Steering rack play & front suspension clunkage

Looks great! How does it ride with the 4600/2883 combo?

 

You're too nice. One side is properly tightened, nicely but on the verge of too much. The other side is definitely not. Right is right. Left is wrong. Note the # of threads at the top of each.

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Rides amazing - just a short test drive to drop off at the local shop for alignment, but the braking and handling are night/day. I guess this is why you guys have been telling me to get new shocks...

The "front end clunk" I've been chasing still persists, but I'm feeling good: ball joints and shocks were LOOONG overdue, so it was 100% worth the work anyway. After (even more) research on here, I'm starting to suspect I may have the leaf spring clunk from missing spacer shim that other members have reported. Others have reported being fooled by virtue of the leaf spring clunk resonating up the frame and sounding like the front end... so maybe I at least have company in being fooled?!

My plan now: after alignment is done, I will try to hammer a screwdriver between the leafs and spray some fluid film in there. If that fixes the clunk, perhaps I'll try to replace the composite shim. Or just keep fluid filming it?

 

@shifty` warned me not to overtighten my swaybar links or the bushings will degrade early, so I got scared and left them all suuuuuper loose.

Just kidding ! Great advice, and good catch from @BubbaW and @shifty`. I'm pretty sure I just posted one photo (on the left) from before I set the truck back on the ground and properly tightened both. I will take a look just to make sure I didn't forget one, but I'm pretty sure I got them both after lowering - just posted one photo before and one after. Thanks for the visual check-over of my work folks!

And yes, it is possible that I am too nice.

 

RE: Clunk sounds. It is hard to track. If you have a GoPro or Bravo camera with magnetic mount, you can slap it under the truck and point at the front or rear to trace sounds and see what is activating when the clunk happens.

 

Hi everyone, just wanted to close the loop on this project! The front suspension rebuild was clearly pretty overdue, so many thanks to members for input that helped me get 'er done. With an alignment and 1,000 miles on the new setup everything feels great. New springs ride really nice, steering and braking is much improved. I went under the truck and checked all my paint marks to ensure nothing is loosening up - looks good.

With all the new parts in, and the steering rack guide adjustment done (see earlier in this thread, and also here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/gui...g-rack-replacement.144145/page-2#post-3835948), I've learned something about the clunk I'm hearing when hitting bumps or driveway aprons at low speeds while turning. Apparently, there were 2 clunks.

The first clunk was due to excessive play in steering rack, and I could feel it through the steering wheel when front tires hit a pothole while turning at low speeds. That is now fixed (by doing the rack guide adjustment), and steering/front end feel much tighter with all the new parts as well.

However, I'm still getting a metallic clunk or clunk-CLUNK sound when coming up driveway aprons. I ready about other members having the little plastic shim that separates leaf springs from eachother wear out or go missing and cause this sound which reverberates up the frame and sounds like it's coming from the front but is actually the leafs. Ordered $12 Dorman box of shims, which came with 4 although there are 8 total on the truck. It wasn't too hard to replace - I had 3 missing, so I replaced those 3 and used the 4th shim to replace the most worn out looking one. Went for a test drive - boom, silent. Score!

But, fast forward a couple weeks, spring thaw around here with temps finally coming above freezing, and the clunk is back. So I ordered another box of shims and replaced the remaining 4, so now I've got 8 brand new ones all around. Clunk still there. I now suspect it's coming from the rear and echoing up the frame.

I know this is pretty tricky to diagnose from a distance, but I welcome any ideas/thoughts from you all!

Is this even important to chase down? I don't care about a little clunking on it's own, and it's probably something unimportant, but I wouldn't want to let a potential bigger issue go.. wwyd?

 

Clunks drive me nuts. Whether it's important or not depends on where the clunk is coming from. But you've gotta find the clunk to know whether it's important or not.

It may be that the only way you'll find it is using a magnetic camera.

 

Not sure if this was mentioned or fixed already, but I highly recommend replacing your steering rack assembly or at minimum the bushings. At 200k miles guaranteed your rack bushings are worn out, and could even be your clunk.

Energy suspension makes a very affordable kit for these steering racks. And it's pretty easy to do the job, rack doesn't need to be removed, just set back.

 

Exactly. Arg! Maybe I can borrow a gopro from a friend.

 

Thanks @Superdave1.0! I do have the red energy suspension bushings on the steering rack - PO must have done that at some point. I do not see any play in the bushings or movement of the rack when I have a helper turn the steering back and forth with tires on the ground. So I think this can probably be eliminated?

But maybe I should have another look next time I'm under there to be sure.

Curious if you could please provide some more details about the recommendation to replace the entire steering rack assembly? Would you consider this preventative maintenance at 200k miles? Personal experience with rack failure, or more thoughts about this would be appreciated!

Cheers

 

I've replaced dozens of them on 1st gen Tundras, Tacomas and 3rd gen 4runners. Which all share very similar design. Normally they start to leak around that mileage. So at that point it makes sense to replace. If your rack isn't leaking, and the bushings have already been replaced, then I wouldn't go replacing the rack.

 

Sweet, thanks for clarifying that the main concern is leaks. Mine is dry as a bone for now, so as long as it stays that way I'll let 'er ride. Cheers