Changed rack bushings. Still clunks.

Just changed the rack bushings to poly. Any ideas what it might be? Only have 14k miles on her. I'd hate to think there was any other problem going on. I know lifts put stress on parts but I'd be shocked if anything had worn out with as little time as I've spent off road. When I hit a bump or edge of the driveway at and angle I can feel it clunk through the steering wheel. In fact with the energy bushings it almost seems more prevalent than before. My thoughts are tie rods, maybe ball joints? Wheel bearings? None of which I'd expect bad yet but I'm an amateur at this...thanks for any help I can get.

 

I had a VERY simular issue. Turns out there's 4 bolts on the transmission mount crossmember that are only 30ftlbs factory and flex under odd loads. I went up to about 60ftlbs with mine and the noise dissappeared!

 

Did you feel it through the steering?

 

I'm guessing you need to do the zip tie mod on your intermediate shaft.

 

What you've done son is once you had the lift installed, you altered the dynamics of the vehicle the manufacturer spent many decades of R&D and you now have a high maintanance truck to either test your engineering skills, your wallet and your patience. I was told that when I installed my PC 6", that I would have steering issue and my cocky ass, said, No Problem Man, I'll make it right! Right... 4 years later at almost 60k miles im still lying under the truck trying to make it right. I wont get into the pain and suffering of my experience, but hey! Its up to you and how much you love your truck and how far are you willing to spend to try and make it right. So take mine and many others advice from our years of experience and here are your options: Head on over to this website and become a sponge, since you're new: http://www.rocksolidtoys.com/ and ask these experts a whole lot of questions. Or if thats too hardcore than just drive it and as parts wear out, just replace them. And keep in mind, Im on my 4th steering rack and i have a spare I keep handy for shits and giggles. The "Clunk" you hear is just the beginning, as it is either your tie rods are maxed out at ride heigth, (Check your boots. They should be cracked and oozing grease by now) cuz your angles are fucked up, your steering column has what is called and is literally a "Rag joint" that you need to replace with a U-joint ASAP and also a number of other geometrically modified issues. Keep in mind also, that not only are the noises and pops, clunks and grinds you feel now and in the future normal wear and tear from lifting it, there is also issues happening in the rear of your truck as well. Not as complex as the front, but it can be deceiving for the average ear inside the cab. I wish you luck my friend and in no way is this reply intended to offend, pursuade or feel like I kicked you in the balls. My intent is to only inform you and others based on my training and experience from similar life events. Every truck is unique and not all issues are shared or alike, so stay positive and just make sure you keep yours and others safety first. Enjoy the ride!

 

Could it ever get to the point of causing the steering to feel loose? Because on occasion it feels rather loose....and then other times it's firm like it should feel.

 

You're right. I did screw it up by putting the lift on.. it did mess with geometry and it did cause what will probably be an endless pursuit of an unattainable thing. A sweet lifted truck that rides like a dream. Part of me says live with it, it's not gonna ride close to stock ever and part of me says I've invested too much to turn back now. At this point, the truck is rather new, so I'd like to make it feel like it's worth the money I spent. On the other hand it's still got resale value...maybe someone else won't be so picky..
With that being said, the steering issues I've experienced, if they aren't life threatening I can leave them be.

 

The thing is they aren't cracked and oozing grease. Everything is as it should look on such a young truck. None of the shops I've taken it to have found any particular problem either. One shop finally was able to show me how my rack moved when I turned the steering wheel and so I replaced the bushings but....that's about it.

 

You're stubborn like myself and have good intentions and passionate about your work. You can save yourself time and money by what others like myself have experienced. Since you're probably rolling 35's, and want to stay on top of this "High Maintanance" vehicle you and others are committed to, the number one suggestion in my opinion and critical to slow down the wear and tear is to learn how to adjust your alignment. trust me, save your money and save it for the heim joint steering you'll need to upgrade to. I align mine about once a month. It can be a little confusing at first, but its so easy and methodical, that when you get it down, you will know exactly how your truck is rolling doen the road and can feel if your are 1/16th toe in or toe out. The "looseness" you speak about should be addressed with checking your alignment> Theres a dude that has a thread posted on here that I learned it from than doctored mine up based on lift, tire size, steering angles, etc. Like i said every truck is different, so learn yours to the best you can. From there, you will be more accurate as to dialing in the issues you'll be faced with and stay ahead of the game as well as money. I had a horrific alignment experience with Firestone, which swayed me to never have another sole touch my truck ever again. I wont get into it, as to bad mouth a solid company, just from a negative experience I endured. I was taken care of as the end result, by the way.

 

One huge upgrade i did was replaced the C.O.s and shocks with high maintanance ones and it was a HUGE improvement in ride quality. I have the ICON coil overs that they designed for the Pro Comp lift. Im pretty sure they 'll work on any 6", but check with those dudes there in riverside, they're good peeps to learn from. I dumped the blocks on the back and ordered custom leaf packs from Alcan, for a 6"lift. Bill was very helpful and got me dialed in. Another good company to work with and I have KINGS setup in the rear. Keep in mind the bed of our trucks is all fiberglass and cuts alot of weight down back there. It makes for a very light truck setup for custom suspension, so keep that in mind when and if you do your rear to your liking.

 

Back to the Rack thing as you described moving. It will always be like that. Kind of shocking to see it at first, but keep in mind the forces that it endures are destroying it faster than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. Our trucks are not designed for this size lift with enourmous tires. The steering rack has only 2 mounting bolts to fasten it down. Not only that, but Toyota designed the bolts to be over 6" long! So of course the rack is gonna move, just by the long ass bolts flexing and bending, unless you go with titanium, but than you're gonna wallow out the holes in the frame just as fast.

 

I really appreciate that advice. I've considered the upgrade to my steering system. Do you have any suggestions on good components? I plan on throwing fox coilovers up front to replace the bilstein 5100s as soon as I have the coin. I'm sure they are comparable to the icons?

 

It was a complete shock when I saw how much that rack was moving back and forth. I know the tires put way more stress on the entire rack but realizing that I started feeling the effects on my steering before 10k miles, those bushings were bound to break down sooner than they should have...lifted or not. It honestly didn't seem like a good design and the lift just exposed that flaw much faster. There are too many other things I like about this truck to walk away if it can be addressed.

 

Yup!