DIY: Steering Shaft Seal

Weird. I've apparently always had a light tapping with mine. Others have reported the same, so with mine being so low-mile, I went to listen and sure enough, I had it. Almost like a sewing machine. Sounds like valvetrain chatter I think, but I was told it's the injectors firing off. I didn't remember hearing it at first, but now I've heard it, I can't "unhear" it.

 

$5 in Owen’s Corning fiberglass will tell you in a few minutes.

 

I’m just gonna slap a new one on, if it doesn’t solve the problem it will sure help it

 

Chances are if the noise just suddenly appeared, it’s that boot.

 

It all started after the head gasket was replaced, which would make sense if it was something internal. The fact that it is audible outside the cabin adds to that conclusion

 

Aha! Most probably an exhaust leak from removing/replacing the exhaust manifold. Here's a DIY method to cobble together a stethoscope and search for the leak:

https://www.instructables.com/Find-an-exhaust-leak-without-burning-your-hands/

Or you could just buy one:

$25 Lisle 52750 Stethoscope Kit

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-52750-Stethoscope-Kit/dp/B0015DLMOO?th=1

 

Didn’t know that you have to remove exhaust manifold for this job?

 

Yes...you said "head" gasket. If you meant "valve cover" gasket, then no. But the stethoscope will help you identify an exhaust leak regardless of the cause, and the Lisle unit will help to isolate mechanical sounds as well.

Another thing that happens when someone works on our engines is that one or more of the vacuum lines gets reinstalled in the wrong place, or left off entirely. That can cause a hellacious nose! Snap a few pics of your engine compartment and no doubt someone here will spot something.

 

Yes sir the head gasket. I will be upping pics in a bit.
In the mean time I have the seal in hand, I was thinking of trying to tackle it myself but after reading about people’s troubles separating the coupler I am now having second thoughts. lol I might be sending this one in

 

I did the seal on mine, but only because I had to drop the rack to install lower control arms. It's a 5 on the PITA scale.

 

I might just wait to get the rack done at the same time since it is leaking

fiberglass it is

 

There may be a head gasket in my future...please share your experience and cost.

 

Not a fun time. Truck was overheating and I was losing coolant without a visible leak on the ground. It cost me 2k done by a family friend. It turned out to be a head bolt not the gasket that cracked. This is when the tick started happening. The mechanic said to put some Lucas in there which I refuse to do


Almost wishing I spent that $ towards another motor. My advice is to not try to save money on this job. Get it done where they will give you a warranty

 

So I stuffed the steering shaft seal with some Owen’s r6.7 fiberglass but the noise is still there. When I get some time I will pressurize the cooling system with a vacuum and try to visually find leaks with soap bubbles, depending on how accessible the heat shield bolts are, if it is gonna be a PITA I may try the stethoscope

I might just try putting some sea foam through it to see if I can see it somewhwre

 

I completed the steering shaft seal job yesterday. I can confirm what everyone else says, it definitely changes the sound inside the cabin, for the better.

Fortunately/unfortunately, I also replaced the factory exhaust manifolds with JBA short tube headers, as I thought that was the cause of the noise issue. It was not which is why I stumbled upon this thread. Learn from my mistake, if you think you have an exhaust leak start with the steering shaft seal first.

 

How do you like the JBA shorties?

 

So far so good on the JBAs. Also replaced manifold studs and all exhaust mounting hardware and gaskets along the way. It was a beast of a job. But I got it done with no broken manifold studs.

Performance wise the JBAs seem to add more power in low end of rpm range. I would recommend.

 

Alright, got my truck a month ago, been looking into manifold leak stuff, stumbled across this, and sure enough my seal is all torn up. Beyond Caulking, missing most of the rubber. Ordered the part, got everything together to start and……my steering shaft is different than the example pictures. 06 DC 2WD. I don’t wanna mess with steering stuff without knowing exactly what I’m doing, so anybody have advice for how to go about this? I took out the bolts (circled in red) holding the 2 shaft ends together but the piece wouldn’t budge up or down. Try again with more PB blaster? Bolts were a PITA to get off, tiny little space up in there to work.

 

Leg99, The following thread on this topic on the tundra solutions forum shows the same type of shaft you have:

 

I think I'm going to tackle this job on my truck, I'm hearing a buffering/fluttering sound from the engine on acceleration only, want to rule out this seal before I look into exhaust leaks

 

So did you want to do mine next?

 

Very happy to come across this thread though, I’ve had significant engine/ticking noise on acceleration coming in through the firewall area by my feet since I got this truck and I just thought that’s how these trucks are. Really looking forward to hearing the difference.

Apart from centering the steering wheel and marking the shaft before doing the job does anyone have any tips to ensure everything goes back together correctly and the steering wheel stays straight? I’m assuming mine is gonna take a bit of pounding to get off. Seems like a couple people at least in here ended up with a crooked steering wheel that I’m afraid of. Debating just going the fiberglass insulation way first, but I’m wondering if the new seal will do a better job at reducing noise.

 

Better job, not really. I’ve done both. The replacement only lasts another 80-100k miles before it deteriorates and splits.

 

Makes sense the new boot will just deteriorate again eventually. Did you notice an audible difference between the two methods?

 

Not really but I don’t know how long the fiberglass method will last. I only did it since my truck has a finite life due to the rusty frame.

Been going strong for several years now. It’s easy enough to pull out after you just did it though.

 

Good to know, probably going give this method a go first. Seems easy enough that even if it doesn’t last as long it’s not a big deal. Thanks for all the info.

 

Well written and good advice.
I'm going to be checking this in my newly acquired truck.
The exhaust has a nice tone and now I'm thinking this is why!
HA!

 

I came here looking for a solution to steering column rattle. I have the same version as Leg 99 in a 2006 DC Ltd V8. The part is the Steering Sliding Yoke (#45219-0C010). You can see it in the engine compartment from above, right side (that's a piece of the seal sitting on top).

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It looks like an easy job but in reality it was a pain to get done. I do have a trick a though that should make it easier for others.

I used a breaker bar to crack the bolts from above, then I finished from below using an extension and swivel. With a good impact wrench you should be able to do everything from below. The only trick here is to turn the steering wheel just enough to give you access to the bolts from above or below, depending on where you're working. I went back and forth from top to bottom to get the two bolts out so it took a while given the limited space from either direction.

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On my first attempt, after removing the bolts with much effort, I wedged a flathead screwdriver into the crack from below and pounded it up. I was able to get it off the bottom spline that way but it wouldn't budge after that, neither up nor down. At that point I ran out of time for the day and was barely able to put it back together to make it drivable until the next afternoon.

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The problem here was that I stripped out the bolt because it should be lined up with the groove in the spline, but it wouldn't budge for the moment and I made do. I'm going to replace one or both bolts (#90080-11555) when I get a chance, but the stripped bolt is still grabbing enough for the time being.

With that partial success, I realized that the yoke needs to be able to move more or less freely in order to position it correctly after replacing the seal. Forcing it off wouldn't serve well.

So here's the trick.

Once the bolts are removed, you can switch them to enter on the threaded side instead. Then insert a small piece of metal plate in the crack. By tightening the bolt in this configuration you'll force the yoke open which will allow it to be removed and reinstalled more easily. I only did one end because one of my bolts was stripped, but both ends would be better.

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Just make sure you get a thick enough piece of plate, otherwise the bolt will punch right through and probably get stripped in the process.

Once you have everything apart you can clean up the splines and yoke with a wire brush or rag, then apply a bit of grease to make it a little easier to reassemble.

Replacing the seal itself was straightforward. A little bit of leverage across the gas peddle helps when knocking it out from above.

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Did this yesterday. Can confirm, it makes a big difference in cabin noise even though mine wasn't that bad (had a straight 1 1/2 inch small tear). Great for upcoming Southern CA wildfire season so smoke doesn't blow into the cab.

I made the mistake of not FULLY removing the two intermediate shaft bolts thinking all I have to do is just loosen them to take the "clamping force" off. I spent about 10 mins whacking it with a pry bar and a hammer from underneath until I removed the bolts and realize they have a channel that locks the shaft in place. Then, I was able to simply slide it up easily with my hand and off. If yours is still stuck, use the method in the previous post where gzip reverse threads the bolt and inserts a metal plate to force the clamp open. But don't open it too much.

MAKE SURE TO MARK THE POSITION OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM SPLINES PERFECTLY BEFORE REMOVING IT! If you used penetrating oil, clean it off with brake cleaner once it breaks free so your paint marker will stick to the metal. Mark it in two areas on the splines if you have to. Use a laser level if you have one to draw a straight line (as its hard to keep a straight line from the splines to the curved area of the coupling.)

While tapping the seal out behind the brake pedal, I accidentally turned the shaft slightly so my steering wheel was slightly crooked when I reinstalled everything. I didn't mark it that well from underneath and was probably off by a spline or two. I was too lazy to go back under the car to try to line it back up so I actually removed the steering wheel and turned it two clicks to the left from inside the cabin to correct it.

For me, hammering out the seal from the top and behind the brake pedal was the hardest part of the job. I was using a 24oz Harbor Freight ICON dead blow hammer and only had a few inches to swing the hammer up and down. Spray penetrating oil on this area before you start hammering away. But eventually, it came loose with persistent light taps all over. Hammering the front and slightly down at an angle (pushing the seal towards the front of the car) works even though it seems like it doesn't.

From there, hammering the new seal in from underneath is super easy. You can even fit a mini hammer all the way up in there and lightly tap it in by hitting directly onto the seal without using a brass rod/pry bar.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, driving the front of the truck up on ramps makes the job a lot easier so you have more space to swing your hammer/pry tool/brass rod from underneath.

 

I need to do this repair as well next month when replacing the steering rack and lower control arms [LCAs]. Has anyone discovered the need to replace any of the hardware or other parts in this job or wished they had on hand when doing the work? If so, could you help me identify the parts from the diagram below? Anything along the Intermediate Shaft No 2 down below or the Steering Column hole cover & plate from above? Anyone ever damage the dust seal that is part of the steering rack and splines that attach to the intermediate shaft during installation? Here are some pics for posterity and fellow commiseration...

Parts Diagram [for additional hardware ID]


C/U Steering Shaft Seal


Steering Shaft-Intermediate No 2


C/U Intermediate Shaft No 2


Intermediate Shaft No 2