Ok Im at my wits end with this crap.. The truck pulls to the left, everything is damn perfect, tires, suspension, alignment, steering stuff is all good or new. Its also harder to turn right and if I turn left slightly it likes to fly into the left lanes but turning right it doesnt do this.


5 years ago I take my T100 to be aligned. Shop says nope, cant align, PS box has too much play. They replace box, alignment is good no issue. Down the road I moved far away from this shop and of course truck is wanting to drive into traffic (to the left) and it progressively gets worse and worse, to the point where if I let go of the wheel I might die.

Take to a local shop, damn power steering box bad they say. Changed all manner of parts and this was it, took 2 boxes as the first one was bad too. 2 years go by, truck cant be aligned again, they say its all in spec (say print out) but keeps going left. Replaced a-arm bushings, aligned and its better but not great. Shop suggest I take it too a place that is exclusive in the area for the best alignments ever. Hello bad PS box again they say and replace it.

WTF it seems its failed again!!!!!!! Im not sure the parts they used, but Id be willing to be its cardone crap which in my experience always seems to fail. Truck wants to drive into traffic. FFS should I just go to a yard and yank a PS box out of a older pick up or something? Pay for an ac delco?

 

Wow. 4 steering boxes in 5 years? That's pretty incredible. I'd definitely look into a junk yard box. I'm not 100% sure they can rebuilt or not, but it might be worth while to look into it at a dealership, whether or not you can get the internals or only the seals.

Also, with our trucks using mostly identicle parts to a IFS pickup, maybe you can check with trail gear or all pro. I know they sell the boxes rebuilt, for conversion to a crossover steering once people do SAS.

 

Yea i dont understand it, it gets worse and worse as time goes on too. when I made that last post it pulled slightly, NOTHING has changed since then. Now if you let go of the wheel (and Ive driven maybe 500 miles?) it wants to pull you to the left like crazy.

I dont get it. I bought a used box on ebay off a 94 4runner (same box). So we shall see. It all makes so little sense, the box is aligned as well and why would it get progressively worse IDK. Im not using power steering fluid either, it uses atf and I bought synthetic atf as well..

 

CJM - After reading your epic story, I totally understand how you might not ever want to think about steering problems again. But maybe you can help with my issue (if not, no worries) :

Anyway: 1996 T100 4x4 SR5, 199,000 miles - drifts right, especially on the freeway and takes 2 or 3 pounds of pressure to keep it centered. Alinement done 2 or 3 times; always ok. Replaced the idler arm 2 times and that solved the issue for a little while each time, but then back to the drift.
Where to start ? Pitman ? Bushings ? Steering box ? Tie rods? Control arm ? Dampers ? What the heck ? Making me a little nuts...
Thanks, Mike

 

Id say try playing musical tires first, confirm its not pulling due to the tire. Then check your steering box for play by grabbing the tires. Id also check everything else to be sure.

My issue is I replaced all that you did as well and still get the pull. It makes no sense or has no rhyme or reason it seems. But then again my steering is harder right then left. I dont get it honestly. Seems no one can fix it.

 

CJM - Thanks for your kind reply; i will let you know the how things go.
There must be an answer to your problem. That has to be the single most infuriating thing about it...so never give up.
Best, Mike

 

I hear ya Mike. It drives me bananas, and Im sure sooner or later I will figure it out. That or sell it for something else lol.

 

OK, this is just a stab but I've replaced EVERYTHING in my front end over the past several years including the steering box, ball joints, control arm bushings, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings and ends, steering stabilizer, etc. My truck would align fine but always wandered and always felt like something small was loose when I would hit a bump. Just recently, when I was repacking the front wheel bearings, I noticed some very slight wear on my front spindles where the outer bearing rides. They also seemed a bit loose when I took things apart.


Out of frustration, I tightened the piss out of my front spindle nuts when I put everything back together. I used the biggest set of Channel Locks I could find and tightened them about as much as I could. The looseness is gone. I've driven it for a month or so now and always felt the hubs after driving to make sure they weren't getting hot. It's just a thought, but if they are just a tad too loose, it will mimic toe-out and might cause it to pull more with the bigger tires.
YMMV, just a thought.

 

Wait a second Winkel-are you talking about the nuts that hold the wheel bearings in place?

 

Thanks for the ideas guys. I checked everything again, as per your advise CJM.
The toe-in of the right front wheel wobbled a little, but not the left. The Les Schawb tech said a bad right wheel bearing was to blame...we replaced left and right and it seems to have fixed my problem- for now...I remain skeptical- could it be that simple ?
Best, Mike

 

I guess Ill have to tighten mine down. I repacked mine about a year ago and tightened them up per the toyota manual. Torque was rather low..IDK.. I checked everything a few months back and it all seemed tight.

 

I just checked the wheel bearing on the drivers side-same side thats pulling. Sucker is TIGHT and I followed the torque procedure in the manual. I repacked it just cause the grease looked like poo.

I also noticed I have play in the steering box. Clearly can grab tire at 9 and 3 o'clock and shake it and hear the clunk. Clunk is in the upper portion of the box, where it connects to the column. Its a reman box, I believe from dorman in there now. I have a toyota OEM taken from a 94 4Runner (per the ebay seller) that seems ok Im gonna give a shot in a week or two.

Cross your fingers.

 

Good luck on the box replacement! Yes, I was talking about my spindle nuts. So far so good but I'm only running a LT265-75-16 tire.

I would guess the bigger rubbers on yours would wear things faster.


Let us know how it works out for you!

 

Same size tire actually. I dont get it.

 

Put the box on, wasnt to bad. Cured pulling problem it seems (I didnt drive very far). BUT and a BIG BUT, wheel is offcenter. Not sure if alignment related or the match marks on the box are off. I tried several times to adjust it, but no luck and it got dark so I let it go. I did check steering and about 1.5 turns one way and 1.75 turns another way back to center so IDK.. Could be my imagination..

Anyways, seems to have solved the issue. Will know for sure tomorrow when I have to go to work and will go for a good 20 mile trip.