Polyurethane Rack Bushing Install

The amount of slop that I had in my steering was ridiculous. If I looked at the rack and rocked the wheel, I could see the whole thing moving back and forth, side to side, up and down, it was awful. Trying to track straight, comfortably was a joke. So I ordered a new bushing kit from Energy Suspension. So lets begin.

First start by removing the three bolts and one nut that holds the rack in place.
Starting on the left, facing towards the front of the vehicle, your back to the rear of the truck. There is a bolt and nut that take a 7/8 socket and/or wrench(my tool set didn't have a 22mm) so go ahead and remove it.
Then the middle bolt takes a 19mm socket, you don't need to try to loosen the nut on top it's is welded on(mine is not anymore lol).
Then the far right is a nut on top, and a bolt on the bottom, both take 19mm, mine didn't have the bottom bolt for some reason, this probably contributed to the slop.
Then remove the tie rod ends(don't have the stock sizes as I have long travel).


So, I started with the far left again, this is how my bushing looked.


I took a box cutter(exacto knife) and cut that lip off so it wouldn't get caught while trying to remove the bushing. I just ran the knife around the lip on the cut it off in one spot and it kind of peeled off like it was perforated. (Don't cut yourselves)


Then I took a pair of channel locks and and grabbed the back side of the sleeve, it has a washer type plate attached to the back and started wiggling and turning until it broke free.


Once it comes out far enough you can get the channel locks behind the washer and grab the actual sleeve and bushing.


I pulled towards me with the pliers and pried it out, be patient and just work it back and forth.

I'd put the nut on slightly on the right side to keep the rack from falling off and cracking you in the dome. Then you can work the rack to keep the bushing from hitting the crossmember while you work it out.


Once that bushing is out take your box cutter and scrape out the gunk on the inside of the bushing hole, this will make it easier when putting the new ones in. Lets move to the middle one.
Go ahead and take the nut off of the stud and throw the bolt and nut in on the left side, just put the nut on slightly so you can move the rack wherever you need it.

Do the same thing as the first with the lip on the top and bottom, you can't really see the top so you'll have to just feel for it.


Now if you have it get some liquid penetrant, I used liquid wrench, and soak the sucker up on the top and bottom. Now would be a good time to get some lunch. Come back after an hour or so and this will save you some tools that you would most likely be hucking at the ground.

I took the bolt that came out of the hole and put it through the top and got the channel locks again. Just keep working it and it'll come out.


I suggest not have any part of your body under this bushing, when it comes out, it comes out, took a good chunk out of my asphalt. Anyway once its out do the same thing with the first and scrape the hole out with the box cutter.
Dirty

Clean


As for the D bushing on the right it just comes off, its got a slit on the bottom so it can separate.

The mail man came right on time!!


These should be all the pieces included, and instructions, but what's the fun in that. And yeah these are red too, anything that can be, will be.


You can go ahead and push your rack back into place, take that bolt and nut out and put the nut back on, on the right side. We're doing the left side first, it's the hardest.
Take the new bushing and put them in, if you clean it good this should be no problem, I used a little chassis lube that didn't quite make it in the zerks on my lower control arms, any chassis lube will be fine.


Then take the sleeve and get it started into the bushing(apply spit as needed, hey it's free)

Then finish it up with a c-clamp, at least that's what I used. I didn't want to risk messing up my new sleeves with the channel locks. I put the washer on it because my clamp was to small for the sleeve.

Now that it's in, take the nut off the stud on the right and throw the bolt in the new bushing on the left just like last time, just slightly putting the nut on so the rack can be worked.


Put these bushings in just like the first with a little chassis lube, and get the sleeve started(spit as needed lol). Then grab the C-clamp... or channel locks if you must, and press it in.

While you have this chance put the D bushing on, once that center bushing goes in, it is quite the b*tch to get out. I also took this chance to put my new rear alignment cams in.


Now start putting the middle bushing back into place.


You won't be able to do this by hand so don't waste your time, get the trusty C-clamp again and position as such. The clamp face sits in some hole on the rack, and the threaded end grab that lip. Go ahead and start cranking and enjoy the satisfaction a forcefully pressing one thing into another... that came out weird.
You can notice I gave up on the bushing on the left for a little bit, trying to keep my sanity.


Put all the nuts and bolts back into place, reattach the tie rods, torque to specs(Left side bolt and nut-141 ft lbs- Center bolt-123 ft lbs- and the right side bolt, nut-123 ft lbs- tie rods I don't know for stock), and enjoy your smooth ride and the feeling of firm control of the steering wheel.

 

Nice write-up

Need to do this on my 2nd gen

 

Thanks, now I need to do the slip joint mod, that with these bushings and heim steering... ohh it's gonna be sweet!

 

Thanks for the link RedManRocket. Does not sound like a fun job but for sure my D busing is shot and i am sure the rest are as well...

 

Got a link to the slip joint mod? I haven't heard of that before.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/steering-wheel-play-tac-weld-fix.309681/

 

Thank you!