95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners 4th gen pickups and 3rd gen 4Runners

Power steering 1998 4runner 2wd

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Old Feb 6, 2023 | 02:28 PM
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Parkietd's Avatar
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Power steering 1998 4runner 2wd

Has anyone had an issue with power steering being very sensitive and just too light. Small movement of steering wheel at speed start a death wobble. All front end bushings good, new A/T tires balanced and aligned. New front pads and rotors tie rod ends good. No leaks on rack and pinion. Any advice?
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Old Feb 6, 2023 | 04:43 PM
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I guess I'd quickly check the recent work: Tires inflated properly?, lug nuts tightened?, tie-rod & lower control arm bushings tightened up after adjustment?, caliper mounting bolts tightened? It doesn't take much misalignment or wear to cause wobbling - toe-in or caster error can give you a wild ride. When you say "too light", do you mean the wheel does not center itself after a turn? If so that can be the caster adjustment.

You can check for overall play in the steering by watching the front tire(s) as you rotate the steering wheel back & forth. There is always a small degree of rotation before the tires actually start moving and the PS starts to whine.
How many miles on the ball joints? My lowers were worn out at 200k. I'd expect an alignment shop to check for this but it has to be done properly. My original mounting bushings for the steering rack started getting loose about the same time but this was not obvious until I crawled under the car while someone turned the steering back & forth. I saw the entire rack shifting on its mounts. The Energy polyurethane bushings are a great replacement. There is a procedure for adjusting for internal wear of the steering rack itself which may need it about the same mileage.

Last edited by tns1; Feb 6, 2023 at 04:48 PM.
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Old Feb 6, 2023 | 04:58 PM
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Power steering

Thanks for the advice. I just changed the lower ball joints which were causing a juddering on heavy breaking, everything else is tight. There just seems to be no resistance at all in the steering, it's too easy to oversteer! You feel every minute input.
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Old Feb 6, 2023 | 08:43 PM
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I am assuming you had the alignment done after you replaced the ball joints. Have someone wiggle the steering wheel while you actually put your hand on each bolt that was touched or joint including those hidden under the rack boots may reveal hidden looseness or wear. If you are totally convinced it is none of these then once again I'd guess you are toed-out or more likely do not have enough positive caster.
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