Help with 4Runner steering?

Dealer only. Just to be safe, order for an 04 Tacoma. I personally can not guarantee when the upgrade occurred in 4Runners. Have no fear, all the racks are the same other than the guide.

 

Y'all, I can not get the rack back in. I've got the parts, replaced all the bushings, and I can't get the rack in far enough to get the center bolt to line up.

I tried putting the bolt in the driver's side, and the horseshoe on the passenger's side, and snugging them up to pull it in, but it doesn't work. It looks like the bottom of the center hole is pretty well centered up, but the top doesn't go forward far enough to get the bolt in.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

 

The can be stubborn. Try the center bolt first with the entire u-shaped mount removed from the rack for more wiggle room. Don't be afraid to let it know who's in charge. Then go for the driver side followed by the pass side.

 

I got it. It was way harder than I expected it to be. It took me

All

Damn

Day

I still have to do the rack guide. Surely that will be easier.

For the next guy that tries . . . get the front wheels off the ground - you'll need that play. I couldn't tap the old ones out. I had to press them with a c-clamp - I used a real big socket on the other end to provide something to push against, but have a place for the pushing to go. Getting the new bushings in . . . omg. The new bushing were split - they needed to be pressed in half at a time, one have from the front (or top) and the other half from the back (or bottom). I struggled with this until a neighbor suggested a bolt and washers. I ended up with threaded rod, washers, and nuts and used that as a press. It worked fantastically. As Dirty Pool said, don't put the horse shoe on yet. The new bushings are fat and resistant. The old bushings are thin and giving. The new bushings have to be enthusiastically encouraged to go where they are supposed to when the rack is reinstalled. I had to bend up the top of the pocket that the center one goes in, then attack it sort of from the side. If I tried to go strait in it bunched up the top of the new bushing. But, if it went in to the side of where it ultimately needed to it went further in. From there I could drift it sideways to it's final resting point. Before I dropped that center bolt in I got the driver's side lined up by at least starting that one through. Then center threaded but loose, then drivers threaded but loose, then a three round bout with the horse shoe.

I think it drives much better. The primary driver hasn't driven it yet. I'll let you know what he says later.

Thank you for the help.