I removed a 3 inch body lift that PO had installed on my 94 runner and im now having allot of stiffness in the steering shaft

I had to remove the steering shaft extension that came with the lift, which took allot of man handling to get out, now im getting the stiffness problem in the steering column, What could be cuase this to bind?

Is it possible that I damaged the small u joints in the steering shaft itself?

any advice is appreciated!

 

some body lifts come with a spacer that goes where the shaft housing bolts to the floor?

maybe you have one in yours??

just a thought!

 

some body lifts come with a different firewall plate that works with the steeper steering angle caused by the lift. if the kit from the truck had that, you'd be binding the bearing in the plate when you remove the lift.
(I think that's what TOYOTA 1) is referring to.
You'll eventually stress the couplers in the steering shaft (the flexible rubber/cloth looking part) and you don't want that part to break.

You'd have to get one from a salvage yard or the dealer.

 

hehe. thats what i was talking about lol

 

i forgot this was yota tech not yota close enough. lol

 

lol. no harm, no foul, no?

my wife likes to tell people I'm the inventor of scrabble because I tend to be somewhat retentive and precise about things. I tell her I didn't invent scrabble- I just told the guy how to spell the name.

 

Right on you guys got it right on the money, THANKS A TON this had me stumped for the last couple days

 

yay!

you can double check the steering shaft firewall bushing by unbolting it from the firewall and checking that the drag / resistance is gone.

Hopefully, the lift kit didn't have an extended steering shaft as well....

 

no harm at all!

 

the kit had a bolt on extension the was attached at the steering box output shaft, got that out just fine, once again thanks for the help