Steering Pulls - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

feerocknok · 09-25-2007, 06:57 PM

I'm trying to help my mom with her '97 Tacoma's issue.
Apparently, it pulls left and right while going down the road, and jumps to the side when a bump is hit. The truck has been doing this for the past year or two and has had two alignments that haven't helped.
I don't suspect a ball joint as it does this all the time, and I don't think the tires are too blame, since the truck has done this on two different sets.

It's a stock '97 with 31x10.5s and 110k.

badmoonrising · 09-25-2007, 07:30 PM

tie rods or rack is my guess. i dont know what else it could be

feerocknok · 09-25-2007, 11:40 PM

Anyway to decide which it is?

TacoDell · 09-25-2007, 11:57 PM

Get under there and look as she's turning the steering wheel... duh...
Maybe she'll hit the gas... and end yer sorry ass

feerocknok · 09-26-2007, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TacoDell

Get under there and look as she's turning the steering wheel... duh...
Maybe she'll hit the gas... and end yer sorry ass

While I appreciate the help, I was looking more for what sort of symptoms the tie rods would show of wear, as well as the rack.

Also, are either of these things common to go out on the Tacomas?
She drives it like a normal woman of her age would drive it, so it has seen little abuse.

TacoDell · 09-26-2007, 12:18 AM

I've been thru a rack already at around 90K... Inner tie rods could be worn... You need to get under there and push shit around and watch as shit moves... Shit don't just show itself with a visual look see... you have to make the shit work to see what it's doing... You trust yer mom don't you ?.. LOL

A most likely culprit is the bushings that hold the rack in place... these wear easily and early on... even under normal use... and the rack shifts on it's mounts... creating lots of slop...

Check these...

Rack bushings for play/movement
Inner/outer tie rods for play
Ball joints... they could be worn but not obvious...

The guy doing yer alignments sucks... if he's not noticing shit that is going bad... find another...

feerocknok · 10-03-2007, 02:10 PM

Tie rods look/feel good. Gotta get the truck in the air to check the ball joints.
The bushings look good, no cracking or weird texture where I can feel. Is there anything else to look for in bushings?

Krylon.. · 10-04-2007, 02:57 PM

Did you watch everything as Tacodell said while someone was turning the wheel back and forth(and its best when the truck is on the ground)? As casual visual inspection wont cut it.

And I agree. Your alignment guy isn't doing his job and you need to find another.

Dickfoster · 10-04-2007, 02:59 PM

X2 or more.

4XTaco · 10-05-2007, 09:21 AM

The bushings looked good on my steering rack too and when you got under it and watched as someone moved the steering back and forth the rack was wandering every where.
Seriously get under it and watch it as someone is moving things around. I replaced my rack bushings and it made a huge difference.

feerocknok · 10-05-2007, 12:40 PM

I had her start it up and put the e-brake on, then while I was underneath, I had her turning the steering wheel lock-to-lock while I inspected everything. The truck was on the ground.
The rack was moving 3/8" to each side. Is that too much?

feerocknok · 10-09-2007, 10:34 PM

Bump.
Is 3/8" to each side too much play on the bushings?
Seems like they'd have to move some with so much stress.

broncoboy351 · 10-09-2007, 10:56 PM

3/8" is a huge amount when it comes to steering. you shouldn't even really see the rack move at all. the driver side bushing probably went bad. order some energy suspension bushings and follow these instructions

http://www.keystonekrawlers.com/Mods...eeringBush.htm

feerocknok · 10-11-2007, 10:33 PM

Thank you!

09-25-2007, 06:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	Steering Pulls I'm trying to help my mom with her '97 Tacoma's issue. Apparently, it pulls left and right while going down the road, and jumps to the side when a bump is hit. The truck has been doing this for the past year or two and has had two alignments that haven't helped. I don't suspect a ball joint as it does this all the time, and I don't think the tires are too blame, since the truck has done this on two different sets. It's a stock '97 with 31x10.5s and 110k. __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak.

09-25-2007, 07:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
badmoonrising Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Member # 87189 Posts: 565	tie rods or rack is my guess. i dont know what else it could be __________________ ECV 1069

09-25-2007, 11:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	Anyway to decide which it is? __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak.

09-25-2007, 11:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
TacoDell Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Member # 86863 Posts: 114	Apparently yer no help... Get under there and look as she's turning the steering wheel... duh... Maybe she'll hit the gas... and end yer sorry ass __________________ '00 Tacoma 4X 3.4 manual trans and some extras...

09-26-2007, 12:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
TacoDell Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Member # 86863 Posts: 114	Movement and or slop I've been thru a rack already at around 90K... Inner tie rods could be worn... You need to get under there and push shit around and watch as shit moves... Shit don't just show itself with a visual look see... you have to make the shit work to see what it's doing... You trust yer mom don't you ?.. LOL A most likely culprit is the bushings that hold the rack in place... these wear easily and early on... even under normal use... and the rack shifts on it's mounts... creating lots of slop... Check these... Rack bushings for play/movement Inner/outer tie rods for play Ball joints... they could be worn but not obvious... The guy doing yer alignments sucks... if he's not noticing shit that is going bad... find another... __________________ '00 Tacoma 4X 3.4 manual trans and some extras... Last edited by TacoDell; 09-26-2007 at 12:26 AM. Reason: add

10-03-2007, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	Tie rods look/feel good. Gotta get the truck in the air to check the ball joints. The bushings look good, no cracking or weird texture where I can feel. Is there anything else to look for in bushings? __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak.

10-04-2007, 02:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
Krylon.. Rock God Join Date: Oct 2000 Member # 2042 Location: FL Posts: 2,472	Did you watch everything as Tacodell said while someone was turning the wheel back and forth(and its best when the truck is on the ground)? As casual visual inspection wont cut it. And I agree. Your alignment guy isn't doing his job and you need to find another. __________________ Mike

10-04-2007, 02:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dickfoster Banned Join Date: Sep 2002 Member # 14006 Location: Los Gatos, Peoples Republic of California Posts: 350	X2 or more.

10-05-2007, 09:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
4XTaco Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Member # 88203 Posts: 14	The bushings looked good on my steering rack too and when you got under it and watched as someone moved the steering back and forth the rack was wandering every where. Seriously get under it and watch it as someone is moving things around. I replaced my rack bushings and it made a huge difference. __________________ '96 Tacoma- (Toy bought it back) '00 Excursion- 7.3L Powerstroke

10-05-2007, 12:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	I had her start it up and put the e-brake on, then while I was underneath, I had her turning the steering wheel lock-to-lock while I inspected everything. The truck was on the ground. The rack was moving 3/8" to each side. Is that too much? __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak. Last edited by feerocknok; 10-05-2007 at 12:41 PM.

10-09-2007, 10:34 PM	#12 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	Bump. Is 3/8" to each side too much play on the bushings? Seems like they'd have to move some with so much stress. __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak.

10-09-2007, 10:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
broncoboy351 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Member # 10480 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca Posts: 517	3/8" is a huge amount when it comes to steering. you shouldn't even really see the rack move at all. the driver side bushing probably went bad. order some energy suspension bushings and follow these instructions http://www.keystonekrawlers.com/Mods...eeringBush.htm

10-11-2007, 10:33 PM	#14 (permalink)
feerocknok Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Member # 77384 Location: Bend, OR Posts: 113	Thank you! __________________ '86 Jeep MJ Doors are for the weak.

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