dairyjato

I have 233,000 miles on mine and when on dirt roads i can feel a jiggle in steering wheel and wonders a little on hwy. A guy at work wants to sell me a rack for $40 w/ 80k on it. would i be ahead $$ wise to just put bushings in mine or should i buy his and possibly put bushings inn it?

Nuthuts96

iTrader: (1)

that'd be a cheap price, if it's in working order..like, stealing from him cheap. refurb'd racks go for ~$700? new they're 1500. i'd just do bushings, then if it's still bad, that rack and the bushings you just bought....

raydouble

For $40, I'd buy and throw on the shelf just to have.

BajaRunner

Yep, Id take it for $40. Hell, I'll give you $80 right now for it..

KZN185W

iTrader: (1)

dairyjato,

are you sure that it's the rack that's causing the jiggle and the wondering?

it could be worn-out rack bushings or it could be the cross-joint in the steering column or if you have the tilt-steering, it could be the tilt joint.
so you might like to check it out first before replacing your rack

hth

raydouble

Inner tie rod ends also.

rbh261

I have an inner tie rod end on the drivers side of mine that is giving me the same symptoms. Just haven't got around to replacing it yet.

Ron Helmuth

many things can contribute to a jiggle of the steering wheel.

Dirt road is not the place to be judging it....

Tie rod inners can be a major source. Poor alignment in general could contribute.

Out of round/balance or inconsistently worn tires could be a source.

As for the rack itself- many folks have had success with aftermarket or even replacement factory bushings.Wab fab has them.

Should you need the rack you can see $40 is much too cheap-and I would be glad to exchange you the rack for two tie rod inners for example.

I got a posting in Yota Tech marketplace-just let me know-but I would pick up your buddies rack for cheap insurance.

A good alignment shop should be able to evaluate all the components at play up front-see what their opinion is.

dairyjato

you all bring good ideas and questions to the table. i have not dug to deep to see if it could be bushings or tie rods, ect. i put new tires on about 12k ago and they have worn excellent i rotate every 3-5k though. i told him i would buy it, hes bringing to work mon.

GSGALLANT

If you're feeling a clunking in your steering wheel on bumpy roads, it could be the slip joint in your steering column. They wear over time and get loose, and I believe some people have mentioned throwing a small tack weld on there to fix it, but I haven't been in there to look at it myself. Mine does that a bit, but only on washboard type roads.

Now that's not likely your problem (or may not be your only problem), because that in itself, would not cause wandering, but it could be the source of your jiggle (or clunking if you get that).

Ned

good thread as I also have this problem. At about 65-70mph on the highway my steering wheel jiggles. It's very annoying. I suspect it is my inner tie rod ends. With the engine off, I had a buddy wiggle the steering wheel back and forth just in the slop it had (not forcing it either direction) and it looked like my left side inner rod end was slopping around. Hard to see for sure as it is in the boot.

GSGALLANT

Remove the boot and try it again?

raydouble

x2 you should just be able to pull it back.

Ned

I assume cutting the steel bands that hold the boot on is not a problem? And then use what to re-attatch them? Zip ties maybe?

raydouble

When we were inspecting my buddies 97 taco, I didn't think there was anything holding it on, just press fit on there. ???????????????

Nuthuts96

iTrader: (1)

it's a $5 clip from the dealer- yes, you have to cut it off (and a PITA to get back on- i'll be buying some angled needlenose next time). the clip is there to keep stuff out, not fluid from escaping, so it's best to make sure it's secure, or you'll just need another inner tie rod end ($125) when something gets in the joint. i suppose a big zip tie would work temporarily, but the clip goes on TIGHT- it definitely creates a tight seal.

defyota

how do you get to the slip joint and tilt colum? i have a very similar jiggle but i have found out it is somewhere between the steerin wheel and the in put shaft of the rack. also will a bad inner tie rod damage a rack?

97ltd4x4

For those boot clamps on the rack steel zip ties work great..

https://mercedessource.com/node/2070