Intermediate steering shaft replacement - Too much Play?

Hey everyone. Ive been putting off doing the intermediate seizing steering shaft for a while now but i feel as summer is closing in and the offroading weather will be back i better fix this thing up. I found OEM toyota ones for 175$ but they also have aftermarket ones online for 40-80$ Any logical person would question what truly is the difference between these two steering shafts. Aftermarket or OEM bottom line its just some steel with a u joint. Has anybody on here replaced their steering shaft with an aftermarket non OEM one yet? Thinking about placing the order tonight so i need to know if im gonna spare myself some cash here. Thanks!

 

Not sure if helpful but: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...te-steering-shaft.349728/page-3#post-17519798

 

I'd go oem on important part like that especially if your doing the work yourself. I'm waiting for this to happen to mine. I'll attempt it myself but I'm not like a lot of you guys with the mechanical skills.

 

I have been checking up on that thread, im just torn because the fleabay type ones are just remanned it looks like. As long as the joint feels solid i dont see why it could be bad. If it fails prematurely well lesson learned but i think i may take a shot at going aftermarket.

 

About 15 years ago I worked for Timken and made intermediate shafts for various automakers. All large auto companies farm out assemblies like this to sub-tier suppliers. They spec out requirements and the suppliers design and manufacture them. At that time we made I-shafts for F150, Dodge Ram, Chevy, Jeep, and M-B. The mark up on service parts by the auto companies is insane. A $40.00 I-shaft sold to the auto companies would be almost $400.00 at the parts counter.

If the aftermarket is a new shaft, I'd give it a try. If it's rebuilt, then I'd be a bit concerned. The slider mechanism needs to function correctly as that's what allows the steering column to collapse in an accident. Also, the U-joints need to have correct preload or there will be lash in the steering.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacoma-2005-2015-intermediate-steering-shaft-replacement.541884/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-lair.495066/page-1772#post-17351582

 

Well thats cool! Im not 100% sure its a rebuild as im just going by the pictures the seller put up, but the 4th picture makes it look like its used. Does it not?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lower-Inte...ash=item1a414025ff:g:2wUAAOSw~kJaYaNT&vxp=mtr

 

Oh sweet dude thank for the walkthroughs. Ive googled this like 15 times and never found either of these threads. Great info here. Thanks!

 

No problem! My 2 cents on aftermarket vs OEM is to go OEM. I'm more than happy to use quality aftermarket on certain items, but something that's semi critical like this I don't want to skimp on. Although very unlikely, could you imagine a failure going down the highway and being left with no steering? Or not have the fitment be spot on? Worth the extra $100 IMO.

 

I get that, i want to believe that its pretty hard to fuckup a u joint and a steel rod to the point where it just falls apart on the highway. I sent the guy from the other walkthrough link a message to ask him how the aftermarket one was quality wise. It seems mostly all the aftermarkets run the same exact part number so im assuming they are all coming from the same place.

 

I agree, it looks like a used part that was painted.

 

Look; if Dorman makes a replacement for your tacoma, they are the only aftermarket manufacturer that I would go with.

 

Thats who i was thinking of looking for next.

 

Fuck it, they are all rebuild looking and i cant find a dorman one right now. oem it is then

 

Where did you source OEM shaft for $175? This is next for me also

 

I plan on doing this but sticking a rubber boot around the joint to seal it. Toyota should have done this to begin with!

 

I was gonna take the new shaft to napa and find an accordion boot for it like over a PS rack

 

175$ with employee discount at my dealer but i can get it online for the same price shipped to my house.

 

I got mine from camelback Toyota online, and it was $175 plus shipping

 

can use an ATV ujoint to replace just the bad joint