2022 TRD OR Steering Rack Bushings already failing?

A few weeks ago I heard an audible popping and could feel it through the steering wheel when straightening out my tires in the garage. It has not gone away, and now also happens at low speeds, like when leaving a parking space.

I have checked my ball joints, control arms, tie rod ends, then I noticed the play in the steering rack when I had someone else turn the wheels while I was under it.

As the title states, I have a 2022 with under 6k miles, maybe 50 of them are off road.
I have a 3 inch lift in the front and I'm running 33 inch KO2s.

I have no boot tears, no fluid leaks, and all bolts are factory tight.
So I've narrowed down the problem to the steering rack bushings, but I'm hoping someone here can tell me that my 5 month old truck with factory bushings failing makes sense, or has any other ideas before I commit to this project of replacing them.

I will to to upload/link a video here.

https://youtube.com/shorts/_JEmEMq7pHw

Edit: Video is looking at the driver-side of the steering rack from the front.

 

Bump for thoughts and prayers or any tips on cutting these bolts out.

 

That does look like it moves a bit.

Slide the AC compressor out of the way...

https://www.ttguide.net/removal-1571.html

 

Maybe bring it in . It’s new . Sorry not much help.

 

Take all your mods off.
Do you still have this problem?
I have read several thousand threads here and never saw a rack on a stock truck have problems. Ever. I would look at your mods first.

 

3" means nasty ball joint angles, the rack is supposed to move a bit or it would vibrate like crazy.

 

They are going to break your stones about the lift probably . I think 3 inch is slot on our trucks but I’m not totally sure

 

Well the bushings are rubber, they are supposed to have some play. Maybe this is normal amount of play?

 

The way I see it; if you were stock and it did that, then you might blame the steering rack. As is, the steering rack is a symptom, not the cause.

Out of curiosity, what offset on the wheel?

 

I'm running Method 701s with 0 offset.

 

The more I think about it the more I agree. I'm not a mechanic by any means, and I won't pretend to be one. But the steering is tight, even at 80+mph, no play whatsoever so I would think if it were the bushings, it would be a constant problem. And honestly the play in the steering rack doesn't bother me, it's the popping/clicking.

I do have SPC upper control arms and bushings as well as a differential drop, to help keep everything in line.

With the truck on the ground, I had someone start it up and turn side to side while I felt the different parts for any noticeable binding. I couldn't get my hand too far up into the engine but I only felt the popping when touching the steering rack. Not on the upper or lower control arms at all.

I'll be honest, I'm not willing to redo my suspension back to stock, but I will lift the front end and remove the wheels to investigate some more when I have another set of hands to turn the steering wheel.

 

I've been away for work for a while so I haven't had an opportunity to tinker much. I did get under there and tightened everything down. However, I ended up torqueing down the LCAs to 115(Was in a rush, misread the marks), and the popping ended up happening more frequently and more pronounced when driving it through town today.

Tomorrow morning I'll get under there, break them loose, and torque them down to 95lbs and hopefully something will change.

 

I've been noticing the same issue. my truck only has 18K and the steering has a slight single pop through the steering wheel when turning while parked or driving slow.
i had someone help me and the popping was most pronounced through the driver side tie rod. not sure if its a bad bushing, inner tie rod, or rack.
the steering doesn't have any play otherwise. everything is still tight when driving.

 

Make sure you check the ball joints with a stand under the arms as they have to be loaded with the weight of the truck on them to check. Otherwise a common point is the body mount bushings under the rad tearing the sheet metal