Stiff Steering 100 Series

[AEC]

Alright finally pulled the intermediate shaft out and it’s in like perfect condition. Totally smooth in all joint directions, can’t find anything wrong with it.

I’ve replaced the seal and will put it all back together. Not sure what is left at this point besides suspension things

 

[2001LC]

By disconnect steering wheel electronically. You can check/feel for any binding in upper halve (between actuator and steering wheel). Just don't turn much more than 1 1/2 turns in one direction. Or you may bust the clock spring.

You may have issue with fluid & pressure (vane pump, reservoir, HP pressure line or fluid).
Some shops, use power steering fluid. Toyota use ATF.
Reservoir screens, get clogged, even debris or wrong union bolt in HP line, can cause issues.
Over torquing vane pump mounting bolts, "MAY" cause issues. Proper torque is 13lb-lbf. There's is a typo in the 05 (IIRC) FSM has it ~50ft-lbf, which is way to tight
When power steering fluid use, steering is noticeable harder, when cold. Even hot we "MAY" get harder than should be, steering.
We saw one case in mud, I suspected they mixed up union bolt of HP line.

I begin R&P R&R with flushing out all fluid and reservoir cleaning.

Steering Flush & Cleaning

Cleaning power steering reservoir and flushing it's fluid. Keeps Vane pump and rack & pinion in top condition. These step will help you get, a better idea on how to. Power wash reservoir & hoses using a degreaser, before starting service. Makes for cleaner job. Repeat, once all done with...

forum.ih8mud.com

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Some notes, that may spur a aha moment.......

When you tested, to see that VRGS is working, and not in failsafe. You did get 2 1/2 (spec 2 1/3) turns, from lock to lock?
You said both ways! So just making sure. You mean from far right lock (knuckle stop), then turn steering wheel all the way to left lock you get 2 1/2 turns.

I'll also note: New OEM R&P have paint match marks on pinion input shaft boot. We line up the paint marks, with inner TREs out the same distance on each side. This place R&P, in dead center. We then connect #2 intermediate shaft union to input shaft of pinion. In LC, if steering wheel was center and we need nailed it! Getting steering wheel center with rack dead centered (Inner TRE out same distance) great. If steering wheel off center, R or L ~ 2 o r3 degrees, we center with TRE, during setting TOE on alignment rack.

We work to get the TRE, to about the same thread count as was,\ during R&P R&R and equal on each side.
Steering wheel more than a few degrees center I reseat intermediate shaft union and pinion shaft. Some pull steering wheel and recenter it.

So many, do not understand VGRS. They try center steering wheel, using TREs. We then may end up with TRE thread count very different from one side to the other. Steering may still off center.

With VGRS, we center steering wheel after alignment is done. By, simply center steering wheel, electronically in tech stream/VGRS.

 

[AEC]

FIXED AND DONE.
Sorry for the delay, after a couple thousand miles on the fix I’m confident in it.
Ok so after replacing thousands of dollars worth of steering components it was rather simple and obvious.
If you look back at the video I posted earlier in the thread you can see where the intermediate shaft goes into the firewall it is touching on the metal ring/collar and has destroyed the seal. When I took the whole assembly apart and put it back together with a new seal I could not get this collar to butt up with the firewall like it was before in the video. Even after redoing it a couple times there’s no way it touches the firewall. See attached photo.
This was the key, with a new seal and a gap the car turns with one finger. Never been so happy to turn the wheel!

I’m guessing the original shop used an air hammer and shoved the intermediate shaft up into the firewall. The rubbing of the ring/collar was causing the stiffness and the torn up seal was the occasional notchyness. Should have been obvious from the video I took….

Thank you 2001LC for the seal part number and diego355 for the intermediate shaft direction!