Rack & Pinion problem?!

Normal. Both my buddies truck and mine do that when the engine is off. It should not be present once the engine is running and the power steering system is pressurized.

 

Yes, it did seem to drift where it pleased. It stopped doing that, my steering wheel stayed straight, but now it seems to stay to the right during right turns. It's not hard to bring back, but you still have to bring it back.....I am not sure if that is going to fix your steering or not.

10-4. Tomorrow I will crank the piss out of them and see what we come up with! Thank you for all of your help so far.

 

Hmm. Wouldn't happen to have a copy or your alignment sheet would you? If you lower control arms alignment cams are loose they may have moved and upset your alignment specs. Steering that is random and doesn't return to center is either due to low caster, or loose steering components.

 

Well....the tire shop couldn't find my leak, and they told me that the noise is my tires hitting my bumper. Spray painted, no rub marks. Trimmed more just to be safe. Still noise. Took my grille guard off...still noise. Tightened up my lca's, got the 2 rears on each side a little bit tighter.Guess what....still have the noise. Jacked my truck up, no wiggle either way on the tires. When I spun them by hand I could hear a little noise, I am assuming normal brake noise? So, what is plan B?!?

 

Plan B is:

Does it look or sound anything like this > http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z4lduZmPABo

If not, how reproduceable is the symptom. Can you make the noise on command?

 

They don't seem to move like that, at least what I can see from looking and having the wife move the wheel. I can not replicate the sound unless I drive over certain stretches of road. Or going down the SLIGHT hill at my house in 1st gear, it makes a noise. Not the clunking like over dips, but more of a binding metal sound. At one point today I thought I had it pretty much whipped, but after going over several speed bumps it came back. Kind of like something shifted and started the noise again. Not sure WTF it could be. I have torqued everything down several times.

I did notice that there was some leaking on my right axle, where it's blocky, before it goes to the shaft. The noise is coming from the left though, where I can grab the shaft and jerk it passenger to driver and get a little movement.

Ball joints & wheel bearings have never been replaced.

Brake pads(recently) steering rack & outer tie rods(recently) and cv's (2 years) have been replaced.

 

I have the clunk in my front suspension check to see if your lower ball point boot are ripped if so, i would say spray wd40 in the ball joint, and then spray the LCA bushings. I know my lower ball joints are shot, and the lca bushings are shot too. I replaced one tie rod, there pretty easy to replace but a pain to just take off without spinning the tie rod. I would say our ball joints and LCA bushings are shot. Even if you crank the shit out of the LCA's there still play. Get under your truck and have someone crank the wheel left to right, and back. You'll hear it.

 

05sctaco - does your truck make it only over bumps? Or does it do it while turning at slight inclines as well like mine?

 

It is now making noise backing straight out of my garage......little help.

 

Well seeing as you can reproduce the sound backing out of your garage... How's about a video clip for us to see and hear. You should definitely be able to get under there and see/feel/listen for the exact location.

 

Finally took it to my real mechanic. Not sure why I didn't do this sooner. He said my motor mount is failing, causing the fan to hit the shroud. I took it to the dealer to see what they say. Work will start tomorrow. If not, my mechanic will fix it up.

 

Can't believe I forgot that it could be the motor-mounts. Its actually kinda common

 

Did they change the motor mounts after 05'? I know my 08' has more gusseting beneath the mounts than early models. Is that the only place where they fail?

 

What a relief to know what the problem is. Too bad it's not a quick fix.

 

Yes, they did beef them up. Scroll down about half way.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/21849-05-motor-mounts-failed-failing.html

Yes, it it a relief to know what is wrong! Hopefully, that is my only problem Thank you guys very much for your help, and I will be sure to post as this progresses to a hopefully fixed truck.

 

I have the exact same problem and metal clunking noise in my truck (turning, bumps in the road, and backing up) but I have a lot of play in my steering. Also when I go around slight corners mines more of a grinding noise, and my steering also doesn't return straight by itself. I read the entire thread, but what was the final fix for this? I replaced all four ball joints and my shocks but have yet to tighten the bolts underneath, which I'm going to do today.

 

I have this steering noise as well and when I steer, what was the solution to this?

 

@rzimm001 i get that same metal popping noise from your video when reversing and turning out of a parking spot. Did you figure out the problem? LCA Bushings?

 

Yes it ended up being the lower control arm bushing. The a-arm was stretched from too much wheeling I guess. New a-arm fixed it. I tried a new bushing but it’s a pressed fit.