Hoping someone can help me diagnose this as it's driving me nuts. Vehicle is a 96 KZN-185, lifted 2-3.5", with Tundra Bilstein 5100 shocks, Eibach 620# coils, and SPC UCAs in front.
Background:
- Steering is nice and tight when driving on regular roads.
- Very little play in the steering.
Problem:
- As soon as I get offroad, and especially when I put the truck H4 or H4L (it has a multimode transfer case), I start getting a lot of knocking / rattling in the steering column, so much that have to sometimes hold the steering tight wheel with both hands just to keep control.
What I've done so far:
- new outer tie rods
- tilt ball shim mod - helped with steering play, but didn't do much for the rattle
- new steering rack and sway bar bushings - no apparent difference
- upgraded to the new style steering rack guide - not sure if it made any difference
Things to try?
- zip tie in the rag joint mod that's done on 2nd/3rd gen Tacos - as far as I can tell, the design of my rag joint is significantly different and I haven't found anyone who has done this mod on a 3rd gen 4runner;
- slip joint tack weld / rolled pin mod - my truck is a 96 and has a different style slip joint, which doesn't seem to need this mod. Plus, there is no play in the slip joint, at least not that I could feel by hand when I took it off
I had an intermediate steering shaft lying around from a donor truck and I examined it for similar sound. It does seem to make a similar clunk (video here), seemingly from the top u-joint hitting the component below. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way, or something is worn out.
Any ideas?
Background:
- Steering is nice and tight when driving on regular roads.
- Very little play in the steering.
Problem:
- As soon as I get offroad, and especially when I put the truck H4 or H4L (it has a multimode transfer case), I start getting a lot of knocking / rattling in the steering column, so much that have to sometimes hold the steering tight wheel with both hands just to keep control.
What I've done so far:
- new outer tie rods
- tilt ball shim mod - helped with steering play, but didn't do much for the rattle
- new steering rack and sway bar bushings - no apparent difference
- upgraded to the new style steering rack guide - not sure if it made any difference
Things to try?
- zip tie in the rag joint mod that's done on 2nd/3rd gen Tacos - as far as I can tell, the design of my rag joint is significantly different and I haven't found anyone who has done this mod on a 3rd gen 4runner;
- slip joint tack weld / rolled pin mod - my truck is a 96 and has a different style slip joint, which doesn't seem to need this mod. Plus, there is no play in the slip joint, at least not that I could feel by hand when I took it off
I had an intermediate steering shaft lying around from a donor truck and I examined it for similar sound. It does seem to make a similar clunk (video here), seemingly from the top u-joint hitting the component below. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way, or something is worn out.
Any ideas?