Steering rack replacement

https://youtu.be/u65ue2v2EEs

Clunking/leaking PS rack

I did some digging and my issue seems to be the same that others have, with Toyota replacing the entire rack in some instances. Mine sounds exactly the same, and driver's side boot it wet/PS reservoir low.

Unfortunately, I am out of warranty and on the hook to take care of this myself. It looks to be more of a PITA job vs difficult, so I don't think I'll have any issues doing it. That said...

Has anyone done this, or any techs? Looks like it's just removing things out of the way (filter housing/brackets/PS lines) then pull out/replace.

If this was yours would you replace it?

 

Sorry OP. Just had mine swapped out. Still in warranty thank god. 3k job

 

How long has it been since you’ve seen leak on boots?

 

Where you at in Nor Cal?

 

Tbh the 3rd gen racks are legendary for being leaky garbage. If it's just a seep I'd leave it.

It's not really a DIY job on the v6 either unless you're a sucker for punishment and can live without a truck for days in case shit goes south

 

Sac area. I noticed leak over the weekend. My reservoir is about 1cm low.

Looks like the pump is only 2-300$, it would probably take a couple hours tops of slow labor.

It does look like you may be able to slide it out of the passenger side... That would make things very easy.

 

It's the seep + noise/movement. I get a fair bit of bumpsteer even with a proper alignment.

I've lightly looked into the procedure for it, it doesn't look fun. I used to be a tech at Toyota and am very mechanicly inclined, however the job looks like a PITA to do.

 

I’m on my third Tacoma rack and I am getting ready to swap in a tundra unit.

The first replacement was the hardest but now I have the job down to about 2hrs.

The biggest issue is the rack mount bolts being dropped in from above and too long to remove without hitting the engine. Order two new replacement bolts, unbolt the line brackets to make clearance and cut the heads off of the stock rack bolts. Drop them out and replace the new bolts from the bottom up.

A 17mm (I think) flare wrench is nice for the pressure lines, which are very tight from the factory.

Change your oil at the same time so you can take the filter off for more clearance.

Finally you need to remove the new rack’s inner tie rods to slide it into the frame. If you don’t have some sort of press to hold the rack in place, expect this to take two people.

Other than that stuff it’s straightforward, just tight. And don’t forget to strap your wheel!

 

Good tips. Dealing with those bolts would have been a PITA, I appreciate it. I'll order some bolts.

What unit did you replace it with, another brand or did you stick with Toyota?

 

Just want to add onto your question with, has anyone ran or installed an Edelman Rack on anything?

 

This and coolant bypass fix is lengthy and costly fix at stealership if not under warranty

 

I helped a friend replace the rack in his 2018. He wanted the Cardone brand. Not sure why, it was OOS. He did install a Edelman from RockAuto.

He has had it in for just over 40k, no issues. Suggest to order new mount bolts and cut the old ones like mentioned above. He did add poly bushings. Be very patient as it is a bit of a pain to get out and in.

 

I’ve been running NAPA OEM remans solely for the lifetime warranty. Honestly though, the rebuild quality is hit or miss. I got one that had clearly only been repainted, leaky seals and rusted bushings still in place. Luckily my Napa folks usually have my back.

+1 for upgrading to poly bushings, but be warned, removing the stock bushings can be a PITA.

 

Give Shannon Family Automotive in Folsom a call. They are excellent, and I had them install an entire lift recently, and I had them do the ECGS while they were at it. They notice my rack leaking during inspection and worked it in to my extensive labor estimate to account for so much stuff already being removed. Also recommended avoiding reman racks. If you are interested in more, I will dig up details.

 

I had to replace the steering rack on my second Gen at about 115k miles / 10 years old. I thought about doing it myself, but ultimately figured it was beyond my shade tree mechanic abilities.

The labor cost for my local trusted mechanic was about $1K, but that included replacing my front suspension components and rear shocks with a set of nearly new take offs I was able to pick up on our marketplace for minimal $.

If you are thinking about front suspension work, this might be a good time to do it all at once.

 

Alright, I priced out what's needed so far.

Sparks parts OE rack
593 + 1400 shipping (wtf?)

Rock Auto Cardone
357 + 27 shipping

Local dealer OE rack
890


Is there no better option for an OE rack other than my local dealer? I typically have used Sparks for Toyota parts, but the shipping charge.... Yikes!!! I might reach out to them, that seems like a mistake.

Additionally, I did some research. It really doesn't seem that hard to replace, just a pain/consumes some time.

 

It's because reman'd Cardone units on rockauto were rebuilt factory koyo units. Idk if they still are.

Cardone reman


Factory unit

 

Hmmm interesting. There are reman cardones on RockAuto as well. They have new and reman.

Oh, here's the thread I'm using @baboltin if you wanted to follow along.

 

Cardone part# 262629 was the one that was an oem rebuild. Not sure if it still is.

 

I just did this on my 2020 two weeks ago. It was indeed a PITA but it is a doable DIY job. It took me two days, a few hours after work each day, to get this done. I did order replacement bolts for the steering rack as I did get the sawzall out and cut the old ones.

I found this video after getting frustrated with the job. It helped me get the old rack out and the new rack in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vibdKwcOz-k