How to: Replace steering rack guide- Pictures

[Nelsonmd]

Can anyone add to this regarding effectiveness and any negative effects?

I've been reading and re-reading this thread about correcting some front-end vibration and slop. Seems plausible to just tighten the existing guide instead of buying a new one. Or, is it that the new one is better/more effective?

Tightening the rack guide took away a little bit of the slop for me, but very quickly that will start making the steering harder. I overtightened it to the point that the wheel wouldn't return to center on it's own. It felt nice and tight, but I backed it off of that until the tension felt good. It is easy enough to do by feel just driving around the block after each adjustment.

 

[Volley]

Only thing I can add is my rig was much more solid after install. I had the old style and it didn't seem like it had too much play but changing it out made a good bit of difference. It's cheap and quick...A+

 

[PNWRunner]

Just changed the guide on my 99 and wow, I wish I would have done this before I did bushings and TRE's. The highway wandering and 60+ steering wheel shake are gone. Feels so much better than before.

 

[TN22Corps]

Not a dumb question, it makes sense.
Having to refill the reservoir may mean a leak but it doesn't necessarily mean it's the rack itself that's leaking.

Ok, reading all these symptoms I was leaning towards a bad rack. I even went so far as replacing the rack bushings first. But like I said, the rack isn't leaking (PS reservoir stays full, the fluid I was seeing on it is oil from a valve cover gasket leak).

I just got back from the dealership for a 3rd opinion (after going to two general mechanics) and surprise, surprise- he said the rack looked fine and that it was the front shocks that needed replacing, showing me where the oil was leaking from them.

While I was there, I got a proper balance and just that made quite a difference. So, perhaps the tires being out of balance combined with 230k mi original shocks gave me the same front end issues.

 

[Gerdo]

I just did this guide replacement and what a great repair. Easy too.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Just changed the guide on my 99 and wow, I wish I would have done this before I did bushings and TRE's. The highway wandering and 60+ steering wheel shake are gone. Feels so much better than before.

I've started to get the shakes myself. Now at 50+ it starts to get noticeable, by 65 its horrible, at 70 it almost calms out slightly (or similiar to what it does right at 50), I don't know what happens after that. I found this thread and decided I would start with the rack guide before moving onto the rack bushings simply because the guide is much easier than the bushings to replace. I just tried tightening it, which helped slightly, but didn't solve it.

I've got a new one on order from my local toyo dealer, but my question really is would you say that it was the guide that really fixed the vibration problem you had or was it simply because of a combo of the bushing, TRE, & the guide? If it was a combo, I might consider trying to get an order of TRE's in while were still waiting on the guide to get shipped out from the warehouse (might get a better deal this way). TIA.

 

[noneckrex]

Anyone know the price for all this?

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Anyone know the price for all this?

You can pull all the part #'s up on Toyota Part Zone. I don't need the nut or cap because I have an 01' and can just reuse the existing, but the total cost of the guide and spring + approx. $15 shipping came up to about $60. I ended up ordering it from my local dealer though because they do try to hook me up if possible, and they got the price down to about $65. For $5 i'd rather see the business stay in the local economy.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Bump...

So...does anybody have any additional input on this? Anyone replaced their steering rack guide recently and want to add anything to the conversation? Anyone have an issue with their rig and this solved the problem? Anyone...

 

[kruegs]

So, just saw this and thought I'd chime in. I have the exact same issue... shakes primarily in the 60-70mph range. Mine got worse after I recently lifted the 4Runner with OME881/890 springs and new OME shocks. I've had the wheels balanced, the alignment dialed in etc which helped a little bit, but I am still not totally satisfied. Knocking down the list of things it could be, I went for the steering rack guide replacement (mine is a 99 so it was the old style). I will report that the steering is nice and "tight" now... but for me it was not the silver bullet that I was hoping for. I still get the shakes in the 60-70mph range, but again... not quite as bad as before.

For me, I suspect LBJ or some other suspension related componet is to blame... but for now I am going to leave it alone and stop dumping money into it. It is really only annoying to be right at 65mph, but calms almost all the way down right past 70. So I either have to haul ass, or stay under 60. LOL.

Best of luck... If your contemplating doing both the LBJ and the guide at the same time, it might be worth your while...

 

[THEREALTOR1]

So, just saw this and thought I'd chime in. I have the exact same issue... shakes primarily in the 60-70mph range. Mine got worse after I recently lifted the 4Runner with OME881/890 springs and new OME shocks. I've had the wheels balanced, the alignment dialed in etc which helped a little bit, but I am still not totally satisfied. Knocking down the list of things it could be, I went for the steering rack guide replacement (mine is a 99 so it was the old style). I will report that the steering is nice and "tight" now... but for me it was not the silver bullet that I was hoping for. I still get the shakes in the 60-70mph range, but again... not quite as bad as before.

For me, I suspect LBJ or some other suspension related componet is to blame... but for now I am going to leave it alone and stop dumping money into it. It is really only annoying to be right at 65mph, but calms almost all the way down right past 70. So I either have to haul ass, or stay under 60. LOL.

Best of luck... If your contemplating doing both the LBJ and the guide at the same time, it might be worth your while...

Sounds like we got the exact same issue krueg. I just got the call this morning that the parts in, so i'll replace it out, and i'm due to get an alignment on Wednesday when I get my new wheels put on. I'll update after wednesday, let you know what I end up with.

 

[kruegs]

Sounds great man... and I hope you get yours figured out for sure... it can be a real source of frustration. For me, it is literally the (ONE) and only thing that bugs me on the 4Runner. I can take trips all day long around town <50mph and love the ride. The second I get on the highway and approach 60, I know I am in for a case of the shakes at that point. ;-)

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Sounds great man... and I hope you get yours figured out for sure... it can be a real source of frustration. For me, it is literally the (ONE) and only thing that bugs me on the 4Runner. I can take trips all day long around town <50mph and love the ride. The second I get on the highway and approach 60, I know I am in for a case of the shakes at that point. ;-)

Thats exactly how I feel. I purposely drive at =<49 mph at all times

 

[econhonda]

So, this thread has me intrigued. I was experiencing some mild play/looseness in the steering and decided to replace the rack bushings when I replaced my LBJ's and TRE's about a month ago. The play/looseness went away on road and it feels much better, but I still feel a "knock" when I go off road. Anytime the front end hits a somewhat harsh bump, I feel a knock in the steering. What say ye? Will the new style rack guide fix this? I detected a small amount of vertical play in the rack guide before I replaced the bushings. Haven't checked since they were replaced. Thanks.

 

[Gerdo]

So, this thread has me intrigued. I was experiencing some mild play/looseness in the steering and decided to replace the rack bushings when I replaced my LBJ's and TRE's about a month ago. The play/looseness went away on road and it feels much better, but I still feel a "knock" when I go off road. Anytime the front end hits a somewhat harsh bump, I feel a knock in the steering. What say ye? Will the new style rack guide fix this? I detected a small amount of vertical play in the rack guide before I replaced the bushings. Haven't checked since they were replaced. Thanks.

It eliminated my knock.

 

[WHORERUNNER]

So, this thread has me intrigued. I was experiencing some mild play/looseness in the steering and decided to replace the rack bushings when I replaced my LBJ's and TRE's about a month ago. The play/looseness went away on road and it feels much better, but I still feel a "knock" when I go off road. Anytime the front end hits a somewhat harsh bump, I feel a knock in the steering. What say ye? Will the new style rack guide fix this? I detected a small amount of vertical play in the rack guide before I replaced the bushings. Haven't checked since they were replaced. Thanks.

I had my sway bar end links replaced, I started hearing a knock after the 1st day. when I checked it out, my endlinks were not on tight enough. Open your hood and have some grab the side of your fender (kinda like sail surfin) goin up and down. Thats how I found my knock.

 

[t4r4life]

looking at this my head hurts

 

[THEREALTOR1]

I haven't had a chance to swap mine out yet. I've got the parts and I busted loose the OEM so it should literally only take me 1/2 an hour tops, just been super busy the last week or so. As I pointed out in another thread, I did "tighten up" the oem after I busted it loose, and took it apart to see exactly what it was I would be dealing with, and that tightening up, along with another alignment seemed to have helped out alot with the vibration, but its still there. Hope to get this done in the next couple days.

 

[econhonda]

Just changed my guide. It seems to have taken away the knock! I'll take it offroad soon and see if the slip joint needs to be welded as well. Thanks for the tip Yukon!

 

[J-money$$$]

Bump for a good post. I just ordered the parts. I remembered reading this a few moths ago. when i noticed my rack guide was bad if was a quick search for this tread and the part numbers seem to be perfect