1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

How much play on the inner tie rods?

 

I'd replace the rack, based on what Noah got, the OEM rack should include new inners, bellows, and bushings it looks like: https://www.tundras.com/threads/rack-and-pinion-problems.120172/#post-3084994

Just get all that shit done at once and forget it for another 190k miles.

 

I did mine around 230k miles and I’m still on my original rack. Not hard to do, need a skinny wrench to tighten the inners. They have a large 6 sided nut molded into them but it’s up against a shield that keeps you from using a wrench large enough. Needed a wrench that was 1/2 as thick to fit in there. Very easy to swap them otherwise.

edit: not even sure my inners needed replacing, it was part of a front end overhaul.

 

A lot.

 

I need new rack bushings. I've got a fair amount of play in mine that's way more noticeable now I jumped up two tire sizes and lifted. But the TRs seem fine.

 

That's what I was leaning towards but then I hear @KNABORES say his OG rack is still going strong at...300k miles?

I thought mine was leaking but it's not power steering fluid. It's just some of the liquified grease they pack into the tie rods I think. My bellows have some tiny holes in them.

Someone is selling a steering rack here so that's what made me consider a full rack replacement.

 

It's not really hard at all, I think it's easier than the cv axles. There is an inner tie rod tool you can rent, but the one I got didn't fit so I used a pipe wrench and it worked great.

As long as the rack isn't leaking, I wouldn't replace it. I have 280k on the tundra and 325k on the sequoia both on original steering racks.

 

270k miles and counting. Some mild fluid accumulation in the bellows, no external leaks. Otherwise solid.

 

Did you have to go buy a skinny wrench or grind one down to fit?

 

I replaced the rack with mine. Never had to do it before.

 

I replaced mine. Easy job IMO. I just used a pipe wrench and didn’t bother with the 6 sided nut on the ball. I DID use a wrench to hold the rack in place to keep it from twisting. There’s a slot on the steering rack inner rod AFTER the inner tie rod you can use to get a small crescent wrench in there and keep it from twisting. I didn’t bother using a tool to replace the bands on the dust boot and just used tie wraps instead.

 

What's wrong with em?
NTB has told me I needed new inners for like 2 years. They haven't broken on the trail yet. I just keep a spare set in the truck In case.

 

You going to go with the poly bushings from coachbuilder or what?

 

I second poly bushings

 

X3 Poly

 

My original rack has 280K; no leaks. I replaced the bushings with poly at 270K. The tie rod ends and ball joints where done about 3K ago. Except for the right lower and I picked it up on sale.

 

Be hard pressed to break an inner tie rod. They are beefy

 

Duct tape bellow holding up just fine. Been aboit 2500 miles.

 

Some day I’ll buy a v8 tools skinny wrench…

 

Shall I keep sending it then? I'm also still trying to hunt down the source of the popping noises I'm getting. OEM LBJ's don't seem to have any play and they were also replaced 32k miles ago. Likelihood of inner tie rods making noise?

 

That would be the one for those inners

 

Hard to justify a $48 wrench you use once every few years.

 

Thats why you borrow a buddy's. In my case I have 17 buddies with tools like that.

 

Or once ever. Cheaper to get a spare single wrench in that size and grind it down skinny.

 

Yes. Need more info on the concern... when, where, how

 

tell that to the $130 strut compressor i'm gonna buy to 'tune' my 6112's then never need again.
https://m.vevor.com/strut-spring-co...yqNRWcMIIFefnzdbLUzTycKmtxdWlvJsaApXJEALw_wcB

 

I get popping sounds at low speed. Happens when I turn the steering wheel. If it's happening when I'm moving I can't hear it. Also seems to go away after I drive a few minutes. Had the front tires off the ground a few days ago trying to reproduce the noise but couldn't. The only play I find is the inners. All other front end parts were replaced in 2019 so that was my suspicion.

Red=lots of movement

 

Jack up one side at a time and lock the steering wheel & do the wiggle test from under the truck. One of my inners has less than 1/16" of slop & the other is solid. & when i replace the TRE's & bellows i'll see if i can tighten the slop out of the loose one.

 

What is 'lots of movement'?

 

When, if ever have you done the rack bushings? I don't know that tie rods would create noise, but bushings will if they're no longer existent like mine ended up being.