Alignment and highway " wandering/sway"

[eclipsegst97]

07 gx470 215k
Bought stock at 160k. Around 190ish it started feeling " off" at highway speed, front corner would dipa little too aggressively. Little too loose on steering wheel. Didn't feel planted like when it was stock
Over the years I added a 2" / 2.5" lift dobs twin tube now about 30k old, freedom UCA just as old. After feeling this wandering and getting freaked out on 55mph sweepers in Maine last year, I changed the body mount bushnngs . It helped about 30%> the I changed the rear control arms , new sway bar bushings and end links. Then a panhard correction. Engine mounts seemed fine. Finally I changed out the LCAs to OEM with taco tabs( all items were OEM no Amazon crap) as well as new bushing on the freedom UCA. After that it felt awesome around town. Planted , no wandering. But then I went to maine and the sweepers. The gx felt "off". It felt a bit squirrelly / light/ dippy in turns. I've been running to open country AT III. LT 255/75 17 111s C last 24k. Before that wildpeak AT3 W I think 265 70 ? Never had much of an issue with the WPs.

I've been taking it to town to god well know guy for alignment and never really had an issue, as a matter of fact they always put it in alignment and got rid of other issues I felt. But I never got the "#'s" / printout.

Wuth my mods listed what should the alignment #s look like ? Not factory I assume. Just running a hidden front winch, a roof rack, slider and aluminum skid plates. Nothing crazy heavy.

Im headese to Firestone tomorrow to get the alignment checked , not adjusted so I can carry some #s back to this thread.

Tire tread / wear always seemed fine. I have a little shudder at highway speed and braking after the new LCAs. Tires rotated avery 5k miles , 3x yr

 

[blackohio]

without seeing your numbers its hard to tell, but if he's making additional caster adjustments that could account for your highway wonikness.

 

[Rednexus]

Has your steering rack ever been replaced? The bushings on mine totally crapped out somewhere in the 160K range, to the point where the rack would move sideways 1/2" either direction when the wheel was turned. 215K miles is a lot on a OE GX470 steering rack to begin with, they just aren't that robust. A loose rack would cause the wandering your describe (it certainly did in my rig). You could be able to check the rack by having someone turn the wheel back and forth with the rig parked and observing the rack. If it's moving side-to-side at all, the bushings are shot. Or, if the wheel is moving but the tie rods aren't, the rack may be damaged internally. Even if just the bushings are shot, I'd replace the entire rack (as it has to come out regardless).

It seems like most of your front suspension is new, but if you replace the rack I'd also replace the outer tie rod ends (555 or OEM parts). The new rack should come with inner tie rods, if not, I'd replace those too. Some folks upgrade to the GX460 rack when replacing an old 470 rack.

 

[mmm635]

Has your steering rack ever been replaced? The bushings on mine totally crapped out somewhere in the 160K range, to the point where the rack would move sideways 1/2" either direction when the wheel was turned. 215K miles is a lot on a OE GX470 steering rack to begin with, they just aren't that robust. A loose rack would cause the wandering your describe (it certainly did in my rig). You could be able to check the rack by having someone turn the wheel back and forth with the rig parked and observing the rack. If it's moving side-to-side at all, the bushings are shot. Or, if the wheel is moving but the tie rods aren't, the rack may be damaged internally. Even if just the bushings are shot, I'd replace the entire rack (as it has to come out regardless).

It seems like most of your front suspension is new, but if you replace the rack I'd also replace the outer tie rod ends (555 or OEM parts). The new rack should come with inner tie rods, if not, I'd replace those too. Some folks upgrade to the GX460 rack when replacing an old 470 rack.

I agree. The Toyota rack I purchased included rack, inner/outer tie rods and boots - complete.

OP...pull back the inner part of the tie rod boot and if ps fluid drips out, that is a sure indicator your rack is toast.

 

[eclipsegst97]

I agree. The Toyota rack I purchased included rack, inner/outer tie rods and boots - complete.

OP...pull back the inner part of the tie rod boot and if ps fluid drips out, that is a sure indicator your rack is toast.

Apologies on delayed response.
I

I agree. The Toyota rack I purchased included rack, inner/outer tie rods and boots - complete.

OP...pull back the inner part of the tie rod boot and if ps fluid drips out, that is a sure indicator your rack is toast.

So I did what you asked.
Yes there is some fluid about 2 to 3ish tablespoons
However I have not been seeing any major or moderate drop of fluid. These rods were replaced about 3 to 4 yrs ago
And even then when the gx rode fine, there was a similar amy of fluid.

The rack weeps. And at 210 coils use replacing. But not sure the liquid is the smoking gun
I'm going to take off the wheels and disconnect the outer tie rod and see if there might be an wear on the joints I can't pick up on twisting the wheel itself