Please gentleman can summa body help me locate a steering rack bushing kit for a 1997 4 runner with a 3.4 sr5,i'm about to do the dreaded going to the stealership.

 

http://www.suspension.com/toyotapickups.htm

You want part #8.10101 on that page.

Here's a write-up on replacing the bushings if you need it. I just did this 2 weeks ago.

http://www.keystonekrawlers.com/Mods...eeringBush.htm

John

 

thanx man i'll check it out.

 

Anybody know were to get the bushing set from someone on the East side of the states. My Local Auto parts places are telling me 14+ day to order them. I'd like to get them quick.

Thanx

 

How soon is quick? I think when I ordered from the site above I got them in a few days. The upcoming Holiday weekend might make it a little tougher.

john

 

Tuesday. I might try Summit Racing.

Thanx

 

http://www.wheelersoffroad.com/4runnerrackbushkit.htm

 

i got mine from wheelers.
the center vertical bolt did not fit through the metal sleeve, so i had to find one slightly smaller and put it in there. we busted off the little welded nut on the bottom. not sure what the deal with it was.

 

Update Summit had them in stock I ordered them Friday Afternoon had them shipped Ground and the Fed Ex Guy dropped them off Saturday. I can't believe it now that is service. I Installed them Sunday Morning came apart and went together smooth. Did notice my Passenger front Strut is leaking oil so their on the list to be changed.
Steering feel is much mo better no more floatie Caddi feeling.

 

I just received the steering rack kit from Wheeler's which included an additional sleeve to replace one of the Energy Suspension items. I intend to install the parts this weekend as my rack has a significant amount of side-to-side play (111,000 miles).

I will also replace the sway bar bushings as soon as Wheeler's gets another batch. Mine are literally torn and hanging from the mounts. Oddly, Energy does not yet have a sway bar bushing kit for the '98 - '02 4Runners. I called and they stated that while the bars may be the same from '96 to '02, they can not sell the kits until they've actually tested the bushings on each model year So the sway bar bushing kit from Wheeler's is a Daystar product.

Andreas

 

UPDATE: I installed the steering rack bushings and sleeves this morning - it is difficult to describe what an amazing difference this made! I guess I just got used to the ever-increasing soft front end of my truck. It recently got to the point where the front end would emit a muffled 'knock' when going over speed bumps or entering angled driveways. I thought for sure that one or more tie rod ends were worn. Not so. The steering once again feels solid and precise, and the clunks and mushiness are completely gone.

The bushings I used were Energy Suspension components from Wheeler's. They include a separate sleeve for the middle bolt. This is necessary as the one supplied by Energy will not fit. Removing the middle bolt is probably the most difficult part, as it threads in from above the rack. Beyond that, make sure to drive the very long driver's side mounting bolt out when you are ready to remove that bushing. I foolishly thought that this bolt was welded in place, and spent an hour trying to coax the rack over the bolt. Then a light went on.....

This mod/repair is worth every penny. Hopefully the sway bar poly bushings come in soon, as the large bushings at the frame are literally hanging torn at the moment

Andreas

 

andreas,

good to see youre posting again

funny too is that i am waiting for the sway bar bushings too from wheelers. i told them to ship everything at once--its been 2 weeks now

bob

 

Bob,
The third object in my signature has kept me busy....

My front end felt so terrible that I had Wheeler's send the rack pieces immediately. The sway parts should be a fairly quick & easy replacement. I may pick up a fresh set of end links from the dealer as the originals seem somewhat sloppy. I drive swiftly

Andreas

 

andreas,

yeaah, if that were in my garage, i'd probably spend less time here too!

bob

 

Andreas, thanks for the update and posting. I'm 99.99% positive that my rack bushings need to be replaced. Everytime i hit an imperfection in the road, my steering wheel jerks likes it's possessed by demons.
I noticed it around 115-120K and it's getting worse. Feels very mushy like you described.

Imagine how many clueless 3rd gens drivers are out there with the same problem but think it's normal. Makes me wonder when you hear about one rolling/flipping off the highway..

I seriously need to order the Wheeler's kit soon!

 

Rocket,
We just took a fairly lengthy trip this weekend and the front end just feels planted. I am convinced that the worn out bushings led to some strange tire wear over the last few months - and I rotate these every 5,000 miles. Once the new sway bar bushings are in, everythings should be back to normal.

Andreas

 

You might try getting it aligned as well just to make sure all is correct and you don't experience any additional tire wear.

 

Jamie,
I'm looking into replacing the tires anyway, so I would have it done at that point.

Andreas

 

Andreas, just ordered a set and can't wait. So I'm clear, did you just have sloppy steering? I tend to have more play in my steering wheel at speeds greater than 60 mph, which is controllable through more attention to the steering wheel. I'm hoping the bushings will tighten up the steering as I know that a bad alignment can also cause what I'm describing.

 

mine are in route to my house. I hope they are easy to install. I cant get my truck aligned b/c of the crazy play it has. my right inner tie rod needs to be replaced.