Steering rack rod ends play

[Aeroelastic]

Hi I have play in my tie rod ends area when rocking the driver side wheel in 3-9 o'clock direction. Like how you check wheel bearing. Not a huge amount but enough to notice. SO I replaced both the inner and outer tie rods, kind of help a bit but there is still play.

I can see the inner tie rod moving when the wheel is shake as the picture.

Next I tighten the rack guide to a point where the steering just about returns itself after a turn without making effort to turn it back. So it's probably max out.

Play is still there - not huge but I can feel it through the steering wheel on gravel road.

So my question is what is the next part of the rack that will cause this play after the inner tie rod?? The rack and pinion worn out? It's a 29 years old truck. Sorry picture turned 90 degree.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Or has anyone replaced yours with an Aftermarket rack before? The Genuine Toyota one is pricy...

 

[MisterCruiser]

When you say the guide screw you mean you adjusted the actual adjustment lock nut on the rack itself, yeah?

I replaced mine with an aftermarket rack from China a few years ago, can't remember the brand but can find out. It's ok. Sometimes I think the steering is very light, wallowy if that makes sense, like if you're driving with one hand or on your fone on a narrow country road, you're liable to end up in the ditch; but I think it was always like this even on the original rack. It's like it doesn't want to drive down the road in a straight line, but my mates that have drove it and other LC's say they think all Landcruisers are like this. I got the tracking done and it didn't make any difference.

 

[Aeroelastic]

When you say the guide screw you mean you adjusted the actual adjustment lock nut on the rack itself, yeah?

I replaced mine with an aftermarket rack from China a few years ago, can't remember the brand but can find out. It's ok. Sometimes I think the steering is very light, wallowy if that makes sense, like if you're driving with one hand or on your fone on a narrow country road, you're liable to end up in the ditch; but I think it was always like this even on the original rack. It's like it doesn't want to drive down the road in a straight line, but my mates that have drove it and other LC's say they think all Landcruisers are like this. I got the tracking done and it didn't make any difference.

Thanks. Yes l adjusted the big nut by tightening it a fraction. This "push" the rack closer to the pinion. But it still has play. If I tighten more the steering wheel won't return itself after turn.
If you dont mind finding the brand you bought, it will be appreciated. At least as a reference. I am not going to spend that much money for a toyota oe for a 29 years old truck.

 

[MisterCruiser]

Turns out mine was an unbranded Chinese rack, nothing wrong with it though, does the job, in a few years now.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Upon further inspection, I think the play I had in my steering systems comes from the steering column section inside the car below the steering wheel.
There is so call a telescopic collapsible part of the column, which in an accident will collapse to shorten the column so the wheel dont impact directly onto the driver.
Timmy the toolman has a good video on this.

Mine is not rotational play, but longitudinal. It moves when I push the column towards the front of the car and pull it back. No play when turning the wheel while holding the column.
Has anyone encountered similar problem before? It felt like my steering is sensitive to unevenness of road surface.

Thanks

 

[MisterCruiser]

Interesting video, what model crusier is in Timmy the Toolman's video there, is it a 90 series? Do 90 series have that 2 piece ball bush that Timmy shimmed in the video?

I find my steering has some rotational play, like you can turn the steering wheel a bit before the wheels actually turn, I might check the shaft for play.

The steering rack bars tend to wear the teeth in the middle of the bar as that's where the steering wheel spends most of it's working life, in the straight ahead position.

 

[Aeroelastic]

Timmy’s mate Toyota is a 3rd Gen 4runner, which is the SURF as we know it, and it shares the same chassis and almost all parts with the Colorado/Prado 90. I have been watching Timmy’s videos on repairs for most of my Prado. Apart from the fact that his is a Left hand drive and with the 3.4L 5VZ.

And the 3rd Gen 4Runner also shares the same built as the American TACOMA, which we don’t get in the UK. There have been a lot of forum discussions about this collapsible joint and tack weld fix. And everyone who did it reported a massive different in steering feel. The one that most people mentioned in the US TACOMA forum is linked below (Go straight to page 6 – post by sagexp) instead of reading all the waffling before.

https://www.ttora.com/threads/clunk...haft.11145/page-6?nested_view=1&sortby=oldest

You mentioned worn out tooth, I did suspect that as well, but I checked my rack (the inner part photo below) for play while replicating the noise I have by shaking the steering shaft, the inner rack has no play. I only removed the rubber boot to check this not the entire inner tie rod - this was a photo from last year.

So I have slowly traced this back to the shaft above (there is a double UJs just where the shaft enters the footwell. I have also check this while moving the steering wheel – can’t see play there - i have a video of this but don't know how to upload here. The post in the Tacoma forum also mentioned these UJs.

So my next check will be further up, which from reading forums the telescopic joint seems to be my next target, but to check this I might have to remove the steering as per Timmy video above, which I am still thinking about… I might be able to check for play by just removing the 2 plastic covers behind the steering wheel.