Rack and pinion removal (1 Viewer)

[housedavid1956]

2004 LX470. Found steering rack bushings worn and one bellows cracked. Thinking of a new rack. Do you have to remove the oil filter/cooler house to get the rack out?
Need advice before starting the project.
Also is there a lower price option other than new Toyota that someone might recommend?
Thanks in advance!”

 

[KraziAzn]

2004 LX470. Found steering rack bushings worn and one bellows cracked. Thinking of a new rack. Do you have to remove the oil filter/cooler house to get the rack out?
Need advice before starting the project.
Also is there a lower price option other than new Toyota that someone might recommend?
Thanks in advance!”

You're going to have to remove a lot more than just those things.

I recommend OEM only, because the job is such a hassle. Not worth putting some cheap china part so that you can change in a few months

 

[Skidoo]

The FAQ is your friend, replacing the rack is one of the cool things there. Has a step by step.

 

[Bisho]

You do not need to remove the oil filter housing if you disconnect the engine mount on the driver’s side and jack up that side of the motor. You’ll find it partway through the thread in the FAQ.

I installed a new Cardone rack, and I’m very pleased with it. Also comes with a lifetime warranty. At the time it was on sale and $400 cheaper than a new OEM rack. Last I checked the price was now only $150 apart, which would make the decision harder. I wouldn’t recommend a Toyota rebuild rack. They are done by a third party and, based on the price, likely don’t use Toyota parts for the rebuild. So you get used metal parts with seals of unknown quality and only a year warranty.

As @OwnerCS will attest, an OEM rack is no guarantee of future performance - in his case killing several power steering pumps in the course of a year.

 

[asu4runner]

im in the middle of this job now, among others.. i decided to swap out my rack while im doing a front end refresh, i have upper and lower control arms off, axles out. def makes it easier to get in there and reach bolts. the rack removal is a pain however you want to look at it. i pulled the filter cooler doodad, its a dirty job. ive been going out and doing a few things at a time when i get home from work, last item to get loose for me is the steering column collar down at the rack. i bought a reman rack from toyota. read reviews and make your own decision, but id rather buy a reman rack with toyotas stamp of approval than a chinese vatozone special any day.

 

[OwnerCS]

im in the middle of this job now, among others.. i decided to swap out my rack while im doing a front end refresh, i have upper and lower control arms off, axles out. def makes it easier to get in there and reach bolts. the rack removal is a pain however you want to look at it. i pulled the filter cooler doodad, its a dirty job. ive been going out and doing a few things at a time when i get home from work, last item to get loose for me is the steering column collar down at the rack. i bought a reman rack from toyota. read reviews and make your own decision, but id rather buy a reman rack with toyotas stamp of approval than a chinese vatozone special any day.

While you are in there, this is a good time to replace any heavily worn front diff bushings and run a front diff breather extension for all of our Arkansas water crossings.

 

[VagabondJesse]

I did mine about a year ago. Didn't pull the oil filter housing, but did unbolt the driver's side engine mount and jack it up a bit. Hint: remove the driver's side inner tie rod to make rack removal much easier.

 

[housedavid1956]

Thanks for the insight. Gonna tackle it soon. Still deciding on which rack to use.

 

[asu4runner]

While you are in there, this is a good time to replace any heavily worn front diff bushings and run a front diff breather extension for all of our Arkansas water crossings.

yeah a hub refresh is also on the list, i stopped into toyota and ordered some boots for the axles, havnt ordered bearings or gaskets, bushings for the hubs/spindles yet. the control arms made me want to cry. this truck wont see many river crossings. i did the high water mark in my 40 this fall, was a blast. and i have a dedicated crawler for anything intense.

 

[OwnerCS]

yeah a hub refresh is also on the list, i stopped into toyota and ordered some boots for the axles, havnt ordered bearings or gaskets, bushings for the hubs/spindles yet. the control arms made me want to cry. this truck wont see many river crossings. i did the high water mark in my 40 this fall, was a blast. and i have a dedicated crawler for anything intense.

Ahh yes. We have a 100 series swim team for the Buffalo. Photo credit @ChristopherPrice

 

[housedavid1956]

yeah a hub refresh is also on the list, i stopped into toyota and ordered some boots for the axles, havnt ordered bearings or gaskets, bushings for the hubs/spindles yet. the control arms made me want to cry. this truck wont see many river crossings. i did the high water mark in my 40 this fall, was a blast. and i have a dedicated crawler for anything intense.

Oh the Buffalo River…a national treasure. Floated it this summer when the water was too low and planning to float again this year and do some fall hiking.