cloudy here and with all the city light pollution most nights you can't even see polaris.. heck even the moon gets washed out some nights.

 

RW- I'll have to see if anyone posted trail build pics. I've always got either a rogue hoe or mcleod in hand, or sometimes a pick mattock, no pics from me. 20 degrees and snow??? This morning the boots were actually warm enough to put on my feet instead of frozen solid like last time. You keep your cold and I'll keep planting those seeds!

I hear you on the light pollution Avi, here at home is similar. We can see very few stars. At least the moon's always visible when it's around- and not cloudy.

 

Ahh, the cold was on Mt. Hood at 6,000'. Here at 450' we had 55deg today after 34deg or so this am. Seeds....yeah, mid-May maybe this year here. So it goes.....

 

Hi Hab! Just checking to see what's up. Garden planted there? Mine is not even tilled yet as I've been busy tearing vinyl siding off my house in preparation for a non-vinyl product to go up.
Nothing interesting on my rig other than it needs an oil change and tires rotated.

 

ooo a non vinyl product? do tell...

Habsie has been awful quiet lately... bet she's gettin' ready for some huge new mod announcement.

 

HardiPlank 8 1/4" lap siding (cement fiber board) is what's going up.....

Me thinks Hab is out playing in the garden and on the trails.

 

Yeah RW, pic-sies, but 'splainin' first!

Sorry to let you down Avi, it's just been trail build after trail build after trail build. That and gardening. Oh, and backpacking trips of the mostly weekend variety. I haven't even been in on the wheeling trips 'round here. No time and even less money.

If it makes you feel any better I have a new popping/creaking that seems to be coming from the left inner tie-rod. Gotta pull the boot to confirm and look back to see when I replaced the rack. Doesn't seem all that long ago but you know how time flies a jetliner. Always something going on.

EDIT: Ack! 26,000 miles and 2 years almost to the day. Well, guess I've got some digging to do, see if that's what's really up and go from there.

 

Hey hab good to see you again... got me a grindy creak up front... need a new dust boot on the idler arm... got it just need to install it... then Sun. after going through one of the mayor's well maintained potholes my exhaust fractured at the cat inlet... I'm un-muffled now... the thing actually pulled apart! got to get that fixed this week... I have to roll with the windows down so I don't gas myself... I hate springtime...

 

Hopefully something that doesn't involve having to get the 2-piece cat off first, Avi!
Guess you could try your new ventilation method for a speeding excuse- was trying not to gas myself...

 

Messed around with it this morning but didn't have anyone to turn the wheel. :/
Used a strap on the steering wheel to nudge it while underneath. Can feel the pop best in the steering shaft. Checked out the joint:
pull back carpet


carefully de-velcro rubber cover, yes, velcro


unbolt 3 bolts holding hard plastic cover and slide out of the way


cute little u-joints


When I turn the wheel it looks fine and the noise is coming from below. Shoot!
Coupler looks fine.
Don't really want it to be further south, no I really don't. Inner tie rod looks ok but it'll be nice to have a helper turn the wheel to double check.

Off to find the steering rack guide thread for some pics to get some clarity on what could be going on...

 

Hope it ends up being an easy fix. Could it be a loose suspension, steering rack, etc. bolt? Time for Stoker to get some more wheel turning practice.

 

No more time today, will try to get at it tomorrow. It prolly isn't a huge thing, but you know how I like puzzles.

 

....and you're great at solving them!

 

With a lot of help from my forum friends!

 

Always amazes me how little bits of dust turn into fuzzy clumps and then to hairy mats...
You say you're getting a clunk when you turn the wheel? don't know if you have the rack and pinion or the older "trapezoid" type as on the 1/2/3 gen trucks but I had that and it was the idler arm worn out... might also be a ball joint.

 

Do you know what type of rack guide your new steering rack has? I doubt that's the problem but the more you rule out the better I guess.

Have you checked the slip yoke in the column?
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161689

 

Well how u doing Yota-Sista!?!? ;-) .....

Hope ur doing well! Sorry bout the clunking!, ... but you'll kill it quick.

 

It's a popping noise, very similar to the noise the worn out control arm bushings caused from the arm binding and releasing. The ball joints are Toyota, lowers have less than 50,000 miles and uppers less than 10,000. I checked for the noise there anyway but it doesn't seem to be from that area. I also thought about wheel bearings (original) but I suppose that'd be more of a roar and again, not that area. Slip yoke seems to be good.
The rack has the older style nut. I'm thinking I'm going to pull that apart and see what's there- especially if I can narrow the noise down to that area for certains. Time to get someone out there to twist a steering wheel.
I love a good puzzle.

Good morning everybody!

 

I'd say your on the the rite track with the guide bushings, but didn't you replace your entire rack at some piont ?

 

Almost exactly 2 years ago Jason. It is still within warranty even. It's not a horrible job to replace, pull the diff drop, the steering shaft, the power steering lines, the tie rods, maybe (can't remember) the sway bar, and unbolt. Still, I'd rather not. I saw a post some time ago where a guy had only to tighten the nut that held the spring for the guide but I can't remember his symptoms and he had the newer style guide so no reason to replace it.

Ok, you guys all have such great ideas, lemme get under there tonight and see if I can't isolate it better. Watch, it'll actually be somewhere completely unrelated to the rack. Worse, it'll actually catch fire and my husband will finally be right! Augh...