Lower steering shaft bad?

[COhailtr4]

So I had the steering rack replaced. Now I’m hearing what sounds like marbles or not sure how to describe it. Am I right to think this is the shaft that has gone bad?

 

[Iluvboost]

When mine went bad. The steering would get hard and stay when ever I turned. I would have to turn the steering wheel back after every turn.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

When does the noise occur? have you narrowed down roughly where it is coming from?

 

[COhailtr4]

It’s definitely coming from the steering column somewhere

 

[2003V8LTD]

So I had the steering rack replaced. Now I’m hearing what sounds like marbles or not sure how to describe it. Am I right to think this is the shaft that has gone bad?

It's probably the U-joints in the lower intermediate steering shaft. It's pretty exposed to road/trail goop there and it starts to swell up due to corrosion. It's just amazing how much this one repair can improve/lighten the car's steering. I would most definitely use an OE part but any halfway decent mechanic should be able to swap it in no problemo. I guess you could do it yourself but as I recall when I brought the local mechanic an OE Toyota part they only charged me $75 to put it in ... steering improvement was amazing.

 

[rdruss]

That shaft would have been removed when rack replaced, should have noticed if it was starting to fail, I would think, and replaced it THEN. Hindsight always 20/20!

 

[aemravan]

when does the noise occur? And when did it start? If this was right after the rack was replaced I would find it one hell of a coincidence that it went bad all of the sudden when it was previously fine.