Steering rack diffrent 2005-2013 2014-2015? And how long did your LCA last you?

Hey guys. Hope everyone is doing well. I been off roading my 2015 quite a bit since i got it with 45k miles. Now it has 90k miles and got some clunking in the suspension.

I have a week off from work so i want to get some work done.

Parts i ordered so far.

JBA UCA new ball joints. (mine are shot after 40k miles)
New Toyota lower shock bushings for my Bilstein 6112. (Very shot after 40k of off heavy off road)



Here is my question. My truck kind of dances on the highway, doesn't drive in a straight line. I always have to make small corrections. I think my steering rack bushings are done. I want to order energy suspension bushings and press them in, but they claim that they are only for 2005-2013 Tacoma's. Are the racks different?



Also, my LCA ball joints have tears in them. I wanted to replace them but my alignment shop told me that this is normal for 2nd gen Tacoma's, and to just keep running them since i am lowish miles. (90k miles) I would love that to be true, to save some money, but if they need to be done, i will do them.

How soon do you guys replace your LCA?



pic of truck for attention

 

I just had a clunk sound and it sort of also sounded like cvs were seizing up.. replaced cvs sound remained, right next was LCA, but turned out I had 4 loose bolts at the transmission cross member

 

I just replaced my UCA's and LCA's with new takeoffs I picked up for cheap, just replaced the whole piece. 2006, 169k. If the originals lasted that long, the replacements should as well. I'm a big fan of OEM parts.

 

did you install 3rd gen LCA?

 

2nd gen, picked them up a good while ago.

 

I will say i have beat the shit out of my truck offroad, 188k and half of that was me driving it on NE roads and trails, shes seen some shit and my rack is still tight at the bushings, its leaking at the inner seals but idgaf. JBA updated their balljoint design and i haven't had a issue since my first set got loose. Definitely do the shock bushings, those wallow easily, do a roadforce balance of tires and check your steering shafts upper and lower. The upper rag joint has a rubber O ring in it that can get play in it over time. At this point my wheel has about an inch of play left to right and its dances because of that. Check all LCA bolts and get a fesh alignment, toe your tires in slightly past spec. These LCA's are pretty solid, almost never get play in them, they will creak and squeak to tell you its time to replace them.

 

my LCAs lasted over 200k, replaced them with oreilys and less than 1000 miles later the ball joints were ripped and had play, and all 4 bushings were destroyed. One even fell out when I removed them. I got some used gem LCAs and took them to a shop to have the ball joint replaced for much cheaper than new oem arms
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...gh-ttx-lower-ball-joint.626220/#post-28628143

 

Thinking of doing that.

how did the bushings look like on your oem Lca?




Anyone have a link for the lower bushing that goes into the shock?

 

The oem bushings in those arms had about 70k miles I think, over all they were in good condition with no play.
Got them for $50 and bought and had the ball joints installed for about $180. So $230 for some good LCAs isn’t bad I think.

 

Well mine is silver too and upon closer inspection I found at some point in the past, the following components of mine to be bad:
-rack (did bushings); it's leaking. Added Stopleak
-LCA's, replaced
-UCA's, replaced
-column linkage is probably worn
-replaced tie rods
-have not replaced rack because 1.why put the same thing, 2.I do not have enough pennies yet for the Tundra upgrade