Steering rack freeplay excessive

[Blatchy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Blatchy]

While changing my front disc brake pads I noticed there was about 15 - 20 mm movement in the left hand side steering rack arm. You can move the left wheel freely but the right hand wheel had minimal play. When driving it gives a occasional shudder. Has anyone else had this problem and what was the fix? Ive looked in the workshop manual but it does not appear to have any adjustment in the steering rack. It appears that the rack should be solid all the way through with the tie rods screwed into it.
Maybe its striped a thread or snaped. Any ideas?

[D4D-GXL Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D-GXL]

Now that sounds dangerous. Get it checked by a reputable mechanic. Let us know how you go.

[Blatchy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Blatchy]

Ive just done a google search and it appears to be a common problem. The tie rod end appears to wear and move in the steering rack. It happens more on the left because its closer to the edge of the road which is rough. It appears that others have gone in less than 40000kms. Mines done 150000kms. All the rough corrigated roads up here in the NT wouldn't be good for it either. We are moving back to NSW on Saturday so I better get it fixed before the 3600km trip home loaded with trailer.

[Blatchy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Blatchy]

Ive found out that the wear is in the rack ends, which is the ball and socket that joins the steering rack to the tie rod end. They are $35 each on ebay. It will be interesting what they quote in Darwin.

[carrot Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close carrot]

I did the inner rack ends (or tie rod ends) recently on the prado. They are right on either end of the rack, under the boot. With someone inside rocking the steering from side to side, lie under the prado and squeeze the boot with your fingers. If the inner rack ends are loose you'll be able to feel it.

Replacing them is easy. You don't have to take anything apart except sliding the boot out of the way. It'll help if the front wheels are off the ground, so the steering can move freely.

Don't make the mistake I made: There's a 'locking' washer between the rack and the tie rod end, remember to bend it over... you'll see what I mean when you see the current one.

:wink:

[joremhar Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close joremhar]

Hi All,

I purchased my Prado new in 2000, and it now has 307000 klms on it and it is on its 4th set of rack ends.

It sports a 3 inch lift and has flogged out 2 sets of rack ends and another set snapped on the passenger side when i braked hard at a stop sign.(fortunately they were under warranty and i wasn't doing 100klms an hour when they snapped).

The 4th set were put on last week and the guy that did it said that they wear out due to the lift. I'm not that mechanically minded so if anyone has any thoughts I would be interetsed in hearing.

Cheers

[Taresk Member Find all posts View Profile Close Taresk]

Hi All,

I purchased my Prado new in 2000, and it now has 307000 klms on it and it is on its 4th set of rack ends.

It sports a 3 inch lift and has flogged out 2 sets of rack ends and another set snapped on the passenger side when i braked hard at a stop sign.(fortunately they were under warranty and i wasn't doing 100klms an hour when they snapped).

The 4th set were put on last week and the guy that did it said that they wear out due to the lift. I'm not that mechanically minded so if anyone has any thoughts I would be interetsed in hearing.

Cheers

I'd be interested in that too, my left hand side seems pretty worn too, I had a 3" lift for a while, though I've wound it back down to about 2.5" to account for rear sag.

I've had a look on ebay, but can't find the parts, maybe they come and go like so many other bits on there, I'll have to keep an eye out for them, or maybe go see toyota before my next service,

[Blatchy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Blatchy]

I ended up paying $65 each from repco in Darwin. Toyota quoted $267 each. I replaced both sides as the right had a bit of movement as well.
Ive done 10000kms since and all is well now. Im not getting the slap in the steering that I was before. Hopefully now that we are back in NSW they will last a bit longer.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

I ended up paying $65 each from repco in Darwin. Toyota quoted $267 each. I replaced both sides as the right had a bit of movement as well.
Ive done 10000kms since and all is well now. Im not getting the slap in the steering that I was before. Hopefully now that we are back in NSW they will last a bit longer.

Ahhh Toyota pricing... gotta luv it

Glad to here all is well so far

[Taresk Member Find all posts View Profile Close Taresk]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

I'm digging this thread up because I've got the problem again!

Does anyone know if wear in another part can speed up the wearing of the rack end? I ask this because I had my heavy 33's and 3" lift on for four years before the first set of rack ends got replaced, now six months down the track my mechanic is fitting my third set (fortunately still under warranty from the last set).

Normally I'd blame the lift and tyres for the wear, but given the years of torture the first set went through before giving up, it can't explain the early failure of the first replacement set, or the second.

The bushes in my upper control arm are near new, the lower ones are original as far as I know, the heim joints on top are as tight as ever, and the ball joints on the bottom seem ok... any ideas?

I can get the rack replaced on exchange basis with a recon one for $400, would that be worth doing, could it make the ends last longer?

[dhula Member Find all posts View Profile Close dhula]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

not sure if this will answer you questions directly but may give an indirect answer.

At about 150k, i just recently replaced
steering rack mounting bushes
inner tie rod ends (rack ends)
out tie rod ends
which gave an improvement over what it was before but nowhere near new.

I've checked A arm bushes and while obviously worn due to kms driven show no signs of "need to replace" wear during a static inspection
I've checked top ball joint and bottom ball joint (top is original bottom is ~90k old due to being replaced under the recall at ~60k. While they show no signs of wear during a static inspection they are obviously worn due to kms.
I also checked front wheel bearings and they are in spec according to toyota and gregories manual specs for end float but again kms traveled means they are worn

I think the bottom ball joint may be the main culprit in my case but i may look into doing it all

as an aside i'm guna look into doing all the rear bushes as well

so in short taresk, due to big wheels and lift I think your culprit could be bottom ball joint mixed with wheel bearings.

[Taresk Member Find all posts View Profile Close Taresk]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

You could be right, I've got about 210k on mine now, my lower ball joints were done under recall by the previous owner, so are about 120k old, and the wheel bearings would be original, so quite old. The lower control arm bushes would have to be worn as well like you say.

I did actually take it to Pedders around 150k for a safety check, and from that planned to replace all bushes, got all the rear ones done, but they ordered the wrong ones for the front, and I never got around to putting it back in to finish the job, lol.

[humphrey Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close humphrey]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

Ladies and gentlemen I feel your pain. My rack ends are flogged after a drive around the block. This last set i've fitted have only lasted 15,000 kays. I'm trying a different supplier for the ones I ordered today. A few dollars more per item but I'll see how they go. No doubt there's an underlying problem in the front end which is causing the excessive wear but where do you start? I figured 40-50mm lift and 265/75 tyres wouldn't be it though.

[Leethal Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Leethal]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

Just wondering how the lower Ball joints have been checked ?

Remember you need to take the load off the ball joint to check it.
So if the jacking point is under the chassis (like on a 4 post hoist) the joint stays loaded and can't be properly checked for play.

You need to jack under the lower control arm to relieve the load on the joint in order to check it.

I ask only because I have seen this simple mistake made before.


Let us know how you have fared.

[Taresk Member Find all posts View Profile Close Taresk]

Re: Steering rack freeplay excessive

Just wondering how the lower Ball joints have been checked ?

Remember you need to take the load off the ball joint to check it.
So if the jacking point is under the chassis (like on a 4 post hoist) the joint stays loaded and can't be properly checked for play.

You need to jack under the lower control arm to relieve the load on the joint in order to check it.

I ask only because I have seen this simple mistake made before.


Let us know how you have fared.

I have to jack under the control arm, or the thing doesn't get off the ground.