complaint. Only thing I wasn't able to hit was higher caster, and boy does it show.

 

hmm I wonder if that's the issue of the slight shimmy I have.

 

At what speed and where do you feel it? Seat, steering wheel, ??

 

steering wheel. 55-60ish? Occasionally at 65? It's always in that neighborhood. Kinda hard to notice it visually but you can feel it.

 

Tire balance. I know it's probably not what you want to hear, but it is what it is.

 

not surprising. I got my tires mounted/balanced for $40 at an undisclosed dealership. I watched them do the work. but you could tell the guys were kind of ina rush since I was the last set and the LARGEST set. Lol

 

Find a shop to road force balance. You're oversized IIRC, with ATs, right? ideal candidate.

 

34's pretty agro at's

 

Lots and lots of experience. I do custom alignments.

I tried all sorts of settings on my own truck, as I can do it anytime I want. I've narrowed down what is generally good for most. I actually run slightly more aggressive settings than that on my own truck (-0.5 camber), as I drive a bit fast in corners.

@FishNinja ^ this.

 

thanks that's what I was hoping to hear and the reason I was asking. I thought I'd read some of your posts about alignment sometime back, but I wasn't 100%


And just triple checking here. This is for 2WD like mine, correct?

 

No, I've got factory UCA's & LCA's

I've already completed and still have many projects this year for my tundra. So next year I was looking to replace the upper ball joints and control arm bushings. The only thing I'm aware of that I will not have replaced in the front end steering and suspension by that time will be sway bar bushings

And before I did the upper ball joint I was gonna look into aftermarket control arms.

since I should be slightly under 2 inches from the 5100's not counting the taller tires, is it safe to say I'm best to stay OEM UCA's?

 

I'd stick with OEM UCA.

 

2wd and 4wd. The suspension design is the same.

 

Finally got my new steering rack from Detroit Axle.

Turns out the Steering wheel shaft seal was practically new looking So I didn't have to replace that



Can anyone find anything wrong in these pictures?

from the underside of the truck, having recently had the transmission rebuilt:





UCA bushing:


LCA bushings:



New transmission mount, does this look normal? Seems to be a lot of space for it to slide around, but I've got no experience with this

 

I am at an impasse.

At least one video I saw on the steering replacement reference the O-rings, where the power steering lines connect to the steering rack. However, none were included in the steering rack, and I couldn't even see any in the old rack after removal

I called one of the local Toyota dealerships and they could not find any on their diagrams

 

Never mind - does not appear to have O-rings. Job is complete and there appears to be no leaking

as to the pictures, I'll ask around. But I already know the little cover on the transmission was probably left off by the transmission shop.



now it's ready to go to the shop for the alignment Tuesday after Memorial Day. Thanks for the preferred alignment settings @assassin10000

steering does appear to be a little tighter, so that's good

edit: steering is more than just a little tighter. Very noticeable difference - like new again. Glad I went with a new one from Detroit Axle instead of rebuilt or just trying to replace the seals.

 

Thanks @assassin10000

they realigned my truck today to get it as close as they could to your specs.

Really makes a difference. Part of the "floating" was that old steering rack being worn and loose and it went away once it was replaced, but the caster adjustment now makes it feel effortless to keep it on line, as it should






On another note: anyone replacing their steering rack, be aware that apparently all new racks need to be flushed and bled by opening the bleeder valve.

I swear I watched about three videos and I never saw that mentioned, but it led to leaking power steering fluid until that was done. I did a full power steering fluid flush, but that's not the same. And I also had done the procedure to get rid of all the air as I saw in the videos

When I contacted Detroit axle as soon as I mentioned leak, they immediately told me what it was and then I followed their procedures and now it is fine. They said this is a well-known procedure that should be done on all steering racks

 

@assassin10000

just took it out for another run man does it handle better

That also took care of all the frame rub I had in both directions at full lock back toward the cab since apparently it moved the front tires slightly forward.

So no rubbing of any kind now with these big 305s and almost 2 inches of lift on the front

 

I'm aware lol. I do a fair bit of lifted Toyota's.

 

Lol

well, it was unexpected on my part and I was just making sure others knew because this was the first I've heard of it. But I'm still a newbie on the board.

 

All good man. Sometimes the humor gets lost through text/forum posts.

Glad you like it.