[Toyo_Nati]

First off this forum has been an unbelieveable source of information for me and the Sequoia that I bought a few months back. I have been driving 4runners for the last 10 years (97, 99, 06) and am new to the Sequoia game. I recently needed to save some money and saw a great deal on an 04 Sequoia Limited that just cracked the 100k mark. New brakes, water pump, timing belt, full service and it was a toyota extended warranty car up until that 100k mark.

Car was in really good shape but I noticed one issue right away that was unusual. The handling was all over the place. Extremely loose and it was a chore to keep it going down one lane. Long story short I hopped on here and found that the ball joint recall had not been performed on the vehicle. Got this done and the problem was markedly better but still not totally fixed. I have been playing with tire pressures to no avail. The dealer I purchased the car from put Fuzion tires on it (think cheap Bridgestone brand) that are 265/70R17. This is not the stock size. I have really pinned it down to Alignment numbers and tires as the culprit. Has anyone else had any issues with this type of thing? I am going to use DJ's numbers (found them on here)on the alignment next time but do i need to look at tires of better quality and right size. This is really driving me crazy so any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Remmy700P]

Pay close attention to the steering rack bushings as well. Have someone you trust sit in the driver's seat while you crawl under the truck, and, with the engine running, have them turn the steering wheel back and forth a few times. Watch the steering rack. You should have minimal side-to-side play in it. If you see significant movement, you will achieve noticable improvement by installing the Wheeler's or Total Chaos poly steering rack bushing kit.

I also recommend the sway bar bushing kit as well, and there are DIYs for both procedures here on the forum.

Here's a post with links for purchasing and installation. (Note that the Wheeler's link is to the Tundra page. Navigate to the Sequoia section to order.)

 

[Toyo_Nati]

Thanks...I will have that ck'ed as well.

 

[big-o]

Toyo Nati, welcome to the site and congrats on the purchase! For a 04' Sequoia I think that 265/70/17 is the stock size. That's what came on my Tundra, and I've run it on my Sequoia before my last set. I don't think it's your tires. I also think checking the alignment is a good idea just to be on the safe side. The front suspension on these trucks/suv's (whatever you want to call them) are very soft and are marketed for the "baby-boomer" generation. My wife's Honda Accord had stiffer suspension than our stock Sequoia. Sure not apples to apple comparison, but to me it was way too mushy. I've had 2 Tundra's and they also were too mushy in comparison to my previous 4Runner and Land Cruiser. I believe that this mushy suspension played a big part in my front tire wear and handling. We have a lot of mountainous, curvy and sometimes poorly maintained roads that you can really feel the sway and tracking of the tires when on a bad road.

If it's in your budget, upgrading your front struts or doing a coil-over can really make a difference in firming up the ride so you don't sway so much. Also, from what Remmy mentioned above... you can change out the steering rack bushings to Poly (you can get them from Total Chaos, or Wheelers Offroad). You can also upgrade the sway bar bushings to poly, and the end link bushings (personal preference). I also did a wider wheel which helped the control and feel on the highway. All of these things can tighten up the feel and control of the ride, and I don't seem to get as much cupping on the outside edge of my tires. Good luck!

 

[Toyo_Nati]

Great Help! Thanks. I will see what I can do. The tire size that i see in my books is 265/65, but i was more concerned about the quality of the tire. As far as struts and coil-over, would you have a ball park figure (or range) that i could expect from a garage?

 

[Remmy700P]

...If it's in your budget, upgrading your front struts or doing a coil-over can really make a difference in firming up the ride so you don't sway so much. Also, from what Remmy mentioned above... you can change out the steering rack bushings to Poly (you can get them from Total Chaos, or Wheelers Offroad). You can also upgrade the sway bar bushings to poly, and the end link bushings (personal preference)...

Do you think an '04 would have worn-out struts/coils? I'm not so sure that I'd start replacing major components yet until the true cause could be found. Not that your suggestion doesn't have merit... it does; anytime you can afford to upgrade suspension I'd say do it...

but...

I'd bet that it is either an alignment, steering rack bushing, or loose tie-rod end that is causing the steering to act squirrelly. I'd go after the repair items first, and if they don't alleviate the problem, then I'd say invest in some new suspension components.

As always, my :twocents:.

 

[big-o]

Doing a coilover might be about .75-1.5 hours of labor at a shop and whatever their cost per hour is. You also need to factor in the alignment too. If you do end up doing a coilover increasing your front height, make sure you look into a diff drop spacer and maybe the CV boot mod.

 

[big-o]

Yes Remmy, I concur! And yes, I do think an 04 could have worn out struts at 100k, if not what I like to call mushy from the beginning.

 

[Andy4]

Here are some threads to prior postings with simular questions/ problems
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/1gen-sequoia/58502-loose-rack-and-pinion-bushings-2/
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/1gen-sequoia/175660-rear-sway-bar-bushings-and-links/
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tires-and-wheels/136352-sequoia-alignment-for-the-101st-time/
changing the height of the vehicle will impact all of above and more

 

[Toyo_Nati]

Thanks Andy. I will ck these posts out.