Steering column fix

Thought I'd post a pic of the fix I did. Figured maybe it might be helpful to someone.

Pic #1 - You can see that the green bushing is broken. (picture would only upload upside down for some reason)

Pic #2 - Placed zip ties in all 4 corners. No more issues.

 

Would SS tie wraps help ??? Just a thought ...

9milelake 25 Pack Stainless Steel 304 Self Locking Ball Lock Cable Ties 8" X 3/16" BD-200x25

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQPXMOW/ref=psdc_507844_t3_B00CTKBTH2

 

3D printed part?

 

Just did the zip tie fix on a 2010 TRD AC Taco and it worked! No more rattle. So stoked to find this forum.

 

I put a zip tie in and jb welded around it!

 

OH MY GOD!!!! Totally fixed something that was driving me crazy. I could not stand the banging and shaking. 4 zip ties and done. What a crazy little fix for what is apparently a huge problem!

 

Just did this and tested in a gravel lot and everything seems much better than before, didn’t feel any steering wheel clunk. Will be interesting to see if it works while off road as well, should be able to test out in two weekends.

 

After having issue with the intermediate shaft, I changed it put and now the traction control and abs light are on and I couldnt go over 5 to 10 mph with out fighting the steering and brakes. What can I do to remedy this. Oh yeah I reset all of the issues with my scan tool, but the airbag will not reset. How common us the coil spring breaking during the switch out of that particular shaft?

 

OK, this might be my new favorite, cheapest, easiest, and most irritation killing mod yet. Just got done and no more clunk.

 

Thank you! I was hesitant to try this but there’s no other way around to know if it would work.
Worked like a charm!
I had an annoying clunking on the steering wheel just while off roading. It’s gone now and couldn’t be happier.

In case some of you may wonder my truck is a 2009 tacoma double cab 4x4.

 

The amount of forces this steering shaft sees requires a strong permanent fix to make sure it is reliable down the road. I attempted to do two spot welds on the inside of the shaft on this but eventually the welds broke making the shaft rattle and clunk at times due to it wobbling around in there without a secure hold down.

There are several issues plaguing this shaft from being a solid well designed item. The only way to ensure the shaft is secure, solid, and permanently affixed in place is to remove the bushing, and place several spot welds top and bottom of it fixing the upper and the lower portion of it 2-3 mm away from the opening as shown in the photos above. I had approximately 6 spot welds placed on my shaft. The next issue is that the large rivets holding the upper and lower portion of the shaft in place allow some play. If you have the tools available or have someone who is willing to do the work, remove the rivets holding the shaft together and secure the assembly back together using large bolts washers and nylock nuts which will not allow any movement of the shaft once installed. The fasteners can be obtained at any Ace Hardware. I recommend bringing in the shaft to reference how long and thick the bolts need to be, maybe even one of the old rivets. Shown below are the final pictures of my mod of the shaft. It is a lengthy process to get right, but it is incredibly tight and free of any excess play.

 

Omg not only did this fix take away the slop when off road. It took care of a intermittent steering wheel shake at highway speeds. I’ve had my tires balanced AND REPLACED! And a zip tie worked! I was showing my dad the fix with the truck not running and turning the wheel under pressure without the power steering pump actually popped out that green grommet, someone had mentioned it being a B&@:$ to get back in. And I can confirm it sucks. But once I got it back in and a fresh zip tie I’m good to go and I made dang sure that grommet was seated fully this time.

 

Attempted this; to confirm it is my intermediate shaft that is at fault. And while there is a wobble, I can’t get a zip tie through!

How did you do all slip a zip tie through along the shaft/bearing?

 

About to try this! Thank you!

 

^what he said. Not reading through all the posts again, but someone suggested cutting small strips of aluminum cans.
That's what I did, and it worked.

 

Why not just find out the diameter of the pin, and install padding/foam there? seems like the better solution?

To me, that’s where the clunking is happening...

 

Dude, this worked like a charm! Crazy to think there is that much feedback in the steering wheel with just a little play in the dampening bushing. Cheers for making the post, it definitely helped!

 

I have read through the many posts about this steering mod and I just completed my version. The original design from Toyota is terrible.

I found a universal 3.25" coupling bushing, it is a little stiffer than the one from Toyota. I was going to use the original one but it had a few cracks in the rubber.

The OD of the shaft where the green bushing was installed is around 7/8". I used a 3/4" ID heater hose that had an OD of around 1".

I had to open up the female end(coupling half where green bushing/shaft go into) with a burr bit a good bit. This material is stainless steel and the structural integrity is not compromised.

Put everything back together using grade 8 hardware. I used rubber tape as a bushing for the spacers on the bolts so that there was not any play.