Toyota 4Runner Steering Rack Replacement
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- čas přidán 19. 02. 2017
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*PLEASE READ THIS AND THE COMMENT WE PINNED FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION*
In this video we show you the steps to replace the steering rack on your 3rd Generation 4runner. While this video is done on a Toyota 4runner, the steps and procedures we use could also help you with your particular vehicle.
**The whole process we did to get the outer tie rods more evenly adjusted was only because the last mechanic who installed the steering rack didn't do it right. We wanted to have enough outer tie rod adjustment so the alignment shop would have more to work with to get the toe correct. If your tie rods have fairly equal adjustment (threads showing) on both side, all you have to do is make match marks and then get the tie rods onto the new steering rack in the same position.
**When we were disconnecting the power steering lines from the rack, we show using plugs to stop the flow of ATF out of lines. I don't think this is a necessary step because it's probably best to get as much of the old fluid out and replace it with new fluid.
** 10/20/17 - For the final adjustment of the steering wheel at the end of the video, i just learned of an easier way to accomplish this. Instead of disconnecting the rag joint, just loosen the upper and lower pinch bolts and slide the entire rag joint up the steering shaft until the lower rag joint clears the steering rack splined gear. Now have someone turn the steering wheel straight and set it back down onto the steering rack gear. When we made this video, I wasn't sure you could slide the whole rag joint up high enough on the steering shaft to clear the splines on the steering rack. I thought I would need some manipulation of the steering shaft pushing it out of the way so I could slide the lower half of the rag joint up and off of the steering rack splines. Using this technique will save you some time.
*PARTS*
*Toyota Steering Rack #44250-35042
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*Toyota Steering Rack Grommet #45517-35010
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*Valvoline Max Life Full Synthetic ATF (I now use this in my auto trans and power steering system)
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*HELPFUL TOOLS*
PLEASE SEE THE COMMENT WE PINNED WITH LINKS TO ALL THE TOOLS WE USED FOR THIS JOB.
**As Ebay Partner Network members, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
**As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.
**Torque Specs
*Front Stabilizer Bar Bushing Bracket Nut and Bolt - 19 ft-lbf
*Front Stabilizer Bar End Link Top Nut - 14 ft-lbf
*Tie Rod Castle Nut - 67 ft-lbf
*Steering Rack Passenger Side Bushing Bracket Bolt and Nut - 123 ft-lbf
*Steering Rack Middle Perpendicular Bolt - 123 ft-lbf
Steering Rack Driver Side Long Bolt - 141 ft-lbf (I've heard from people this might be a misprint in some FSMs. After working on other Toyota models, I concur there is a misprint in some manual for this long bolt and nut. The value should be 96 ft-lbf.)
*Intermediate Shaft #2 Pinch Bolts - 26 ft-lbf
*Pressure Feed Tube - 26 ft-lbf (requires special flare nut wrench that connects to torque wrench that we don’t have)
*Return Tube - 29 ft-lbf (requires special flare nut wrench that connects to torque wrench that we don’t have)
*Wheel Lug Nuts - 85 ft-lbf
**Note - Can’t find torque specs for the rag joint bolts or intermediate shaft #2 bolts that connect the two halves of the joint together.
*TOOLS WE USED FOR THIS JOB and ONE SPECIAL NOTE*
*If you're looking for other tools not used in this video, check out Timmy's Master Tool List.*
www.amazon.com/shop/timmythetoolman?isPublicView=true
*Steering Rack Driver Side Long Bolt Torque Value - 141 ft-lbf (I've heard from people this might be a misprint in some FSMs. After working on other Toyota models, I concur there is a misprint in some manuals for this long bolt and nut. The value should be 96 ft-lbf.)*
*6 Ton Jack Stands - (strong stands to support vehicle while you're working underneath it)
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*Heavy Duty Rubber Wheel Chocks - (nice heavy chocks that don't slip)
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*Dewalt 1/2" Drive Impact Gun - (strong gun that's great for removing wheel lug nuts and a host of other fasteners)
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*Dewalt Batteries
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*Dewalt Battery Charger
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*Wheel Lug Nut Impact Socket Set - (nice set for removal of different size lug nuts)
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*Long Magnetic Parts/Tool Tray (Good for holding longer tools like ratchets and wrenches) amzn.to/2m89y0D
*Medium Size Magnetic Parts/Tool Tray (Good Size for keeping track of fasteners/small parts) amzn.to/2ky8Qt8
*Small Size Magnetic Parts/Tool Tray (Good for holding lug nuts or smaller fasteners/parts) amzn.to/2m6kQ5y
*Milwaukee Mi12 Cordless Ratchet - (great for speeding up the removal and reinstallation of fasteners)
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*Milwaukee M12 Batteries (2 Pack)
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*Milwaukee M12 High Capacity Battery
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*Milwaukee M12 Battery Charger
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*3/8” Drive Regular Extension Set
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*3/8" Drive 6 Point Metric Standard Socket Set
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*Flex Head Box End Wrench Set - (very handy for multiple applications)
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*1/4" and 3/8" Flex Head Ratchet Set - (awesome ratchets that will make your wrenching life easier)
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*3/8" Drive 6 Point Metric Deep Socket Set
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*1/2" Deep Metric Impact Socket Set
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*1/2” Drive Impact Swivel
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*Small Digital Caliper - (if you found your tie rods were also way off and needed to figure out how to get them in better alignment side to side)
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*White Paint Pen - (for making match-marks for the outer tie rods)
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*Large Metric Wrench Set - (for disconnecting and tightening the outer tie rod to the inner tie rod)
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*Knipex Diagonal Cutters - (to facilitate the removal of cotter pins and cutting off excess of new cotter pins)
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*OTC Front End Service Kit - (great puller kit for disconnecting the tie rod and balljoint connections)
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*1/2" Drive Flex Head Gear Wrench Ratchet - (awesome ratchet you'll fall in love with. The flex head capability and 120 click points of engagement make life easier)
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*1/2” Drive 6 Point Deep Metric Socket Set
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*1/2” Drive 6 Point Standard Metric Socket Set
amzn.to/35dKQwW
*Mayhew 5 Piece Prybar Set - (nice set. you might use a small one for prying the passenger side steering rack grommet bracket away from the cross member)
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*1/2" Drive Breaker Bar - 24” Long - (you'll need one for breaking free that center bolt for the steering rack)
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*Flex Head Flare Nut Wrench Set - (these makes disconnecting and retightening the power steering lines much easier)
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*Oil Drain Pan
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*Silicone Plug Kit - (in case you also wanted to plug the fluid lines to lose less power steering fluid)
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*Crowfoot Wrench Set - (to use with a torque wrench in case you wanted to get the power steering fluid lines to the exact torque spec)
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*Brake Cleaner - (to clean up parts before reassembly)
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*CDI 1/2" Drive Foot Pound Torque Wrench - (nice affordable torque wrench for larger fasteners)
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*CDI 3/8" Drive Foot Pound Torque Wrench - (nice affordable torque wrench for medium size fasteners)
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*Cotter Pin Set - (for tie rod castle nuts)
amzn.to/2OoD38K
*Oil Funnel 2 Pack - (to refill power steering system)
amzn.to/37z6sG2
**As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.
Is that rack and pinion the '01 to '04 version? Not a lot of information on that Amazon page.
@@joyvonguerard9653 The steering rack itself isn't different per say between the years. At some point, they updated the steering rack guide. I just did a check on an online parts seller website and the part number we advertise in the video is the same part number for all the 3rd Gen 4runner model years and it should then be the same for all the 1st Gen Tacoma years as well. 3rd Gen 4runners and 1st Gen Tacomas have essentially the same front end.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thank you so much for what you do! Do you have a Patreon?
@@joyvonguerard9653 thanks for your support. we don't have a Patreon but we DO have a tip jar. www.paypal.me/timmythetoolman?locale.x=en_US
@@joyvonguerard9653 Hi Joy, we have a Tip Jar link on our page. If you look at the photo on our page in the right hand corner, you'll see links to the Tip Jar which will enable you to donate money to us via PayPal. We added this link because many people were asking if they could send us money but our favorite form of payment is hearing back from people sharing their success stories using one of our videos. The fact you appreciate our channel is payment enough in our opinion.
Video is over 3 years old so you may or may not read this but if you do I'd want you to know that you're inspirational and deserve nothing but respect. Rare video with 0 profanity and 100% educational demonstration.
Thank you sir :-)
Sean and I usually read and respond to every question and comment on our channel but sometimes they do squeak by us. Thanks for the kind words. We truly appreciate it. I don't want you to get the impression I'm a saint though. I swear plenty when I get frustrated during a job, but we usually don't feel any need to put that in the video so it's edited out. We've left a few swear words in videos but for the most part but that's an exception to the rule. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman Oh man, I truly appreciate you not only writing back, but also being so thorough. What you do off camera is up to you but what content you share to me and many others is just exceptional. I thank you once again and will do my best to support your channel in every way I possibly can.
:-)
@@narbdagger7170 Thanks! We again appreciate the kind words and your support of our channel.
I use your videos for my 3rd gen 4Runner and I can’t say how much I appreciate guys like you who take the time to video the repairs.
Same
Not all heroes wear capes... some wear coveralls. Thanks a million Timmy!
We appreciate that Carter. You're very welcome!
I just finished using your videos to completely replace all the suspension components and steering rack on my 1st gen Tundra. I never would have been able to do the job without your channel. You've explained everything so thoroughly even a backyard wrenching Jabroni like me can get the job done. You guys are unreal,Thank you my man!
Hey Will, that's great to hear you did all the work on your rig using our videos as a reference. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and share this with us. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Just wanted to leave a thank you on this video. I was able to do the rack replacement myself and I saved so much money. I really appreciate the videos you guys make. 🙏
You're very welcome, Jurelle. I'm happy to hear our video helped you replace your steering rack. Great job doing it yourself and saving a ton of money. Happy Wrenching!
I can’t thank you enough for all the work you do making these videos. I’ve done my valve cover gaskets, timing belt, steering rack and a whole lot of other maintenance jobs all with your help!
It's great to hear our videos have helped you out a lot. You're very welcome. Our goal is to empower people to handle their own automotive work so comments like yours let us know we're achieving that goal. Happy Wrenching Brother!
Keep them videos coming! I use your videos more than anybody else because you go more in depth and do your best to show that you are doing while explaining it. I have used many other videos of yours to do repairs and it has always turned out in the end. Thank you!
Hey Vinson, Sean and I live for comments like yours. We love hearing how our videos have helped people and we like to hear how people appreciate the detail we offer. We want people to be successful and not be intimidated to wrench on their vehicles. We try our best to cut our videos down to keep them as short as possible but we refuse to cut out important content just to make a video shorter. We really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you so much for these videos. Everyone has helped me do these projects just as you described down to the size socket needed and torque specs to go back together.
Kenneth Fike was everything successful?
Keep these videos rolling in Timmy. This is all going to come in handy as I am doing all suspension work on my 2001 and cleaning up the bottom of the few rust spots with rubberized paint etc. I currently have a 2013 and I love the way it drives, but the 2001 I really want to keep as a reminder of when I thought I could never own a 4runner. This is the reason I am working on it as a hobby to get that new drive feel again.Looking forward to the next video as you mentioned below.
Thanks Sledge. We're gonna keep the video train rollin!
Tim after replacing my 3rd member my steering feel tight and sort of binds when turning, any ideas? Jjitty1@gmail.com
Thanks for this guide, which was a great assist to me for the rack replacement on my '04 Tacoma. While my Taco is pretty clean, the job was quite time consuming due to salt belt conditions; a few frozen fasteners led to new sway bar retainers and end-links, new PS pressure and return lines, and the requisite toiling beneath the rig - that was fun! This video helped me overcome those challenges, thanks again!
Stoked you were able to benefit from this video and get the job done. Although it seems like everything goes perfect for us, there is also usually a snag when we tear into these things.
In depth and specific. It's a gnarly job. I'll be watching this few times. Thanks for the video!
You're welcome Derek. If you have the right tools, you should be able to do this no problem. Just take your time. Let me know how it goes for you.
Sway Bar bushing, Control arm bushing, upper and lower ball joints, valve covers, steering rack, rear axle seal, and trailing arms! Thanks for all the videos. Couldn't get those jobs done without you man!
You're very welcome. Great to hear our videos have helped you out a bunch. Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it! Happy Wrenching!
Awesome video as always, I hope anyone who needs help or wants to see how the job will look like finds this video. Thanks a lot Tim! Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks Brother. Glad you like the video.
Mujhe quelis ki power steering rack chahiye jaldi
thanks again for the videos, My new rack and pinion arrived here last night off of the UPS truck around 6 pm, so after a bite of supper I went out to the shop and at 2:30 am I staggered back to the house with the new rack in place, then today after a through flush job and reservoir clean out, my 2000 4 runner is back on the road. Took it to a shop for re-alignment, so hats off to you for the helpful videos
You're welcome Tim. Glad you got it done and our videos helped you out. Thanks for taking the time to share this. We enjoy reading success stories. Happy Wrenching!
Just did my first ever steering rack swap on my 95 Surf (4runner) thanks to this awesome video. Thanks Tim, your videos are the best!
That's great to hear Jan. You're very welcome and thank you for the compliment. Happy Wrenching!
Thanks for the walkthrough man, didn't know if I could do this job, but because of y'all I got it done. Thanks!
Hey Dakota, that's great to hear our video helped you out. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let us know. Happy Wrenching!
You're definitely keeping my truck going. As long as I can control the rust (which I've spent hours grinding and painting) and replacing parts I'll be good for at least 10 more years!
Great videos man! Just gotta take care of the leaky valve covers and rear main seal haha
Hey Jesse, we're starting today pulling Sean's transfer case and transmission. Sean's transmission totally imploded a while back and he's finally got the funds together to get it rebuilt at IPT Performance in New Jersey. IPT rebuilds the transmission to a superior spec and addresses the weakness in the trans which is a bearing for the planetary gear. He puts a better bearing in, heavier duty clutches and an upgraded valve body. But, long story short, one of the things we plan on doing is replacing the rear main seal so we might have a video for you sometime soon.
2002 tacoma 4x4, 300K plus miles, new power steering pump at the same time. Surprised at the amount of gunk in the screen and how difficult it was to clean it out. Great video, really appreciate your efforts and the completeness of the coverage and the additional information.
Yeah, that reservoir screen was a chore to clean. Glad our video helped you out. Good job getting it done. Happy Wrenching Terry!
Fantastic quality video as usual Timmy. This video allowed me to replace the rack on my 2001 Taco. Everything went smoothly.... Until I stripped the intake hole of the rack😢. Murphy's Law😂. Anyways the guys at the machine shop in my area retreaded the hole. No leaks so far. I succeed today because of you Timmy. Much thanks. Keep em coming.
Thanks for the compliment. As they say (whoever they are) Shit Happens. That's great that a local machine shop was able to re-tap the threads for you. You got the job done and that's what counts. Great Job!
Thanks for the detailed video. It helped me get the job done. Took it in for an alignment and the shop called me back and said it wouldn't align and they think I got a bad rack. Ahhhhhh! Took it in to a different shop the next day and they got it aligned perfectly. Got my $ back from the 1st shop and I didn't have to the job twice. Thanks again.
Good to hear our video helped you out. Yeah, sounds like the first shop didn't know what they were doing. If the second shop had the same problem, I was going to suggest you check to see if one or more of the cam adjusters in your lower control arms were seized. It's pretty common the cam sleeves gets rusted into the bushing sleeve and then when the alignment tech tries to make an adjustment to the camber, he's fighting the bushing and no adjustment is really happening. But, for your application, the camber and caster should have been fine. The main thing they would have had to adjust is the toe since your replaced the rack and the tie rods might have needed some adjustment. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Well I’m at the alignment shop and everything turned out great. Thanks Tim , who knows how much I saved in labor costs. I even found the Toyota steering rack for a little over $500 bucks online. So thanks again guys for all the incredible work you do to help the rest of us out!
Great to hear Israel. Good job getting it done. You are saving tons of money doing your own work and the best part is your learning and making sure things are done right. Thanks for the comment and you're very welcome. Happy Wrenching Bro!
the # i was able to finally pull out of a Toyota dealer shop was 4.5 hours for this rack replacement (I asked several and they refused to give me the hours it would take) ... so its more than 700$ labour at most places... BUT I honestly do NOT see how its supposed to take trained monkey slopshops with all tools and training anywhere NEAR 4.5 hours to do this ?!?!?!
@@efil4kizum Yeah, a guy who has done this job before should not take 4.5 hours to do it. It became very apparent to me over 7 years ago, that the supposed "Experts" aren't all that great because they screw up with a high frequency. There are very good Professional Mechanics, but there's also lots of bad ones. The best person to work on your rig is you. No doubt.
@@TimmyTheToolman two local Yota shops refused to quote me the hours on this... I was told I had to bring my rig in to them and pay a 135$ ~160$ diagnostic fee to tell me the rack is leaking out of the top where the steering shaft connects
@efil4kizum Yep, because they want to hook you on using them for the job. They charge you that diagnostic fee, basically telling you what you already know, and then try to sell you on the repair stating they'll apply the diagnostic fee towards the repair. They should be able to tell you what they will charge for the labor and parts over the phone. It's for reasons like this that, for the most part, I don't like auto shops or dealerships. They are driven more by their profits than providing a good service to their customers. If you're a competent and honest shop, the customers will always be there and you'll make plenty of money. There's way too much dishonesty in the automotive industry.
Thanks Timmy for the very detailed and well explained videos! Keep up the great work.
You're welcome Taylor. Glad you like what we're doing. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Can't tell you how helpful your videos are. I have a new rack I'm installing soon - THANK YOU.
Hey Jeff, glad you've found our videos helpful. You're very welcome and good luck with the steering rack swap. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy, Thanks for this video. I really like the way that you are pretty thorough with your explanation of the jobs your show. I'm going to attempt to replace the rack on my 03 Tundra this weekend. It looks pretty similar to the 4Runner rack. Thanks!
You're welcome Dave. Glad you appreciate the detail we offer in our videos. Good luck with the swap.
Awesome video Timmy, very thorough and informative
Maybe the best repair video ever. To the point and not much fluff at all. Didnt skip over anything. Thank you. I think my leak is coming out the seals of the body
Thank you for the nice compliment. If your steering rack isn't leaking too bad, maybe just occasionally check the fluid level in your power steering reservoir and top it off when necessary. My steering rack has been leaking for years.
Finally replaced all front rear bushings, bearings, seals, springs, ball joints (except upper). I never want to do this again :) but thank you so much for all the suspension videos and torque specs. Not everyone posts torque specs!!
You're welcome Stiffmeister. Glad our videos helped you out.
Just completed another job thanks to Timmy The Toolman! And Shawn! Pretty straightforward following your video. Major complications I had were due to a non OEM return line installed that gave me hell upon reinstallation, a broken nut on the right bracket for which I had to get some help from a nearby mechanic and OEM tie rods not fitting due to non OEM lower ball joints installed. A few curve balls, but I was able to deal with them. The one thing that was interesting was that eventhough I measured a million times to avoid having the same issue you had with the steering wheel ending up not straight, I also ended up with a slightly turned steering wheel. However, the guy on the alignment shop was able to straighten it up from the cabin (I don't know how he did it as he was up on the lift) without having to adjust the splines the way you did it. Thanks for all these awesome videos you make!
Hey Marx, good job getting it the job done. The alignment techs are able to straighten the steering wheel by making the proper adjustment to the outer tie rods while dialing in the toe. An alignment tech can make up for a steering wheel that's a little out of adjustment, but if you give them your rig with it way off, that's not a good idea because then they would need to max out the adjustment on one of the tie rods like we found when doing this job. It's best to do your own adjustment at the rag joint or via the steering wheel and get it as close as you can before taking it to the alignment shop. This way the tech doesn't have to perform a major correction to get your steering wheel straight. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
By far, the BEST and most detailed video i have found on this procedure. Thanks
Glad you found our video helpful. You're very welcome.
Timmy says some of the same stuff last year in his comments above regarding the rag joint, ie flex joint and how to slide it out of the way. I elaborate on this so I hope I don't bore you.
Warning: Disconnect your battery when performing the steering rack replacement. When the steering rack is disconnected from the steering wheel do not turn the steering wheel fully to the left or right. Leave it in the locked position until you are ready to install the rack.
Starting at time 21:00 in the video Timmy has us taking the flex joint apart to facilitate the removal of the steering rack. This is not necessary and just makes life difficult. All you have to do is spray some penetrating fluid on the ends of the flex joint where the two shafts (spleens) are connected. There is a top and bottom bolt that tightens the collars that hold the respective spleens in place. Remove both of these bolts. You can't just loosen the bolts and not remove them because they go through the collar and enter machined grooves in the shafts. Once the bolts are removed slide the flex joint up off the steering rack shaft. You may have to take a screw driver and hammer and tap up on the flex joint to get it to move. There is up and down movement in the steering wheel shaft also. Once the flex joint is slid up off the steering rack shaft push the flex joint, still connected to the steering wheel shaft, off to the side and proceed with removing the steering rack.
When the new rack is in place lining everything up is much simpler than what Timmy has us doing because of the way he took the flex joint apart.
There is approximately 3.5 turns in the steering gear going left to right or right to left. To center the steering rack, BEFORE INSTALLING, place some vice grips on the steering gear shaft and turn if all the way to the left. Now, counting the turns, turn it overall the way to the right. Should be about 3.5 turns. Turn it back 1.75 turns or half of your turn count and you have centered the rack.
Take measurements from the end of inner tie rods to the respective boot end to double check both left and right inner tie rods are sticking out the same distance. Turn the steering rack shaft to make minor adjustments so both ends are perfectly centered. Remove the vice grips Now you can start your install.
Be careful not to move the steering rack shaft from its centered position. Once the rack is installed except for the rag joint or flex joint unlock the steering wheel and make sure it is straight. Now move the intact flex joint back over the steering rack spleen and slide it down over the steering rack spleen. You might have to turn the the flex joint just a little to line up the spleen but not very much. I had to tap on the flex joint with a little hammer to get it to go down. The flex joint needs to come down so none of the steering rack shaft spleen is showing. Replace the two bolts in the spleen collars. If the bolts do not go in move the flex joint up or down until the the collar holes lines up with the grooves in the shaft and the bolts go in easily and can be tightened.
Timmy's 4runner had an off center steering rack which he had to take into account. You can forget most of what he did with the measurements.
With the centered steering wheel connected to a centered steering rack the outer tie rods screw into the inner tie rods about 18-19 turns and should give you a fairly reasonable alignment to get you to the alignment shop regardless of what they were in the beginning.
Attach the outer tie rods to the the LCA and install the castle nuts but don't tighten just yet. Eye ball the alignment to make sure it is close. If it is not close you can do what the alignment shop does. You can remove the boot clamps and turn the inner tie rods equally in or out to correct the alignment or you can spin the outer tie rods in or out to get the alignment close.
Fine tuning the alignment can only be done by turning inner tie rods since the outer tie rods have to be turned a full turn each time, which may be too much. Once you get the alignment close tighten the castle nuts and insert cotter keys Tighten the lock nuts down on the inner tie rods locking the outer tie rods in place. Reinstall the boot clamps.
Of course a professional alignment is necessary So there you have it, a centered steering wheel, connected to a centered steering rack with a close enough alignment to get you to the shop.
Rick Woolverton Jesus Christ Rick, I think you just wrote a novel. Just remember, there's more than one way to do a job. The way I showed people worked perfectly fine and should work for them as well.
@@TimmyTheToolman Gotta take the Lord's name in vain?
@@beavisroadhog9629 No, I didn't. It was just my choice of words at the time I read the novel Rick wrote.
I did it Rick's way on the rag joint - very smooth. To remove the hose fittings I used a 17mm crowsfoot flare nut wrench. There was just enough room to get a socket wrench on the crowsfoot prior to loosening the rack. Thanks Timmy for taking the time and effort to post all of your great videos. I've consulted many of your videos which have helped to keep my '99 SR5 with 330,000 miles on the road.
Thank you very much for informative video. I did this job yesterday on a '97. More room to negotiate lines etc on 2wd fortunately. You can follow this video to a tee and be happy with the result!
You're very welcome Simon. Good to know the 2wd model is easier. Good job getting it done. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you for a great video, it helped a lot when I did my rack. Something that people might find helpful is that my outer nut was seized on good and tight and I could not get it to move. What I ended up doing was this. The outer pipe is a short 4 inch piece of pipe that feeds into a rubber hose with just a pressure clamp. I disconnected this hose which allowed me to get at the inner nut which I was able to get loose. I removed the whole rack and once out I then took the outer nut off and got the job done. I had to use a pipe wrench to get it off.
You're welcome Mike and good job getting the job done. Thanks for sharing your experience and tips.
awesome video!!! love my 3rd gen and this video is saving me money! Thanks man!!!!
You're welcome Bryan. Helping people save money is one of our main goals with making these videos. Shops charge a lot and often screw up the job so why not do it yourself and get it done right while saving yourself a ton of money. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Thanks Timmy. The flex head flare wrench was key. I had to leave the low pressure line attached to the rack, I disconnected the hose line from the fitting and managed to get it off while the rack was on the bench. Also couldn’t get my slip joint to slide up the intermediate shaft, but made it work. Thanks again for the videos, I’m extremely jealous of your rust-free rides...
Glad you got it done. Dealing with rust is something I don't envy.
Same here! Do you know which hole on the rack is for the high-pressure line? Mine didn't come off ended up breaking the lines and taking the nuts out with socket
Great video Timmy definitely helped me out I used this one and you’re bushing replacement video to help me do the rack and sway bar bushings. 👍
Great to hear our videos helped you out. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let us know . Happy Wrenching!
Timmy The Toolman no problem thanks for the pride and effort put forth! I’m the one who sent you the question on insta about the frame swap.
Thank you again Tim.
Awesome video, I learned a lot.
Keep up the good work👍
And I’ll see you in the next one 👌
You're welcome. We're glad you like the video.
Great videos! I really learned a lot from you so far. Thank you sir!
J Coulson It's really nice to hear you've learned a lot from our videos. Our goal is to educate and empower people to do their own automotive maintenance, repair and modifications. Sounds like we are achieving that goal. Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy, I have to tell you that of all the CZcams videos I spend my time watching, yours are probably the best! You are thorough, you do not rush, you do a fantastic job! Being a diy shade tree mechanic myself, I really appreciate all that you do. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Mark. We appreciate the nice compliment. We want people to succeed using our videos and we try to put ourselves in the shoes of an absolute beginner who's never turned a wrench before. We want everybody to succeed and not just experienced guys and gals who've been turning wrenches for years.
@@TimmyTheToolman Is there a particular brand of aftermarket rack and pinion you like or would suggest?
@@Oldfordsfan Not really Mark. I personally would only run an OEM rack. I've heard of too many issues with aftermarket ones.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks again!
@@Oldfordsfan You're welcome!
Thanks Timmy! I replaced my 2000 Tundras steering rack with this video. Didn’t have to take out the stabilizer bar cause had just enough access. I tied down the steering wheel and also did new outer tie rods too by just counting the turns. Took me less than four hours. 👍👍
You're welcome, and great job getting the job done.
You're the Best Timmy! Thanks a Lot!
Thanks for the kind words. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you for the video. It was very thorough and informative.
You're welcome Dennis.
Thanks Timmy I watched all three videos I’m going to check steering shaft for play and the inner bushing in the rack. rack bushings already done.
Ok, I hope you can solve the play without replacing the rack. Good Luck!
Dam.....so glad i found you, this video is amazing and going to help so much, thanks for all of your help and willing to do this for everyone. Amazing!
You're very welcome Kevin. Thanks for taking the time to comment and we hope the job goes smooth for you. Happy Wrenching!
Great detail, awesome work!! Refreshing to have almost no rust on the vehicle in the West Coast.
Yeah Jake, seeing pictures of rigs where they salt they roads makes me cringe. I would hate to work on a vehicle where every fastener is going to fight you, break or strip. The West does have rust issues for those who live where it snows and they salt the roads and also for the coastal areas due to the salt content in the air that rusts the shit out of everything. But, for the most part, us folks on the West Coast are spoiled when it comes to having rust free vehicles.
I have great success using PB Blaster for stuck hardware.
jake ounce Yep, I have a couple cans in my garage. Just don't have to use it all that much.
Toyota wanted to charge over $90 for just for the rubber grommet on the passenger side. Centering the adjustment on both sides was a great idea! Oil does leak from the valve covers but don't forget to check the oil cooler for leaks. I had a leak for years & finally removed the driver front wheel & skirt to access the oil cooler. Cleaned the block under it and sure enough that was my leak (o-ring cracked) because I did the valve covers twice thinking I missed something. I only changed the grommets because the leaking oil turned them to gel. FYI- Toyota does not sell the middle & driver side grommets, they only come pre-installed on the new rack. Another great video brother!
I did an oil cooler gasket replacement on my buddy Wei's 3rd Gen, but I wasn't in a filming mood and didn't document the job.
I forgot Toyota doesn't sell the other 2 bushings and only include them with the new racks.
Tim, thanks for your advice recently on my pwr steering. Looks like the trouble is something I never gave a thought to. There's a u-joint at the end of the steering column which allows an almost 90 degree turn to the pwr steering rack. Looks like that's the problem. Who'd have guessed. Not available new, but I have a lead on a good used part. Figured this out by lifting the front end with the engine off, and turning the wheel has the same lumpy feel as with power. One for the books. Don't know if 4runners have this joint or not, but you might want to store this one in your head somewhere.
You're welcome. Yes, the 3rd Gen 4runners have that same steering u-joint. Good job figuring out the problem. Let me know how the repair goes. If you could take some pictures while you're doing it and email them to me if you remember. Here's my email address: mtbtim@sbcglobal.net.
As always I say Timmy thank you for your time to share amazing videos to the 4runner fans here and best regards from Houston
Thanks for the kind words. Making these videos is quite the process. First we research the job using the factory service manual, forum write-ups and any existing videos. The day we film is usually a long one because we need to make sure we say everything correctly, get the camera at the right angles, get the lighting right and at the same time run into unexpected problems. When the job is done, then the real work starts, the editing. I go through the video first doing all the rough cuts to get the content and flow I'd like to see and then I hand it over to Sean to make it much nicer to watch with all the cool things he does.
It's a lot of work but we're having fun and we love the positive feedback from people like you. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of a long editing session I question if this is the way I want to spend my time, but after I get done and get to see the finished product Sean comes up with, I'm stoked.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it. Happy Wrenching to my Houston Brothers.
no problem my favorite youtube channel and it is a pleasure to appreciate your hard work and working practically for free to help people and share your experience.
Wow, we're your favorite. That's a hell of a compliment knowing all the good Automotive CZcams channels out there. Thanks! This made my day!
Timmy The Tool man team, keep up the good work. You guys are heros in the CZcams world😊 📽️🎬
Does this mean Sean and I need to be wearing capes now? Wait, that's superheroes. Never mind.
Thanks
I’ll watch the video on the reservoir cleaning see how that goes
Great video, well done! Thanks for filming it.
Thanks and you're very welcome.
Very thorough! Thanks! Replacing the rack on my little sisters 2002 4runner now. This has been a huge help!
Thanks Tom. Glad to hear our video is helping you out. Good luck with the rest of the job.
The wheel trick worked perfectly for centering the wheel! Made it super easy. Really wasn't a bad job as I feared at first lol.
That's great to hear Tom. A lot of auto mechanics is just like this. It seems like a hard job but if you have the right information, the right tools and a little patience, you can handle a ton of stuff on your own.
Recently replaced my steering rack, tie rods, upper and lower ball joints with toyota parts after I suffered a LBJ failure on the road in my 2000 sr5 4Runner. Cannot thank you enough for your excellent and thorough instructions on these repairs; I'm back on the road now!
Hey Tom, sorry to hear you had a LBJ failure but great to hear our videos helped you get everything replaced and your rig back on the road. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Why did the lbj fail? Did you have big tires?
@@jerryp2433 Previous owner installed aftermarket LBJ's (Detroit Axle brand from Amazon). They failed after 36k miles. I have photos of the broken parts.
@@TomBuikema oh I believe it. I bought that brand before for my stab bar end links and it fractured after a year.
My buddies' 2002 Sequoia has a really bad leak from the steering rack on the passenger side, where the big rubber grommet lives. I suspect corrosion underneath that bracket assembly has eaten away the metal- it is the original rack also. When we change the rack, we will utilize your video as a guide, because of your great detail brother Tim! Will keep you posted.
The steering rack on my 2000 leaks as well. I disconnected the plastic boot on the passenger side and ATF came pouring out. The seals have obviously deteriorated but my steering is still good so I'll just add fluid for now and prolong it's life. Good luck with the swap Brother Jake. Make sure not to strip those power steering line fittings. A flare nut wrench is your friend for this job. A flex head flare nut wrench is the way to go if you guys have one.
Great video Tim, thanks pretty much followed every step.
Thanks
Rod McNutt I’m assuming you were successful??
@@TimmyTheToolman yes I was.
Thanks for the video doing the steering rack this weekend on my 2001 Toyota Tacoma with 286k miles. Very informative and thorough video.
You're welcome. Good luck with the swap and let us know how it goes. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy The Toolman so I actually pulled the old steering rack last week and the return line fitting wouldn’t come off for dear life. So I pull the clamp/hose off it and put in the new steering rack with the new fitting today. So far going well. I had a major failure when my passenger side upper ball join sheered off while I was driving. Just found out that Toyota had a recall on the tundra/sequoia/4Runner/Tacoma upper joints but I guess I never got the letter 12 years ago.
Wow, I've never heard about an upper balljoint issue. The lower balljoint issue is well-documented. Now you got me thinking. Maybe I'll replace my upper balljoints for preventative maintenance.
Ah sorry meant to type lower ball joint on the recall* but I’ve been looking on CZcams and forums and a lot of people are having problems with both. When I pulled the steering assembly(rotor, lower ball joint assembly and upper vertically running control arm) and the and lower assembly was very worn but didn’t sheer off like the upper ball joint.
Ok, gotcha.
Timmy and Sean, you guys are simply amazing. Another great video for my 4Runner. I just sent you $10 as a thank you!!
You're very welcome and we appreciate the beer money donation.
Another outstanding video with excellent teaching points. Thank you.
Thanks for the compliment. We appreciate it. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
I have a 98 Tacoma that I'm going to do the same job to. Your video is a great tutorial. THANKS
You're very welcome William and thanks for the compliment. Good luck with the swap. Happy Wrenching!
i also like to add if you have problem with the intermediate shaft just buy a new one at the dealership. The Toyota p/n 45860-34020 and I purchased it for $74. It made the adjustment centering the steering wheel and wheels that much easier. Thanks again!
Fixitric Good info. Thanks for sharing.
Such a good teacher! Most men I’ve been around fixing trucks are angry and swearing, negative. Lol wish I could do this work to my 4Runner, but at least I learn from you and know what they are doing and how long it should take. Wish I could hire you instead. 😍
Plenty of swearing goes in behind the scenes, trust us. But in general, if you follow our lead, you should be able to do any job we show on our channel with the right tools. Refer to our video descriptions for helpful links to tools.
I gotta do this job soon, thank you so much for doing this video so I can get a good view of what's coming. Good stuff, subscribed!
Thanks David and good luck with the job. Let me know how it goes.
Will do Timmy!
Timmy, I never replied! It's all together. Alignment is about to be done. Super easy, thanks again bud!
You're welcome David. Thanks for getting back to me and sharing your success with this job.
You have more faith in Jack stands than me! I always default to placing wood under the frame out of paranoia.
Awesome video, and I may tackle this now since you've provided such a great tutorial.
Jack stand failures are very, very, very rare. Glad you like the video and good luck with the job.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thank you sir!
@@dr.emilschaffhausen4683 You're welcome.
Great video, very detailed and clear - Excellent
nice video tim. With these......i feel like i can keep my 4runner for another 20 years! Keep the repair vids coming!
Thanks Minh. We're definitely going to keep pumping out the videos. Hopefully our videos will be partially responsible for keeping people's 3rd Gens on the road longer. There's still tons of 3rd Gens on the road, at least in my area of California. I see them everywhere I go.
There's a ton here in central cali also (Fresno). These engines seem to last :).
I just looked it up, and here's some stats on how many 3rd Gens were made by year:
1996 - 100,000
1997 - 128,000
1998 - 118,000
1999 - 124,000
2000 - 112,000
2001 - 90,000
2002 - 77,000
Total = 749,000
With how well these 3.4 liter engines last, there's got to be a pretty good percentage still on the road.
I see tons of these 3rd gen 4Runners everyplace I go. People put lots of miles on these and they keep going. Mine's a 2000 with 250,000+ miles, burns no oil and runs perfectly. Like Tim said the valve covers tend to leak after this many years and miles. I wouldn't say they are 'notorous', they are leaking after many, many miles.
U guys are awesome! Replacing my daughters right now on her 2000 4Runner.
Thanks Guy! Hope the swap went well for you.
Went well thanks guys
19:15 helpful CZcams ad. Thanks Tim for all your help😎🏁🚗
You're welcome.
Tim, thanks so much for all the work putting your videos together. They are so helpful.
Do you recommend buying a Toyota steering rack? They are double the cost of aftermarket ones, $720 or so. If you were to buy an aftermarket steering rack, what brands would you recommend or do you have experience with?
You're very welcome and good to hear you're finding our videos helpful.
I do recommend you buy a Toyota OEM steering rack but do yourself a favor and buy it from an online supplier. Online, you should find it for a little over $500. Just search the part number online and you'll find a good deal on one. I wouldn't suggest an aftermarket one because too many people have had problems with them not lasting very long.
Great Work Man! Love your videos and commentary. I think the steering wheel ended up off kilter when you were all finished because you moved the entire rack over 4.8mm. Since the mounting bolts on the frame are fixed in one location, you are essentially resetting the "center" point of the rack/wheel connection. Lengthening the tie rod on one end and shortening it on the other should certainly require you to reset which splines you use on the rag joint.
Thanks Brian. Glad you like what Sean and I are doing. You might be right on your theory of why we had to readjust the rag joint to re-center the steering wheel. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Holy damn mate, I never comment on youtube but this was great. I might even be able to do it without messing up. Thanks Tim you rock!
Well done. Thanks for the help fellas
Thanks Antonio! We appreciate people stopping by to leave a comment. Keeps us going!
Hey Timmy! Thanks for posting such a well-constructed video it helped me a lot! I do have a question regarding the feeling of the steering after installing. I did everything just like you and installed the rack correctly as well as bled the system. My steering now feels very soft it is however more responsive, but soft, I thought the new rack would feel a little more sturdy?
Maybe it's because you're comparing it to your old worn out rack that didn't work so well. By soft do you mean the wheel turns more easily and effortlessly?
Thanks man! Im using this to do it by myself. I hope.
You're very welcome Peter. You'll be successful. I have faith.
This guy rocks thanks
Thanks Dave!
Thanks for the great video! I just wanted to add if you live in the northeast and deal with the winters with the salt you might have seized 17 mm nuts on the high pressure and return line at the rack. Just cut the old lines and order new lines.
Fixitric We definitely feel for the folks who live in the rust belts of the country. It would suck to have to cut off those power steering lines. I've heard they are pretty darn expensive to replace.
Timmy The Toolman it was not that bad i purchased the both lines from Rockauto for $200. it was well worth it because if the nuts are seized you can not remove the rack. i just finished installing a new rack on my 1997 Toyota 4runner and it maded the job easier. But thanks again for your video because i used it during removal and installation.
Yeah, $200 is better than I thought. Glad our video helped you out. Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it.
I have a '99 Tacoma and a '97 4Runner; I'm an instant sub!
Welcome aboard!
Thank you, excellent.
You're welcome Chuker! Glad you like the video.
Excellent! Thank you my friend!
You're very welcome Mike!
again another awesome video, 1:03 mark, thanks alot for explaining the centre position adjustment
You're welcome. It's Sean's and my goal to make our videos as comprehensive as possible so we don't leave people guessing. We don't really care if people think our videos are too long because people can just skip what they don't want to watch. However, we know some people will have our video open while they are doing the repair on their vehicle and will appreciate the extra detail so they can be successful.
It still makes me laugh when somebody gives a thumbs down to a video we put out and I know our video documents the job better than any other video or write-up out there. I guess there's people who are just hard to please or maybe they're just trolling and will give a thumbs down even though they know the video is good.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it!
keep up the good work, you have helped me a lot... you got the thumbs down wrong man! its a thumbs up from Australia! :P
That's right, everything looks upside down coming from the Dudes Down Under.
Another cool thing about making CZcams videos is all the people you help all over the world. I recently had some dudes who live in Russian speaking country asking me a bunch of questions and if I'd make a video on how to rebuild a front differential. The high majority of the viewers come from the US because that's where most of these 3rd Gen 4runners were sold but it's very cool to see all the people from different countries our videos have reached.
Keep Wrenching My Brother From Down Under. One day I'll visit Australia. It's on my Bucket List of places to check out.
Toe-tally makes sense. Thanks again.
Pardon the pun. You're welcome.
Hey Tim, do y’all have any merch? Would love to buy from you guys, I’m very appreciative of the work you guys share with us.
We don’t currently but are planning to make another t shirt run, some more patches and possible even enamel pins. Shoot us your email and we can reach out when they are ready.
- Sean
i am very enjoy your video...thank guys
Hey Alex, good to hear you like the video. You're very welcome.
Great video for learning automotive engineering course.
Thanks for the compliment.
I love those tekton impact sockets so much
Yep, Tekton makes some good tools and they are very affordable.
Hey Timmy, I’ve pretty much replaced everything in the front end besides the steering rack and the Lower control arms/bushings. Where do you recommend I start? Should I replace the lower control arms or just the bushings, or should I start at the steering rack. My 4Runner has 280,000 miles. Thanks for all hard work and videos that you guys put out!!
What's your issue? If you clearly have play in the LCA bushings, replace them. It's a waste of money replacing the whole arms. I would eliminate other possibilities for a potential front end problem before replacing an expensive steering rack.
Love your video thank you
Thanks Nazim. We're glad you like it. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Great video✌️
Thanks James.
Great video, just one thing about the alignment, if your talking about toe in, toe out if one wheel is out a lot it will split the toe and both will be equal all the time no matter what, one side cannot be more out then the other side.
Yeah, what you say makes sense. But, one tie rod can have more adjustment available than the other like we found on Dave's rig. One side was completely bottomed out with no adjustment left while the other side had a ton of available adjustment. What this tells me is the alignment techs working on this rig didn't know what they were doing or just didn't care.
fantastic vid man, I may tackle this with my son, but first, need to buy some more tools (grunt grunt)!
Glad you like the video. Tools are a good investment. They'll pay for themselves quickly with the work you're able to do with them.
Your the man! I have what appears to be engine oil all over my steering rack and some darker grimy oil where the cv axle goes into the differential on the driver side. Is there any possibility its coming from somewhere other than my valve cover?
Sure it's possible. I'd clean up all the oil really well and then keep an eye on it. For any oil leak, you need to track from the bottom up looking for potential sources of the leak. Oil leaking down from leaking valve covers is pretty common and most likely what you're seeing.
great vid, you just saved me a ton of $$
bigdogasj That's great to hear. We like knowing that our videos helped somebody save on the expensive labor rates shops charge. Good job and thank for taking the time to comment.
Hey Tim, once again your videos are great! I did this job yesterday on my 98 4Runner and I'm not even bleeding! Could you please send me the link so I can buy the same tie rod end puller that you have? The tie rod puller I bought was not big enough and I had to use my pickle fork but everything turned out great! Thanks Tim!
OTC 6295 Front End Service Set
amzn.to/2BnaLGk
I was about to replace mine but it seems to be too BIG of a job to do alone.
Thanks for the video.
Maybe you could get a friend or family member to help you out.
Thanks for the awesome video. Apparently I need a new steering rack so I needed to educate myself before I head to the repair shop. Now I see why the repair is going to be so expensive! Apparently I need new valve covers too. I love my sweet girl, she's been so good to me but I guess its time to give her some much needed care. Is there a tune up needed at this milestone?
Thanks!
Mary
2000 4runner
175k (just breaking her in)
Hey Mary, you're very welcome. Good luck with all the planned work. If you have questions along the way, you know where to find us. Happy Wrenching Sister!
Good job 👍
Thanks Julio!
whoever gave you a thumbs down are butt heads. This is such an OUTSTANDING video. Thank you Timmy.
Thank you for your comment. You obviously can't please everyone and I also think there's just haters and trolls out there who will give you a thumbs down for reasons that have nothing to do with your video quality.
You're welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Timmy, I’m about to knock this job out on my 3rd gen 4Runner next week. Keep me in your thought lol 😂
You'll get it done no problem but I'll say good luck anyway.
Ok. Your videos are amazing and have made me feel like superman with all the tasks I have accomplished with your tutorials. However, I am now struggling big time. I've done some work with my steering rack like replacing bushings, and moving it out of the way, but thought I'd watch this video again to see if im missing something. I swear I must be missing something because it seems like you have so much more room to work around your steering rack than I do (1998 4runner V6 LTD). I've tried 3 different types and sizes of ratchets with various sockets, and seem to have zero room to work around the vertical bolt in the center of the rack ) i know you reiterate this is the most difficult part, but ya, its difficult. Very difficult. Almost to the point where I'm going to throw in the towel. It takes me forever to tighten that bolt since I can only get a click (if Im lucky) out of a ratchet, and have not been able to get a torque wrench in there no matter what I try. I keep watching your videos and it looks like you have way (+/- 2cm at least) more room to work with than I do. Heck, the pressure lines coming out of my rack are in contact with the undercarriage (near that vertical bolt) and it looks like you have inches of space to work with. What am I missing?!?!? Thanks again for the great videos!
Hey Brenden, for that center bolt, did you follow my lead and first cinch down the long bolt on the driver side and the other two bolts on the passenger side so it would be easy to get the center bolt started? If you've got the bolt holes centered really good, you might be able to have a socket on the center bolt and turn it with you hand to get the bolt screwed in most of the way. If that doesn't work, a ratchet that is flex head and has 120 click points of engagement will allow you to get in there and tighten the bolt easier. The Gear Wrench ratchets I own are worth their weight in gold to make things like this easier to accomplish. Getting the torque wrench in there and getting the bolt to spec is the hardest part. You really only get one click at a time from what I remember so the key to making it less of a tedious process is first getting it as tight as possible first with a 1/2" drive ratchet like the Gesr Wrench ones I mentioned. I provide links to those ratchets in a comment I pinned. I hope this helps.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for the feedback! Yes, I took your advice with tightening that long driver's side bolt, then pass. bolts. I'm ordering a gear wrench flex head ratchet today, hoping that will ease some of my troubles! Thanks again for the awesome videos!
@@brendenphillips3013 You're welcome Brenden. You'll get it done. You'll love those flex head 120 click point ratchets. They are a serious game-changer. I couldn't imagine wrenching without them now.
Thanks for the video. I did one of these at work today by winging it. I didnt even try to mess with the rag joint. It was far to messed up. In the future ill attempt to separate it like you did. I have to do this same job onn my personal vehicle. 96 Tacoma pretty sure its the same rack. in the case the threads on the outer tie rods are way off (one is maxed in the other is like 700 turns out) could i just "reset" the mid point after locking the steering wheel and resetting the lower rag joint like you did?
Hey Ernesto you could reset the midpoint like that but then you give any future alignment shop very little to work with to adjust your toe. I think it's better to have closer to an equal amount of adjustment on both sides.
When centering, why not just count the revolution at the steering shaft connection (rag Joint). Go from one stop to the other and then split in half. So if it is 8 full revolution from one stop to the other stop, then turn it to one stop and go back 4 revolutions (half way). I think that should put your rack at center. -That is what I did for mine, and it was pretty close on the tie rod threads. Took it to the shop and the guys loved doing the alignment, with all new parts it was the easiest one of the week. :-)
Joseph Savoca Sure, I guess that would work just fine. It just seemed logical to us to lock the steering at the beginning of the job so we would have the steering wheel pretty close to center when we got the new steering rack in.
Thank you !!!!!
You're very welcome Fready!