Steering wheel play

Anything other than tierods and ball joints that could cause steering wheel play?

 

There's a few threads on the steering shaft having excess play and how to eliminate it.

 

Don't know if it's exactly the same, but my son has an 01 4Runner that had this issue and if you checkout the 4Runner.org forum, there are a bunch of write ups on it. He just did the steel roll pin mod in the one slip joint and it's now as tight as brand new. Good luck!

 

Yep, sounds like same scenario.

 

Ill look into it thanks!

 

If it's a 1st gen also check the steering rack bushings as well

 

I just replaced mine. It's not too bad a job. Before if i turned the wheel the steering rack would move about an inch in either direction. After the replacement it stays still.

 

I owe you 100$ lol. I recorded the rack with my phone while i turned the wheel back and forth. TONS of side to side play in the bushing. I think that is my issue. Cheap fix to!

 

I just watched mine do this the other day. I also need to replace my track bar bushings. You can see the whole rack move from side to side. also clunks when I turn left kind of hard. Energy suspension makes the best replacements I've heard. Poly bushings.

 

FWIW I just had the steering rack bushings replaced after frame swap.

My truck still has about an inch of dead play and needs constant correction at highway speeds.

Going to get it re-aligned and put a little more caster in. If that doesn't work then it's time to tack weld the intermediate shaft.

 

to check for steering rack or shaft play have someone "lightly" wiggle the wheel just with the play it has so its not moving the tires

if that seems ok then also the inner tie rods could be the culprit or even play inside the rack itself so its good to get one front wheel off the ground (so the other stays in place while you wiggle stuff) and get under there and check and pull back the boot covers if need be

 

Any specific way to check the inner rods?

 

pull rubber boot back out of the way so you can see it and then wiggle tire, just like checking the outer ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVQHgcXEhpE

 

there are quite a few threads on this, I did the tack weld and could not be happier the truck feels completely different and wish I had done it sooner.

 

Got any links we can use? I did a search for "track weld" but came up empty.

 

A tack weld is a style of temporary welding used to hold something together and in place to make the proper full weld.

 

Original thread Short cut in same thread. 15 minutes to get the column on your bench.

 

I redid my whole front end...drive her like i stole her. Couldnt be happier. New rack, bushings, lca, camburg uca, lbj

 

HAMMMER DOWN!!!

 

Monika