'96 4runner Rack And Pinion

[fast frank]

The boots have been blown out on this thing since forever.

It's loose as a goose, and puking juice all over the place. What a mess!

Let's replace it, huh?

I'm seeing several different suppliers, and a wide range of prices for rebuilds.

AEE for $265. No core fee.

A-1 CARDONE for $236 with a $200 core fee. $436.

ATSCO for $314 with a $160 core. $474.

ACDELCO for $335. $175 core fee makes $510.

BECK/ARNLEY for $435. Core fee is $234 for a total of $669. They are proud of that shit!

So, who has bought any of these, and what is junk?

Anybody know if the expensive one is even a little better than the cheapie?

I know that I'll get what I pay for, but is the Beck Arnley the way to go?

This old 4runner is beat damn near to death, but it still runs good and it needs to be safe and reliable. It's a 2WD grocery getter, and won't ever go offroad, but it gets pounded on like a redheaded stepchild anyway. It's a hooptie and the owner is routinely bouncing off of something or another.

Somebody give me some feedback on these parts please!

I don't want to make a mistake on this and I don't know jack about these rebuilders.

[TacoCrazy]

Have you considered a used one? I picked one up thru car-part.com for about $100. There are some pretty good deals out there if you're interested in that route.

[fast frank]

Over 100 views and nobody has anything to say about those rebuilt steering racks?

Maybe a thread in the Tacoma area will get me some info.

[Greg_Canada]

It's the same rack as an early taco, ask over there.

[ShowStop]

I just replaced the rack on my 95 Tacoma with an A-1 Cardone unit. They have a decent reputation and it has a lifetime warranty. The one I got was painted all black and obvious it was a rebuild. However it works fine but I've only put 1000 miles on it since I got it installed, so no chance for long term feedback. I paid $285 for mine.

Be aware that there are different versions of the steering racks. The 95-99 Tacomas use one model, and the 00-04 models use another. They both mount the same, the newer model has a beefed up rack guide. I could have installed that on my Tacoma, but it was $150 more, so I passed on it and went with the recommended model for my truck. Not sure if these differences cross over the same to the 4runners.

[nilson]

I recently replaced the rack on my 96 4x4 4Runner, with a reman unit from Advance Auto Parts -- Fenco is the brand on the box. Paid ca. $300 after core refund.

I replaced the pressure lines on the rebuilt rack with the ones from my OEM rack-- the ones on the reman unit appeared to be smaller and not the right part. Otherwise it has functioned flawlessly after about 800 miles.