Steering column fix

Ok, so I was able to get a tiny zip tie in there. Had to feed it through with needle nose pliers mm by mm. It works well, but not sure how well that tiny little zip tie will hold up.

 

Just wanted to add to this topic...I did the zip tie fix on my '06 with 150,000 miles on it. Tightened up a little bit of wobble, but still had a little wheel shimmy and a clunk in the front end.

I now think I've cleaned the rest of that up, and wanted to try and help anyone else still having issues.

For anyone still experiencing symptoms after this fix, I would strongly advise you to check your sway bar bushings. That turned out to be the remainder of my problem. They are extremely easy to change and a DIY job. The two bushings cost $15 at NAPA. There are two sizes, my 4X4, 6 Lug, Double Cab was the 30mm sway bar. When you remove the OEM bushings, you'll see a small tab on the bottom with a number stamped on it...mine had 30 stamped there, so I assume it's to indicate the size FYI.

Lift your truck up, support it on jack stands, and remove the skid plate (4 - 12mm bolts...easy to strip putting them back in so be careful). The sway bar is the round metal bar going across the front and connecting the two wheels together...at either end is a sway bar link. All you need to do is remove the bracket on each side of the sway bar connecting to the frame...one 14mm bolt at the front and one at the back. Just slide the old bushing out (it's slit to pop on and off the bar) and force the new one on. Twenty minute job that has really tightened things up on my truck.

 

If you have been struggling with a clunk, shake, or vibration felt in your steering wheel that is most pronounced at slow speeds on rough roads and trails, then this fix may work for your truck. I bought my 2014 back in November of 2013, and within 300 miles I felt a clunk in the steering wheel driving on the icy roads in my neighborhood. It was much more pronounced in the spring when I took the truck off road, so I did a lot of searching on the web and first tried the zip tie mod. In the 12,000 miles since, I have tried zip ties in varying thicknesses, numbers, and positions; the elimination of the rubber disk in the rag joint by rebuilding my upper intermediate shaft with bolts, spacers, washers, and nuts;adjusting the tilt and telescoping of the wheel away from the extreme points/stops; the TSB intermediate shaft; adjusting the steering rack guide screw; lower tire pressure; replacing the sway bar bushings; and even the building my own custom rubber damper for the shaft using hose clamps and the rubber from bicycle grips. None of these ideas has produced the kind of result I discovered when I did the fix documented below. I got the idea from a 4Runner thread that seemed to recommend making the opposite adjustment (pushing the yoke and shaft up), which I tried and determined it only made the problem worse. Shoving zip ties/other stuff in there or welding/taking the rag joint out, in my opinion, creates a conductor for vibrations to travel up between the rack and the wheel.

But to first understand why this particular fix works, you need to know that the either the soft rubber bushings that hold the steering rack to the frame and/or frame and body flex are allowing the steering shaft to be pushed towards the steering wheel by 1/4” or more on bumps. Just look at the grease spot below the bushing on your rag joint to see evidence of this. The only thing taking up the slack and preventing you from feeling this is the rubber disk of the rag joint (also called steering coupler). Replacing the steering rack bushings on a brand new truck seems a little ridiculous and is a rather extensive project, so this fix seems like the next best thing. I am also concerned that replacing the steering rack bushings with harder ones would subject the rack to harsher impacts and more wear, so I’ll stick with this for now. I would, however, be interested in hearing from anyone who replaced the rack bushings on a low-mileage Tacoma to learn how it improved their steering.

Next, it is my belief that the driver feels the clunk when rubber in the rag joint compresses enough that the steering shaft has nowhere else to go and then moves laterally. The fix I have discovered unloads the rag joint and gives it more room to absorb impacts. I think the shaft pushes up towards the driver more than it pulls back down, so setting it a few mm more against the direction it moves gives it more space before it bottoms out. In some rough off road driving, I would estimate it has taken out 90% of the clunk and vibration on climbs and level ground and 70% of the same on descents, when the front of the truck and steering rack have more weight on them. I have been told by folks at two dealerships and even an independent Toyota service center that all of these trucks clunk. I have read similar remarks on other posts on Tacoma World and elsewhere. I hope this helps some of you relieve your clunk and reduce it to more livable levels of vibration. To do this, you may need a helper to assist you in holding the rag joint down under the dash while you tighten the upper bolt on the yoke under the hood/over the wheel. You are essentially shortening the shaft slightly as you move the upper shaft closer to the lower shaft in the yoke, and the best results may be seen with a brand new TSB shaft with a tight bushing, but I have not tried that yet. Please let me know how this turns out for you and how much it improves your steering.

 

Great job Passion4Outdoors!!

I'm going to do this on my clunking '14. For those who try this, if you do not get some decent results, you may want to try again, this time moving the intermediate shaft a bit in the opposite direction, upward toward the steering wheel. There may be differences truck-to-truck.

 

I have to try this on my 2013.

 

I did this tonight.

It's surprising how shitty the factory setup is. It looks like a rinky dink steering setup on a Sears lawnmower.

The mod works though. Thanks OP!!

 

Zip tie worked like a charm. Thanks OP for a cheap easy fix to a very annoying issue.

 

I have never had an issue surprisingly with my 2012. Just for kicks I went to tear it apart shortly ago, and much to m surprise it only had about 2-3mm of the saaft exposed already similar to Passion4outdoors mod. I'm glad I checked it. Though it looks like they got mine Ruhr from the factory.

 

Sub'd for reference

 

I looked at my truck & have less than 3mm exposed from the factory. I should loosen it up to see what you other guys have been putting up with!

I did not get the intermediate shaft TSB done, but maybe I would have, had my adjustment been otherwise.

It's moot now as I'm out of warranty.

<edit...I had to go back & look at the OP photos & it appears he had like 6mm+ exposed. I may go shove mine down a bit further.>

 

I know this is an old thread, but just wanted to say thanks for this solution. I thought I had a serious issue and was worried about the play. At first I couldn't get my zip tie to fit, but pushing hard on the lower rod gave enough clearance for the zip tie to barely squeeze in, or rather force in the needle nose pliers. Very snug fit, which I believe is ideal, and takes away almost all slop when driving. I drove around trying to drive over pot holes to try to reenact the clunking, but it was almost impossible to do. Makes me enjoy driving her even more! Best mod I have came across. As others have said, everyone should be doing this; there's no reason not to!

Thanks again OP!

 

Hell yeah I forgot all about this thread.

On a side note I will be taking the cover off to address a small creak I have in my steering, any suggestions on a fix?

 

I seem to have the same issue. There is no noise, just a slop in the steering when on gravel roads.

There is a common similar problem that I had on an 02 Tahoe and 05 Silverado and the solution was to add a zerk fitting and pump grease into the shaft. (obviously this has a different solution, but if anyone had a similar issue with a GM/Chevy truck, it feels the same).

Mine is a 2015, and I am getting tired of bringing it to the dealer, its been there 2 times so far and only 600 miles old. So we'll see if I can find some time to take it to them and have them fix it, which I am sure they wont be able to recreate the problem.

 

print out the fix above (http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/88077-steering-column-fix-8.html#post8935327 ) and give it to the dealer and see what he says. I'd be real interested in his and the tech's reply - and any real resolution they have.

 

i tried this took cover off and looked at it, alot of movement, dont understand why this isnt a closer tollerance,,, i filed the end of zip tie down and got it started and pulled it thru,, it made alot of differance driving it,,but always thought there was play somewhere,,, dealer said it was normal.. assholes.. only thing now when i turn wheel a full turn i hear a clicking sound or something making a noise,, ill take cover off and look while turning wheel...

 

My brand new 15' has a "clunk" when I drove over small bumps/road Dots/etc. I went through and re-torqued rims, suspension, sway bars, everything and it still has this annoying "clunk". I popped off the steering cover last week and added a zip tie... wow what a difference. Toyota really needsome to take notsure and get some sort of fix for this. The only thing I noticed was I can feel more vibration from the road. But then again, I just put on 275 KO tires..so that could be it. +1 for the OP coming up with this.

 

My 2010 was to sloppy for the zip tie fix.Had to have the "upgraded intermediate shaft" installed at the dealer.Almost $500 out of pocket.It cured the problem but,I shouldn't have to pay for Toyota's design flaws.The dealer stated that this is a very common problem but not considered a safety issue so----NO RECALL.

 

Try pulling your zip tie tighter and trimming it. Mine did the same thing but it was because the zip tie was getting caught in the opening of the cover, and then slapping against the plastic.

I did this yesterday. Wasn't sure if my problem was the same as everyone else - wouldn't describe it as a clunk or rattle (no noise), more like at higher speeds and on semi-bumpy roads my steering will would shake back and forth about an inch either way. So i figured id give this a shot cause its cheap and easy. Did the zip tie (it was super hard to get through had to fight with it for awhile) and it took about 50% of the shake out. Definitely an easy fix!

 

Just in case you did not see it and/or try it - there is an intermediate shaft adjustment in this or another thread that seemed to work for a lot of people... Search if needed. Basically you just loosen the shaft and move it slightly/retighten. Just FYI