Reliable Steering Rack Builder?

2003 ExtraCab 3.4L 4WD TRD MT, new tires, new LCA's/ball joints, recently aligned, tie rod ends good, could stand a new set of sway bar bushings, no current rack problems/leaks.

Short story: can anyone recommend a reliable reman company for first gen steering racks? Just went through several hours reading some of the nightmares of people who have gone this route and they start leaking or otherwise fail. Also looked into rebuilding myself but hesitant to trust I can pull it off.

The longer story: This truck handles great with one exception: let go of the wheel it will drift right. Not enough to call a pull, but enough to eat the ditch if you don't correct. I was told in 2018 it needed lower bushings and a rack, I recently replaced the LCA's, ball joints, and rack bushings.

Still got the drift. Next day had it aligned, and the tech said it's "strut bushings" (knowing full well it doesn't have struts) but "don't rule out the steering rack."

After much deliberation between the next project being coilovers/shocks or a steering rack, and re-opening the wallet multiple times to see if there's more money in there to throw at it (wouldn't you know, there isn't) I've decided I should probably do the steering rack first. I am doubtful the "strut bushings" are the source of the problem (side note, the alignment guy said they couldn't get the caster perfect because of this. It's within spec but not perfect.)

You know the story, $500 may not seem like a lot to you guys who have lifted custom suspensions, but I'm still paying off the LCA's/ball joints and tires project and am coming close to the point where my financial manager is wondering how much more I am going to throw at it.

The cheap Chinese knock-offs are a no go for me, read up on those as well, leaking in less than a year, etc. Looked into refurbished ones and Toyota won't even do it (correct?) and once it's refurbished it is no longer an OEM rack (correct?) It appears it's now the brand of whoever refurbished it, you won't even know it's an original OEM rack until you open the box. After 2 hours of reading refurb horror stories on TW here I am.

Gut instinct says wait it out until I have the current project paid off, and hope a new rack fixes this one problem. If I can find a reliable reman company, it might make it possible to look at new coilovers and UCA bushings/ball joints.

 

I would price one from mcgeorge......
......mine.... a 5 lug.....is about $525 for a brandnew toyota one....

Send them you vin and get a quote......

Your Source for Genuine Toyota Online Parts | McGeorge Toyota Parts

1995-2004 Toyota Steering Gear 44250-35042 | McGeorge Toyota Parts

 

My spreadsheet says $495 (last month) Lithia Toyota has one for $505. Probably how I'll go if I can, hoping to find someone reliable that can warranty a reman. (Searching for unicorns is Padewan always.)

 

OEM only for the rack.

First I would try a different alignment shop. Sometimes excessive caster on the right side is necessary to stop it from pulling.

My Land Cruiser has 1.5 degrees more caster on right side. Some shops will tell you that's too much caster split.

 

<changes topic title: "Reliable alignment shop in my area?">

Kidding, but that's the thing. There's no formula for determining who knows their stuff. I sure as hell don't LOL

 

More caster on the right, or less on the left should help.

You might need a steering rack, but usually that would be more of a loose feeling left and right. Not just pulling to the right. Hopefully someone else will chime in and help you.

 

Thanks, while this was keeping me awake last night, I was wondering . . . when I replaced the LCA's, I carefully marked all the cam bolts. I'm wondering if I should give this a shot myself, move the caster bolts just a tad and see. I could always put them back in the original position . . . it handles perfectly otherwise, no looseness, no clunks or leaks. I agree, doesn't seem to exhibit any of the symptoms I've read about a bad rack.

 

One of the cams, front or back I forget, adjusts caster more than camber. Find out which one and adjust that one.

You will need to adjust toe afterwards as well.

 

You're building the formula, just thinking through this issue. Call some shops and talk to them. Explain your issue, explain that you've heard adjusting the caster a bit can cancel out your drift, and see what they say.

I think you should hold off on doing it yourself unless you do a deep dive on alignment. To adjust caster you need to adjust front and rear cams independently. If you move/alter them the same you're adjusting camber. If you alter the cams in any way you have to re check all three afterwards and "walk" everything in. It's possible to do this all in your driveway/garage with a digital angle finder and some other odds and ends. But just want to make sure you're aware that it's more nuanced than casually moving the cams.

 

Yeah, thank you, I was thinking the fronts were one and the rears were the other, I would have studied up on it before doing anything but sounds like I need to find someone who knows their stuff. Seems like the alignment guy should have known caster might have fixed it, instead he tried to upsell me on Monroe quick struts. :-\ Nope!

 

I actually don't know that caster would fix it. My point was more that opening a convo with the shops will hopefully result in you finding a shop that can talk the talk and walk the walk.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking elsewhere if caster was more or less equal. I'd try to rule out a sticky caliper before having to alter the alignment.

 

Someone mentioned this before (might even have been you) and I've had the tires off since then, double checked. Both sides roll smooth, pads nice and fat not seeing any issues there. I totally agree but no one wants to do anything without "having a look" and they won't "have a look" for free. :-\ The one time I took someone's advice on a "great local mechanic" turned out to be a real gold miner, and he bent the crap out of the edges of a freshly painted skid plate, bent the lips of the frame by the LCA's checking the bushings. I bent them back before the LCA job and it really requires a bit of force to do that. Hence my gunshyness, but you're right I gotta do something, will have to start digging around after the holiday.

 

I wouldn't rule the caliper out based on what you described. Do you know if your calipers have been replaced or serviced? If original, I'd rebuild them (get a seal kit and DIY), replace the rear wheel cylinders, and flush the whole brake system with new fluid. At 20 years, it's time.

 

Well, that I can do, but I did put new rotors and pads on a year or so ago and flushed/bled the brakes at that time. They seemed OK, rubber all still pliable with no signs of leaks or cracks, was able to compress the cylinders easily, but no, I didn't rebuild them because I didn't see any red flags. (Back story, it had a slight chatter under hard braking and thought I had warped rotors, but nope, that problem went away when I put new drums in the rear, guess someone had warped them with a too-tight ebrake adjustment.)

 

oh this is great info!

so the rack that goes bad easy..... the replacements also go bad even quicker. well that might explain why my replaced rack is oozing from the top.

thank you very much!

 

hey is this Fuji brand any good? or is it no better than the cheapy US made stuff?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324381176894

 

Fuji looks interesting but its not a whole lot less expensive than genuine Toyota. I got mine from McGeorge for about $565.00 delivered to my door.

 

Meh I have some shit Detroit axle drop shipped garbage I've been running for 3 years on standard ps fluid and it hasn't blown up yet. Was like $200
Install isn't that hard so I'm happy enough

 

yeah i saw the one with a 2 year warranty.... its on sale now for $133. might just go that route.

 

it showed up today. looks nice. now we see how it holds up after it in.