TC Poly Steering Rack Bushings & Wheeler's Anti-Sway Kit installed

[Tundradrenalin]

I installed these on my truck last weekend. Actually, it wasn't all me, this job was a PITA, so there were three TSers going at it. We installed both kits on a 2003 AC limited and a 2005 AC sr5. We did my '05 first, and thru a few trial'n'errors we learned the easier way to install the kits. The second Tundra went by much faster.
Install by 2 people can probably be completed in under 90minutes.

Both kits are available from Wheeler's Off-Road, for about $55 total/shipped. They were beneficial to the steering control modestly, but the anti-sway has yet to be determined as useful IMO. Both of us are going on a +700mi trip this weekend, so we can report back on noticable improvements. We'll be doing some serious interstate highway ddriving and some off-road once in SC.

I did not intend to make a write-up on this, but can. Shouldn't take long to draft one up. Is there any interest for a detailed write-up?

Thanks,
Andy

BJ's Tundra
My Tundra

[BAD BONEZ BJ]

Well, since mine was an older truck, with more wear on those steering rack bushing, I have felt noticably better steering, much tigher, more responsive. I have always felt the front end might be too soft, but the combination of the Timbren SES and the Poly bushings on the swaybar, my handleing is much improved. Well worth the $ spent. Andy is right about this being a PITA but we had fun!

BJ

[MATRDguy]

I;m going to try to do the SR Bushings. any tricks ??

[Tundradrenalin]

Here's the step-by-step for the Steering Rack Poly Bushings Replacement::


1.. Lift the front wheels off the ground.

2.. Remove the stabilizer bar (sway bar) end link nuts, so the bar can be moved up/down.

3.. Remove the center bolt & washer.

4.. Remove the driver's side nut & washer. Leave the bolt in for now.

5.. Remove the U-brace two bolts & washers.

6.. Cover the driver's side bolt with a 2x4, wack it with a hammer. Do not remove it, just back it out a little.

7.. Pull the steering rack away from the corssmember. It is helpful to move the sway bar at this point.

8.. Now you can see the Driver's side bolt, push it flush with the crossmember to get it out of the way.

9.. Cut the front lips off the rubber bushings of the center and driver's sdie bushings. This will aid in removal.

10. Use the 14mm socket and the hammer, wack the center pin in the middle of the bushing, UP. Push it out upwards, towards the cab. Replace it empty half from the top, pin filled half from the bottom. Use hammer and 2x4 again here.

11. Now, wack out the driver's side pin/bushing the same way. Hit the pin from the back, so it is coming out towards the crossmember. Once it is out far enough to get a monkey wrench behind it, start pulling it out from the front. This is the longest time consuming step, because it looks like it is barely moving. Keep hitting it.

12. Replace the bushing by inserting the empty side from the back, and the pin-side from the front. Using a C-clamp here really helps. Compress it best you can.

13. Replace the right side bushing now. This is easy, figure it out.

14. Press the driver's side bolt back through. Make sure you have used the new washer supplied with the kit.

15. Tighten the center bolt hand tight. Then tighten the driver's side bolt hand tight. Then do the right side bolts.

16. Torque specs: Driver's side = 96ftlbs. Center = 96 ftlbs. Right side = 123 ftlbs.

17. Replace the end link bolts. Torque spec is 14 ft lbs.

[MATRDguy]

thanks for the info

[BAD BONEZ BJ]

If you have a buddy, get him involved. An extra set of hands comes in handy. When you go to put the rack back on the truck, it helps to turn the front wheels, left and right (not using the steering wheel) to help get those bolt holes lined back up.

Now have about 400 miles since the install; steering is tight. Before a slight steering wheel wabble didn't effect the truck much at all, now it wabbles the truck. Very sensative on my truck! Love it!!!!

Good luck with yours....

BJ

[BAD BONEZ BJ]

I drove from Tidewater Virginia to Myrtle Beach, SC for the Southeastern Region TS Meet Jun 21-22 (see photos from my public profile) and the handleing was superb on the highway, on-ramps and off-ramps. Went off-road (mudding) while there and didn't have any problems. If I needed articulation, I'd need to have a quick-release or something on the rear, because there is very little to no articulation there now. Great for the highway!

BJ

[DevinSixtySeven]

Check out this thread:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...teering-fixed/

Now that we've re-sorted the forums, I'll kick it over here.

-Sean

[Alligatorgar]

02’ Tundra ac sr 4.7 with 71,000 miles

So I changed out my steering rack bushing this week and thought Id post my experience. I won’t bother with the obvious (jack up the truck, use blocks) because that has already been covered in other post.
The first mistake I made was the middle bolt (vertical) is removed from the top of the rack and not the bottom. That bottom nut is welded to the frame. Sorta hard to see this with all the dirt. I stripped it trying to remove it. Opps! I think I moved the truck trying to turn it.
After loosening all the bolts I cut the old bushing end off the drivers side bushing (horizontal) (bushing side facing the rear of truck) and stuck a small screw driver (small ice pick would work good too) between the bushing and housing and wd40 it up really good. I then grabbed the washer that is attached to this bushing metal insert with a pair of channel locks and wiggled it out inch by inch ( this washer is facing the front of the truck between the rack and the truck frame).
I then cut the top of the middle (vertical) bushing off at the top and ran a small screw driver between the housing and bushing and sprayed with wd40. I then put a vise grip on the metal insert and wiggled it out. Clean up was easy with brake cleaner. The passenger end bushing is a breeze to remove and reinstall just be sure to clean rack up before reinstalling.
After cleaning the rack up I installed (grease these new bushings up good so you don’t have any squeaks) the drivers side bushing first by hand then with a glue clamp. I then installed (pressed) the metal bushing into the poly with the glue clamp. I repeated this process for the middle one also. Everything went together pretty easy from here on out. I loosely bolted the drivers side first then the passenger side. I lined the middle up and tightened the drivers bolt which lined the middle bolt up perfect. Tightened everything down then tested it out.
The passenger rack still moves a little but nothing like before. The drivers side is rock solid. I had the truck aligned a week ago (before the install) and only had 1,000 miles on the alignment. I took it back to the shop after my install and was told the right front wheel was out 30 degrees and the left 10 degrees. I’m not sure why this was considering I didn’t break the tie rods up. Guess moving the rack around can mess the alignment up. While at the alignment shop there was a 02’ tdr ac with 170,000 miles on it and that trucks rack was rock solid. I talked to the owner and he states he has never had trouble with the rack. His truck clearly was used and abused more than mine so go figure.

The steering is tight now with no slop at all. However the drivers side D bushing does have some movement. This concerns me a bit and I will contact Energy Suspension and ask about this. They have a forum and product support here that seems to be manned.

[Alligatorgar]

This is what I sent Energy Suspension to get their feedback on the new steering rack passenger side bushing replacement.

Unfortunately Im a total newb at creating video . Im sorry to say I used my digital camera to get these images and uploaded them on youtube. My concern is the movement in the passenger side new bushing replacement. I know that the left to right movement can't be much because the drivers side is not moving around much. That leaves the middle bushing and the passenger bushing to move around a bit more than I would like. What do you guys think??

YouTube - 02' Tundra Steering Rack Bushing Replacement

[PagalDesi4Life]

So would you say this investment is worth it? I've noticed too that my steering is slightly looser than it normally can be and wanted to know if this would resolve that.

[BAD BONEZ BJ]

I gave my truck to my oldest son and took his SUV, but I'd have to say that this suspension upgrade (with the steering rack bushings and the sway bar bushings) was the cheapest and best mod I did to the truck. I love the handling after the install, right up until last August (09) when I parted ways with it and climbed into an '06 Land Rover LR3 SE 4.0L V6 7 Passenger Java Black 4X4 SUV. Not the Land Cruiser I wish I had, but it'll do, at least it's got Land in it's name.

Now, if I could only find the poly bushings for this rover. Upper and lower control arms front and back with soft rubber bushings (for the luxury comfort ride we Americans want). Overseas, this vehicle has hard rubber bushings.

BJ

[WhiteLiteNin]

so a question comes to mind... when i replace the front sway bar with a new hellwig unit, would you guys who have changed out your steering rack bushings suggest upgrading to the stiffer poly steering rack bushings at the same time? would the install of the stiffer poly steering rack bushings be easier with the front sway bar removed? i really appreciate this thread!

[Tundradrenalin]

Originally Posted by WhiteLiteNin

so a question comes to mind... when i replace the front sway bar with a new hellwig unit, would you guys who have changed out your steering rack bushings suggest upgrading to the stiffer poly steering rack bushings at the same time? would the install of the stiffer poly steering rack bushings be easier with the front sway bar removed? i really appreciate this thread!

Heck ya it would be easier! Ask Hellwig if they have something comparable to the Wheeler's kit.

[WhiteLiteNin]

after reading the instructions above, that's what i was thinking too! i wasn't planning on changing out to stiffer steering rack bushings, but since i will be down there anyway, at this point it's looking like a no brainer. i appreciate the input, Tundradrenalin!