Stiff Steering after Ball Joints and Body Mounts

[Maritimer]

I had new upper and lower ball joints put on a couple of weeks ago, and had new body mounts put on as well (no lift, but it sits higher because they are new). Since then, my steering has been really stiff, almost to the point that I have to turn it into and out of turns. It is really noticeable after having a new Sorento and then an F-150 for the weekend while my Runner was in for axle seals and rear bearings and stuff.

The shop put a zerk on the LBJ, the upper doesn't have one it appears, and the consensus there is that once the ball joints break in the steering will return to normal.

I was wondering if anyone ever had anything similar happen after ball joints or new mounts, and if there might be something I should consider doing to fix this or if I should just wait it out. The steering is really driving (excuse the pun) me nuts.



:lookout:

 

[shadow247]

I did the same thing, new lowers and inner/outer tie rods. Now my steering is pretty tight but I've only put about 30 miles on it so far. I expect it to loosen up after a few hundred miles.

 

[Maritimer]

Glad to hear. Mine is annoyingly tight, and I just worry it won't go back to normal, that something isn't quite right. The more reassurance I get here the better.

I'm worried the shaft has something different since it was unhooked during the body mount install.

 

[KidVermicious]

Have you had the truck aligned? It's possible that your caster is out of whack.

 

[Maritimer]

Have you had the truck aligned? It's possible that your caster is out of whack.

I'll do that for sure now that you mention it. :biggrin2: I haven't had an alignment since new shocks and now all this ball joint stuff, a year ago. It may improve things. Before the ball joints and mounts, though, my steering was supple as a wet... I won't go there... but it was sweet and supple. Now it's like a tank.

 

[Socco]

With new ball joints, you shouldn't have to muscle in and out of turns. An alignment is a good idea. But shouldn't have had that much effect on the steering. It sounds like the body mounts are the culprit to me. While putting in a 1" BL on mine, I had to move the truck before I was finished. It was like a tug o war, that wheel didn't want to move. Well, I had forgotten to loosen the rag joint from the shaft. Now you didn't lift the body, but if your new mounts were slightly larger than the old ones, I could see it being a similar issue.

It's a quick job to loosen that upper splined clamp and see if that helps things.

Stole this photo from Roger Brown... If you look at the block of Aluminum in the rag joint, follow the steering shaft up and you'll see a single bolt offset to the shaft looking back at you. That's the guy you want to loosen. Then spray the splined shaft liberally with penetrating oil, turn the wheel a few times and tighten back down. Hope that helps...

 

[Maritimer]

That worked. Steering actually moves by itself out of turns.

Now I notice play in the steering rack. Trying to tighten the mount where the bushing is on the left side. It's bugger rust locked, but the rack is moving up to half an inch when I turn and such, which is probably not normal.

 

[Maritimer]

Three important questions that have been eating me:

How much should I see the steering rack moving within its bushings when the steering wheel is being moved fully back and forth while the car is at rest in park (my wife was on wheel while I was looking at her rack)? There is some flex there, and the bushings are looking in good shape, as the rack was replaced by the previous owner.

:girl:


Also, I put about 50km on the LBJs before a zerk was fitted to them and they had more grease inserted. Any potential for damage there?

The clamp on the spline was never loosened and let out, and I'm going to give it another go today now that it had time to let the Nut Buster soak into it. How much length is on that spline? Should I consider a spacer on the steering shaft, or will it have enough length considering I have a 0" lift, and it's just a matter of fresh, stiffer, and slightly taller body mounts bushings?

 

[Gerdo]

Now I notice play in the steering rack.

This is why I, and many others, have replaced the stock rubber rack mounts with Power Steering Rack Bushing Kit (95.5-04 Tacoma) - Toytec Lifts: Toyota Lift Kits: FJ Cruiser Lift Kits, Tacoma Lift Kits, Tundra Lift Kits, 4 Runner Lift Kits, Sequoia Lift Kits, Toyota Truck Lift Kits

 

[Socco]

I put about 50km on the LBJs before a zerk was fitted to them and they had more grease inserted. Any potential for damage there?

If there was was already grease in the joint, then no.

The clamp on the spline was never loosened and let out

So what made the stiffness go away then?

How much length is on that spline?

About 4" or so as I recall.

Should I consider a spacer on the steering shaft?

No. It may only extend a fraction of an inch. Without an actual body life, the spacer won't be necessary.

 

[Maritimer]

I'll have to try those poly bushings someday. Can't afford more stuff for the baby right now.

Thanks for the help Socco. I should have been a bit clearer about the clamp and the spline shaft. The shop hadn't touched it, as it was obviously tight and seized. It took some major lube for me to get it free. I loosened it once on Thursday and it felt better, and then I figured since it sat all night with the penetrating oil that I'd give it another shot yesterday, and it felt even better. I was worried about letting out too much, but knowing now that it has about 4 inches, and by looking at it in detail with a light yesterday when I was loosening it, I feel confident it's not going to give out in the middle of a ride.

So, they should have figured there was the spline to let out, and then the shop only discovered that the LBJ would take a zerk after I went back the next day complaining about stiff steering. It got greased then, but for their sake let's hope that it was packed with at least some grease out of the box.

The Toyota dealership here is kind of stupid or rude when it comes to problems--they only want to do regular maintenance to new cars, it would seem, and not work on older vehicles, at least not mine. So, I go to an independent shop that is fairly reliable, mainly because I'm still learning the mechanical ropes and don't feel confident yet messing with essential truck functions like brakes and steering and the engine, but, apparently I have to do all the figuring myself anyway. Thank God for here and the help I receive. I should ask for a bit of a refund from the shop with all the effort I need, and the fact that my truck would be ****ed up without me diagnosing these "minor" things.

 

[shadow247]

Just one more example of why you should do your own work. Make friends with a mechanic, offer him some beers on a friday night, and you will have a friend for life.