Steering Column Rattle / Clunk

[papabear1126]

Between Kanoe and you I may Finally make some headway. This has been driving me crazy for years now.
I have two "97s" manf 8/96 and 10/96.
The manf 8/96 is a Limited Automatic and has had this slight wander on the highway and I have spent countless hours only to nail down what only you two have mentioned.
The differences in the 96s in the steering! Months and videos and countless research till today!
I have changed Almost everything else except the rack itself because I read to many times guys spent all that on oem rack, hoses, etc and Still have the issue!
Yes I did all the other things minus the tilt ball shim and change the lower rag joint.
So, IF I read this right, my only real option is to hunt the yards to find a 97 with the updated better spring?
I am not buying the entire:
45290-35030 Yoke Sub-Assy, Steering Sliding $311.23 W(TILT STEERING)
Production Date:11/1995-06/1997
Fitting Vehicle Options: RZN18#, VZN18# Part Name Code:45209
It says "Replaced By:45290-35031" but that says discontinued!
So, I guess I have to go spring hunting? No luck on the part # if any for the parts discussed?
Read beyond the tack weld too, ty Kanoe. Good thing I read till the very end because I nearly ordered the LC 100 part out of FL.
I will take and post any pics etc of what I find. The differences mentioned etc.
Please! Keep this alive and updated as I am sure Many like us have not gotten this far that have the older version.
WTG on the posts!

 

[HiluxSurf SSR-G]

is it confirmed that the p/n 45290-35040 can be used on 96-97 4Runners?
Has anyone with a 96-97 used this part number as a replacement?

OK, so I did some more digging and exploring

The part in issue is called a yoke subassembly, for which I found at least 3 interchangeable part numbers:
45290-35030 - all 3rd gen 4runners
45290-35031 - all 3rd gen 4runners
45290-35040 - all 3rd gen 4runners, a 1st gen tacos

Toyota lists it as a single, non-use serviceable part.

Since I had a spare shaft, I opened the yoke and I think I may have an idea of what's wrong.

The OD of the circular plastic disk is 2-4mm less than the ID of the metal carrier. Not sure why it's designed this way, but perhaps the rag joint made up of a steel lined hole on each side of the desk receiving a steel ball needs some degree of free motion.

Keeping it against one of the carrier surfaces is wave washer (OD = 60 mm, ID is 57 mm, free height = 3 mm). Without the wave waher, the whole assembly rattles like a sack of nuts. With the washer in place, the whole assembly is noticeably tighter, although it still rattles quite a bit in this (video ) since I cleaned out all of the (24 yo) grease.

So, I wonder if the following may do the trick:
- a new, preferably beefier wave washer?
- an o-ring around the plastic disk? - don't think it would survive long
- heavier grease?

 

[DJ907]

Seems like we never got a resolution of this issue. ‘98 here, same problem (I think) running new ball joints, inner/outer TREs and bushings. Would love to hear the fix!

 

[SocalRunner15]

How are your lower control arm bushings? If they're shot....what you described will happen.

 

[ninethings]

How are your lower control arm bushings? If they're shot....what you described will happen.

Hittin some washboards pretty hard this weekend my rattle got a good bit more pronounced. Used to have to listen for it, now I cant really ignore it.

Hoping what you're suggesting is the culprit. My lca bushings are all but shot, have a new set of lca's and bushings ready to install, just need to find the time.

Everyone in this thread is contemplating trying 98+ components to rectify their issue. Thing is... I have a 2002 and have the EXACT same issues as being described here. Going to cross my fingers and hope the new LCA's remedy the issue. Really dont want to dig in to the rack/column