CJM

End result:
New LCA bushings, steering stabilizer and steering box. Very costly but this is the only shop I have ever been too that checked EVERYTHING and didnt just go "replaced, its fixed have a good one" They measured the frame, alignment, etc, etc, etc. Played with the alignment, you name it.

So it drives nice, better than it has in a long time. According to the shop the tires follow the road a bit and they are right. Depending on the road they tend to follow the crown or the edge but it doesnt jerk around or pull to the left like it did. Also depending on how hard you brake it will follow the road. I think its the tires, bridgestone duelers have a very deep tread vs the older less aggressive all terrain hankooks I ran. Im happy however.

The only gripe I have is the steering feels heavy. Had been hoping a new box would cure that. If anything the returnability of the wheel is too much, Im going to mess with it a bit and see if I can make it perhaps slightly less.

BamZipPow

What do you have fer the steering stabilizer? Isn't that the key fer the steering to return to center?

CJM

Id suppose so Bam. As far as I know according to the paperwork its just a monroe replacement.

Like I mentioned earlier-Im not sure if its the larger tires and wheels or just me (since I havent know much else for years)-but it wants to return to well. IE going around an offramp of a high way Im kinda fighting it still slightly. If anything the steering box can be adjusted a bit to compensate for too much return afaik. Im going to mark it and then back it off a quarter of a turn and see what happens.

CJM

Adjusted the steering box, MUCH better. Theres a bit of play in there now and it doesnt return nearly as hard as before. Im happy enough.

CJM

Well Ive concluded something...Im cursed Damn it! I thought it was ok but I had been barely driving it. Took it on the highway and holy heck it wanders around and pulls.

Im not sure wtf it is but this stupid truck will follow every rut and crown in the road like crazy. Be it stopping, driving or whatever, I never had this much trouble out of my T100 in all the years of owning it. its also hard to turn still, right, left it doesnt matter.

The entire frontend is all new or in excellent shape, the rears good (leafs might be slightly worn but were redone approx 25k ago), and everything else is solid.

Ive concluded either they didnt align it right, but they showed me all the specs and its in spec and such OR (and probably the issue) its the stupid tires/wheels. Since I hardly drove the truck for eons I always had some highway type AT tires, wore those down to a nub with no real issues, then I swapped to some junk 31 inch ATs I go off craigslist and didnt have any issues-they were all on stock wheels. Now I have on some 265 (32's) bridgestone duelers on it and thats the only thing that I think it can be.

Stopping on one particularly crowned road the wheel wants to go left towards the center (roads banked that way), driving down the highway it wanders alot. I dont get it but to swap to those junk tires when I get a chance and see. Air pressures in them are great, 35psi for a 50psi rated tire. IDK. the 265's are both 1 inch taller, wider and the wheels are also 16's vs the stock 15's I had, with about 4" of backspace vs the 4.5 the stock wheels are.

This is super frustrating....I dont get it. I know I had the stock tires on and an alignment down and then slapped the larger tires on and had no issues-but that was like 2 years ago or better. I hate to waste another 100 bucks on another alignment shop but other than the tires I think thats my only choice. I wonder if they towed it in too much (didnt give me the specs). Ugh..more money down the tubes I spose.

CJM

I GIVE UP! The MF truck pulls to the left under braking and wants to follow road crown and ruts in the road.. It was ok for a bit after repair but now it pulls when braking to the left, IDK why everythings new. I had an expensive and very qualified shop check everything from top to bottom and they could find nothing wrong but the steering box and control arm bushings.

1. alignment is good
2. entire front brake system (lines, pads, rotors, calipers) and rear (besides line) is new
3. control arm bushings were replaced
4. tires have been ruled out.
5. new steering box
6. Tie rods are fine, linkages fine, idler is new, pitman is pretty new, ball joints are new within like 5k, bearings are new within 10k. Everything is torque good, everything seems fine, no abnormal play.

Drive down a highly crowned road or pick up ruts and bingo it wants to follow them.

Hit the brakes and it pulls left. I just dont understand. About all I can come up with is the pads are defective.. You can hit the brakes, it yanks left and then returns to centerif you let off.

UGH! Im GONNA SET IT ON FIRE TOMORROW!

Xeo

I think it's your steering dampner dude

CJM

Dampener is BRAND NEW.

I may have solved at least half the problem, I put on a set of pads I had used briefly that came with my new calipers. The old pads appeared slightly glazed. Rode around today and it seemed fine when stopping. Hopefully that was it.

CJM

Ok I solved one problem but another few persist.

1. The pads were burnished, no more pulling once I put new ones on. So problem solved

2. New steering box I thought mighta been me-but alas its hard to turn right. It wants to return too much to me, even after adjusting it to put more play in the wheel. Theres no air in the system, I cycled the wheel like 50x to make sure. It kinda feels like a slight bind when turning right vs left-just enough to make it harder to turn.

Im calling the shop I took it to tomorrow and gonna complain. The box is a month old and was a cardone rebuild AFAIK that I paid ALOT of money to replace.

3. Truck wants to follow the road crown. More crowned the road worse it is, maybe related to the steering box issue IDK. Truck was aligned and is in spec (I had it checked at another place).

CJM

I think I solved #2. Had to give the box way more play than I want but such as the way it goes. Right now theres a good inch of play in the wheel-but it doesnt pull much really.

Winkel

Just spit balling a little here, but are you sure the steering box was centered up before you put the pitman arm on?

This is a stretch, but have you tried removing the pitman arm with the wheels straight, turn the wheel all the way to the left then all the way to the right, counting the number of turns, return the steering wheel to center, and re-attach the pitman arm?

EDub

I know this threads a bit old, but winkel you're talking about how the steering box is supposed to be tighter in the middle so it doesn't wander, therfore if the pitman isn't setup proper on the box it would be likely to wander?

I have this same issue with my 95 Hilux Surf, wanders since the lift, it's been aligned twice. I have all new steering components, though my balljoints are going to be replaced next week. I have a feeling my steering box isn't centered...

CJM

I never got a chance to do that winkel, way to much going on right now and the shop who did all the work (very reputable imho as they knew I knew what I was talking about) checked just that before hand.Still pulls but not nearly as bad, IDK if its tires, steering related, alignment... I honestly havent cared much since with 245k its getting time to look for something else. Had my hear set on older tundras but the frame rust issue is a huge deal. I like fords but they have gotten worse in the last few years, probably will buy a chevy. I need a fullsize v8 truck by now.

I also wonder if its the wide tires picking up the grooves in the road more. before this I ran 31's but now I have wide 265s on there. I noticed more banked the road is the worse it is-such as hwy 195 has a horrible bank in the left lane and it pulls but in the right lane its ok to a degree. Driving on local roads is no issue at all.