Long Travel BS Thread

He's not beating his truck. He's not even caged. This isn't 4x4 wheeling

 

I wasn't piss pounding mine when it would pop either. I'm just saying its a very well known problem by anybody that uses these trucks. Not going to continue going back and forth on the topic. I know from experience a hit from the right direction at 20mph is all it would take. All of these steering rack solutions exist for a reason, and its not "just because".

 

Just the wheel knocking out of alignment? Check Your intermediate steering shaft pinch bolt real quick

 

You literally cannot jump a tooth without it shearing. The rack has an adjustable saddle it sits against and isn't possible to bend it enough for the teeth to disengage and "skip".

"Skipping" a tooth on Tacoma racks means the rack or pinion gets destroyed.

 

You're wrong. But I won't keep arguing. That saddle is preloaded with a spring and it does indeed skip teeth. I'm actually really shocked this thread of all places hasn't had this discussion yet.

 

I thought it was just one of those, accepted things.

 

Thats what I thought as well. Didn't realize it was some big secret.

 

Maybe those tho have rebuilt racks and stuff could chime in.
Tacoma rack jumping teeth possible ?
@Basikbiker

I had thought it was a decently known problem, but I’ve never messed with my rack or had that problem. Actually I’ve had less alignment issues since going LT.
Nor could I tell you if it is actually the rack jumping teeth or some other occurrence in the steering parts that fails/bends/misaligns that TW has collectively labeled as “jumping teeth”.

 

Not saying you're wrong, but I can't imagine the rack is jumping teeth and lives another day (or year).

 

Mine jumps teeth almost every time I go wheeling.

 

I can verify this is correct and the amount of deflection a stock rack has is laughable. Don’t believe me, stroke your rack to one side with the tie rods off and grab the end of it... it will move around WAY more than anyone should be comfortable with. This is the reason we built the slide rack, it eliminates the deflection which prohibits the rack from skipping teeth

 

Idk i'm with him. Maybe jumping a spline on the column? Looking at the rack and pinion gears and the splines on the column it's hard to believe teeth on the rack would jump before the splines on the column sheer off

 

By skipping teeth you mean the rack or pinion bows/bends so far that it actually allows the pinion and rack teeth to disengage and change position relative to each other and then reseat without any damage?

 

Yes. That is what happens. And it does get worse over time. Idk what’s so hard to believe about it, our racks deflect a whole lot more than most would think.

 

I’ve gone out and hit something hard with a side load to the driver side in a sharp turn at 20-30mph. I didn’t check if it was a rock hidden by soft sand or a hole. Steering wheel alignment way off with no other symptoms of a bad wheel alignment. All paint marks lined up across the whole steering shaft to the pinion. Centered the wheel and there was obviously more rack on the passenger side. Recentered the steering rack, alignment was not much different than previous alignment numbers. Nothing checked out bent. Only thing I could come up with was it skipped a tooth on the RP.

 

Physics makes it hard to believe. I ran 40 inch tires on a stock rack, I'm very aware of how much stock racks deflect.

 

we need a go pro and a sacrificial rig to test this!

 

I bet I could push the end of the rack up by hand and if someone jerked the steering wheel it would skip a tooth.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OGco3d1KXk

Here's a rack with a little flex. Plus a the single reason that sold me on "solid" motor mounts.

 

I've got junk racks sitting around, I'll put your hypothesis to the test.