Steering shaft zip tie fix issue

I should have left it alone, but I didn't. I had the steering wheel loose feeling in my taco and read about the zip tie idea. So giving it a shot I cramned a zip tie in the collar at the bottom where the others have done. It did feel tighter but there was an annoying clicking noise when I would turn the wheel. Thinking maybe I was 90° off I removed it and put one on the side. Same click, so removed and reinserted another 90°(now 180°). Same click, another 90, same click. Damn it! So pulled it out and now with no ties at all its clicking. Wtf? Anybody have an idea what I should do? And yes I know, should've left it alone.

 

Put in the TSB intermediate shaft.

 

What is the steering shaft issue exactly or where can I read about it? I'm having a weird issue when I drive on gravel roads it feels very weird almost like something is loose or shifting in the steering column somewhere. I've never felt anything like it before.

 

..........and it may likely clunk as well.

The issue is the bushing in the center of the upper steering intermediate shaft becomes worn and deformed and lose. This contributes to sloppy steering and noise. There is a redesigned (upper) intermediate shaft to address this.
The other issue that seems to be raising its head more and more as the 2nd gens age is the rusting of the needle bearings in the lower intermediate shaft causing hard steering and even some accounts of the sudden steering loss. This seems to be more frequent in the rust belt and areas where the lower shaft encounters water a lot.

Honestly, if this were mine truck and I planned on keeping it for some time I would just replace both.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/steering-column-rattle-tsb.96634/

 

So do you think its the upper or lower intermediate? I looked at the tsb and dont see an issue changing it myself but dont want to replace the wrong one. Thanks for the info btw, much appreciated.

 

The upper is generally where most of the looseness and noise occurs.

The bottom one does just the opposite if the ujoint rusts. It gets stiff, or could seize.

Age, mileage and exposure are considerations and you may not need the lower on a '12 yet unless you are where the ujoint on the lower shaft gets hit with water/slush a lot.

If the lower looks marginal I suggested doing both primarily because both shafts are poorly designed and constructed. The looseness and clunk in the upper is annoying for sure but not a safety issue. The lower has the potential to be a serious issue (loss of control).

 

Interesting and useful information, thank you. As it sits the lower is in excellent condition. The boot looks great, no rust, and as far as I can tell it doesn't present a safety hazard. Upon closer inspection the upper is what makes the noise(like you said). It had a thin plastic ring which had come dislodged and was sitting crooked which allowed the end of the lower to come into contact with the joint creating the click. I managed to straighten it on the shaft and I happened to have a rubber end cap off of a form roller for my press at work. They come that way from the manufacturer to protect the journal during transport. It fit perfectly on the end of the shaft and added another layer of protection against allowing the two to come into contact. So far, so good. It even feels like it tightened up the joint which is what I wanted in the first place. Took a quick run thru the canyon close to my house after work and feels great and no freakin noise. I am slightly concerned about if this could cause any safety issue. I dont think so however I am not an expert, obviously. What do you think?

 

Got a pic? I've taken the guts out of about three of those shafts and tried all kinds of DIY bushings inside. Would like to see what you did.

 

Bump! I did a write up for a zip tie mod killer! Let me know if it helps anyone!!!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-fix-zip-tie-mod-killer.702754/#post-24912139