1998 PreRunner 3.4L, Pulls to right and steering shake

I've been troubleshooting this problem for about 6 months now, and I cant seem to nail it down.
So far, I have replaced:

Front struts
Upper ball joints
Rack and pinion bushing
Alignment

Two mechanics have said that there nothing else that needs to be replaced, and everything looks ok. However I still have the same pull and shake, just not as bad as before. I have a pair of shitty used tires up front that are worn uneven because of the issues. And i mean they wear QUICK, I ate through a set of Michelin LTX in 4 months of daily driving. I'm hesitant to get new tires to see if those are the problem, because I dont want to wear through a new set unless i know the problems gone.

Any idea what could be causing this?

 

Steering shaken may due to inaccurate wheel balancing.
Pull to one side may be worn lower control arm bushing, rear drum brake not adjust properly, tire pressure not evenly....

 

Its a hard right pull. Lower control arm bushings, easily replaced? Tire pressures are fine i just checked em.

 

Not enough information.

Describe when it pulls and when it doesn't pull.
Any work done on it before it started pulling?
Are you the original owner?
Who are these so-called 'mechanics' ?
Have you tried rotating tires, from front to back?

 

Hard pull above 50mph, same with shake.It pulls at lower speeds just not as noticeable. I have to hold the steering wheel crooked.
The only work that had been done before the issue started was general maintenance; tires, plugs, wires, radiator replaced, and a new crank gear.

Not original owner, I have the truck for over three years and none of this was an issue when i bought the truck, over time it gradually started to get worse until it was unbearable.

I have not rotated back to front, I might try that today.

Dealer Toyota Technician and the mechanic I've taken all my vehicles to since I started driving

 

Hmmm, if a professional at a Toyota dealer can't figure it out, then there is not much us amateurs can do for you, other than throwing out ideas and moral support.

When you jack up a front corner, in the process of doing the rotation (before removing that wheel) grab the tire at 9 and 3, and see if there is any play (rock it as hard as you can). Then grab at 12 and 6, and do the same. There should NOT be any play. This should have already been done, but you should check it your self. (be sure to use jack-stands).

 

Big 10-4, ill get back later tonight or tomorrow morning

 

Seems I am missing my floor jack

 

There a bit of play in both fronts. 9 and 3. But absolutely none in 12 and 6.

Sorry about the late response brother, been away on business and just got home today

 

Worn tie rod ends? Or worn steering rack bushings? How many miles on truck? How many miles on any suspension mods?

 

Do you have the alignment sheet read out? Shake can be due to wheel balance or poor alignment. I'm leaning towards the shake being alignment related since its accompanied by the "pull." Could also be worn lower control arm bushings. Causes of a pull can be if any of the alignment specs aren't correct. You can get a pretty wicked shake and pull if the cross caster is off. Meaning if caster is more on one side than the other by too much it will cause a pull and shake that gets progressively worse the faster you go. I'd start with a second opinion on the alignment.

 

I will take a look at these suggestions, dont expect a quick response im usually in town for a few days at a time, and out for sometimes months.

166k on truck. less than 1k on new suspension/ front end parts. I have already replaced the rack bushings, by Toyota i might add. This includes a front end alignment.

Rotated rear tires to the front and the shake is gone, however it still pulls to the right, not as bad though.
I did do the test where you grab the steering column and turn the wheel to see if the wheel turns before the shaft. and they both turn the same. So, I know the problem is lower and in the front end.

I dont have the experience to replace the rack and pinion, or much of anything else like that. Lower control arms/bushings is what im leaning towards as the culprit. I will get it all looked at when I return to Houston. Look for a response late next week! I hope its not too expensive/pain in the ass, as Im trying to do a semi full resto on the truck.