Discontinued 1st gen steering shaft

Hey all, I’ve run into a bit of an issue with my 96 5-speed 4x4. The truck currently has a body lift on it that I’d like to remove. However when the previous owner installed the lift and added an extension for the steering shaft, they welded the damn thing on. I’ve been trying to find a replacement (upper) shaft/yoke (part number 45290-35011), but they’re discontinued.

It looks like they are still available for trucks made from ‘98 forward with a new part number (45290-35040). I’m wondering if anyone knows if this part will work for my little bastard ‘96 child.

Here’s the parts diagram for what I’m referring to and the part I’m looking for is (20)

As you can see here the part is discontinued

however, searching the same thing for a ‘98 gives me this



What do you all think? Anyone have any experience with this?

Also as a random side note, those specific parts are supposedly used on floor shift vehicles without steering wheel tilt. My truck is a floor shift *with* steering wheel tilt, but I have visually confirmed that style of yolk (upper rag joint integrated into the intermediate shaft) is the one that’s on my truck. Not sure what to do about that information. Regardless it seems that both styles are discontinued anyway as you can see from (19) in the second image.

Any help here would be appreciated before I just start randomly ordering steering parts for any year taco that still is in production. I’m in Hawaii and we don’t really have pick and pulls out here, plus our dealer staff is clueless about older stuff.

 

Welcome to TW...looks like thats the replacement part..maybe somebody will chime in that knows for sure

 

Thanks, it’s good to be here!

And yeah it *looks* like it’s the superceeded part, but it doesn’t actually *say* so anywhere that I can tell.

Im pretty sure there’s a few aftermarket versions (or at least eBay old stock) of that later model part floating around for a lot less than what Toyota charges. So I may just try my luck with one of those.

 

What I would have done remove the extension and re weld the steering shaft install the job is finished.

 

I considered that, but then it would be extremely difficult to remove if I was doin to any work that required removing the steering rack since it would need to be welded to the upper part of the rack rag joint.

Also I don’t have a welder

 

That would be a very minor issue compared to the adventures I get involved in.

Source a complete used steering shaft out of the Southwest USA.

Best of luck finding parts.

 

Quick update, I've received my '98+ part that I reference above. Upon a quick and dirty eyeballing, it appears to be the same part with the proper length and spline size. I'll update again when I remove the body lift with a final report in a few weeks!

 

Good Luck!!

 

good info

 

I have the same problem with the discontinued part. Did the alternate fit?

 

http://www.ranchotoyotatruckparts.com/

great source for used parts

 

@Tour991 Got one for this guy?

 

I have 2 steering columns but the are both from 1999 model year trucks.