1995.5-2004 Toyota Rack and Pinion Bushing Replacement Quick Pro Tips

If you are looking for the complete guide to doing this yourself click hither. That has everything y'all demand to know about the steps and what y'all need to guild.

This is just going to exist some things I noticed from when I did it yesterday on my 2001 Toyota Prerunner V6 (2wd).

I did not need to remove the sway bar at all to replace the bushings. In fact, I would recommend not removing the sway bar and not removing either of the tie rods ends.

Here are the steps I did to replace the rack and pinion bushings on any 1995.5-2004 Toyota Tacoma:

  1. Jack the vehicle up and support it with jack stands.
  2. Take off both front wheels with 1/2″ bear upon gun (or use a billow bar on the ground first) 21mm socket
  3. Remove the ii 19mm fasteners on the slip over collar bushing. Pull the metal piece off.
  4. Next, remove the top 19mm fastener (from the top) it is a commodities that goes down through a captive nut. Do not try to remove this one from the bottom– the nut is captive (welded) on to the frame.
  5. Remove the large 22mm pass through bolt (the long i that goes through the biggest bushing). You volition need a 22mm socket and something to hold the nut (which goes on the terminate facing the front of the truck).
  6. Now the rack should exist free and y'all tin muscle it out towards you.
  7. Utilise a razor blade to cut off the outer lip of the old rubber bushings in the rack and pinion.
  8. Accept a propane torch and here is the pro tip: heat the old bushings upwardly and make them soft!
  9. Once they are adept and soft (lots of rut) use a dead blow hammer and an assortment of extensions/sockets to bang them out of the bores. You should see the fume! Use a respirator, safety goggles, and have a fire extinguisher handy.
  10. Rut and a expressionless blow hammer are your best friend. Work all the bushings out using aforementioned steps (cut with a utility blade, employ a torch, and a dead blow hammer them out!).
  11. Grease the crap out of the bores left in the rack and pinion with synthetic grease (doesn't react with rubber). Grease the insides of the sleeves and outsides. Literally, you can't employ too much grease here as long as it is 100% synthetic or silicone.
  12. I used the dead blow hammer over again to go the metal sleeve through the new bushings (the rubber parts are easy to go started in the bores– the hard part is getting the metal sleeve to push in).
  13. Practise non worry nearly the sleeve pushing a scrap out, get the sleeve started and drive information technology in with your dead blow hammer until it seats relatively flush. Utilise an extension and a socket to get information technology started if the angle is weird with the sway bar notwithstanding installed. It doesn't demand to be perfectly direct at beginning, only go some blows to become it started (it will straighten out as it goes in). Make sure the bushing stays seated and if information technology starts to back out, keep information technology pressed confronting something that doesn't allow the bushing to button out (use the frame of the truck).
  14. First, go the large long bolt pushed through and add the large washer between the rack and pinion and the frame (the washer is office of your new Free energy Interruption Bushing Kit).
  15. First the nut on the end and begin tightening the large bolt first (simply to fifty% tightness) until information technology sucks the bushing in identify and the rack starts seating correctly.
  16. Adjacent, add the neckband joint with the bushing and finally get the concluding 19mm commodities started from the top down.
  17. Tighten everything to the torque specs from Toyota and relish your much tighter steering.

Conclusions:

  1. Having a dead blow hammer is very useful.
  2. You do not Accept to remove the sway bar (and information technology isn't necessarily piece of cake to exercise). Yous can save time and hassle by leaving it completely in place.
  3. A torch is basically essential if you are working on the ground and desire to remove the bushings easily (erstwhile ones).
  4. Constructed Grease will make reinstall hecka easy.
  5. Do non boxing the metal sleeves going into the bushings. Utilize your dead blow hammer and but go them started then wack them until they seat. You tin can also apply huge pliers here (but I don't have ones that big)
  6. You will desire to retest your steering system for play after fixing the bushings. Problems that were masked (similar bad tie rod ends) may now be more noticeable due to the bushings not having then much play.
  7. Total time should accept effectually an hour to practise this. If you use a torch and dead blow hammer. Without either of those, this job would have been much more difficult. The torch makes removing the old bushings 100 times easier!

Be safe!

Parts & Tool Recommendations:

The Energy Pause Kit for 1995.v-2004 Toyota Tacoma's that I recommend is theEnergy Suspension viii.10103R 4WD RACK & PINION BUSHING SET (it fits the 2wd Prerunner version too). Information technology was confusing for me every bit well, but they are the same bushings the posting is just confusing (read the Amazon questions if you are concerned about fitment).

Here are some bomb and budget synthetic grease you can use to lubricate the bushings (and for tons of other automotive uses). Click here to buy it on Amazon— it is a slap-up deal. You volition be amazed at how many motorcar parts stores don't know what you are talking most when yous ask for "constructed grease." Just trust me, buy it online.

For a dead accident hammer, you can't go incorrect with harbor freight even. Or grab a more robust set on Amazon that is similarly priced hereWeb Bug from https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=max0117-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=62b31e17fe9d28eb605fa4395b40f785&_cb=1553014308813. I love having a expressionless blow hammer— and for this chore information technology is essential. Why? Because different a regular hammer all the force would be lost on the condom bushing when you hit it. Just a expressionless blow hammer helps keep the momentum moving forward and it works slap-up for this kind of thing.

Last Pro Tip: If yous are in whatsoever kind of rusty state, or just want some added protection PLEASE soak the crap out of all the bolts with penetrating oil earlier starting. People on Amazon accept snapped some of these welded nuts (captive nuts) and that will make the job 10x times harder. If that happens you will need to cut admission and fit a washer and nut in the space instead (big/expensive pain in the butt).

SOAK IN PENETRATING OIL FIRST! Employ TORCH WHEN POSSIBLE.

Don't have a torch? They are cheap and hecka useful. Here is a PERFECT one for a DIYerWeb Bug from https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=max0117-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=7473169c2e65c139abdd5550169a7048&_cb=1553014518656. You can buy the gas at any hardware shop and utilize any you want (propane, butane, etc). You want one that has an easy on-off click sparker. You volition exist under a motorcar using it, trust me you want information technology to be easy to turn on and off.

Video Guide:

In this video he has the sway bar removed– yous do NOT take to remove this to get the job done. Just it will brand life a little easier.

This is what I hateful when I say using a torch right will make task 100x easier:

Certain, these aren't the rack and pinion bushings– merely the same principles apply. The heat will literally melt the rubber bushings plenty that pushing them out becomes sooooo much easier. I can't stress information technology enough a torch is your best friend on this job!

How To Tell If Rack and Pinion Bushings are Bad Toyota Tacoma:

  1. Move steering wheel left and right speedily in short little movements.
  2. Become under the auto.
  3. Look at the bushings on the rack and pinion.
  4. Are they moving a lot? Shifting?
  5. They are bad if they shift a lot. They are ok if they don't let the rack motility much at all.

Lookout the video above to come across a bad steering rack bushing on a newer Tacoma. Aforementioned rules utilize for whatever rack and pinion— this much play and the bushings are bad!

Practice Yous LIKE THIS Commodity: