[obscurotron]

So about 2 1/2 months ago, I had a lift put on my 2004 4x4 Tacoma. Just a
2 incher, Cornfed spacers up front, and a Fabtech AAL in the rear.

For some reason, my steering doesn't feel....crisp. It's hard to explain.
The wheels are responsive to steering wheel inputs, but it feels like the
truck drifts more and I'm having to correct 1) more often and 2) with a
bit more input than normal.

Knowing pretty much zip about steering geometry, I did the basics like
check tire pressure (26psi on both fronts) and yank on my tie rod ends and
check the castle nuts and cotter pins (all good). Doesn't seem to be any
excessive play in the steering rack bushings either. With my hand off the
wheel, the truck tracks OK, so it does not appear that I have a toe in/out
problem. Also, this seems more apparent on the highway than on surface streets.

Is this just a 'feature' of a coil spacer lift? If it is, that's fine.
Just want to know if anyone else can feed me some useful data before I
start getting drastic.

 

[mudferret]

Did you get an alignment after the lift? You may not be able to see a toe problem with such little lift, but I'd get an alignment done before you throw money at anything else. Could be toed equally on both sides, explaining your decent tracking.

Different tires can also affect the feel of the steering, and the effort it takes for your PS system to turn them: if you ended up going with a different tire after the lift.

 

[atwinda]

So about 2 1/2 months ago, I had a lift put on my 2004 4x4 Tacoma. Just a
2 incher, Cornfed spacers up front, and a Fabtech AAL in the rear.

For some reason, my steering doesn't feel....crisp. It's hard to explain.
The wheels are responsive to steering wheel inputs, but it feels like the
truck drifts more and I'm having to correct 1) more often and 2) with a
bit more input than normal.

Knowing pretty much zip about steering geometry, I did the basics like
check tire pressure (26psi on both fronts) and yank on my tie rod ends and
check the castle nuts and cotter pins (all good). Doesn't seem to be any
excessive play in the steering rack bushings either. With my hand off the
wheel, the truck tracks OK, so it does not appear that I have a toe in/out
problem. Also, this seems more apparent on the highway than on surface streets.

Is this just a 'feature' of a coil spacer lift? If it is, that's fine.
Just want to know if anyone else can feed me some useful data before I
start getting drastic.

I would go to 30psi in the tires. They might be a little soft giving you some sidwall flex, resulting in that not crisp deal.

 

[StemsCornfedTaco]

I'd get your alignment done first, then go on to things like tire pressure. I no when I put my 2.5" Cornbred on my steering was sloppy, and having 33" Thornbirds running at 30 psi-now aired down to about 22-didnt help either.

 

[bb609]

So about 2 1/2 months ago, I had a lift put on my 2004 4x4 Tacoma. Just a
2 incher, Cornfed spacers up front, and a Fabtech AAL in the rear.

For some reason, my steering doesn't feel....crisp. It's hard to explain.
The wheels are responsive to steering wheel inputs, but it feels like the
truck drifts more and I'm having to correct 1) more often and 2) with a
bit more input than normal.

Knowing pretty much zip about steering geometry, I did the basics like
check tire pressure (26psi on both fronts) and yank on my tie rod ends and
check the castle nuts and cotter pins (all good). Doesn't seem to be any
excessive play in the steering rack bushings either. With my hand off the
wheel, the truck tracks OK, so it does not appear that I have a toe in/out
problem. Also, this seems more apparent on the highway than on surface streets.

Is this just a 'feature' of a coil spacer lift? If it is, that's fine.
Just want to know if anyone else can feed me some useful data before I
start getting drastic.

I have Donahoes on my '03 and have the same issues after two alignments. I know squat about alignments but I read somewhere that a lift moves your caster (or was that camber?) just forward of 0* whereas stock is just negative by the about the same, hence the wandering effect. If I am wrong, then here is a bump for you. I want to know too!

 

[John Luttrell]

I have installed a lot of spacer lifts and everyone of them cause a little toe in condition, which was fixed with an alignment. I also suggest installing the poly steering rack bushings that will take a lot of slack out of the steering. My truck is more responsive than it was new with the stiffer springs and the poly rack bushings.

 

[obscurotron]

Thanks to everyone for the alignment suggestion. I will make an appointment and get an alignment done too (and ask them to top off the front tires to about 29psi).

The truck is only a year old, with <11k on the clock, so I don't think the steering rack bushings are to blame. The dealer did have to replace the rack early in the life of the truck, but this problem seemed to crop up after the lift, not after the rack replacement.

So I'll try those two relatively simple and cheap things too, and then report back. Thanks to all for the suggestions!

-ed

 

[obscurotron]

Well turns out I had WAY to much positive toe. Like 0.28 on one side, and like 0.45 or something obscene on the other side. They brought it back to 0.8 toe on both sides and the truck is handling MUCH better. Camber was fine. Caster is also WAY off now, but that's not adjustable and I can only attribute that to the spacers themselves.

 

[Live4yotas]

My truck does the same thing put didnt start till I went to 8.5" of sus. lift in the front with the 6" t/m lift. Its not bad but seems to wonder alil. But I have 36" tires that I run 35psi in. 26psi. is kinda low for your tire pressure. But my rack and pinion does move alil side to side when I turn the wheel I can lean out the door and see it. But I have the in polyurethane bushing just havent replaced them yet.

 

[RItaco]

I just got back from the alignment shop after installing a 2.5" toytec spacer kit. I drove around for two weeks with the same symptoms decribed in the top post.

FWIW...Those of you looking for a good Alignment Shop in Rhode Island (RI - to help searching). I went to Reservoir Alignment & Brake Service and they put my truck up on what looked like one of the new Hunter Alignment Systems (811 I think) for $49. And they were cool about it explaining what they were doing. This is the same shop which balanced my BFG AT 265/75/16s on the famed Hunter GSP9700.

 

[tacoman13]

Well turns out I had WAY to much positive toe. Like 0.28 on one side, and like 0.45 or something obscene on the other side. They brought it back to 0.8 toe on both sides and the truck is handling MUCH better. Camber was fine. Caster is also WAY off now, but that's not adjustable and I can only attribute that to the spacers themselves.

Caster IS adjustable. there are two camber cams on each lower control arm. adjusting both cams equally together only adjusts camber. adjusting them seperatley will adjust camber and caster together.

 

[obscurotron]

Caster IS adjustable. there are two camber cams on each lower control arm. adjusting both cams equally together only adjusts camber. adjusting them seperatley will adjust camber and caster together.

Not according to the Factory Service Manual. Maybe you should inform Toyota of this, because the dealer couldn't do it either.

 

[[email protected]]

how do i adjust the caster/camber of my truck the spacer lift made the outside of the tire "touch" more and its gunna whear out my new tires
[email protected]

 

[tacoman13]

Not according to the Factory Service Manual. Maybe you should inform Toyota of this, because the dealer couldn't do it either.

i could be mistaken but i believe that the tacoma has a two cam setup. look under the truck and if there is a cam on the rear of the control arm then you can adjust both camber and caster.

 

[TacoCrazy]

i could be mistaken but i believe that the tacoma has a two cam setup. look under the truck and if there is a cam on the rear of the control arm then you can adjust both camber and caster.

There are both..It's adjustable both ways

 

[tacoman13]

There are both..It's adjustable both ways

i thought so...

Makes you wonder about dealerships!!!

 

[[email protected]]

so how do i actually fix it??? any write ups any info???
[email protected]
thanks

 

[obscurotron]

Not really wondering. 2 different dealerships showed me where their documents say caster cannot be adjusted. Big O could not do it. The private little shop down the road showed "non adjustable". I guess Toyota likes to lie to the world, then.

 

[tacoman13]

its basic front end geometry. you obviously found shops that either dont want to be bothered becasue of your lift or just dont want to do it because the manual says you cant. the tacoma has the two cam setup so you can have BOTH caster and camber adjusted. i would recommend finding a shop that has some knowledge.

Dont get your panties in a bunch just cause you posted information that was wrong, it happens all the time. That's what this board is for...knowledge.

 

[tacoman13]

so how do i actually fix it??? any write ups any info???
[email protected]
thanks

read my first post in this thread, it tells you how.