aviator

Yah it will turn out to be that missing pair of vise grips you lost a while back...

not saying you actually did just everybody has... "lost" a tool that is...

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Sorry, "popping", my bad. Hehe. .. more like a "POPPPPPINGGGGG" for me with the Spartan, lol

habanero

Lol Chef.

Ok, got under there, everything is pointing to the steering rack guide. It is the older style based on the year and 'outy' nut.

I emailed A1 Cardone and they said they inspect the guides but only replace if deemed to be out of spec. He said I can't pull it apart without voiding the warranty. I did pull the boot to see the shaft movement (shush!), hope they don't get too crabby about that. I really want to look at the guide, too. Curiosity, curiosity.

I've emailed back to see if I can warranty this one and replace with a newer style rack- one for an '02 and am now awaiting reply. Considering they don't as a rule replace the guide getting another roller-version doesn't make sense.

habanero

A1 Cardone does not currently have a non-roller type bushing even for the '02 4Runner racks and said it may be available soon. So I can:

A) Warranty the rack with a like rack (old style roller type guide) and hope for the best
B) Just buy the parts needed to convert to the new style ($60)

Pros to A: 'New' rack with possibly less worn bushings depending on the luck of the draw.
Cons to A: Luck of the draw and paying shipping on new rack and return shipping for the old rack. May end up with another rack that goes bad in a couple few years and have to do this all over again.

Pros to B: Minimal work to make it right, very short down time.
Cons to B: Cost of parts (or at least cost difference of parts vs shipping new and old rack). Will this for sure fix the problem?

So. That's where my thinking's at currently.

rworegon

Hi Hab! Can you avoid the shipping cost by taking the rack into a local parts place for the warranty? If so, I'd likely take A and hope for the best that the noise goes away.

habanero

I can't see a way to make it feel right to do that to a local jobber.

rworegon

I was thinking you purchased the A1 Cardone rack locally and could handle it that way.
Agree on treating the locals fairly. A couple of years ago, I swapped out the front calipers and while I could ordered the through a online Toyota dealer and returned the core locally. I bought the calipers through the local Toyota dealer as I could not justify sticking them for the core charge that I bought elsewhere.

habanero

Wish I could have (especially now!) bought local but even with shipping it was over $100 bucks difference for the same part. That was just too much difference given the rarity of free cash these days.

habanero

1996 4Runner 249,550 miles

Did you ever wish you'd done videos during a diagnose? Does it make sense to say the steering wheel was wiggling back and forth around a half inch to an inch when driving, especially at 40+ mph? removed the larger end clamp of the left boot to get a visual and saw the power steering rack shaft where it emerges from the body on the driver side moving up and down a quarter inch when the steering wheel was moved back and forth.
I really wish I'd done video. You all know about the popping/binding noise.

I'd replaced the oe rack with an A1 Cardone reman because my rack was leaking badly at both ends and I wanted inner tie-rod ends, so figured I'd do it all at once.
Unbeknownst to me, A1 Cardone does not replace the guide on its rebuilds unless it's deemed out of oe spec. They do not have the solid guide as a replacement, just the roller guide. Had I known then about the guides what I know now I would have originally ordered a rack for an 02 4Runner and refused to buy one until it had the 'inny' style cap.


Chose option B: replace steering rack guide with new version
Part#
End sub-assembly, steering rack no. 2/ Guide sub/assembly
45504-35031-
Spring(for steering rack guide)/Spring, compression
90501-26074-
cap, Steering rack guide spring/ Cap, rack guide spring
45524-37010-
Nut(for steering rack guide spring cap/ nut
90179-48003-

This thread was very very helpful and the above parts list came from it, thanks and kudos to Yukon for his thread:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/h...ctures-215931/

This job wasn't hard even with the sway bar and rear skid in the way. I just lifted the front end wheels off the ground and that moved the sway bar enough out of the way, then unbolted the front of the rear skid plus loosened the middle bolts for that skid. When I pulled the roller guide it looks ok (don't know tolerances on a new one, though). The roller can be moved up and down in its holder, I suppose that up and down movement is what is allowing for the shaft's movement.

Cross fingers it's done and fixed.
I only had a chance for a short 50mph drive and some neighborhood driving. Tomorrow I'll be able to do more. Steering wheel stayed still and steering seemed a little more responsive. Noise seems to be gone, now there's only all the other squeaks and pops. Maybe I should get better at ignoring those.

kornhuskerwizard

I hope its fixed. Who makes the stock rack from the factory out of curiosity ? My 97 has 165k and im positive its the origib\nal with no leaks or issues.

habanero

My 99 has similar miles w/o leaks or issues either. I replaced the rack on my 96 with over 220,000 miles. It was working but leaked a lot. Couldn't find a seal kit for it so ended up with the A1. I read on another thread that Maval Mfg. makes the oe racks. I gathered from that same thread they apparently don't rebuild them.

rworegon

Hope it behaves nicely above 50 mph too. It will.....fingers crossed. :-)

JBurt

Hopefully that's all it was. Off topic a little bit but how has your mileage been. I assume you've gone a while after changing the cat and seeing your increase.

habanero

JBurt:
MPG's last 6 times at the pump (least amount of fill 12 gallons) according to fueleconomy.gov and adjusted for tire size....
18
18
17
16
18
17
avg 17mpg

Not some huge amazing difference, but I'll take every one or two miles to the gallon extra I can get.

Ping is entirely gone though I can't say if it's because of the fixed exhaust leak (gasket in front of converter) or the because the cat was on its way out. I can say ping was there before the leak which leads me to question if the cat being a little restricted caused the leak. Got no clue on that one. Honeycomb on the cat was intact.

For anyone wondering, the moo is history.

aviator

Fingers crossed that the steering is fixed.

habanero

Put nearly a hundred miles on it today. Would be nice if I had a torque wrench for the small amount of torque it calls for, but I don't so it's been a little trial and error. Steering too stiff during first drive so I loosened the cap nut a little. Steering ok but slight shimmy in steering wheel so I tightened the cap nut a tad after the 2nd trip. Steering now seems excellent. Pop gone, steering wheel boogie gone. Guess I got lucky and got the right fix.
Now to figure out where all those other general noises are coming from......

For the 'inny' style cap I bought a 5/8" threaded rod connector at Home Depot. $1.49 and works great! The hex shape fits well and you can either get an adjustable wrench or socket around it. Can't remember who came up with that idea, but it sure was a great one.

rworegon

Hi Hab! Your garden all in now? My area is not even tilled yet. The house project will wrap up in the next few days and then maybe I can get a little in. Hard to get excited about the garden though when I'm going to be gone most of September during peak harvest time. Hmmmmm.

Both my rigs are now past due for oil changes. Once I get the garage back, that will be moving up the to-do list.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hi there Hab! Just checking in... How does your garden grow Yotamomma! Lol.

hrt4me

Greetings, Habanero, did you ever get the front receiver hitch mounted and try anything with it?

What destination out west do you have planned this Summer?

habanero

Hey guys, you caught me out and about again. Backpacking, taking care of our little Adopt-A-Trail section, watching storms go by in the distance but never actually being in them. Another 4 days of life is good.

It was a shaky start for the veggies this year. It's been a cold wet spring and things are just beginning to turn good out there. I did just pick my first radishes.....
now what? I don't recall ever having actually eaten a radish before....

The peaches are looking better and better. Unfortunately the chipmunks know the minute they are ripe and can strip both trees in a matter of hours. The irises were better than ever and the peonies looked great. All in all if it isn't a veggie it looks good.

rw, planning something big in Sept?

hrt4me, how are you doing? Still haven't got those last two screws finished. Want to get it done soon. Haven't needed it yet anyway. One day....
We'll probably do the usual Colorado and Utah tour, it's kind of addicting.