Truck swaying while driving

Ok so my truck feels like it’s swaying between the lines. I have replaced the steering rack bushings, inner and outer tie rods, lower control arms, upper ball joints, sway bar end links, sway bar bushings, new 2” lift struts, only thing not replaced is the upper control arms. Both the steering links from steering wheel to the steering wheel I forget what they are called. The one with the rubber bushing is oem. The wheel feels a little loose but also tighter than it was. I just can’t figure out why it is still swaying. It has been aligned after all the work was done. Any ideas what I could look at next.

 

What do you mean by "the wheels feel a little loose"?

It sounds as if you have replaced most of the possible parts in the front that could cause swaying.

what about your rear end? how many miles on the rear leaf springs and shocks? are the factory original? how many leaves are the springs?

maybe crawl under there with a flashlight and take some pictures of everything or make a video and post it up so we can see.

 

Stop throwing parts at it and figure out what is wrong. It could be something as simple as under inflated tires.

 

Because there was an alignment doest mean it was done right.

You don't mention data on tires or wheels.

And no Tacoma has struts. So what kind of shocks were installed, and were the springs changed too?

Miles on the truck?

Explain please. Are you speaking of the steering shaft and rag joint?

 

I'd like to see the alignment numbers - it's possible the caster is much less after the lift and updated alignment than it was before the lift / alignment.

 

tire charactoristics, tend to tract the lines and contours of the road, wide tires more so

 

So many things can cause that, but the most common is because the alignment shop didn't bother with the caster. Agree with others that speculation is useless without seeing the alignment sheet.

 

Likely ideas already here.

What a service tech deems acceptable can be quite different from what a driver considers good. Especially true of alignments. All green/good on the alignment machine can still have truck feel like it is wandering in its lane.
Worn rear suspension parts like leaf springs or leaf bushings can cause wandering feeling.
Low or uneven tire inflation.

 

Rear leaf springs are still stock, rear shocks have about 50k on them( skyjacker) front is a rough country coil over assembly. I was replacing worn parts since the truck had 260k on original front end parts so it needed to be done everything was worn out that’s why I was throwing parts at it. I haven't thrown anything at it to figure out the problem with the swaying I have cooper discover AT3 tires on it stock size, and stock wheels. Yes the rag joint and the steering shaft. 3 leaves in the rear. Haven’t done anything beside the rear shocks. I think I answered everything. I check the tires every time I change the oil but that’s about it or when I check my wife’s.

 

Yea I can’t find it it was about 9 months ago but it’s been the same since the alignment. It was done at mavis tire. Just a chain tire store.

 

Don’t know if this has anything to do with any of it. When I turn the wheel all the way to one side and try to pullout of a parking lot I can hear and feel a very distinct pop. And sometimes the steering wheel becomes cocked to the left or right a little bit.

 

If its been that long I would go to a specialty alignment shop this weekend and have it redone. Don't let it leave until you observe them taking the big wrench and adjusting the cam tabs on the LCA (the big bolts that hold the lower suspension hinge point in place). Tell them you want to target a caster of around +2. From memory, stock spec is 1.5-1.7. Many members here prefer a caster of +3, but that starts to get a little wheel-scrubby for my tastes. 2 feels fairly decent for a small lift.

 

Yea I would take it somewhere but I’m replacing my wife’s timing belt, water pump and plugs this weekend. Plus I have to find a shop that’s not like a Walmart of alignments. It won’t let me upload a video from my phone to show anything.

 

Your steering rack bolts are loose. Tighten them back up to 68ft lbs, test drive and report back.

 

Already did that. Didn’t change a thing I went back and checked torque on everything that didn’t have a cotter pin in it. The problem I have with the energy bushings is one torqued down great, the other will go and go and smash the bushing out from under the washers like it won’t torque all the way and I don’t want that bushing to split. It maybe a bushing thing like the duro # for that rubber may not be correct.

 

I had the same exact problem with the Energy Suspension rack bushings. I torqued them down to 80ft lbs but they were still shifting side to side when turning and throwing off my steering wheel. This is how I fixed the problem. I welded tabs to the crossmember on the outside of the left and right bushing (see red arrows on pic)to keep them from shifting side to side while you're driving. After I did that no more popping, steering wheel off and wandering has stopped.

 

Or over inflated tires. I had some work done on my truck once years ago, and for some reason they wildly over inflated the tires. It was really squirrelly, all over the place. I let 15 or so psi out and it was all good.

 

Are the LCA cam bolts at 100 lb/ft?

 

Yea checked torque to the spec sheet someone posted on here on another post I’m taking it on the 10th to a shop to get alignment checked again

 

Was there a solution to the OP's issue? Having the same problem after replacing bushings on steering rack with Energy Suspension. Driver side doesn't torque fully and just squishes the washers into the bushing causing deformation.

Driver side bolt backed off from tight but showing the deformation

Passenger side, fully torqued no deformation