What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Maybe steering rack. Lift up the front end and start reefing on the rack and tierods. Check for play. Also get someone to rock the truck side to side while you look underneath

 

Dang that would be pricey..

 

Went wheelin yesterday ran into the usual obstacles. Dead jeeps in the in the middle of the rock garden.

 

Once the Heep was cleared it was back to having some fun.

 

Ive got one that I just pulled from my truck

 

I was doing some research and found out you can rebuild PART of your rack for around $80. This will fix the play in the rams. Apparently its a pretty easy job. Dont even have to take it off. Edited

 

Thats not really rebuilding it. Thats a small part of the rack. You need a couple hundred bucks and some special tools to actually rebuild the rack.

 

So if it's leaking like this does that mean Im screwed and have to buy a whole rack assembly? The freakin thing only has 80k miles...

 

You're right. It only fixes the play in the rams. You would need special tools to replace the seals.

 

Dippin my rear bumper!

First can of plasti dip is now gone after fixing front bumper, door handles and now rear bumper

 

Check online for a company called cvj. They use oem cv axles and put high angle boots on the inner. Then do the boot slide mod for the outers. Stronger than autozone cvs. They will charge you a core charge. Send your old ones and you're good. With all the torque going on on my truck I felt more comfortable using oem like Tom

 

Sweet man I'll look into them, I'm worried about this steering rack being the culprit though.. Idk bleghhhhhhhhh haha

 

pull the sleeve over and see if you have fluid inside.

 

I drove with my rack leaking fluid for 2 months, had to completely fill it up once a week. the rack didnt make any noise like it was failing, just the seals went bad. when my rack guide went bad i had play in the wheel and i could verify it by having the truck off and was able to giggle the steering wheel back and forth a 1/2" each way.

 

Per the FSM, max steering wheel freeplay is 30mm (1.18in.)

 

That's a lot of play if measured at the center of the steering wheel.
Mine has roughly 1'' of total play, but it's from the slip joint in the dash.

 

measured from the outer diameter of the steering wheel (the grip part).

Mine is all at the slip shaft mating to the rack. Reminds me, I should see if I can tighten it some more or time to replace.

I need to pop the tie-rod sleeves to see if the inners need replacing. And I need to get mine aligned.

 

Yea, it's kind of screwy that they give that spec, but it wouldn't be the first time the FSM was way off base. I have zero play.

 

That's maximum so I can believe it. Extension on top of extension, you're eventually going to get some slop in the system. Mine has had freeplay in it since I bought it but has gotten worse over the years.

 

mine was horrible and then i replaced my rack guide and it was ok, and then i installed a brand new safari ldt rack and my steering is tight like a high schooler.