Steering Rack Replaced now Steering wheel off, Please help!

[4Runner4TW]

So I just finished replaced the steering rack. I tied off the steering wheel to make sure it stayed straight. Got it all buttoned back up and now the steering wheel is upside down/off by 180 degrees!

I'm so frustrated that I cant think what to do to fix it to bring it close to center. I know I need to get an alignment now, is that something they can fix? I've read they can and the can't.

I marked how it was suppose to be. I'm thinking about going out there tomorrow morning and undoing it all to turn the steering wheel straight, but I'm worried I will mess with the clock spring.

I feel like there's no reason for it to be that far off when I even tied the steering wheel to the seat.

If you know anything about this subject please help I need to fixed by tomorrow..

 

[4Runner4TW]

Ok I should also note that one of the OTRE would not come off the LBJ so I literally disconnected the entire steering rack and twisted it, yes the steering rack, until it came out. I then used the same process to install the new steering rack by twisting it onto the OTRE. I replaced the drivers side OTRE with a brand new one.

I counted the threads on each side and matched what it was before, but maybe the new one is a different length causing the steering issue?

 

[JayRolla]

Did you center the rack before installing? Manually turn the rack all the way left, then go all the way right and count exactly how many turns. Then you go half the amount of turns back so the rack is centered. If the rack is not centered you can break the center clock spring in the steering column which not a fun cheap fix.

After thats straight you can do a driveway toe adjustment with fishing line and measuring tape and or take her to get aligned. Im guessing your rack is not centered at install.

 

[A.Wilson013]

Hey man, [MENTION=82154]GSPRunner[/MENTION] and I did his rack a few weeks ago and had the same issue. It's VERY easy to fix, but you'll need someone to help you out. Set aside 5 minutes to do it.

Go under the 4runner and look at where the steering column/shaft/whatever enters the rack. Now look ABOVE where it enters and you'll see two bolts running "through" the shaft, one a few inches above the other. Loosening them will allow you to press UP on the steering column/shaft/whatever enough for the teeth that go into the rack to come out. Push up on it, have your helper center the wheel, and let it slide back in. Tighten the two bolts back up.

Once you're under there all of that will be PERFECTLY clear. But if it's not pm me your cell # and I'll take a picture tomorrow.

 

[4Runner4TW]

Thanks man I have been thinking of ways to just loosen the steering shaft. I tried to loosen it myself, do you need to someone to hold the steering wheel to prevent it from turning?

 

[the great him]

Did you center the rack before installing? Manually turn the rack all the way left, then go all the way right and count exactly how many turns. Then you go half the amount of turns back so the rack is centered. If the rack is not centered you can break the center clock spring in the steering column which not a fun cheap fix.

After thats straight you can do a driveway toe adjustment with fishing line and measuring tape and or take her to get aligned. Im guessing your rack is not centered at install.

Hey man, [MENTION=82154]GSPRunner[/MENTION] and I did his rack a few weeks ago and had the same issue. It's VERY easy to fix, but you'll need someone to help you out. Set aside 5 minutes to do it.

Go under the 4runner and look at where the steering column/shaft/whatever enters the rack. Now look ABOVE where it enters and you'll see two bolts running "through" the shaft, one a few inches above the other. Loosening them will allow you to press UP on the steering column/shaft/whatever enough for the teeth that go into the rack to come out. Push up on it, have your helper center the wheel, and let it slide back in. Tighten the two bolts back up.

Once you're under there all of that will be PERFECTLY clear. But if it's not pm me your cell # and I'll take a picture tomorrow.

yes to both of these. but if you did not pre-center the rack prior to installation you will need do as A.Wilson says, and seperate the input shaft on the rack for the rest of the shaft at the joint, as well as the tie rods from the LBJs once you have done this then you can center the rack by turning the imput shaft all the way to the right, and all the way to the left, counting how many turns it takes to get from lock to lock or limit to limit. then divide that number in half and turn the rack back from lock/limit that many times. once you do that straiten the steering wheel and simply reattach the the shaft to the rack and tighten everything back up. do not turn the wheel while it is disconnected as you can damage the clockspring.

 

[4Runner4TW]

Ok I've read through this a couple of times and I think I get it.
1. Disconnect the shaft
2. Disconnect TRE from LBJ
3. Use the part of the shaft that is still connected to the rack to rotate the rack from left to right, count, and reduce by half so rack is center.
4. This part I'm confused about, My steering wheel is currently upside down, so is it ok to center the wheel
5. Connected the shaft back to the rack
6. Connect OTE
7. Fluids, wheels, drive to alignment shop

My biggest issue right now and maybe the cause for all this is that I cannot get the passanger side OTRE off of the LBJ. I drove an hour to rent a tool that did not fit. I literally had to spin the entire rack off of the OTRE to remove and then spin the new one on. That was a hell of a process. I am willing to drive back out tomorrow to get the larger pulling tool to get it removed so I can get this truck going again.

Thanks everyone!

 

[jeremyc74]

yes to both of these. but if you did not pre-center the rack prior to installation you will need do as A.Wilson says, and seperate the input shaft on the rack for the rest of the shaft at the joint, as well as the tie rods from the LBJs once you have done this then you can center the rack by turning the imput shaft all the way to the right, and all the way to the left, counting how many turns it takes to get from lock to lock or limit to limit. then divide that number in half and turn the rack back from lock/limit that many times. once you do that straiten the steering wheel and simply reattach the the shaft to the rack and tighten everything back up. do not turn the wheel while it is disconnected as you can damage the clockspring.

Why would you need to take the tie rods off the LBJ to center the rack? It's a fixed shaft between the two wheels. If the wheels are straight it's centered.

 

[JayRolla]

yes to both of these. but if you did not pre-center the rack prior to installation you will need do as A.Wilson says, and seperate the input shaft on the rack for the rest of the shaft at the joint, as well as the tie rods from the LBJs once you have done this then you can center the rack by turning the imput shaft all the way to the right, and all the way to the left, counting how many turns it takes to get from lock to lock or limit to limit. then divide that number in half and turn the rack back from lock/limit that many times. once you do that straiten the steering wheel and simply reattach the the shaft to the rack and tighten everything back up. do not turn the wheel while it is disconnected as you can damage the clockspring.

You just said exactly what we both said. LOL.

 

[JayRolla]

Why would you need to take the tie rods off the LBJ to center the rack? It's a fixed shaft between the two wheels. If the wheels are straight it's centered.

No not at all. If the rack is say turned all the way right when installed. Tires can still be straight and you cant turn right any. If you do this you can over extend the center clock spring. Not fun to replace at all! Usually racks come centered when new.

You must unhook the rack from the LBJ, center rack like stated above and then reconnect.

 

[jeremyc74]

No not at all. If the rack is say turned all the way right when installed. Tires can still be straight and you cant turn right any. If you do this you can over extend the center clock spring. Not fun to replace at all! Usually racks come centered when new.

You must unhook the rack from the LBJ, center rack like stated above and then reconnect.

If you uncouple the steering wheel from the input shaft you can center the wheel, and center the rack, and then recouple them. You don't need to disconnect the tie rods to do that.

 

[the great him]

Why would you need to take the tie rods off the LBJ to center the rack? It's a fixed shaft between the two wheels. If the wheels are straight it's centered.

for several reasons. one you avoid confusion with the tires and the direction they are pointing as to where center is, plus if the tires are still attached and the rack in not centered you can hit the turning stops in the LBJs before the rack has maxed out giving you a false limit or max traverse, so you would not be able to find center. and lastly for simple ease of doing this, you dont have to turn the tires while while left and right while trying to find center on the rack -its like 100+ lbs extra you dont have to move.

No not at all. If the rack is say turned all the way right when installed. Tires can still be straight and you cant turn right any. If you do this you can over extend the center clock spring. Not fun to replace at all! Usually racks come centered when new.

You must unhook the rack from the LBJ, center rack like stated above and then reconnect.

yes

You just said exactly what we both said. LOL.

yes i did but i kinda barny stepped it and consolidated it -i felt it would be less confusing how it was -i mean no offence to the OP but if he had not been able to figure it out by now, then the risk was great that he would not fallow the earlier posts.

one thing i will at is you need to center the steering wheel prior to taking everything else appart -hopefully you remember what way the steering wheel turned initially to become 180* off and reverse that to center.

 

[jeremyc74]

for several reasons. one you avoid confusion with the tires and the direction they are pointing as to where center is, plus if the tires are still attached and the rack in not centered you can hit the turning stops in the LBJs before the rack has maxed out giving you a false limit or max traverse, so you would not be able to find center. and lastly for simple ease of doing this, you dont have to turn the tires while while left and right while trying to find center on the rack -its like 100+ lbs extra you dont have to move.

.

The issue here is the relationship between the steering wheel and the input shaft. The tires don't have anything to do with it. All you have to do is uncouple the wheel from the rack, center the rack, center the wheel, and recouple the two. If the tires are centered, the rack is centered, unless you have the adjustment of the tie rods completely wrong.

 

[4Runner4TW]

I did a lot of research prior to this install and somehow missed the rack centering procedure. Looking at the rack it seems centered. Both OTRE are the exact as they where when I removed the old one and the boots show equal length on each side as well.

Thank you for all the posts I get the procedure now. The biggest pain in the ass at this point is driving an hour to get the proper tool to remove the passenger OTRE. Let me recap because I think this is great information for others. I noticed a lot of people, mostly 99 as well, have been replacing their racks around 200K like mine.

1. Disconnect OTRE from LBJ
2. Diconnect the steering shaft from the rack
3. Turn the rack from lock to lock, count the rotations and half to find rack center.
4. For me, I believe i remember the way the wheel turned so I can just turn it back to center, but if you dont...
5. I read to turn the wheel COUNTER clockwise until you feel slight resistant, then turn it back 2 1/2 turns to center. This s very delicate procedure as to not break the clock spring.
6. Connect the steering to the rack. Connect the OTR to the LBJ trying to make the wheels or toe as straight as possble.

 

[4Runner4TW]

The issue here is the relationship between the steering wheel and the input shaft. The tires don't have anything to do with it. All you have to do is uncouple the wheel from the rack, center the rack, center the wheel, and recouple the two. If the tires are centered, the rack is centered, unless you have the adjustment of the tie rods completely wrong.

I feel like in my case with e OTRE being equal and the boot length on the rack equal, but just the steering is off that I might be able to just turn the wheel back to center..Which for me is clockwise.


Say the clock spring were to break, are you still able to drive the truck?

 

[JayRolla]

I feel like in my case with e OTRE being equal and the boot length on the rack equal, but just the steering is off that I might be able to just turn the wheel back to center..Which for me is clockwise.


Say the clock spring were to break, are you still able to drive the truck?

The clock spring is the cable that connects to the airbag. If it breaks its super hard to replace and you wont have a working air bag.

You can pop a tie rod end buy hitting a hammer on the lower ball joint shocking the joint and causing the tie rod end to pop out. Dont hit the TRE or the threads, but the side of the LBJ where the TRE connects.

When installing you should have tied steering down to keep it straight. This link should help centering it.

https://www.airbagsolutions.com/Clk.aspx

 

[4Runner4TW]

The clock spring is the cable that connects to the airbag. If it breaks its super hard to replace and you wont have a working air bag.

You can pop a tie rod end buy hitting a hammer on the lower ball joint shocking the joint and causing the tie rod end to pop out. Dont hit the TRE or the threads, but the side of the LBJ where the TRE connects.

When installing you should have tied steering down to keep it straight. This link should help centering it.

https://www.airbagsolutions.com/Clk.aspx

I was able to get the drivers side off by hitting the LBJ with a hammer but the passenger side would not come off this way. As stated before I was able to complete the install by spinning the ENTIRE rack off of the OTR that i couldnt remove from the LBJ.

I did tie the steering wheel to a bar underneath the seat. I should have just asked my fiance to come out and help. She is going to help me this morning. I think where I went wrong is I turned the wheel 180 degrees to get the second bolt that holds the shaft to the rack. Must have messed up at that process even though I turned the wheel back and tied it off.

 

[4Runner4TW]

Well to finish off the thread i disconnected the steering shaft from the rack and turning the wheel 180 degrees to straighten the wheel. The rack boots and OTRE were equal so I figured the rack was centered.

Took it for a test drive and boy it is tight and heavy. Turning radius felt good. Just feels a little heavy but I have also been driving an 89 Cadillac the past two weeks so there is a big difference there. I have a brand new rack guide on the old rack and the new rack came with the old style so I might change that out and see if that helps.

After my test drive I did notice leaks at the power steering lines. I tightened them up some more and no more leaks. Those suckers have to be extremely tight!

Thanks for all the help! Hopefully this thread and others like it will help others in the future. I watched Eric the Car Guy on youtube, browsed some bushing replacement threads, and google.

 

[A.Wilson013]

Glad you got it all figured out.

 

[LexusFTW]

Why couldn't you have removed the steering wheel and put it back on straight?