i got the front end rebuilt on my 4runner about a week ago and i noticed that it turnt alot sharper to the left then to the right and that my steering wheel was way off. well i got a front end aligment and my steering wheel and alignment both are dead on but my 4runner doesnt hardly turn to the right at all. this gets really annoying when trying to turn out and into parkin lot and my tires are fastly loosing tread from having to slide the back end around in order to turn sharp enough . how do i get this fixed?
-Kyle

 

What year?? Also point the wheels straigh and then go to the lock left and lock right.... I suspect that you will get one turn less to the R. This means that your drop link is not on the power steering pump correctly.

 

By taking it back to the yahoo(s) that screwed it up and making them work on it _RIGHT NOW_.

 

its a 95. im guessin that i would get a good turn more to the left then to the right. i know it locks very early going right, but when turning left its feels like there is no way my tire can be that sideways. is there a way to fix this myself, i really dont wanna take it back to those JAs to get it fixed and heres why. the mechanic called me up one day and told me that i needed to go buy new tie rod ends because they werent the same and that he was just gonna order new ones. well i started freakin out cuz my bill was already goin up in the hundreds and im a broke high school student so i told him to hold on a sec and ill be right out there. well i got out there and the DA had the inner tie rod off and was holding up the new outer tie rod to it and complaining because they werent the same, well i calmly corrected him and didnt think anything of it, just a stupid mistake. well when he was done (with my brake job as well) i was driving home and discovered that the JackA had NOT bleed my brakes and i was driving with virtually no brakes at all. so i really dont wanna go back to this guy and i dont have the money to go to someone else. sorry for the rant guys. anyway, is there anyway i can fix this by myself. thanks.
-Kyle

 

What did they replace when the front end was rebuilt. If they had the pitman arm disconnected from the steering box then it could have been put back wrong. If that's the case you can pull it off and put it back one tooth over, but that will put your steering wheel off centre. The other thing to check is the length of the tie rods, they should be about 12.9", and more importantly should both be the same.

 

That is what happened with my '89 pickup. The pitman arm was a tooth or two off. my steering wheel was of center but it fixed it when the pitman arm got moved back. I just took it back to the alignment shop and they fixed it for me.

 

upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rod ends, pitman arm, idler arm all got replaced. my steering wheel is dead on and so is my alignment, so would it be the pitman arm or tie rod ends. if my pitman arm was off the wouldnt my steering wheel be off as well?

 

not necessarily. If they put the wheel straight, but one turn off..then put the pitman arm on it would look straight, but be off center...everything else would look right, youjust would have fewer turns right, and more left.

 

so how do i troubleshoot which one it is, not really look forward to takin all my new crap apart and not havin it be it. so i measure tie rods and if they are both the same then it is the pitman arm? am i right in my thinking?

 

yes, but the easiest this to do first is point your wheels straight, and see if you get more turns to lock one way or the other....Then measure your tie rods. By the amount you say its off I am guessing the pitman arm is off, and actually thats best since you shouldn't have to redo an alignment...

 

if its the pitman arm, i just use the pitman arm puller and pop that bad boy off the move it a tooth or two right? how do i know which direction to move it in. im 100% sure that it turns more to the left then to the right.

 

If its it, park the truck with the wheels straight. Then pop it off. Then turn the steering wheel side to side and find center. Then reinstall the pitman arm. Should be fixed

 

alright, ill give it a try tomorrow. thanks for all the help man.
-Kyle