Steering Rack Bushing Replacement (1 Viewer)

[ffpmsam]

I've installed rubber mounting bushing. They are the same ones the re-builders use. In-fact I get them from re-builders of Rack & Pinions. Bottom line they are softer than OEM. Ploy are too hard IMHO. Factory OEM are just right.

Watching the above video, rack moment seem okay for a reman, as it is normal to have side to side movement. But always a difficult call in what is to soft. OEM new has a little less. But here what tires and what surface of ground are you on. Which effect how much force to turn wheel to tire contact.

Wondering:
I can say. If rake (front lower than rear), that is good to reduce wondering on HWY. But if T-bar tension to lite, it could be and a small part of issue.
Ball joint going bad or bad, yields wondering.
TRE inner or outer going bad or bad, yields wondering.
Wheel bearing loose, yields wondering.
To little caste and we wonder. 100% Stock rig, I like 2.75 caster. Over 3 it spooky going in to turns, as it comes off center. under 2.5 it wonders to much.
Tire pressure to low.

So bottom line for wondering: Look at the systems as a whole. All needs to be at factory speck, to yield factory ride.

Steering wheel lag returning to center:
I had one so bad steering wheel hung turned for 1/2 miles or so after turn. And from about 45 degrees off center. It was funny how bad. New rack bushing corrected. In it I use poly as I recall.
Can be from excess rake/caster I suppose. In that it fights to get off and on back on center.
Ball joints, are another here to look at. Lower & upper.
It could be a case of a bad rack. Re-builders wipe these out!
Again the system needs to be looked at as a whole. Where any one or more parts effects all. This includes tires and wheel spacer.

BTW I don't use Rubber bushing as much these days, as aftermarket from re-builders just a little soft. I lean more toward ploy. But they are a little hard, on the hands feel on steering wheel and all components as they transfer shock. TRE & lower ball joint go out faster, as do racks.

Very best is new OEM rack. Cost of non VRGS (LX 03-07) is ~$250 over reman. New OEM is the way to go. Not only best quality. But we get new OEM inner TRE, boots, seal and OEM mounting bushing. That's a $300 or $400 value alone over junk parts used in reman. I've looked at Toyota ****-84 remans, not impressed, other than very nicely boxed up.

I hope something I said helps.
Good luck.

Yeah it appears to be installed as it should be, not sure how they could have screwed it up. My inspection isn't turning up any obvious faults either. Maybe this is considered normal

I will see if I can take a video of my rack doing the same test. It doesn’t seem like it should be moving that much… but not sure.

This was my latest alignment.

 

[Mike NXP]

I will see if I can take a video of my rack doing the same test. It doesn’t seem like it should be moving that much… but not sure.

This was my latest alignment.

View attachment 2986432

Thanks for sharing that, a similar video showing some or no movement would be awesome. It gives me something to compare to.

I'll post my alignment print out after work, I forgot about it this morning.

I agree, the rack simply should not be moving this much. If I turn my steering wheel and it needs to push the rack an inch before the tie rods / tires react, that's not a good thing.

 

[ffpmsam]

Thanks for sharing that, a similar video showing some or no movement would be awesome. It gives me something to compare to.

I'll post my alignment print out after work, I forgot about it this morning.

I agree, the rack simply should not be moving this much. If I turn my steering wheel and it needs to push the rack an inch before the tie rods / tires react, that's not a good thing.

I have about an inch and a half of lift on my front, about 2.25 on the rear. It drives pretty good with those alignment specs.

This is the alignment that they first brought out to me and I asked them nicely to try harder, which they did and figured out how to get it done.

Question, if you turn your wheel all the way to the right/left and hit the bump stop, can you turn it “past” the bump stop? You shouldn’t be able to obviously, but I’m wondering if you can with that play in the rack

 

[Mike NXP]

I have about an inch and a half of lift on my front, about 2.25 on the rear. It drives pretty good with those alignment specs.

This is the alignment that they first brought out to me and I asked them nicely to try harder, which they did and figured out how to get it done.

View attachment 2986434

Those printouts are above my head, I just see green and red and I don't really get how one effects the other.

The alignment shop got me driving straight after the rack replacement but they simply said it's not right because your rack bushings are " all over the place" Toyota alignment couldn't even get me driving straight.

I'm working with similar lift as you, just a little up front and a little more in the rear. I am probably 2 " higher in the rear than front which I understand can be an issue, but this issue was here before I put the heavy coils in.

Seems like the problem is staring me in the face, the rack is moving around causing a sloppy steering feel. Unfortunately the solution of tearing out the bushings and putting aftermarket in just isn't going to happen. It's not like it's a quick repair either.

 

[2001LC]

Thanks for sharing that, a similar video showing some or no movement would be awesome. It gives me something to compare to.

I'll post my alignment print out after work, I forgot about it this morning.

I agree, the rack simply should not be moving this much. If I turn my steering wheel and it needs to push the rack an inch before the tie rods / tires react, that's not a good thing.

keep in mind. Stationary tires have a great deal of resistance. If soft knob, on asphalt it's much more resistance than rolling or say on sand. Also consider soft rubber of reman racks.

They got caster better. But still I'd like to see more than 2.6LH & 2.2 on RH, The guys with builds tell me they like 3 or more. With stock I like 2.7, and closer from side to side (balnced).

 

[Mister Tom]

Those printouts are above my head, I just see green and red and I don't really get how one effects the other.

The alignment shop got me driving straight after the rack replacement but they simply said it's not right because your rack bushings are " all over the place" Toyota alignment couldn't even get me driving straight.

I'm working with similar lift as you, just a little up front and a little more in the rear. I am probably 2 " higher in the rear than front which I understand can be an issue, but this issue was here before I put the heavy coils in.

Seems like the problem is staring me in the face, the rack is moving around causing a sloppy steering feel. Unfortunately the solution of tearing out the bushings and putting aftermarket in just isn't going to happen. It's not like it's a quick repair either.

Bad Land Cruiser rack bushings video.

 

[Mike NXP]

keep in mind. Stationary tires have a great deal of resistance. If soft knob, on asphalt it's much more resistance than rolling or say on sand. Also consider soft rubber of reman racks.

They got caster better. But still I'd like to see more than 2.6LH & 2.2 on RH, The guys with builds tell me they like 3 or more. With stock I like 2.7, and closer from side to side (balnced).

Good point, I am loose gravel. Either way this movement just doesn't seem right. When I turn my steering wheel I want my tie rods to do their thing and move tires. Not an inch or so of dead space and then some action.

Maybe alignment is more to blame than I think and this rack is just fine? Maybe....but the alignment shop just tells me they can't align my vehicle because my rack bushings are shot.. my brand new Toyota rack bushings

Bad Land Cruiser rack bushings video.

Looks a lot like mine although yours seems to lift a bit more and has a bit more slop. Crazy that a worn out rack has same movement as my new one.

Spoke with Toyota again today, they said they can look at it again but it's not worth the time. It's all tight and I can look at it all day long as well, won't fix anything.

Alignment shop says install aftermarket poly bushings.

I'm just done dumping money into the steering for now, would be nice to get a fix but there isn't much more to be done.

 

[ffpmsam]

I have about an inch and a half of lift on my front, about 2.25 on the rear. It drives pretty good with those alignment specs.

This is the alignment that they first brought out to me and I asked them nicely to try harder, which they did and figured out how to get it done.

View attachment 2986434

Bad Land Cruiser rack bushings video.

Hmm, that looks familiar… maybe you go back to toyota and show them what you see and insist there is something wrong with that rack/bushings?

I will take a video though later just to compare still.

 

[Mister Tom]

Hmm, that looks familiar… maybe you go back to toyota and show them what you see and insist there is something wrong with that rack/bushings?

I will take a video though later just to compare still.

I went to Google and looked up Land Cruiser worn steering rack bushings. There is more than one video showing the same movement...which is unacceptable by the way. When I saw the same movement on my rack last year, I replaced the bushings with poly ones. It was a bear of a job...took the better part of a day but the results are awesome. The car no longer wanders.

 

[Mike NXP]

I went to Google and looked up Land Cruiser worn steering rack bushings. There is more than one video showing the same movement...which is unacceptable by the way. When I saw the same movement on my rack last year, I replaced the bushings with poly ones. It was a bear of a job...took the better part of a day but the results are awesome. The car no longer wanders.

Bah....yeah it does seem like that is the end conclusion for this issue. I just can't justify the time / cost / whatever in tearing these new ones out. Will just have to live with it for now.

Oh well I did buy a giant worm clamp and some rubber, I'm going to try a band aid fix for now. Wrap it around the rack and frame and tighten er' down. Yeah it probably won't help but for 15 bucks it's worth a shot.

 

[Mister Tom]

Bah....yeah it does seem like that is the end conclusion for this issue. I just can't justify the time / cost / whatever in tearing these new ones out. Will just have to live with it for now.

Oh well I did buy a giant worm clamp and some rubber, I'm going to try a band aid fix for now. Wrap it around the rack and frame and tighten er' down. Yeah it probably won't help but for 15 bucks it's worth a shot.

I would re-check all the bolts to make sure they are really tight. The two bolts that hold the band around the "D" bushing are difficult to get to but worth checking as well.

 

[2001LC]

I've found looking at rack movement, a poor indicator. I've installed new OEM 98-02 racks and see about same moment as totally shot bushing. I'll admit when I first looked at a really bad steering rack movement back and forth. I though movement told the story. It doesn't really. I look at bushing as a better indicator. 03-, I only need look at cut washer on top PS. If turned, bushing are shot. 98-02 I look at bushing from the side, as steering wheel turn back & forth. Bad, I'll see lift an splits in rubber.

Wondering on the other hand, and steering return lag. Are the 2 biggest clues of bad rack mount bushings. Put together with other clues, is in part how I decided. For sure poly bushing firm up wondering. But again, look at the systems as a whole is important.

NEW OEM, is hands down best way to go. I know some install poly on new before installing rack. I never do!. The rubber OEM is one of the things, I' want. Poly can always be added afterwards, if one wants.

 

[Lexcruiserman]

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread. It was massively helpful. Did this job in about 4-5 hours. Never would have attempted it without all of these pointers. Used SuperPro bushings on my 99 LX and happy to report it made a huge difference. Used a threaded rod, washers and nuts to pull the bushings into place. Thanks again.

 

[70 FJ40]

Thanks everyone. Good info here.