Rack and pinon bushing availability?

I live 4 miles from asphalt on a dirt road and after only 200+thousand miles, the bushings in the front of my 1995 Tacoma are shot. I replaced the swaybar links, and that was easy, so I thought I'd tackle the rack and pinion. I dropped it and removed the bushings, and now I'm in trouble because NOBODY has bushings for a 1995 SR5 extended cab 2WD pickup with a V6 and manual transmission. I can get that driver's side bushing anywhere for a 4WD or Prerunner, but not for a 2WD. I've tried Energy Suspension, Whiteside, Moog (for a start). Toyota will only sell me the entire Rack and Pinion. Surely Toyota put that Rack and Pinion in more than one vehicle. If I know that information I might find the bushing listed under the other vehicle. The bushing I need is 19 mm long, 11.1 mm wide and with a .56 mm bolt hole. (All measurements were taken with a Vernier caliper by a foot-and-inches girl, so are approximate). Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. My old "green submarine" (It runs on land and also under water) just flew through the smog check again and I don't want to give up on it.

 

http://www.prothanesuspensionparts.com/prothane-steering-rack-bushings.asp

 

Thanks CookieMonster. I just got an email from Suspension.com. They say they have contacted all their manufacturers and no one has that bushing. I'm starting to believe it.

 

Maybe take your rack to a local machine shop have them make the bushings you need.

Not sure how cost effective it will be.

Since I never replaced a rack with a rebuilt one I don`t know if they come with bushings

Funny Toyota has new Racks but no bushings to support

I wonder why the Racks would be different

I have a set of bushings here I need to measure if I can find them

Never a 2wd around when I need to look at one

 

are the 2wd and 4wd racks different?

 

I don't think the bushings are different between 4x4 and 2x4. Have you compared them?

3rd gen 4runners had the same racks I believe.

 

http://imagesrv.catalograck.com/imgVD/ENE/17302.pdf heres thePDF for the only kit avail for a 95 Tacoma 4wd they have bushing sizes/dimensions listed maybe the 2wd and 4wd use the same sized bushings? there are no lists for 2wd trucks

 

Go to www.toyotapartsdeal.com, enter your VIN, then go to Power Train/Chassis > Front Steering Gear & Link.

Look for GROMMET, STEERING RACK HOUSING.

Are your 2 bushings identical? Usually they are different and listed as No. 1 and No. 2, but my non-VIN specific search only showed one type. What does it show for your VIN?

 

Believe it or not, this rack and pinion has only one bushing and bolt (located on the driver's side) plus the big bushing listed at Toyotapartsdeal.com as a "grommet". That part is readily available everywhere. It's the little bushing that I cannot find and it's making me nuts! I was wondering about other vehicles because many years ago I needed a water pump for my Ford Ferguson tractor (Yup, I'm that old!) The nearby Ford Tractor dealer wanted an exorbitant amount for the pump and I was bemoaning the expected dent in my budget to our friend, Walt, out at Grand Terrace Tractor. Walt said, "Just go to any auto parts store and buy a pump for a 1957 Ford automobile. It's the same pump". The pump cost me under $15.00 and fit my tractor perfectly.

 

unless you get the grommet Toyota part number then you can run it on the\ internet to see if any availability

 

Reply to all who have been so nice to respond. My shop manual actually shows a picture of the rack and pinion under my 2WD truck as well as a picture of the rack and pinion for the pre-runner and the 4WD and they sure are different. The bushings for the 4WD and pre-runner are larger in diameter than the one for the 2WD. The length and bolt-hole I can adjust, but I cannot deal with the diameter. I was so impressed with my 1995 that I gave it to my husband and bought a 1999 just like it. A lady on her cell phone made that truck into an accordion last year and it is sitting up at our shop. I'll get under it tomorrow and look at the rack and pinion on it. Anybody want to bet if it's different or not? The odds are against me!

 

That sucks. Do you have 5 lug wheels or 6? I figured you'd have 6, which should have the same rack whether it's a 2wd or 4wd. But if you say those don't work, then I guess you either have a 5 lug or in 95 they didn't combine the concepts of having the same rack for all 6 lugs.

I've always understood this. PreRunners are all 2wd, almost always. PreRunners are just 4wd trucks without the front end drive train but the same steering/suspension. If you wanted to turn your PreRunner into a 4wd it was easily do-able, albeit on the expensive side.

 

I have the 5 lug wheels. I removed the original bushing by dropping a bolt with a washer through it, then pulling it down with a big socket, another washer, nut, and some air. (See iHMUD.com forum) It was in one piece, and taking it off like that just pulled off one lip. If worse comes to worse, I don't see why I can't put it back in and replace that lip with a big washer. Hmmm. Any comments?

 

I was looking at the diagram in the repair manual and I see now that the bushing is like a bushing on some control arms where a bolt goes through it. Toyota usually just sells the whole control arm but sometimes you can still find a part number on the rubber bushing, then do a google search and see what comes up.

Look carefully at the bushing and see if there is a tiny part number molded into it.

 

You're lucky. When I changed my bushings on my 04 Tacoma 4x4 DC. I had to replace all this. Then the rack went out 2 - 3 years later.

 

Blessings upon all of you!! I took some Fantastic kitchen cleaner to the one remaining flange. One end of the bushing (looks like the larger of the smaller bushings in the picture posted by Sicyota04) and the numbers clearly read 5522-35030. On the other side of the flange is a large #6. I'll see what I can find tomorrow. I'm also going to see if my neighbor, Jon Kinney, will give me a lesson on this Vernier caliper tomorrow. My readings do not match the computer conversion into inches or fractions thereof. Jon owns the Jonny Lightning shop and I'll guarantee he can read a caliper.

 

Does this look like it would fit? I looks like the picture posted by Sicyota04.

Steering Rack and Pinion Mount Bushing 905-401

 

Dorman says, "Sorry, not a fit". Thank you for trying. The problem is about 1/8" over in the diameter. It's got to be an exact fit or it just doesn't work. I used to tell my students, "Casi, casi, pero no cigarro" (almost, almost, but you don't win the cigar") when their English was close, but not correct. I presume Toyota just made those 4-runners a little heavier assuming tough off-road guys beating them up. Pin or bushings too long? I'll just cut them down. Bushings too short? The pin should make up for that. Bushings too wide? That one just shoots me out of the saddle.

 

Well, when I put in your model at O'reillys website it said it was a fit. Sometimes the "check if it fits" software can be wrong. I wasn't sure which was right or wrong since they had different results, but you would know better since you have the parts in front of you.

Since companies rebuilt the racks, the bushings must be available somewhere.

 

Ah the elusive bushing. I ordered a set of Whiteside's bushings from Carid because Whiteside listed them as fitting my truck. They did not fit any direction. I also have another set (can't remember who made them) that fits every way but width. From what I've seen, there was a change in the truck mid-year. I think I have a truck that was built in 1995 but prior to June, 1995. I wonder if I should look at bushings for the 1994. Hmmm. That's a thought.