inner ball joint? you mean upper or lower?

I got my bushing kit from mike @ xtreme for 20 or 30 clams. he's about the best service I know of! he even went out to his runner and took pics of his air compressor mounting for me, and I didn't even buy the compressor from him, now I'd say that's pretty nice.

 

My bad, it's called the Rack End.

 

This seems to be a common problem with our vehicles- I've heard of a few people of complaining of the steering feeling a little sloppy, but it tightens right up with new bushings. I'd change the bushings first, they're not too expensive. Secondly, I'd remove the skid plate to eliminate that as a source of the clunking noises. My trail carnage skid plate had me convinced that my CV's were screwed, until I realized that the spacers holding the plate away from the steering rack were too thin, and the rack was flexing a bit on the skid causing a clicking/popping noise.

 

I agree David. Time to get ahold of Mike!

 

I second that. I will be ordering the steering and shackle bushings today.

 

That is good to know....I didn't know they sell aftermarket bushings for the rack. Mine I am pretty sure it is the bushings since I pulled off both boots and saw no movement in the inner or outer tie rods yet with the truck and both wheels on the ground, you can move the steering wheel and visably see the rack move in the bushings. Sounds like I might have to give Mike a call too.

 

Mike's local number was disconnected, so I sent him an email. FYI.

Maybe the 877 number works

 

Just placed my order with Mike at Xtreme. The bushings will run you around $25 shipped to the lower 48 and they come in black or red. They have (7) more in stock.

Mike just resolved some issues with the phone company, so you may have to contact him via email and get his cell number.

I will let you guys know if this fixes the problem. If anything, I consider it a mod.

 

Take good pictures- there currently isn't a writeup for doing the swap, and it would be useful to have one- there are enough of us that will be doing this in the future! Do you have to disconnect the tie-rods from both sides of the rack to get at the bushings? I won a bushings kit at the Moab 4runner Foray from Total Chaos, but I think it might be a Tundra kit. I can't tell from Keisur's schematic where the bushings are at.

 

there's only three, one at each mounting bolt. it's relatively straight forward and after I did mine I happened upon a write-up somewhere. If I can find it again I'll link it here. hang on let me look.

 

here ya go pinheads! don't never say I dint never provide:

http://www.keystonekrawlers.com/Mods...eeringBush.htm

and a pic of the installed bushings from that site, see the red? those are the bushings. the one on the left is the hard one, you gotta jack the tires off the ground so you can pull the rack back away from the crossmember to get the front half of the bushing in there. I got the black ones myself, and I fubar'd mine on the install so I need to replace them one day.

 

Thanks Keisur! For some reason I was thinking the bushings were in the rack itself, without taking a look at my own rack.

 

I like looking at others racks too. hehe.

 

here's a better schematic, it's a '96 but close enough for gubmint woik. I was thinking about tightening up the "Rack Guide" since in mine that is where the buckle seems to be occuring. looks like I can removed the rack guide spring cap lock nut and adjust the guide spring cap in and put the lock nut back on.

 

OK guys, I got the Daystar poly steering kit installed. The install was actually a pretty big pain. The hard part was getting the poly into the stock locations, then getting the new brass sheaths to fit through the poly bushings. From start to finish, it took me about 3 hours with air tools.

I am happy to say that my steering wheel is straight and my rig is tracking straight. The stock bushings are garbage. This was a good mod.

Unfortunately the clunk is still there when I shake the steering wheel back and forth. I have narrowed that down to the drivers side steering joint. So, that will be my next project.

All in all, this is a great mod for $28. My steering is more responsive, and it cured the rack movement completely.

 

Was your guys steering wheel juping out of your hands if you'd go down a rough, or washboard road? You guys have me thinking now that maybe the rack bushings on my truck are bad too.

keisur- That's a pretty cool schematic. It looks as though the rack guide can be adjusted or maybe replaced if worn. That's the shaft that my rig has the play in.

 

Yea, it's a good'in. I still haven't grown the peach fuzz to go out there and put torque on it. I'm just wondering though, I got a quote once from Todd the toyota parts person once for the replacement parts but I think he actually quoted me the bushings and seals in the control valve assembly.

maybe tomorrow I'll give it a shot.

 

I got my Daystar bushings for my steering rack on Friday. I should do it tomorrow but most likely will do it next weekend. Sounds like it isn't that bad of a job.

When mine was making the clunk clunk sound it was the rack end. It was a easy fix also.

 

if u have a diff drop you will have to remove it to get the drivers side bolt out.....i found this out the hard way....

 

I do, thanks for the tip.