[[email protected]]

I just finished my revtek 3 inch lift on my 96 tacoma. thats not the problem! I have manual hubs, and i just put on bfg 33x12.5 , mud terrains. and i went to get the caster/camber aadjusted and the guy said" i cant adjust it becausre your steering rack bushing is bad and the left side nuckle is bad. you cant just buy the bushing and call it good you have to spend 900$ for a total new rack. then you have to spend 40$ on an allingment" i think i shoud get a new bushing and take it back with the bushing on the truck and have him do the allingment. this was all at a cooper tires dealer. i really need help i Dont want to rub a angled flat spot on my new tires!

 

[GreenTaco4x4]

Just saw some poly bushings on Summit Racing. Only 13 bucks and the have a new easy search.

 

[dadunc205x]

I just bought some rack bushings from kartek for $15. sounds like the guys full of it. do you have any pictures of your knuckle? even if your tie rods were bent, i doubt you'd have to buy a whole new rack.

 

[not2XS]

You can buy polyurethane aftermarket rack bushings from Energy Suspension (I think it is), and maybe some other brands. As for the knuckle, it is probably a worn tie-rod end, you can get those from Autozone apparently (haven't got one myself). Should cost you a lot less than that.

 

[[email protected]]

he made me "Feel" the nuckle inside the boot and he said that it was poping out. i felt it but it feels like a nuckle. he gave me some line abou how these year 4runners and trucks the left side goes out. i call bs also

 

[Mtnfrk79]

he made me "Feel" the nuckle inside the boot and he said that it was poping out. i felt it but it feels like a nuckle. he gave me some line abou how these year 4runners and trucks the left side goes out. i call bs also

Well, if your left with no other choice but to buy a new rack i found that carsteering.com has them for $290 complete remanuf

 

[atwinda]

I just finished my revtek 3 inch lift on my 96 tacoma. thats not the problem! I have manual hubs, and i just put on bfg 33x12.5 , mud terrains. and i went to get the caster/camber aadjusted and the guy said" i cant adjust it becausre your steering rack bushing is bad and the left side nuckle is bad. you cant just buy the bushing and call it good you have to spend 900$ for a total new rack. then you have to spend 40$ on an allingment" i think i shoud get a new bushing and take it back with the bushing on the truck and have him do the allingment. this was all at a cooper tires dealer. i really need help i Dont want to rub a angled flat spot on my new tires!

The bushings are $13 to $15 bucks from the places mentioned. They are, however, a pain to replace. www.parksoffroad.com has a great write up in the tacoma section about them.

You'll have to find someone you trust to find out if the tierod is worn, or what the deal is with the rack. Like was posted, they are not $900 bucks. With a few special tools (tierod/pitarm puller) replacing the rack yourself wouldn't be that hard.

 

[TacoCrazy]

he made me "Feel" the nuckle inside the boot and he said that it was poping out. i felt it but it feels like a nuckle. he gave me some line abou how these year 4runners and trucks the left side goes out. i call bs also

I have replaced the rack in mine twice due to the left side failing..
The inner tie rod seems to be more common, but not in my case either time. The racks housing (where the worm gear exits) actually wallows out causing the "worm" to move up and down.

 

[elgecko]

Racks are even cheaper here:

http://steeringrack.com/

 

[cooper4x4]

I just finished my revtek 3 inch lift on my 96 tacoma. thats not the problem! I have manual hubs, and i just put on bfg 33x12.5 , mud terrains. and i went to get the caster/camber aadjusted and the guy said" i cant adjust it becausre your steering rack bushing is bad and the left side nuckle is bad. you cant just buy the bushing and call it good you have to spend 900$ for a total new rack. then you have to spend 40$ on an allingment" i think i shoud get a new bushing and take it back with the bushing on the truck and have him do the allingment. this was all at a cooper tires dealer. i really need help i Dont want to rub a angled flat spot on my new tires!

Jack up the front end after you replaced your bushings (from energy suspension). Facing the tire, grab it at 3 and 9 o clock. Shake the tire. If there is any play then either your inner or outer tie rod is bad. You can look at the tie rods while someone else shakes to tell whether its theinner or outer.
The bushings are simple to replace if you have access to a lift and air tools. Took about 15 mins.

 

[DylanICON]

I just bought some rack bushings from kartek for $15. sounds like the guys full of it. do you have any pictures of your knuckle? even if your tie rods were bent, i doubt you'd have to buy a whole new rack.

the tech may have been refering to the bronze shaft bushings inside the rack not the rack "mount bushings" in which case you would need a new rack or a rebuild.

either way this guy sounds like a con man......dont ever go back to him. unfortunatly it is comon for alignment shops to upsell more service

 

[TacoCrazy]

the tech may have been refering to the bronze shaft bushings inside the rack not the rack "mount bushings" in which case you would need a new rack or a rebuild.

either way this guy sounds like a con man......dont ever go back to him. unfortunatly it is comon for alignment shops to upsell more service

That is exactly what I was speaking of..The left side bushing in both of mine have failed..Acts just like the inner tie rod end, but the "worm" (the part the inner end attatches to on the inside) moves up and down in the racks housing..

 

[Cracker]

The FSM shows a complete rebuild of the rack.....I wonder how difficult it is to do, and if the bushings are available and how much $$$....

 

[SilverTaco]

There is a rack for sale in the classifieds under Cleaning out the garage today.....the guy wants $75

 

[[email protected]]

thanks everybody! i bought the enegry bushings last night from summit. the guy was reffering to a bad mount bushing, so that little problem will be fixed. there is no "play" in the tire at all its pretty solid. yes i wont ever go back...maby to show him the aftermarket bushing that i "couldnt get any where" wtf i hate disohnest men!

 

[hytenor]

thanks everybody! i bought the enegry bushings last night from summit. the guy was reffering to a bad mount bushing, so that little problem will be fixed. there is no "play" in the tire at all its pretty solid. yes i wont ever go back...maby to show him the aftermarket bushing that i "couldnt get any where" wtf i hate disohnest men!

make sure to replace all of the bushings in that kit. torque the big nut to 141# and the others to 123#. Drive around for about 20 miles and retorque. Drive another 500 miles and retorque again. you'll be surprised how soon they loosen up until things get settled

 

[drice82]

I just finished my revtek 3 inch lift on my 96 tacoma. thats not the problem! I have manual hubs, and i just put on bfg 33x12.5 , mud terrains. and i went to get the caster/camber aadjusted and the guy said" i cant adjust it becausre your steering rack bushing is bad and the left side nuckle is bad. you cant just buy the bushing and call it good you have to spend 900$ for a total new rack. then you have to spend 40$ on an allingment" i think i shoud get a new bushing and take it back with the bushing on the truck and have him do the allingment. this was all at a cooper tires dealer. i really need help i Dont want to rub a angled flat spot on my new tires!

various bushing manufacturers have the bushings you need for the rack. you may have to replace the inner tie rods to be able to get aligned. i had to do both for mine just recently after putting on a lift...$30 for bushings and inner tie rods are like 70 a piece. nothin big...

 

[drice82]

maby to show him the aftermarket bushing that i "couldnt get any where" wtf i hate disohnest men!

most people arnt dishonest, just stupid. just because he doesnt know of an aftermarket bushing it doesnt exist....

 

[98 Taco]

buy a reman rack from any NAPA or what have you
buy one off a member who has done a SFA swap
def buy the bushing and tie rod end, DIY and then have them align it

 

[joeylead]

he made me "Feel" the nuckle inside the boot and he said that it was poping out. i felt it but it feels like a nuckle. he gave me some line abou how these year 4runners and trucks the left side goes out. i call bs also

What he siad here worries me. If the rack was totally shot to hell, you still wouldnt need a new knuckle, unless he was referring to something incorrectly, as the knuckle woud be the steering knuckle. Hell, the outer TRE conects to the lower balljoint. It sounds like he was having you feel the balljoint that is the end of the outer TRE. This is replaceable. This sounds like a con job to me.