How to: Replace steering rack guide- Pictures

[yukonrider]

Posted this on Yotatech and TTORA, but figured I would bring it here too in response to a recent thread... Enjoy!

If you read THIS thread, you know whats going on here, but if you haven't its a good read, but here is a basic rundown

Inside your steering rack, there is a guide that keeps everything moving the right way, over time it can loosen, and lead to sloppy steering, or a mysterious front end clunk. The original part was a roller on bearings, this was replaced with a sold piece in later model years.

This video shows what happens when one gets really worn out, and this is the one that I am replacing.


Its pretty simple to do, all you need is:
The parts from Toyota (read before ordering)

End sub-assembly, steering rack no. 2/ Guide sub/assembly
45504-35031-
Spring(for steering rack guide)/Spring, compression
90501-26074-
cap, Steering rack guide spring/ Cap, rack guide spring
45524-37010-
Nut(for steering rack guide spring cap/ nut
90179-48003-

Then you'll need a 5/8th inch threaded rod connector (Mine was $1.24 at home depot)
And a 24mm socket and ratchet
Also, a magnet
A dollop of grease
And lastly a big wrench

Here is the item we will be replacing, that large nut you can see on the rack.

First remove the cap, Mine was pretty tight at first

This is what will come out

Then I had to knock off the ring, you'll see it when you get there

Then your left with this, the guide itself

I used the magnet on my parts holder to pull this out, you may have a better way, but I couldn't get any pliers on it.

Then your left with a pile of old parts

Money savers listen up here, I found the old spring, and new spring, and the old guide bolt were the same sizes as the new stuff. If you want to save a bit you could probably re-use them

 

[yukonrider]

Then its time to put the new stuff in
Slide in the new guide

Then take the guide nut (the big ring thing) and spin it onto the new guide cap.
Then take the gude cap, and put a dollop of grease into the indent for the spring, this will help hold the spring on there while you put it in and tighten the cap

Thread the guide in by hand, it will tighten for a bit then you'll need to use your 24mm and the rod connector

I tightened it up until it was 'tight' then backed it off a quarter turn. The torque spec is (18ft.lbs then back it off 19deg), but I don't have a wrench here that will measure that low, so basically if its too lose, you will notice that the slop is still there, and too tight, you will feel it in the steering wheel. I had 1 or 2 threads left showing when it was all done.

Hopefully this helps some people! If you have any questions or I left something out feel free to PM me!

 

[Stick Figure]

Good tutorial any idea what year the bearing to sold change over happened?

 

[yukonrider]

Good tutorial any idea what year the bearing to sold change over happened?

Not sure, but if you have the old style, it will have the cap with the nut sticking out. If its the new style, it will be an indented nut..thing.. yeah

 

[Anodyne]

Great post tutorial, many thanks.
I have a 97 SR5 4X4 with almost 150K. It looks like my rack may be weeping, but I say that only because the lower half of the boots were dark, like oil or something like that. There was also some play.

Pardon the ignorance, but what is causing the weep? Is it grease? steering fluid? Sounds stupid, but I'm trying to learn about this chit.
Also, how much grease did you put on the newly installed guide that rides against the piston? Do you pack the piston area with grease? And, what kind of grease? Finally, at what point do you determine that a new rack is needed?

thanks in advance

 

[yukonrider]

I'm not sure why is weeping. and I don't realllly know how the steering rack works (beyond my educated guess)

And I didn't put any grease on it. AFAIK you dont need any grease on the part.

 

[brammermaan]

Has anyone else replaced this?

I stumbled across the post after I replaced my rack bushings and was upset because I still have a lot of slop in my steering (although the rack bushings did help a lot).

My parts are in the mail right now and I am wondering if anyone can describe the steering wheel before and after. My wheel always has a shimmy that propagates all the way to the brush guard and makes it shake. I hope its only the rack guide.

[I currently have 2-3k miles on a new set of tires and an alignment]

 

[SoCal]

I could have used this post a year ago. Good write up though, hopefully others will get some use out of it. The pictures really help.

 

[TN22Corps]

Merchant Recommend

Hey guys, since I'm tackling the slop in my steering I'm going to replace the steering rack bushings and thought I'd take a look at the rack guide tomorrow. Seems plausible to do it all at once.

Can anyone recommend somewhere to buy the parts for the rack guide replacement?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LINY4Runner]

Hey guys, since I'm tackling the slop in my steering I'm going to replace the steering rack bushings and thought I'd take a look at the rack guide tomorrow. Seems plausible to do it all at once.

Can anyone recommend somewhere to buy the parts for the rack guide replacement?

Thanks in advance.

Looks like parts that will only be available at a Toyota dealership

 

[Victor]

I stumbled across the post after I replaced my rack bushings and was upset because I still have a lot of slop in my steering (although the rack bushings did help a lot).

My parts are in the mail right now and I am wondering if anyone can describe the steering wheel before and after. My wheel always has a shimmy that propagates all the way to the brush guard and makes it shake. I hope its only the rack guide.

[I currently have 2-3k miles on a new set of tires and an alignment]

The shimmy is probably due to a balance issue, or it could very well be the slop in the rack going back and forth. I have the same excess play in the rack on my Runner as well, first replaced the rack bushings and it seemed to help a tad. But both passenger and driver sides had excessive play still. The remedy was to replace BOTH inner tie rod ends, or if your rack is leaking change the whole rack completely.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

The shimmy is probably due to a balance issue, or it could very well be the slop in the rack going back and forth. I have the same excess play in the rack on my Runner as well, first replaced the rack bushings and it seemed to help a tad. But both passenger and driver sides had excessive play still. The remedy was to replace BOTH inner tie rod ends, or if your rack is leaking change the whole rack completely.

I just had to replace my whole rack.

Glad you mentioned this, as just replacing the guide will not fix a rack entirely

 

[PNWRunner]

great writeup, i will probably give this a shot when i do my LBJs and tie-rod ends.

What problems did you have that led you to do this? My 4Runner walks all over at freeway speeds and has a nasty steering wheel shudder at 70+. Rack bushings did nothing either; maybe i will give this a shot before tie rods.

*by the way, your swaybar bushing is toast

 

[Elton H]

dont wheelers have a kit ? also your sway bar bushings dont look to happy

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

Wheeler's kit is only to hold the rack in place, nothing internal. Just ordered one set for my new steering rack today, anyway. Good to have.

And I hope he's changed those sway bar bushings since...

 

[kakarot]

yukonrider,
On the OP 2nd and last photo you loose the steering rack on the left see the photo that I circle in red. Do I have to take that section apart like your too just to do replacement. Could you describe that part in the photo as I'm confuse and do you jack-up your car up as well to do the job.

Thanks!

 

[TN22Corps]

2nd opinion

I've been having some steering/suspension issues for quite awhile now. I did the rack guide inspection and there does look like some movement, however, is it enough to constitute replacing the rack guide? I don't see as much movement as in the OPs.

Can I get a second opinion?

YouTube - IMG 0230

YouTube - IMG 0231

 

[Nelsonmd]

yukonrider,
On the OP 2nd and last photo you loose the steering rack on the left see the photo that I circle in red. Do I have to take that section apart like your too just to do replacement. Could you describe that part in the photo as I'm confuse and do you jack-up your car up as well to do the job.

Thanks!

What you circled are the tie rod ends. You don't need to touch them to replace the steering rack guide.

If you have steering wobble, the TRE's might be your culprit though. Keep in mind that the guide isn't the only cause of steering wobble, just one contributor.

 

[kakarot]

Thank you Nelsonmd

What you circled are the tie rod ends. You don't need to touch them to replace the steering rack guide.

If you have steering wobble, the TRE's might be your culprit though. Keep in mind that the guide isn't the only cause of steering wobble, just one contributor.

 

[Volley]

I too have been trying to diagnose a vibe/shimmy (feels more side to side I think) so I am also curious as to what type of symptoms you guys have had prior to replacing the rack guide or bushings for that matter? Great write up BTW